Air-vent layouts and water-air flow behaviors of a wide spillway aerator

A spillway aerator should guarantee favorable flow conditions in the coupled water-air system even if the aerator is unconventionally wide. Eight air-vent configurations are devised and incorporated into a 35-m wide chute aerator for a generalized study. Computational fluid dynamics(CFD) simulations are performed to explore their effects on water-jet and air-cavity features. The Re-normalisation group(RNG) k-ε turbulence model and the two-fluid model are combined to predict the two-phase flow field. The results demonstrate appreciable influences of the vent layouts on the water-air flow. The air vents stir the air motion and re-distribute the cavity air pressure. Once the vent layout is modified, reciprocal adjustments exist between the jet behavior and air-pressure field in the cavity, thus leading to considerable differences in air-flow rate, jet-trajectory length, vent air-flow distribution across the chute, etc. The large width plays a discernable role in affecting the aerated flow. Telling differences exist between the near-wall region and the central part of the chute. To improve the duct pressure propagation, a gradual augment of the vent area should be assigned towards the chute center. Relative to single-slot vents across the flow, the layouts with segregated vents gain by comparison. A designer should see to it that a vented aerator operates satisfactorily for a given range of flow discharges.

Modeling the Mangla Dam Spillway for Cavitation and Aerators Optimization

This study evaluated the effects of increased reservoir conservation level by 40 ft (12.2 m), on spillway velocities;it’s discharging capacity and associated cavitation risk. The study optimized the aerators size and shape to avoid cavitations. The mathematical model was used to estimate the flow velocities and cavitation risk, when scale model study assessed the spillway discharging capacity and optimized the performance of the aerators for modified conditions. The mathematical model simulations showed increased flow velocities and damage index for modified conditions. The damage potential was 2 - 3 times higher with modifications and falls within the major to catastrophic region. The scale model study showed that discharging capacity of the spillway can effectively be restricted to original design by raising spillway crest by 5.0 ft (1.52 m). The scale model study also showed that the two aerators near sluice and at the chute with an air duct pipe of 3.0 ft diameter can improve the free surface flow profile reducing the risks of cavitation. Simulations for several configurations demonstrated clearer affect of aerators ramps on flow trajectory and gate opening. It also depicted that the height of the ramp of sluice aerator has a positive effect on the flow performance to about 7.5 inches (19 cm), when further increase in the ramp height reduced the flow performance.

Design and Experiment of Fluid Dynamic Ultrasonic Water Aerator

In order to improve the efficiency of water aerator,based on Venturi experimental principle in hydraulics and fluid dynamic ultrasonic generator,the inlet section,throat section,and outlet section of reed whistle ultrasonic generator were designed,and the effect of the water aerator on dissolved oxygen was preliminarily studied. Results indicate that using this water aerator,the dissolved oxygen was 7. 94 mg / L,exceeding the saturation value of dissolved oxygen( 7. 82 mg / L) at current water temperature,reaching the supersaturation. Therefore,the designed water aerator will have a bright application prospect in sewage treatment,aquaculture and aerated irrigation of plants.

Number of holes and blades to control the performance of aquaculture aerator

Water quality determines the success of inland aquaculture.The factor determining water quality is the concentration of dissolved oxygen(DO).To find effective paddlewheel aerators to enhance DO concentration,nine model aerators were examined:aerator 4 blades,6 blades and 8 blades with variations of 12 holes per blade,16 holes per blade and 20 holes per blade.They were rotated at 80 RPM,100 RPM,120 RPM and 140 RPM.The results show the higher the rotation speed is,the bigger the increment of DO concentration is,but their relationship is not linier.There is a condition when increasing rotation does not affect the DO concentration meaningly.The results also indicate the greater number of blades increase more DO concentration.The results also suggest the greater number of holes per blade initially increase DO concentration increment,but after 16 holes the increment tends to reduce.It is predicted owing to that widening surface interaction due to the holes in the blade is taken over by reducing the volume of splashed water.In this research,likely the aerator with 8 blades,16 holes per blade and rotated at 120 RPM is the optimum one to increase DO concentration.However,if the energy consumption is also the concern,the aerator with 6 blades and 16 holes per blade likely is the better choice.

Fin performance of 3-D aerator devices with backward lateral deflectors

In the present work,a 3-D aerator device with backward lateral deflectors,called BLD-3-D aerator device,is developed,and the lateral cavity and fin performance of the BLD-3-D aerator device are experimentally investigated.The findings show that,the relative lateral cavity length with backward lateral deflectors is shorter than that with current lateral deflectors under the same approach flow conditions,and on the basis of the results of the relative cavity length ratio between the lateral and bottom aerators the BLD-3-D aerator device is of remarkable performance for the water fin control thanks to the decrease of the relative lateral cavity length.

