Hydraulics of a multiple slit-type energy dissipater

With the constructions of high dam projects in China, the energy dissipation downstream of a dam becomes a serious concern. In this study, a multiple slit-type energy dissipater, with different reduction size slits in the outlet, is developed on the basis of conventional slit-type energy dissipaters, aiming to enhance the energy dissipation through the turbulence and the friction between the different layers of the jet flow and the air entrainment due to the increased surface of the flow to the air. The hydraulic characteristics of the energy dissipater are experimentally investigated by means of three sets of physical models in nine cases, to characterize the geometric parameters with suitable performance. The main concerns are the flow regime, the jet flow trajectory, the energy dissipation, the cavitation characteristics, and the flow choking. The results indicate that the dissipater enjoys a high energy dissipation ratio with suitable hydraulic performance comparing with the conventional slit-type energy dissipaters.