Hydraulic characteristics of the aeration basin in a ski-jump-step spillway

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 922-929
Author(s):  
Shangtuo Qian ◽  
Jianhua Wu

Abstract The ski-jump-step spillway was designed using a ski-jump and an aeration basin to effectively pre-aerate flow in a stepped spillway. A new experimental study of the hydraulic characteristics of aeration basins was conducted to better understanding their pre-aeration properties and mechanisms. The plunge-pool patterns of aeration basins were classified into partially aerated, fully aerated, and vortex expelled, with increasing unit discharge. Relations between the distributions of the time-averaged pressure and the air concentration of the plunge-pools suggested that the ski-jump jet impact and the recirculating vortices are the main causes of plunge-pool air entrainment. Based on the export cross-section of the aeration basins, the bottom air concentrations remained greater than 3.0%. The sidewall air concentrations were greater than 7.5% and followed a logarithmic distribution in the vertical direction, demonstrating that the export flow attains a completely aerated state without any blackwater zones. In addition, increasing the aeration basin length was found to prevent the occurrence of a vortex expelled plunge-pool, thus promoting the appropriate pre-aeration effect under large unit discharges.

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1956 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong ◽  
Wang ◽  
Vetsch ◽  
Boes ◽  
Tan

Stepped spillways are commonly used under relatively low unit discharge, where cavitation pitting can be avoided by self-aerated flow. However, there are several dams in China with stepped spillways in combination with X-shaped flaring gate piers with unit design discharge considerably larger than specified in the available guidelines. Consequently, air–water two-phase flow on stepped spillway behind X-shaped flaring gate piers under very high unit discharge was investigated using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. The 3-D Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations were solved, including sub-grid models for air entrainment, density evaluation, and drift-flux, to capture self-aerated free-surface flow over the spillway. The pressure on the vertical step faces was compared with laboratory data. In addition, the air–water two-phase flow characteristics and prototype step failure of the simulated prototype spillway were analyzed based on the numerical results of velocity, pressure, and air concentration. Moreover, an optimized bottom-aeration was further studied. The results reveal that the involved models can predict the air concentration near the steps. The cavitation index at the stepped surface is below the threshold value, and the air concentration is insufficient under high unit discharges. Moreover, with the proposed optimization of the aerator air entrainment can be improved and thereby cavitation erosion risk can be reduced.


RBRH ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina K. Novakoski ◽  
Rute Ferla ◽  
Priscila dos Santos Priebe ◽  
Aline Saupe Abreu ◽  
Marcelo G. Marques ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Stepped spillways can dissipate a great amount of energy during the flow passage over the chute, however these structures have limited operation due to the risk of cavitation damage. The induced aeration may protect the concrete chute through the air concentration near the channel bottom. Furthermore, some research studies have indicated that the presence of air in flows may reduce the mean pressures. The present research aims to analyze mean pressures, air entrainment coefficient and flow behavior over a stepped spillway with aeration induced by two different deflectors, comparing the results to natural aeration flow. Despite the jet impact influence, the induced aeration does not change significantly the mean pressures compared to natural aeration flow. The air entrainment coefficient, as well as the jet impact position, is higher for the deflector with the longer extension and, although air bubbles can be seen throughout the extension of the chute due to the air entrainment through the inferior flow surface, the induced aeration did not anticipate the boundary layer inception point position.


Water ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 153
Author(s):  
Stéphane Terrier ◽  
Michael Pfister ◽  
Anton J. Schleiss

Stepped spillways are frequently limited to specific discharges under around 30 m2/s due to concerns about potential cavitation damages. A small air concentration can prevent such damages and the design of bottom aerators is well established for smooth chutes. The purpose of this study is to systematically investigate the performance of a deflector aerator at the beginning of stepped chutes. Six parameters (chute angle, step height, approach flow depth, approach flow Froude number, deflector angle and deflector height) are varied in a physical model. The spatial air concentration distribution downstream of the aerator, the cavity sub-pressure, water discharge and air discharges are measured. The results describe the commonly used air entrainment coefficient, the jet length, as well as the average and bottom air concentration development to design an aerator. The lowest bottom air concentration measured in all tests is higher than the air concentration recommended in literature to protect against cavitation damages. And, unlike smooth chutes, there appears to be no significant air detrainment downstream of the jet impact. One deflector aerator seems therefore sufficient to provide protection of a stepped spillway.


