The assessment of water discharge in open channel flow is one of the most crucial issues for hydraulic engineers in the fields of water resources management, river dynamics, eco-hydraulics, irrigation, hydraulic structure design, etc. Recent studies state that the entropy velocity law allows expeditive methodology for discharge estimation and rating curve development due to the simple mathematical formulation and implementation. A lot of works have been developed based on the entropy velocity profile supporting measurements in lab for rating curve assessment in regular ditch flows showing a good performance. The present work deals with the use of entropy velocity profile approach in order to give a general framework of threats and opportunities related to robust operational application of such laws in the field of rating curve assessment. The analysis has been carried on a laboratory flume with regular roughness under controlled boundary conditions and different stages generating an exhaustive dashboard for the better appraisal of the approaches. Finally, entropy model may represent a robust and useful tool for the water discharge assessment in rough ditches.
Part of the book: Irrigation in Agroecosystems