Conference PaperPDF Available

Air Entrainment in Skimming Flow on Stepped Spillways: the Effect of an Abrupt Slope Change

Authors:
  • K. N. Toosi University of Technology
  • University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland HES-SO

Abstract and Figures

Numerous stepped spillways were built during the last decades. In particular, a stepped spillway may be integrated economically into the downstream face of a RCC gravity dam, or on valley flanks besides embankment or rockfill dams, where slope changes may naturally be implemented due to topography and economic reasons. This paper presents and discusses preliminary results on the air entrainment in the vicinity of an abrupt change chute slope, namely the air concentration distribution and the mean air concentration. A significant influence was observed on the air entrainment pattern, with a decrease of the mean air concentration immediately upstream of the slope change, followed by a marked increase immediately downstream, and a subsequent decrease further down the flatter chute, approaching a practically constant value. Considerable larger air entrainment was observed shortly downstream of the slope change cross-section, in comparison with that found upstream, in the quasi-uniform flow.
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5th International Junior Researcher and Engineer Workshop Spa, Belgium, 28-30 August 2014
on Hydraulic Structures
IN SKIMMING FLOW ON STEPPED SPILLWAYS: ENTRAINMENTAIR THE EFFECT OF AN ABRUPT SLOPE CHANGE
M.J. Ostad Mirza1,2 , M. Pfister1 , A.J. Schleiss1, and J. Matos2
1Laboratory of Hydraulic Constructions (LCH),
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL),
CH - Lausanne 1015
SWITZERLAND
2 Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Georesources
Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon
Lisbon, 1049-001
PORTUGAL
E-mail: mohammadjavad.ostadmirza@epfl.ch
Abstract: Numerous stepped spillways were built during the last decades. In particular, a stepped
spillway may be integrated economically into the downstream face of a RCC gravity dam, or on valley
flanks besides embankment or rockfill dams, where slope changes may naturally be implemented due
to topography and economic reasons. This paper presents and discusses preliminary results on the air
entrainment in the vicinity of an abrupt change chute slope, namely the air concentration distribution
and the mean air concentration. A significant influence was observed on the air entrainment pattern,
with a decrease of the mean air concentration immediately upstream of the slope change, followed by
a marked increase immediately downstream, and a subsequent decrease further down the flatter
chute, approaching a practically constant value. Considerable larger air entrainment was observed
shortly downstream of the slope change cross-section, in comparison with that found upstream, in the
quasi-uniform flow.
Keywords: Stepped spillways, Slope change, Skimming flow, Air entrainment.
1. INTRODUCTION
A significant number of stepped spillways were built during the last decades, in particular linked to the
application of the roller compacted concrete (RCC) dam construction technique. A stepped spillway
may be integrated economically into the downstream face of a RCC gravity dam. In combination with
embankment and rockfill dams, stepped spillways have been built on valley flanks besides the dam,
where slope changes may naturally occur due to topography and economic reasons.
For a given stepped chute geometry, the general behavior of the flow may be characterized by three
different regimes, namely nappe, transition and skimming flow (e.g., Othsu and Yasuda, 1997
Chanson, 2002). Nappe flow occurs at low flows and can be defined as a succession of free-falling
nappes. In skimming flow, the water or air-water flows as a coherent stream over the pseudo-bottom
formed by the outer step edges; beneath it three-dimensional vortices occur. Between the upper limit
of nappe flow and the lower limit of skimming flow, a transition flow takes place. For typical hydraulic
design of dam stepped spillways, a skimming flow regime occurs (Matos, 2000, Boes and Hager
2003a).
In the last couple of decades, a significant number of physical model studies were conducted on the
hydraulics of skimming flow over constant sloping stepped spillways (e.g., Chamani and Rajaratnam
1999, Pegram et al, 1999, Sánchez-Juny et al, 2000, Matos 2000, Chanson, 2002, Boes and Hager
2003a,b, Frizell, 2006, Amador et al, 2009, Meireles et al., 2012, Pfister and Hager, 2011, Bombardelli
et al., 2011, Bung, 2011, Felder and Chanson, 2009, Felder, 2013). In addition to the hydraulics of
conventional stepped spillways, a variety of experimental studies have also been carried out on non-
conventional geometries, such as stepped spillways with macro-roughness (e.g., André, 2004, André
et al, 2004, Gonzalez et al, 2008, Bung and Schlenkhoff, 2010), or with non-uniform step heights
(Felder and Chanson, 2011).
