Compound open-channel flows
River Hydraulics - INRAE RiverLY
Research
Complex flows in rivers
Compound open-channel flows

Overbank flows or compound open-channel flows

Problematic issue

The aim is to study the hydrodynamic complexity of overbank flows in rivers, where flows occur in a compound channel consisting of a river channel and adjacent floodplains. The research focuses on steady uniform and non-uniform flows, unsteady flows, as well as the associated transport of fine sediments.

Specific scientific issues

  • Impact of changes in land use within floodplains on flow structure (longitudinal mean flow and secondary currents, turbulence statistics, and coherent structures).
  • Sediment transport and deposition in floodplains.
  • Characterisation of quasi-2D coherent turbulent structures between the main channel nd the floodplain
  • Development of LSMs (large-scale motions) and VLSMs (very-large-scale motions)
  • Effect of unsteadiness on the stage-velocity relationship, lateral discharge and Reynolds shear stress at the interface main channel / floodplain
  • 1D, 1D+, 2D and 3D (DES) numerical modelling of steady and/or unsteady non-uniform flows

Methodology

We rely on laboratory experiments in a wide flume (photos below), on field cases (e.g. Rhône and  Doubs rivers), and 1D, 2D and 3D numerical modelling with industrial or research codes.

100_1354
100_1381
IMG_0159

 

 

 

Wide flume with a compound open-channel configuration  (central main channel + two adjacent floodplains) and various land uses of the floodplains: meadow model, i.e. dense artificial ‘grass’; tree models. PhD of V. Dupuis (2013-2016)

Example of experimental result

Delta_website

Effects of transverse currents on the shear layer (based on mean velocity distribution): half the mixing layer width, δ / 2,  with δ = 2 (y0.75–y0.25). Arrow indicates the direction of transverse currents. Proust and Nikora (2020), JFM

Example of numerical result

Qf8_contour_Vz_600s
Qf8_streamplot_planeYZ_600s

 

 

 

Simulations of non-uniform flows in compound open-channel using the Open FOAM code, with SAS K-Omega SST turbulence model: (top) vertical axis vorticity; (bottom) helical secondary currents. Post-doctorate of M. Chatelain (2017-2018). Figures after Chatelain and Proust (2020)

 

