Multi-Parametrical Tool for the Design of Bottom Racks DIMRACK—Application to Small Hydropower Plants in Ecuador

A novel computational tool, DIMRACK, is presented for the design of the required length of bottom racks in intake systems. The users may consider clear water cases or the rack’s occlusion due to sediment transport in the river. The computational tool uses a methodology based on the experimental works undertaken at the Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena from 2010. This work also presents an extension of the methodology to cover a broad range of void ratios, bar profiles, slopes, and flow rates. Designing nomograms are also proposed. These are two diagrams to allow the approximate graphical computation of the rack length with clear water. In sediment transport cases, an occlusion factor is proposed, obtained from experimental gravel tests. This parameter enables an increment in the rack length due to occlusion, depending on the bar type. The results are compared with those proposed in classical technical manuals. Finally, the results have been compared with ten existing small hydropower plants’ bottom intake designs in Ecuador.

Numerical Study of Sediment Flow Over Bottom Intake Racks With Flow-3D

Bottom intakes are the most useful structure for diverting the flow of steep rivers and providing specific amount of water for hydropower usage. It is crucial to obtain optimum of physical parameters in order to divert desired discharge with minimum possibility of occlusion. Numerical models can simulate flow and turbulence transport equations at any complex geometries. Numerical methods based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), are one of the most common methods of numerical simulation that is used in water structures. According to the capabilities of numerical methods, complex modes of flow field over bottom intakes can be analyzed. In the present study, Flow-3D software is used to investigate the experimental results of the previous researcher for sediment and clean water flow over bottom intake with circular bars numerically. This study is carried out in a total of 27 models for clean water and 9 models of sediment flow (Bed-Load) at different approaching flow conditions. Parameters of roughness, size of computational cell, turbulence transport equation, Bed Load Transport equation and bed load coefficient has been calibrated. Validation procedure proved that the accuracy and performance of numerical models appear to be acceptable for designing intake systems. For each test, the discharge coefficient is computed, then by using dimensional analysis, a dimensionless relation derived from the dependent and independent variables and compared with the measured discharge coefficient. Estimating the discharge coefficient by the proposed equation in clean water flow performed a mean error of 6.4 percent and for sediment flow led to a mean error of 4.3 percent.

Empirical, Dimensional and Inspectional Analysis in the Design of Bottom Intake Racks

Flow over bottom racks is highly turbulent, three-dimensional and spatially varied. The design of bottom intake systems has mainly been studied in the laboratory. The comparison of existing experimental studies shows large deviations in the definition of design parameters such as wetted rack length. Each experimental study is limited to a single bar type or to a low range of void ratios, which makes it difficult to generalize the observed data. A combination of empirical, dimensional and inspectional analysis is presented as a useful tool to reduce the number of variables with influence in the design parameters, such as the wetted rack length or the mean discharge coefficient. This work includes a broad experimental campaign in which wetted rack length and mean discharge coefficient are characterized using five different bottom racks with different void ratios (area between bars divided by total area). T-shaped flat and circular bars are considered as well as five different longitudinal slopes. Empirical and inspectional analyses have allowed us to verify, in two different ways, the relation between wetted rack length and incoming flow through potential functions. The influence of the viscous forces has been studied as a function of the incoming flow. Similar results may be obtained when analysing the Froude number at the beginning of the rack, depending on the wetted rack length. A new formulation for calculating the mean discharge coefficient and wetted rack length is proposed.