Despite some few exceptions, such as the Upper Stillwater dam in the USA (Houston, 1987) and
lower Siah-Bishe dam in Iran (Baumann et al., 2006), most stepped spillways have been designed for
a constant chute slope. Hence there is presently insufficient information available on the flow
behaviour on abrupt slope changes on stepped spillways. The present study was conducted under
different geometric and flow conditions in order to investigate the flow properties in the slope change
region, in particular the air entrainment.
2. EXPERIMENTAL SETUP
A steep channel with variable slope, equipped with steps of constant height, was assembled at the
Laboratory of Hydraulic Constructions (LCH) of the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
(EPFL). It consists of four 2 m long and 0.5 m wide modules, with a 0.6 m high transparent sidewall to
allow for flow observation. Since the present study focuses on slope changes, the channel was divided
in two separated parts, each of those including two modules of 4 m length. Each part was of different
slope, with the upstream slope being steeper than the downstream slope (Figure 1a). The bottom
slope of the upstream chute (i.e. pseudo-bottom angle) was set to φ1=50º (1V:0.84H), while the
downstream slope was set to φ2=18.6º (1V:3H).
The flow rate was measured with an electromagnetic flow meter. The maximum unit discharge which
could be provided is approximately 0.46 m2/s. To allow for an independent variation of the inflow depth
(d0) and Froude number (Fr0 = qw/(gd03)1/2; qw is the unit discharge and g is the gravitational
acceleration), the flume inflow device consisted of a jet-box with a maximum opening of 12 cm.
Applying this device, the pressurized pipe approach flow is transformed into a free surface flow. Thus
the location of the inception of air entrainment is shifted upstream and the developing region of the
flow is shorten, such that quasi-uniform flow conditions are reached on the upstream slope, for all step
geometries and discharges. A dual fiber-optical probe developed by RBI Instrumentation, France, was
mounted on an automatic positioning system for measuring the air concentration and velocity.
(a)
(b) (c)
Figure 1 Physical model of the stepped spillway with an abrupt slope change assembled at LCH-
EPFL: a) General view; b) Initial reach of the chute and jet box, c) Dual fiber-optical probe in
operation.
A series of observations and measurements were conducted in the skimming flow regime for unit
discharges ranging between 0.35 and 0.46 m2/s, and relative critical depths dc/h (dc is the critical
depth and h is the step height) ranging between 3.8 and 4.6. That range corresponds to Reynolds
numbers (Re = qw/υ) varying between 3.4 and 4.6×105 and inflow Weber number at the exit of the jet-
box (We0 = Vm0/(σ sinφ/ ρh)1/2) between 124 and 189, where υ is the kinematic viscosity of water, Vm0
is the inflow depth averaged velocity at the exit of the jet-box (Vm0 = qw/d0), σ is the interfacial surface
tension, and ρ is the water density (Table 1).The airwater flow properties were measured at 20
streamwise cross-sections along the stepped spillway, namely in 5 step edges upstream and 15 step
edges downstream of the slope change, from step number -9 to +15 (Figure 2). The measurements in
each cross-section consisted of 30 points from about 0.005 m distance to the step edge, and
subsequently increasing by 0.01 m.
Table 1 Chute geometry and hydraulic conditions.
Parameters
Min.
Max.
φ(º)
18.6(1)
50(2)
h (m)
0.06
qw (m2/s)
0.35
0.46
dc/h (-)
3.8
4.6
d0 (m)
0.082
0.093
Fr0 (-)
4.0
6.4
Re (-)ˣ105
3.4
4.6
We0 (-)
124
189
(1) Downstream chute slope, (2) Upstream chute slope.
(a) (b)
Figure 2 a) Physical model of the stepped spillway with an abrupt slope change assembled at LCH-
EPFL (50º to 18.6º, h = 0.06 m, qw = 0.46 m2/s, dc/h =4.6); step numbers used in the following are
indicated, b) sketch of slope change region.
AIR-WATER FLOW PROPERTIES ON THE SLOPE CHANGE REGION
2.1. Definitions
The local air concentration C is defined as the time-averaged value of the volume of air per unit
volume of air and water. The mean (depth-averaged) air concentration is defined as
90
0
90
Y
dyC
C
Y
mean
(1)
where y is measured perpendicular to the pseudo-bottom formed by the step edges and Y90 is the
depth where the air concentration is 90 %.
