Abstract
Rectangular cross-section spillways are commonly employed in flood discharge systems for medium and low water heads in hydraulic engineering. Among these, wide-crest spillways have received more attention in research and practical application compared to thin-walled, short-crest spillways. However, existing theoretical and experimental studies on flow characteristics and the discharge coefficient (m) for short-crest rectangular spillways remain limited and incomplete. To solve this problem, more supplement research was needed to complete databases. Therefore, this study utilizes a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to simulate flow over the spillway. The numerical model results clearly show variations in the flow field and shear strain rate magnitude distribution, demonstrating weir height's influence on flow characteristics. Additionally, the article constructed graphical relationships between weir height ratios and spillway head ratios with a discharge coefficient. Simultaneously, a predictive formula for the discharge coefficient based on spillway head ratio is also established, with a high correlation coefficient.