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.

THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES OF HYDRAULIC CHARACTERISTICS OF DISCHARGE TUNNEL WITH VORTEX DROP

The velocities at given points in the volute chamber,the contracted section and the vertical dropshaft of a discharge tunnel with vortex drop were measured by a small specially designed L-shaped tube,as Laser Doppler Velocimetry（LDV） or Particle Image Velocimetry（PIV） would not work there due to the special structure of the discharge tunnel with vortex drop.Hydraulic empirical formulas were proposed to predict the velocities and the angles of the velocities made with the vertical direction θ.The theoretical analysis results were in good agreement with experimental data.Therefore,the method proposed in this paper can be used to analyze related characteristics of discharge tunnels with vortex drop.Additionally,different model scales were considered to predict the cavitation characteristics on the wall of a dropshaft in practical engineering.

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.

HYDRAULIC CHARACTERISTICS OF PARTIAL OPENING OF THE WORKING GATE FOR A DISCHARGE TUNNEL

The partial opening of the working gate for a discharge tunnel is used more and more widely in the various conditions, such as releasing discharge to meet the needs of the various stages under construction, or of the operations at low reservoir levels. In this article the hydraulic characteristics were investigated of the partial opening of the working gate based on the physical model experiments of the discharge tunnel for the Longtan Hydropower Project, including the discharge coefficient, the surface profile of the free flow section, the bottom pressure distribution of the tunnel with an aerator, the cavity length just from the ramp, and the wall pressure of the curve section of the outlet. Some new issues were discussed and the properties were presented of the partial opening of the gate.

EXPERI MENTAL STUDY ON CAVITATION AND WATER-WING FOR MIDDLE-PIERS OF DISC HARGE TUNNELS

In construction of high dams, design of a middle-pier, placed in a discharge tunnel to divide it into two parts, is a better choice that could breakthrough the limits of the manufacture and operation of the gate due to the high head to it. However, cavitation and water-wing, a kind of flow striking the top and side walls of the tunnel, induced by the middle-pier, may take place and bring about bad effects on operation of the tunnel. The experiments of the six comparing plans were conducted, consisting of atmospheric and vacuum tank models, and the interesting areas included relationships between discharges and reservoir levels, measurements of side wall pressures, comparisons of water-wing states for the various middle-piers, estimations of the incipient cavitation numbers and the flow cavitation numbers, and analyses of cavitation characteristics for the tunnel. A kind of new bodily form of middle-pier was developed. Water-wing states were better improved and non-cavitation conditions were satisfied.

HYDRAULIC CHARACTERISTICS OF WATER-WINGS FOR THE MIDDLE-PIER OF A DISCHARGE TUNNEL

Water-wings, induced by the middle-pier placed in the inlet of a discharge tunnel, have harmful effects on the operation of the discharge tunnel. Based on dimensional analysis and physical model tests, the hydraulic characteristics of water-wings were investigated and their causes were analyzed in this study. The results show that the height and length of the water-wings increased with the increase of three factors, i.e., the Froude number Frd of the outlet of the pressure section, the depth Hc of the water surface concave at the end of the middle-pier, and the impact length Li of the two flows after this end.

EFFECTS OF HYDRAULIC AND GEOMETRIC PARAMETERS ON DOWNSTREAM CAVITY LENGTH OF DISCHARGE TUNNEL SERVICE GATE

Aerators on discharge tunnel outlets may be regarded as an effective protection against cavitation erosion. The air entrainment of aerators is governed by a number of independent parameters, including the bottom slope of releasing free-surface flow tunnel downstream of service gate, the end top slope of pressure tunnel, the height of step, and the Froude number at take-off. During eight phases of experiments, the effects of above-mentioned parameters were observed on the cavity length downstream of the fully open operating service gate of a discharge tunnel. The results show that, the bottom slope of releasing free-surface flow tunnel has obvious effect on the cavity length as well as the Froude number at gate take-off. The effect of the step height variations on the cavity length could be considered for higher discharges and steeper tunnel top slope, particularly in higher discharges, resulting in shorter cavity length downstream of service gate.

Cavity flow regime for spillway aerators

It is well known that the effect of air entrainment for cavitation damage controls is related not only to the air discharge into aerator devices but also the flow regime of the cavity below them.On the basis of the hydraulic characteristics of the flow,the aerator devices were for the first time classified.The theoretical considerations were performed about the jet length and cavity flow regime with the influencing factors.Comparing with the behavior of the flow through the aerator of discharge tunnels,the flow regimes of the cavity below spillway aerators were experimentally investigated,and the empirical expressions were presented to identify the conversions of the cavity flow regimes,including fully filled cavity,partially filled cavity,and net air cavity.Some issues of the design of the aerator devices were suggested in the present work.

HYDRAULIC CHARACTERISTICS OF BOTTOM UNDERLAY-TYPE PIER FOR WATER-WING CONTROL

The pier, placed at the outlet of the pressure flow section, is an effective design to deal with the problems of the manufacture and operation of the gates fbr a discharge tunnel with high water head. It is crucial to control the water-wing, induced by this type of the pier. Through observing the phenomena of the water-wing, the reason of the water-wing inception, i.e., the concave of the flow surface, was presented, and a type of the new pier with bottom underlay was designed. The hydraulic characteristics of the pier, including the variations of the water-wing features, both length and height, with the water head, as well as with the concave depth, and with the height of the bottom underlay, and the variations of the concave depth with the height of the bottom underlay, were investigated by physical model experiments. The results show that the approach of the modification of the concave through the structures with the bottom underlay-type pier is remarkably effective in the water-wing control.