2.2. Air concentration distribution
Various air concentration profiles were acquired in skimming flow upstream and downstream of the
slope change, as presented in Figure 3. The air concentration distribution varies significantly along the
slope change region. Four main sub-regions may be identified: sub-region I, characterized by a
decrease in the local air concentration (for identical distance to the pseudo-bottom) within the flow
when approaching the slope change cross-section (Figure 3a), sub-region II, characterized by a
sharp increase in the air concentration within the flow near the slope change cross-section, reaching
maximum values shortly downstream (Figure 3b); sub-region III, where the air concentration
decreases rapidly again and approaches to values close to uniform flow condition for the second slope
(Figure 3c); and sub-region IV, where the air concentration continues to exhibit a decreasing trend,
eventually approaching an almost constant value, hence leading to similar air concentration profiles
(Figure 3d).
In the reaches not affected by the slope change, namely, steps -9 to -3 (Figure 3a) and +12 to +15
(Figure 3d), the air concentration distribution exhibits a S-shape profile, similarly as obtained in other
experimental studies for constant chute slope under uniform flow condition, as well as well described
by the advection-diffusion model for the air bubbles (e.g., Chanson, 1997; Chanson and Toombes,
2002).
Figure 3 - Air concentration distribution upstream, downstream and along the slope change region (“-
and “+” signs represent the steps upstream and downstream of the slope change region, respectively
(step numbers as per Figure 2 ): (a) sub-region I; (b) sub-region II; (c) sub-region III; (d) sub-region
(IV): dc/h =4.6. C theory was obtained from Chanson (1997), for uniform flow on a similar sloping
chute, assuming Cmean equal to 0.6 and 0.3 for 50º and 18.6º slopes, respectively.
2.3. Mean air concentration and characteristic flow depth
The development of the mean air concentration along the chute (obtained from Eq. (1)) is plotted in
Figure 4, where x is the streamwise coordinate from the jetbox. A comparison of the experimental data
against empirical formulae developed for estimating the mean air concentration in uniform flow on 50º
and 18.6 º sloping chutes, either stepped (e.g., Boes, 2000, Takahashi and Ohtsu, 2012) or smooth
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
0.0
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.6
2.0
C
y/y90
Step Number:-09
Step Number:-05
Step Number:-03
Step Number:-02
Step Number:-01
Step Number:+01
C theory(50º)
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
0.0
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.6
2.0
C
y/y90
Step Number:+02
Step Number:+03
Step Number:+04
Step Number:+05
Step Number:+06
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
0.0
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.6
2.0
C
y/y90
Step Number:+07
Step Number:+08
Step Number:+09
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
0.0
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.6
2.0
C
y/y90
Step Number:+10
Step Number:+11
Step Number:+12
Step Number:+13
Step Number:+14
Step Number:+15
C theory(18.6º)
235-8.2
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
0.0
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.6
2.0
C
y/y90
Step Number:-09
Step Number:-05
Step Number:-03
Step Number:-02
Step Number:-01
Step Number:+01
C theory(50º)
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
0.0
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.6
2.0
C
y/y90
Step Number:+02
Step Number:+03
Step Number:+04
Step Number:+05
Step Number:+06
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
0.0
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.6
2.0
C
y/y90
Step Number:+07
Step Number:+08
Step Number:+09
Step Number:+10
Step Number:+11
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
0.0
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.6
2.0
C
y/y90
Step Number:+12
Step Number:+13
Step Number:+14
Step Number:+15
C theory(18.6º)
235-8.2
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
0.0
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.6
2.0
C
y/y90
Step Number:-09
Step Number:-05
Step Number:-03
Step Number:-02
Step Number:-01
Step Number:+01
C theory(50º)
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
0.0
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.6
2.0
C
y/y90
Step Number:+02
Step Number:+03
Step Number:+04
Step Number:+05
Step Number:+06
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
0.0
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.6
2.0
C
y/y90
Step Number:+07
Step Number:+08
Step Number:+09
Step Number:+10
Step Number:+11
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
0.0
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.6
2.0
C
y/y90
Step Number:+12
Step Number:+13
Step Number:+14
Step Number:+15
C theory(18.6º)
235-8.2
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e.g., Wood, 1991, Hager, 1991, Chanson 1997, Matos, 1999) indicates that flow conditions not
substantially dissimilar from quasi-uniform flow were observed at far upstream (x/h ~ 52) and far
downstream (x/h ~ 101) of the slope change cross-section, where Cmean u approaches 0.6 and 0.3,
respectively. The influence of the slope change on the mean air concentration is noticeable slightly
upstream of the slope change cross-section, where Cmean decreases considerably, which is judged to
be due to the flow curvature and higher pressures near the pseudo-bottom, in such short region.
