Correction and laboratory investigation for energy loss coefficient of square-edged orifice plate

A lot of studies have shown that the hydraulic characteristics of orifice plate are mainly controlled by its contraction ratio, but the thickness of square-edged orifice plate also has many impacts on energy loss characteristics. The primary objective of this study was to investigated the effects of square-edged orifice plate thickness on energy loss characteristics. In this paper, the effects of square-edged orifice plate thickness on energy loss characteristics are investigated by numerical simulation using CFD. Orifice plate discharge tunnel is axial symmetric, two dimensional numerical simulations of orifice plate discharge tunnel flow was used. The equation (9) for calculating energy loss coefficient of square-edged orifice plate energy dissipater considering the influence of thickness is proposed. The results of the present research demonstrate that energy loss coefficient decreases with increase of the orifice plate thickness. The results of model experiment are consistence with the results calculated by using rectified equation in present paper. The CFD simulations and Model experiment for the flow through an orifice plate are carried out. For square-edged orifice plate energy dissipater, the relative orifice plate thickness T/D has remarkable impacts on its energy loss coefficient ξ. The Traditional equation (8) is corrected by numerical results. The equation (9) for calculating energy loss coefficient of square-edged orifice plate energy dissipater considering the influence of thickness is proposed and this equation is available in the condition of d/D = 0.4–0.8, T/D = 0.05–0.25, and Re > 105(Re is Reynolds number). Comparing with the physical model experimental data, the relative errors of equation (9) is smaller than 15%.

Study on Structure Design of Generator of Flood Discharge Tunnel with Level Swirling Flow

Through the design of the Generator of the spillway tunnel, the safe operation efficiency of flood discharge tunnel with the level swirling flow is further improved. This paper takes the horizontal swirl spillway tunnel of Gongboxia Hydropower Station on the Yellow River as an example. First, the project hub facilities of the Gongboxia Hydropower Station are introduced. Moreover, the design of the gradient section and the spinning chamber section in the Generator is also studied. Based on the calculation scheme of structural mechanics, the internal force of the structure under various load combinations such as external water pressure and internal water pressure is calculated. According to Design Codes For Hydraulic Concrete Structure, the structural reinforcement is computed. These provide the basis for the design of the flood discharge tunnel with level swirling flow of large hydropower engineering facilities in Northwest China.

Research on the Normal Use of a Plug Discharge Tunnel

This study analyzed the normal use of an unusual flood-releasing tunnel with a plug dissipator. Firstly, normal physical model tests based on the Froude criterion (1 : 50) were finished. Secondly, depression physical model tests based on the Froude criterion (1 : 50) and cavitation similarity criterion were finished. Thirdly, 3-dimensional numerical simulation of flow field was finished, and free surface profile was captured, which was based on RNG k-ε two-equation turbulence model and VOF method. The focus of this study is on the relationship between normal use and cavitation characteristics (e.g., pressure, turbulence kinetic energy, and cavitation number). The results show that lowering the reservoir water level, reduced by 20.41 m at most, increases the risk of cavitation of a plug discharge tunnel, which means with the decrease of the flow cavitation number, the possibility of structural damage will increase dramatically, while reducing the outlet height can effectively raise the flow cavitation number, ensuring the safety of normal use. Under the conditions of free outflow, for the H1/e values of 4.45, 4.00, and 3.55, the conditions in which the tunnel meets the requirements of anticavitation are h/D ≤ 0.42, h/D ≤ 0.39, and h/D ≤ 0.35, respectively. In addition, the discharge capacity of the tunnel is not significantly reduced with the lowering of outlet height, implying that operation under a low water head of the plug discharge tunnel, as low as 3.55 of H1/e in the test, is feasible. The results obtained in this study can serve as reference information in engineering design of the plug discharge tunnel.

Characteristics of aeration in the flow downstream of a radial gate with a sudden fall-expansion aerator in a discharge tunnel

The mechanisms of cavitation damage in flood releasing tunnels remain unclear. In this study a series of physical experiments and numerical calculations were conducted to investigate the flow pattern, pressure distribution and cavitation downstream of a sudden fall-expansion aerator in a discharge tunnel. When the radial gate was partly open, the bottom cavity length reduced drastically, the lateral cavity disappeared, and the flow cavitation index near the sidewalls was less than 0.2. The pressure on the floor and sidewalls can be divided into four regimes: the cavity regime, the impact regime, the reflective regime and the stable regime. The time-average pressure is subject to a unimodal distribution when the gate is fully open, whereas a bimodal distribution is presented when the gate is partly open. The negative pressure regime presented an elliptic shape. Cavitation erosion occurred easily on lateral expansion sidewalls in the tunnel with the radial gate partly open.