Author(s): Hideo Oshikawa; Takashi Oshima; Akihiro Hashimoto; Koichiro Ohgushi; Toshimitsu Komatsu
Linked Author(s): Hideo Oshikawa, Koichiro Ohgushi, Akihiro Hashimoto
Keywords: Flood; Vehicular traffic; Flow velocity; Relative water depth; Hydrodynamic force
Abstract: During floods, it is quite easy for automobiles to be swept away by water flow. In this study, the risk of this happening to a vehicle during a flood situation was examined by a laboratory experiment. Horizontal hydrodynamic forces on a model car were measured in a straight channel. Especially, effects of the angle between main flow direction and a vehicle () on drag force coefficients were examined with two dimensionless parameters, relative water depth, and Froude number. In addition, the hydrodynamic force on a prototype car was predicted using the experimental results, and the risk to automobile traffic in a flood situation was estimated as a function of g, flow velocity and relative water depth. As a result of this study, it is made clear that driving a car during a flood situation is dangerous.
Year: 2018