As one can see from Figure 5, the streamwise distribution of the characteristic flow depth normalized
by the critical depth (Y90/dc) follows a similar overall trend as that obtained for the mean air
concentration, except in the vicinity of the slope change cross-section.
Figure 4 Streamwise development of the mean air concentration for two unit discharges of 0.35 m2/s
(dc/h =3.8) and 0.46 m2/s (dc/h = 4.6).
Figure 5 Streamwise development of the normalized characteristic depth, for two unit discharges of
0.35 m2/s (dc/h =3.8) and 0.46 m2/s (dc/h = 4.6).
In Figure 6, the mean air concentration normalized by the uniform mean air concentration values for
50º and 18.6 º chute slopes (after Boes, 2000, and Takahashi and Ohtsu, 2012, respectively) is
plotted as a function of the normalized distance xoc/Li. Therein the experimental data of xoc and Li are
estimated after modifying the origin for an uncontrolled ogee crest, following an approach similar to
that applied by Boes and Hager (2003b) where Li = (5.9dc6/5)/(sinφ7/5h1/5). The difference between the
calculated Li from an uncontrolled ogee crest and the observed inception point length from the jet-box
has been used to estimate the distance from an uncontrolled ogee crest (xoc). The application of
Pfister and Hager (2011) formula is also included in Figure 6, strengthen the conclusion that quasi-
uniform flow condition was attained on the upstream chute (Cmean/Cmean u ~1).
The sub-regions previously referred in section 3.2 apply to the mean air concentration, including a
decrease in the mean air concentration when approaching the slope change cross-section, followed
by its sharp increase, eventually reaching a peak, and decreasing further downstream, approaching a
practically constant value (Figures 4 and 6). However, uniform flow conditions were likely not reached
in the 18.6º chute, because the mean air concentration is larger than those corresponding to the
uniform flow for an identical slope on stepped (e.g., Takahashi and Ohtsu, 2012) or smooth spillway
chutes (Figure 4), Cmean u ~ 0.3.
Figure 6 Streamwise development of the mean air concentration ratio for two unit discharges of 0.35
m2/s (dc/h =3.8) and 0.46 m2/s (dc/h = 4.6). The experimental data is normalized by Cmean u, upstream
and downstream of the slope change (after Boes, 2000, and Takahashi and Ohtsu, 2012,
respectively). At the slope change, xoc/Li ~ 2 for both discharges.
3. CONCLUSION
The effect of a 50º to 18.6º abrupt slope change on the air entrainment on stepped chutes was
analysed from data gathered on an experimental facility assembled at the Laboratory of Hydraulic
Constructions (LCH) of EPFL. Measurements of air concentration profiles were conducted and the
extracted data are discussed.
The results demonstrate that abrupt slope changes on stepped chutes have a major effect on the air
entrainment and flow bulking in the vicinity of the respective transition region. Four main sub-regions
were identified, with a decrease in the air concentration when approaching the slope change cross-
section, followed by its sharp increase immediately downstream, reaching a peak, and decreasing
further downstream towards an almost constant value. The peak mean air concentration as observed
downstream of the slope change cross-section may be considerably larger than that corresponding to
the uniform flow condition for the upstream chute, whereas the minimum mean air concentration
downstream of the slope change is larger than that estimated for uniform flow on a similar sloping
chute, possibly due to the limited length of the chute.
4. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The study was carried out in the framework of the IST-EPFL Joint Doctoral Initiative. The PhD
research has been granted by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal under
grant SFRH/BD/51527/2011, and the Laboratory of Hydraulic Constructions (LCH) of EPFL,
Switzerland.
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... Besides, transition condition appear in the region between the above mentioned regimes. Skimming flow is more predictable flow compared to the other regimes and it contains two flows, namely; main flow related to chute slope and secondary flows due to large eddy generation among steps, and mixing of air and water (Simões et al., 2012, Ostad Mirza et al., 2015. In a point on the water surface at short length away from the crest of spillway air may naturally begin to come to the flow. ...