Cavity length below chute aerators

It is proved that air entrainment is one of the efficient measures dealing with cavi-tation control for the release works of hydropower projects. There are many factors to be considered in designing a chute aerator. One of the most important factors concerns the cavity length below the aerator,which has outstanding effects on air entrainment against cavitation damage. It is crucial to determine reasonable emergence angle for the calculation of the cavity length. In the present paper the overall effects of structural and hydraulic parameters on the emergence angle of the flow from the aerator were analyzed. Four improved expressions of the emer-gence angle with weight coefficient were investigated through experimental data of 68 points observed from 12 aerators of 6 hydropower projects,of both model and prototype,on the basis of error theory. A method to calculate the cavity length be-low aerators was suggested,which considers overall effects of the above men-tioned parameters. Comparison between the method in this paper and the other five methods of calculating the cavity length showed that the present method is much more reliable than the existing methods while the mean error of the method is less than others.

Effect of bubble morphology and behavior on power consumption in non-Newtonian fluids’aeration process

Due to a prolonged operation time and low mass transfer efficiency, the primary challenge in the aeration process of non-Newtonian fluids is the high energy consumption, which is closely related to the form and rate of impeller, ventilation, rheological properties and bubble morphology in the reactor. In this perspective, through optimal computational fluid dynamics models and experiments, the relationship between power consumption, volumetric mass transfer rate(kLa) and initial bubble size(d0) was constructed to establish an efficient operation mode for the aeration process of non-Newtonian fluids. It was found that reducing the d0could significantly increase the oxygen mass transfer rate, resulting in an obvious decrease in the ventilation volume and impeller speed. When d0was regulated within 2-5 mm,an optimal kLa could be achieved, and 21% of power consumption could be saved, compared to the case of bubbles with a diameter of 10 mm.

ON NECESSITY OF PLACING AN AERATOR IN THE BOTTOM DISCHARGE TUNNEL AT THE LONGTAN HYDROPOWER STATION

The air entrainment for avoiding cavitation damage has been widely used in long free flow tunnels. It is crucial to determine whether an aerator is needed for shorter tunnels. In this article, the bottom discharge tunnel at the Longtan Hydropower Station was involved, for which the free flow tunnel section was only 50.00 m long. The cavitation in the tunnel with and without the aerator was investigated using the physical models of the scale 1/30, through the measurements of cavitation noise. The experimental results show that it is necessary to place the aerator at the inlet of the free flow section for higher reservoir level to protect this tunnel from cavitation damage.

THREE-DIMENSIONAL NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF AERATED FLOWS DOWNSTREAM SUDDEN FALL AERATOR EXPANSION-IN A TUNNEL

Air entrainment is known to be one of efficient and inexpensive methods to prevent cavitation damages in hydropower projects.The shape of sudden expansion-fall is used as a common device for mitigating cavitation erosions.The complex flow patterns with cavitation are numerically simulated by using the realizable k-εturbulence model and the air-water mixture model.The calculated results are compared well with the experimental results as well as those obtained with the k-εturbulence model with the Volume Of Fluid（VOF）Model.The calculated results agree well with the experimental data for the aeration cavity and wall pressure.Moreover,the air concentration near sidewall is simulated by a mixture model.It is found that the mixture turbulence model is superior to the VOF turbulence model.

A new method of inhibiting pollutant release from source water reservoir sediment by adding chemical stabilization agents combined with water-lifting aerator

Source water reservoirs easily become thermally and dynamically stratified. Internal pollution released from reservoir sediments is the main cause of water quality problems. To mitigate the internal pollution more effectively, a new method, which combined chemical stabilization with water lifting aerator （WLA） technology, was proposed and its effciency in inhibiting pollutant release was studied by controlled sediment-water interface experiments. The results showed that this new method can inhibit pollutant release from sediment effectively. The values of mean effciency （E） in different reactors 2#–5# （1# with no agent, 2# 10 mg/L polymeric aluminum chloride （PAC） was added, 3# 20 mg/L PAC was added, 4# 30 mg/L PAC was added, 5# 20 mg/L PAC and 0.2 mg/L palyacrylamide （PAM） were added） for PO43- were 35.0%, 43.9%, 50.4% and 63.6%, respectively. This showed that the higher the PAC concentration was, the better the inhibiting effciency was, and PAM addition strengthened the inhibiting effciency significantly. For Fe2＋, the corresponding values of E for the reactors 2#–5# were 22.9%, 47.2%, 34.3% and 46.2%, respectively. The inhibiting effect of PAC and PAM on Mn release remained positive for a relatively short time, about 10 days, and was not so effective as for PO43- and Fe2＋. The average effciencies in inhibiting the release of UV254 were 35.3%, 25.9%, 35.5%, 38.9% and 39.5% for reactors 2#–5#, respectively. The inhibiting mechanisms of the agents for different pollutants varied among the conditions and should be studied further.