Publications

  • Proust, S., Cierco, F.-X., Nikora, V.I. Free-surface flows in compound channels. IAHR Water Monograph (in prep.)
  • Berni, C., Proust, S., Camenen, B.,  Boisson, L. Transfer and deposit of fine sediments over a floodplain for non-uniform overbank flows.  J. Geophys. Res. Earth Surf. (under review)
  • Kaddi, Y., Proust, S., Faure, J.B., Cierco, F.X. (2024). Experimental and numerical study of unsteady flows in a compound open channel. Environ Fluid Mech 24, 335–365. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10652-024-09988-8
  • Sandilya, S.S., Das, B.S., Proust, S., Shekhar, D. (2024). Discharge estimation in compound channels with converging and diverging floodplains using an optimised Gradient Boosting Algorithm. Journal of Hydroinformatics, 26 (5), pp.1122-1149. https://doi.org/10.2166/hydro.2024.292
  • Kaddi, Y., Cierco, FX., Faure, JB., Proust, S. (2022). New Developments in a 1D+ ISM Model for Operational Purposes. In: Gourbesville, P., Caignaert, G. (eds) Advances in Hydroinformatics. Springer Water. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-1600-7_5
  • Kaddi, Y. (2021) Modélisation 1D par lit (ISM) d’un réseau hydraulique ramifié maillé : application au contexte opérationnel de la prévision des fortes crues et des crues de dimensionnement d’ouvrages. Mécanique des fluides [physics.class-ph]. Université de Lyon, 2021. Français. NNT : 2021LYSE1200. tel-03637028
  • Proust, S., Nikora, V.I. (2020).  Compound open-channel flows: Effects of transverse currents on the flow structure. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 885, A24.  doi:10.1017/jfm.2019.973 
  • Chatelain, M., Proust, S. (2020). Non-uniform flows in a compound open-channel: assessment of a hybrid RANS – LES approach. Water Resources Research, 56, e2020WR027054. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020WR027054
  • Y. Kaddi, S. Proust, J.B. Faure, F.X. Cierco (2019). Unsteady flows in a compound open-channel: a laboratory experiment and a 1D+ model. 38th IAHR World Congress, Sep 2019, Panama City, Panama. pp.2839-2848. ⟨hal-02609740⟩
  • Proust, S., Nikora, V.I. (2018). Flow structure in compound open-channel flows in the presence of transverse currents. River Flow 2018: 9th International Conference on Fluvial Hydraulics. Lyon, France, EDP sciences.
  • Das, B. S., Devi, K.,  Proust, S., Khatua, K. K. (2018). Flow distribution in diverging compound channels using improved independent subsection method. River Flow 2018: 9th International Conference on Fluvial Hydraulics. . Lyon, France, EDP Sciences
  • Dupuis, V., Proust, S., Berni, C., Paquier, A. (2017). Mixing layer development in compound channel flows with submerged and emergent rigid vegetation over the floodplains. Experiments in Fluids, vol. 58, n° 30, 18 p.
  • Proust, S., Fernandes, J.N., Leal, J.B., Rivière, N., Peltier, Y. (2017). Mixing layer and coherent structures in compound channel flows: effects of transverse flow, velocity ratio and vertical confinement. Water Resources Research, vol. 53, n° 4, p. 3387-3406. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016WR019873
  • Dupuis, V., Proust, S., Berni, C., Paquier, A. (2017). Compound channel flow with a longitudinal transition in hydraulic roughness over the floodplains. Environmental Fluid Mechanics, vol. 17, n° 5, p. 903-928
  • Dupuis, V. (2016). Experimental investigation of flows subjected to a longitudinal transition in hydraulic roughness in single and compound channels. Mécanique des fluides [physics.class-ph]. Université de Lyon, 2016. Français. NNT : 2016LYSE1154. tel-01409745
  • Proust, S., Berni, C., Boudou, M., Chiaverini, A., Dupuis, V., Faure, J. B., . . . Eiff, O. (2016). Predicting the flow in the floodplains with evolving land occupations during extreme flood events (FlowRes ANR project). Paper presented at the FLOODrisk 2016 - 3rd European Conference on Flood Risk Management. Doi: 10.1051/e3sconf/20160704004
  • Proust, S., Faure, J. B., Dupuis, V., Berni, C., & Paquier, A. (2016). 1D+ model for overbank flows with a transition bed friction – emergent rigid vegetation drag. Paper presented at the River flow 2016, 8th International Conference on Fluvial Hydraulics, St. Louis, Mo., USA, July 12-15, 2016.
  • Bousmar, D., Mathurin, B., Fernandes, J. N., Filonovich, M., Hazlewood, C., Huthoff, F., . . . Proust, S. (2016). Uniform flow in prismatic compound channel: Benchmarking numerical models. Paper presented at the River flow 2016, 8th International Conference on Fluvial Hydraulics, Saint-Louis, Missouri (USA).
  • Proust, S. (2015). Streamwise non-uniform overbank flows in compound channels. Environmental Sciences. Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches, Université Lyon I, 2015. ⟨tel-02606007⟩
  • Peltier, Y., Proust, S., Rivière, N., Paquier, A., & Shiono, K. (2013a). Turbulent flows in straight compound open-channel with a transverse embankment on the floodplain. J. Hydraul. Res., 51(4), 446-458. doi:10.1080/00221686.2013.796499
  • Peltier, Y., Rivière, N., Proust, S., Mignot, E., Paquier, A., & Shiono, K. (2013b). Estimation of the error on the mean velocity and on the Reynolds stress due to a misoriented ADV probe in the horizontal plane: case of experiments in a compound open-channel. Flow Meas. Instrum., 34, 34-41. doi:10.1016/j.flowmeasinst.2013.08.002
  • Proust, S., Fernandes, J. N., Peltier, Y., Leal, J. B., Rivière, N., & Cardoso, A. H. (2013). Turbulent non-uniform flows in straight compound open-channels. J. Hydraul. Res., 51(6), 656-667. doi:10.1080/00221686.2013.818586
  • Peltier, Y. (2011).  Physical modelling of overbank flows with a groyne set on the floodplain. Other [cond-mat.other]. Université Claude Bernard - Lyon I, 2011. English. ⟨NNT : 2011LYO10150⟩. ⟨tel-00845646⟩
  • Terrier, B., Peltier, Y., Shiono, K., Paquier, A., & Rivière, N. (2011). Influence of one-line vegetation on the edge of floodplain on velocity and boundary shear stress distributions in compound channel. Paper presented at the 34th IAHR World Congress - Balance and Uncertainty, 10th Hydraulics Conference, , 26 June - 1 July 2011, Brisbane, Australia.
  • Proust, S., Bousmar, D., Rivière, N., Paquier, A., & Zech, Y. (2010). Energy losses in compound open channels. Adv. Water Resour., 33, 1-16. doi:10.1016/j.advwatres.2009.10.003
  • Proust, S., Bousmar, D., Rivière, N., Paquier, A., & Zech, Y. (2009). Non-uniform flow in compound channel: a 1D-method for assessing water level and discharge distribution. Water Resour. Res., 45(W12411), 1-16. doi:10.1029/2009WR008202
  • Terrier, B., Shiono, K., Proust, S., Paquier, A., & Françon, S. (2008). Flow structure in straight compound channel section of River Rhone in France for overbank flow. Paper presented at the Proc. of the 4th International Conference on Fluvial Hydraulics, River Flow 2008, Cesme-Izmir, Turkey, 3-5 September 2008.
  • Terrier, B., Proust, S., Bousmar, D., Shiono, K., Rivière, N., & Paquier, A. (2008). Investigations on the establishment of uniform flow in compound channel flumes. 8th International Conference on HydroScience and Engineering (ICHE 2008), Nagoya, Japan. 
  • Bousmar, D., Proust, S., & Zech, Y. (2006). Experiments on the flow in a enlarging compound channel. Paper presented at the Proc. of the int. conf. on fluvial hydraulics, River flow 2006, 6-8 september, Lisbon, Portugal, 1.
  • Proust, S., Rivière, N., Bousmar, D., Paquier, A., Zech, Y., & Morel, R. (2006). Flow in Compound Channel with Abrupt Floodplain Contraction. J. Hydraul. Eng., 132(9), 958-970. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(2006)132:9(958)
  • Bousmar, D., Rivière, N., Proust, S., Paquier, A., Morel, R., & Zech, Y. (2005). Upstream Discharge Distribution in Compound-Channel Flumes. J Hydraul. Eng., 131(5), 408-412. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(2005)131:5(408)
  • Proust, S. (2005). Écoulements non-uniformes en lits composés : effets de variations de largeur du lit majeur. Sciences de l'environnement. Doctorat de Mécanique des fluides, INSA de Lyon, 2005. Français. ⟨2005-ISAL-0083 ⟩. ⟨tel-02587088⟩

