Dynamic Response of a Sphere Immersed in a Shallow Water Flow

This work analyzes the dynamic response of a sphere located close to the floor of a hydraulic channel within steady free-surface current flows. The sphere is free to move in transverse (y) and streamwise (x) directions, and it is characterized by a mass ratio m* equal to 1.34. The oscillation amplitudes and the frequencies of the sphere have been measured by means of the image analysis of a charge coupled device (CCD) camera. The experimental data show a significant influence of the free surface on the sphere movement and highlight a different behavior of the dynamic response to the increasing of the water level on the upper part of the body.