2020 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yeri Sutopo ◽  
Budi S. Wignyosukarto ◽  
Bambang Yulistyanto ◽  
Istiarto Istiarto ◽  
Nor Hayati Abdul Hamid

The Chanson’s equation for distribution of air bubbles in vertical direction in the developing zone at self-air entrainment condition is used when the air bubbles concentration at the flow surface is 90%. Otherwise, if this condition is not satisfying, then the equations of Straub and Anderson can be used. The results of these two equations are not similar with experimental results. Therefore, these two equations need to be modified accordingly. These modification equations can also be used to predict the air bubbles distributions in vertical direction. Hence, the main objective of this study is to modify these equations for vertical air concentration distribution in the developing zone and validate them with experimental results. The steep channel in the form of flume with 10 m long, 0.2 m wide and 0.4 m high with slopes varies between 20° and 25° were used in this experimental work. The discharge water was 9 l/s, 12 l/s and 21 l/s with Froude numbers between 6.9 to 8.0. The Thomson weir (V Notch) was used to calibrate the discharge flow of water. A set of video cameras was used to record the motion pictures of the air bubbles. The air bubble was analyzed using Ulead Video Studio 11 software program equipped with Imagej software. The results of this study indicates that the modifications of equations of Straub and Anderson were the equation air concentration distribution (C) in the underlying zone value was 0.647 m at 20° slope of channel bed, the equation air concentration distribution (C) in the underlying zone the value was 0.542 m at 25° slope and the equation in the mixing zone remained the same. The original Chanson equation was modified mainly in terms of the hyperbolic tangent (tanh) equation which originally had a power of 2 while the modification was 0.8; and the Ce was 0.9 sin α, whereas at the modified Chanson’s equation, Ce was converted into Ce= 0.6 sin α.


2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 880-891 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehmet Ali Kökpinar

High-speed two-phase flows over a 30° stepped flume were experimentally investigated using macro-roughness elements. The roughness elements included combinations of steps and horizontal strips. Local values of air concentration, air bubble frequency, and mean chord lengths were measured by a fiber-optical instrumentation system in the air–water flow region. The range of unit discharge of water was varied from 0.06 to 0.20 m2/s. Three step configurations were studied: (i) without macro-roughness elements, (ii) with macro-roughness elements on each step, and (iii) with macro-roughness elements on each second step (AMR configuration). The results were compared in terms of onset flow conditions and internal air–water flow parameters such as local air concentration, mean air bubble chord length distribution, and air bubble frequency in the skimming flow regime. It was observed that the AMR configuration produced the maximum free-surface aeration among the other configurations. This alternative step geometry has potential for less cavitation damage than conventional step geometry because of the greater air entrainment.Key words: stepped chute, air-entrainment, air-water flow properties, macro-roughness elements, skimming flow.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Lifang Zhang ◽  
Jianmin Zhang ◽  
Yakun Guo ◽  
Yong Peng

In this study, the evolution process of the swallow-tailed flip bucket water nappe entering into the plunge pool is simulated by using the standard k-ε turbulence model and the volume-of-fluid method. The effects of the upstream opening width ratio and downstream bucket angle on the flow pattern, the unit discharge distribution, and the impact pressure distribution are studied. Based on the numerical results, the inner and outer jet trajectories are proposed by using the data. Results show that the longitudinal stretching length decreases with the increase of the upstream opening width ratio and increases with the increase of the downstream bucket angle. The water nappe enters the plunge pool in a long strip shape. Thus, the unit discharge distribution of water nappe entry is consistent with the pressure distribution at the plunge pool bottom. The upstream opening width ratio and downstream bucket angle should be chosen as their intermediate values in order to have a uniform discharge distribution and to reduce the pressure peak at the plunge pool floor, which is effectively to avoid instability and destruction of plunge pool floor.


2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (5) ◽  
pp. 868-874 ◽  
Author(s):  
JieYi Shen ◽  
JianHua Wu ◽  
Fei Ma

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 1546-1553
Author(s):  
Yu Zhou ◽  
Jianhua Wu ◽  
Fei Ma ◽  
Jianyong Hu

Abstract In skimming flow, a uniform flow can be achieved and the flow depth, velocity and air concentration remain constant if a stepped spillway is sufficiently long. In this study, physical model experiments were performed to investigate the uniform characteristics and energy dissipation of a hydraulic-jump-stepped spillway, which is a new type of stepped spillway for increasing the unit discharge capacity and energy dissipation. Based on the redefinition of uniform flow, experimental results show that at a given stepped spillway slope, a smaller height for the beginning of the uniform flow region, a greater uniform aerated flow depth and a greater uniform equivalent clear water flow depth can be obtained as compared with the traditional stepped spillway due to strong aeration in the aeration basin. Under the condition of uniform flow, the energy dissipation rate of stepped spillways can be estimated by the equivalent clear water flow depth with given inflow conditions. Compared with the traditional stepped spillway, the uniform flow over the hydraulic-jump-stepped spillway has a smaller specific energy, revealing that the hydraulic-jump-stepped spillway is more advantageous for dissipating energy, especially at large unit discharges.


Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1779 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weilin Xu ◽  
Chunqi Chen ◽  
Wangru Wei

There is a lack of knowledge on the air concentration distribution in plunge pools affected by aerated jets. A set of physical experiments was performed on vertical submerged aerated jet flows impinging a plunge pool. The air concentration distribution in the plunge pool was analyzed under different inflow air concentrations, flow velocities, and discharge rate conditions. The experimental results show that the air concentration distribution follows a power-law along the jet axis, and it is independent of the initial flow conditions. A new hypothetical analysis model was proposed for air diffusion in the plunge pool, that is, the air concentration distribution in the plunge pool is superposed by the lateral diffusion of three stages of the aerated jet motion. A set of formulas was proposed to predict the air concentration distribution in the plunge pool, the results of which showed good agreement with the experimental data.


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