EMERGENCE ANGLE OF FLOW OVER AN AERATOR

Aerator is an important device for release works of hydraulic structures with high-speed flow in order to protect them from cavitation damage. This kind of protecting effect is related closely to cavity length below the aerator, while the cavity length is dominated by the emergence angle over the aerator. Therefore it is crucial to determine this angle accurately. In the present paper the affecting intensities of flow depth and the fluctuating velocity on this angle were analyzed through two introduced parameters. Furthermore, the improved expressions of emergence angle estimation, for both ramp-type and step-type aerators, were presented by means of 68 sets of experimental data from 6 projects based on error theory. The results showed that the present method has higher accuracy than the previously reported methods.

FLOW REGIMES BELOW AERATORS FOR DISCHARGE TUNNELS

The flow regimes below an aerator influence directly the air entrainment and the cavitation damage control. Based on the theoretical considerations, the experiments of the aerator for a discharge tunnel were conducted, and the relationships between the flow regime and hydraulic and geometric parameters were investigated. The results showed that, there are two kinds of threshold values for the flow regime conversions. One is Fr1-2 standing for the conversion from the fully filled cavity to the partially filled cavity, and the other is Fr2-3 which shows the change from the partially filled cavity to the net air cavity. Two empirical expressions were obtained for the conversions of the flow regimes, which can be used in the designs of the aerators.

HYDRAULIC RESEARCH OF AERATORS ON TUNNEL SPILLWAYS

The selection of the configuration and size of an aerator was of importance for a tunnel spillway under the conditions of high speed flows. Experimental investigations were conducted on the effects of entrained air on the tunnel spillway in the Goupitan Project, based on the criterion of gravity similarity and the condition of aerated flow velocity of over 6 m/s, with physical models. The configurations of the aerators were presented of a larger bottom air concentration, to protect the tunnel spillway from cavitation as well as to see no water fills in the grooves.

Destratification and oxygenation efficiency of a water-lifting aerator system in a deep reservoir:Implications for optimal operation

Thermal stratification is a common phenomenon in lakes and reservoirs and has a significant influence on water quality dynamics. Heihe Reservoir is a canyon-shaped reservoir in Shaanxi Province with strong thermal stratification. Therefore, eight water-lifting aerators （WLAs） were installed in this reservoir, which could overcome thermal stratification and increase oxygenation with gas flows between 20 and 50 m3/hr, and oxygenate the hypolimnion with gas flows less than 20 m3/hr. To examine the destratification efficiency of the WLA system, we used a three- dimensional hydrodynamic module based on MIKE 3 to simulate the thermal structure of Heihe Reservoir and compared the simulations with measured data. Results showed that operation of the WLA system promoted water mixing and effectively oxygenated the hypolimnion. Through the established energy utilization assessment method, the energy utilization efficiency of the WLA system was between 5.36% and 7.30%, indicating the capability of the technique for destratification in such a large reservoir. When the surface water temperature dropped to the theoretical mixed water temperature calculated by the energy utilization assessment method, reducing gas flow could save energy. This would prevent anaerobic conditions from occurring in the bottom water and maintain good water quality in Heihe Reservoir.

Fin characteristics of aerator devices with lateral deflectors

The fins will be formed if the lateral deflectors in the side-walls with a bottom aerator device are improperly designed, and the flow regime downstream of the aerator device will be worsened. In this paper, the height and the length of the fins induced by the lateral deflectors are theoretically analyzed along with their influencing factors, and the fin characteristics are experimentally investigated on the basis of the theoretical analysis. It is shown that the intensities of the fins are strongly dependent on the ratio of the lateral cavity length to the bottom cavity length, and other factors, like the working head, the height and the angle of the lateral deflector, the flow Froude number around the aerator device, affect the fins indirectly through the changes of the lateral cavity length. When an aerator device with lateral deflectors is designed, it is crucial to match the above mentioned ratio, and to make the ratio of the two cavity lengths less than 1.0 in order to avoid the generation of the fins.