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در طراحی و ساخت سرریزهای پلکانی، ممکن است به منظور تبعیت از توپوگرافی و جنس بستر و در نتیجه کاهش هزینه های ساخت نیاز به تغییر شیب ناگهانی باشد. از طرفی با تغییر شیب ناگهانی و افزایش فشار، هوای موجود در جریان به سمت سطح آزاد حرکت کرده (هوا زدائی) ودر نتیجه از غلظت هوای نزدیک به کف کاسته میشود. مقاله حاضر به بررسی تاثیر تغییر شیب ناگهانی بر غلظت هوای نزدیک به کف و عمق مشخصه جریان های غیر ریزشی بر روی سرریزهای پلکانی می پردازد. مدلسازی فیزیکی بر روی مدلی نسبتا بزرگ مقیاس متشکل از تغییر شیب های 50º به 18.6º (ΔƟ=31.4º) و50º به 30º (ΔƟ=20º) انجام گرفت. نتایج به دست آمده نشان دهنده تاثیر به سزای تغییر شیب ناگهانی برمیزان هوای نزدیک به کف و همچنین عمق مشخصه جریان در مقایسه با نتایج معمول بر روی سرریزهای پلکانی با شیب ثابت میباشد. بررسی ناحیه تحت تاثیر تغییر شیب ناگهانی نشان داد اساسا طول این ناحیه فقط به عمق بحرانی جریان (مستقل از شیب سرریز و ارتفاع پله) وابسته است. Abstract In some cases, an abrupt slope change may be required to be implemented on stepped chutes in order to follow the site topography and to minimize the needed excavations and hence respective costs. An abrupt slope change can influence the flow properties and increase the pressure impact and consequently strengthen the de-aeration process. The present paper discusses the effect of an abrupt slope change on the bottom air concentration and characteristic flow depth in skimming flow on stepped spillways. Physical modelling was conducted in a relatively large scale facility with slope changes from 50º to 18.6º (ΔƟ=31.4º) and 50º to 30º (ΔƟ=20º). The results indicated a substantial influence of abrupt slope changes on the bottom air concentration and characteristic flow depth, particularly in comparison with typical results for constant sloping stepped spillway flows. The length of the reach under the influence of the slope change was found to depend mainly on the critical flow depth, regardless of the slope change and step height. Keywords : Stepped spillways, Abrupt slope change, Skimming flow, De-aeration, Bottom air concentration, Characteristic flow depth
Article
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On a spillway chute, a stepped design increases the rate of energy dissipation on the chute itself and reduces the size of a downstream energy dissipater. Up to date, the effects of step roughness on the flow properties remain unknown despite the practical relevance to damaged concrete steps, rock chutes and gabions weirs. New measurements were conducted in a large-size laboratory facility with two step conditions (smooth and rough) and three types of step roughness. Detailed air-water flow properties were measured systematically for several flow rates. The results showed faster flow motion on rough step chutes. Although the finding is counter-intuitive, it is linked with the location of the inception point of free-surface aeration being located further downstream than for a smooth stepped chute for an identical flow rate. In the aerated flow region, the velocities on rough-step chutes were larger than those of smooth chute flows for a given flow rate and dimensionless location from the inception point of free-surface aeration both at step edges and between step edges. The results suggest that design guidelines for smooth (concrete) stepped spillway may not be suitable to rough stepped chutes including gabion stepped weirs, and older stepped chutes with damaged steps. © 2008 International Association of Hydraulic Engineering and Research.