 

Datasets

  • PROUST, SEBASTIEN; NIKORA, VLADIMIR I., 2025, "Dataset of a laboratory study on flows in a compound open channel with transverse currents", https://doi.org/10.57745/HJKRYH, Recherche Data Gouv, V1, UNF:6:0Ov9GOlqUlOmeV+su2c91A== [fileUNF]
  • PROUST, SEBASTIEN, 2023, "Dataset of an experiment and simulations of unsteady flows in a compound open channel", https://doi.org/10.57745/RMMZY7, Recherche Data Gouv, V2, UNF:6:hBm/WuZ34CBBrYzNFjsmpA== [fileUNF]

PhD,  post-doctorates, HDR

Research project

ANR FLOWRES project (2015-2018). ‘Predicting the flow in the floodplains with evolving land occupations during extreme flood events’

Partners

French:

INRAE Lyon-Villeurbanne, Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon, Institut de Mécanique des Fluides de Toulouse, Laboratoire d’Hydraulique Saint-Venant.

Foreign:

Instituto Superior Técnico (Lisbon, Portugal), Université y Agder (Grimstad, Norway), Université catholique de Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium), Service Public de Wallonie (Direction des Recherches Hydrauliques, Châtelet, Belgium), Karlsruhe Institut of Technology (Germany), École Nationale Polytechnique d’Alger (Algeria), National Institute of Technology of Rourkela (India), Aberdeen University (United Kingdom).

 

 

Modification date: 22 April 2026 | Publication date: 06 June 2023 | By: SW