Optimizing the aeration performance of a perforated pooled circular stepped cascade aerator using hybrid ANN-PSO technique

Artificial aeration system for aquaculture ponds becomes essential to meet the oxygen requirement posed by the aquatic species.The performance of an aerator is generally mea-sured in terms of standard aeration efficiency(SAE),which is significantly affected by the different geometric and dynamic parameters of the aerator.Therefore,to enhance the aer-ation performance of an aerator,these parameters need to be optimized.In the present study,a perforated pooled circular stepped cascade(PPCSC)aerator was developed,and the geometric and dynamic parameters of the developed aerator were optimized using the hybrid ANN-PSO technique for maximizing its aeration efficiency.The geometric parameters include consecutive step width ratio(W_(i-1)/W_(i))and the perforation diameter to the bottom-most radius ratio(d/R_(b)),whereas the dynamic parameter includes the water flow rate(Q).A 3–6-1 ANN model coupled with particle swarm optimization(PSO)approach was used to obtain the optimum values of geometric and dynamic parameters correspond-ing to the maximum SAE.The optimal values of the consecutive step width ratio(W_(i-1)/W_(i)),the perforation diameter to the bottom-most radius ratio(d/R_(b)),and the water flow rate(Q)for maximizing the SAE were found to be 1.15,0.0027 and 0.0167 m^(3)/s,respectively.The cross-validation results showed a deviation of 3.07%between the predicted and experimen-tal SAE values,thus confirming the adequacy of the proposed hybrid ANN-PSO technique.

Hydraulic characteristics of converse curvature section and aerator in high-head and large discharge spillway tunnel

The hydraulic characteristics and cavitation erosion near the converse curvature section in the high-head and large discharge spillway tunnel have been important issues of concern to the hydropower project.In this paper,the evolutions of hydraulic elements such as pressure,flow velocity,wall shear stress,etc.in the converse curvature section are analyzed and the impacts of bottom aerator on hydraulic characteristics are discussed,with the commercial software FLUENT6.3 as a platform and combining the k-model and VOF method.The flow pattern in the converse curvature section of spillway tunnel is given by the three-dimensional numerical simulation.It indicates that the pressure changes rapidly with great pressure gradient from the beginning to the end of the curve.It also shows that the shear stress on side wall just downstream the end of the converse curvature curve is still increasing;the aeration cavity formed downstream the bottom aerator may cause the side wall pressure decreased to worsen the cavitation characteristics near the side wall.By means of the physical model experiment,the three-dimensional aerator composed of side wall baffling aerator and bottom aerator is studied,the baffling aerator suitable for the water flow conditions with water depth of 6.0 to 8.0 m and flow velocity of 35 to 50 m/s is proposed.

HYDRAULIC CHARACTERISTICS OF CHUTE AERATORS FOR RELEASE WORKS

On the basis of model tests and theoretical analysis, hydraulic characteristics, air demand, air concentration distribution and their relationships between prototype and model of an aerator were studied. Some computational examples show that the present methods have higher accuracy, and can meet the need of engineering design.

Air concentration distribution in the impact zone of spillway aerator

The chute aerators separate the flow from the chute bottom,and the violent turbulence is generated after the flow impacts the bottom.Although the chute aerators were widely investigated experimentally,the air concentration distribution of the lower jet in the impact zone remains to be explored systematically.In the impact zone,it is observed that a portion of the air stays in the rollers instead of traveling with the flow,decreasing the air transportation capacity.Based on extensive tests,a comprehensive formula is developed to compute the air concentration distribution in the impact zone,with results in good agreement with the model tests.

Effect of surfactant frequently used in soil flushing on oxygen mass transfer in micro-nano-bubble aeration system

In-site soil flushing and aeration are the typical synergetic remediation technology for contaminated sites.The surfactant present in flushing solutions is bound to affect the aeration efficiency.The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of surfactant frequently used in soil flushing on the oxygen mass transfer in micro-nano-bubble(MNB)aeration system.Firstly,bio-surfactants and chemical surfactants were used to investigate their effects on Sauter mean diameter of bubble(dBS),gas holdup(ε),volumetric mass-transfer coefficient(kLa)and liquid-side mass-transfer coefficient(kL)in the MNB aeration system.Then,based upon the experimental results,the Sardeing's and Frossling's models were modified to describe the effect of surfactant on kL in the MNB aeration.The results showed that,for the twenty aqueous surfactant solutions,with the increase in surfactant concentration,the value of dBS,kLa and kL decreased,while the value ofεand gas-liquid interfacial area(a)increased.These phenomena were mainly attributed to the synergistic effects of immobile bubble surface and the suppression of coalescence in the surfactant solutions.In addition,with the presence of electric charge,MNBs in anionic surfactant solutions were smaller and higher in number than in non-ionic surfactant solutions.Furthermore,the accumulation of surfactant on the gas-liquid interface was more conspicuous for small MNB,so the reduction of kL in anionic surfactant solutions was larger than that in non-ionic surfactant solutions.Besides,the modified Frossling's model predicted the effect of surfactant on kL in MNB aeration system with reasonable accuracy.