Thesis
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Stepped spillways are a common design for flood release facilities of embankment dams. The steps increase the energy dissipation and aeration performances. In the past couple of decades several experimental studies provided design guidelines and yielded insights into the complex air-water flow structure. Despite this research, an optimum design for embankment dam stepped spillways is still unknown and the interplay between free-surface aeration, cavity recirculation and energy dissipation is still not completely researched. The present thesis focused therefore on two objectives, i.e. the investigation of aeration and energy dissipation on alternative stepped spillway designs and the improved understanding of the microscopic and macroscopic two-phase flow properties. Twelve different stepped spillway configurations were investigated in three different experimental facilities with slopes of 8.9° and 26.6° comprising flat uniform steps, non-uniform steps, pooled steps, porous pooled steps and combination of flat and pooled steps. The experiments comprised the observation of the flow patterns for a wide range of discharges and measurements of the full range of air-water flow properties with phase-detection intrusive probes for all step edges downstream of the inception point in transition and skimming flows. The experimental findings on the flat stepped spillways agreed well with previous studies and showed scale effects for both Froude and Reynolds similitudes. All air-water flow data were in accordance with self-similar equations and an extrapolation to prototype scale seemed possible. Detailed analyses of the microscopic air-water interfaces within the bulk of the flow for air concentration of 50% highlighted the effect of the free-surface aeration upon the flow processes in the intermediate flow region. The air-water flow properties on the non-uniform stepped configurations agreed well with the corresponding flat stepped spillways, but larger aeration and small instabilities were observed downstream of a large step drop. The experiments with acoustic displacement meters on a non-uniform stepped spillway showed the possibility to record the free-surface profiles and fluctuations in both aerated and non-aerated flow regions. On the pooled stepped spillways, some instabilities were observed for small discharges including pulsations in the first step cavity. For the 8.9° slope pooled stepped spillway, the instabilities impacted upon the air- water flows comprising jump waves propagating downstream and irregular cavity recirculation and ejection processes. These instationary air-water flows were also reflected in the air-water flow properties and unrealistically large turbulence levels were recorded. A triple decomposition approach for the square wave voltage raw signal was developed to identify the contribution of the slow and fast fluctuating motion upon the turbulence velocity fluctuations in the instationary air-water flows. The triple decomposition was also applied to hydraulic jumps highlighting the possibility for further applications in (pseudo-)periodic air-water flows. With introduction of pores into the pool weir walls, the instabilities disappeared and the flow became more stable, but the aeration within the step niche was reduced. The air-water flow processes within the step cavities for the flat and pooled stepped spillways were investigated in detail at several positions along and within the step cavities. The experiments highlighted the cavity recirculation and the momentum exchange between shear layer and mainstream flows. Self-similarities of the shear layer velocities were observed independently of cavity shape and pooled weirs. The observations of microscopic air-water flow properties and of the integral turbulent scales showed the cavity recirculation processes. The comparative analyses of all stepped spillway configurations in the present thesis showed a strong energy dissipation and aeration performance. The largest rate of energy dissipation rate was observed for the pooled stepped spillway with flatter chute slope. However, the instable flow processes might not allow a safe operation and the preferred design is the flat uniform stepped spillway. For more complex stepped spillway designs, the present results provided design guidelines and highlighted the importance of physical modelling before implementation in a prototype environment. The comparison of the present experiments with previous data for embankment stepped spillways identified a chute slope of 21.8° as optimum for air entrainment. The aeration efficiency was calculated based upon air-water flow measurements and a self-similar relationship between aeration efficiency and energy dissipation rate was found. The findings highlighted the important role of the intermediate flow region for the energy dissipation performance.
Article
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Although most stepped spillway–design guidelines were developed for uniform step heights, a nonuniform stepped design might be a practical alternative in some cases. A physical study was conducted in a moderate slope-stepped chute (1V:2H) and five stepped con-figurations were tested for 0:7 < d c =h < 1:9. Detailed air-water flow measurements were performed for each configuration and the results were compared in terms of flow patterns, energy dissipation, and flow resistance. The basic findings showed minor differences between all configurations and indicated that the rate of energy dissipation was about the same for uniform and nonuniform stepped configurations. But the observations suggested that the nonuniform stepped configurations might induce some flow instabilities for smaller flow rates. DOI: 10 .1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0000455.
Article
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The hydrodynamic pressure field is important for the design and safety of steeply sloping stepped spillways, which are typically designed for considerably lower maximum specific discharges than smooth spillways. The hydraulic performance of stepped spillways at high velocities may compromise its use due to major concern with safety against cavitation damage. Hydraulic model investigations were conducted in different large-size stepped chutes to characterize the nonaerated flow region which is potentially prone to cavitation damage and the pressure field acting on the step faces. The clear water depths and energy dissipation in the developing flow region are described in terms of integral measures of the turbulent boundary layer. Expressions for the location of and the flow depth at the inception point of air entrainment are derived. Pressure distributions on the horizontal and vertical faces of the step along the spillway are presented. Measurements indicated a different behavior of the pressure field in the aerated and nonaerated flow region. The mean and fluctuating pressure coefficients along the spillway are approximated by a regression function. The vertical face near the outer step edge close to the inception point of air entrainment is identified as a critical region for predicting cavitation inception in flow over stepped spillways. From the analysis of the pressure fluctuations in that region a maximum velocity of 15 m/s is proposed as a criterion to avoid extreme negative pressures in typical prototype steeply sloping stepped spillways, eventually leading to the occurrence of cavitation in the nonaerated flow.
Article
Two sets of models of stepped spillways of slope 1 upon 0.6 with the same crest-shape and with a range of step sizes (0.25-2.0 m on the 1:10 scale and 0.5-2.0 m on the 1:20 scale models) were built and studied. In the range of prototype unit flows considered (0.8-3.8 m2/s on the 1:10 scale models and 1.8-21.7 m2/s on the 1:20 models), the residual specific energy is independent of these step sizes, at positions where measurements were made on the spillways (from 30 m below the crest) once fully aerated skimming flow is established. The residual specific energy at the toe of a 50-m-high (or higher) stepped spillway, within the range of step heights tested, is <60% of the residual specific energy at the same level on a similar smooth spillway experiencing flows up to 20 m2/s; at these flows and at this height, the stepped spillway was found to be in equilibrium. The reduction of specific energy is lower than that expected from previous studies; these findings are likely to impact on the design of stepped spillways.
Article
The nonaerated region may occupy a large portion of the skimming flow in steep, stepped spillways, particularly for relatively high unit flow rates. In spite of the numerous contributions on the hydraulic properties at both the inception point of air entrainment and the aerated region, much less is known regarding the flow in the nonaerated region. In this paper, new empirical evidence, based on an extensive data set obtained during several years in a large-scale facility, sheds light on the features of the nonaerated-flow region. Diverse ways to locate and estimate the main hydraulic properties at the inception point are first discussed and compared. Then, expressions capable of characterizing the main flow variables along the nonaerated region are presented, namely, the boundary-layer development, the velocity distribution, the equivalent clear-water depth, the characteristic depth taking into account the free-surface unsteadiness due to turbulence, and the energy dissipation. The energy dissipation is observed to be larger than that for smooth spillways, although much smaller than values typically reported for aerated flows at the toe of stepped spillways. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0000591. (C) 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.
Article
This paper presents the results of a laboratory study on the characteristics of fully developed skimming how in a large model of a stepped spillway for two slopes, for a range of discharges with y(c)/h in the range of 0.7-4.4. Fully developed aerated flow on a stepped spillway can be divided into lower and upper regions, similar to those for self-aerated flow in steep chutes. The air concentration distributions in these two regions agree with the equations developed by Straub and Anderson for flow in steep chutes. It was found that the depth at which the air concentration is equal to 90% can be considered as the depth of aerated flow on stepped spillways. In the lower region, the velocity profiles were described by the Karman-Prandtl equation for rough turbulent flow when an equivalent bed roughness was used. A correlation was developed for the skin friction coefficient to predict the Reynolds shear stress at the virtual bed of the stepped spillway. It was found that the relative energy loss in the stepped spillway is in the range of 48-63%. It was also found that the mean air concentration on a stepped spillway is larger than that in a corresponding chute.
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Stepped chutes effectively dissipate the energy of supercritical flow of steep channels. In general, stepped chute flows are characterized by self-aeration. For their hydraulic design, it is important to know the aerated flow depth, the aerated flow velocity, the air concentration, and the specific energy. Herein, quasi-uniform aerated skimming flow is systematically investigated over a range of chute angles from 19° to 55° for a wide range of step heights and discharges. Air concentration and aerated flow velocity profiles are presented, and the depth-averaged air concentration and the friction factor are determined. The specific energy is determined based on the aerated flow characteristics, revealing the effects of chute angle and step height on the specific energy of aerated skimming flow. This quantity was compared with the conventional specific energy of clear-water flows.
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An experimental study on a large model flume using fiber-optical instrumentation indicated that the onset of skimming flow is a function of critical depth, chute angle, and step height. Uniform mixture depths that determine the height of chute sidewalls and uniform equivalent clear water depths are described in terms of a roughness Froude number containing unit discharge, chute angle and step height. The spillway length needed to attain uniform flow is expressed as a function of critical depth and chute angle. The flow resistance of stepped spillways is significantly larger than for smooth chutes due to the macro roughness of the steps. The friction factor for uniform aerated flow is of the order of 0.1 for typical gravity dam and embankment dam slopes, whereas the effect of relative roughness is rather small. The energy dissipation characteristics of stepped spillways and the design of training walls are also discussed. The paper aims to focus on significant findings of a research program and develops design guidance to lessen the need for individual physical model studies. A design example is further presented.