Author(s): I. Meireles; F. A. Bombardelli; J. Matos
Linked Author(s): Jorge Matos
Keywords: No Keywords
Abstract: The majority of studies on the hydraulics of stepped spillways has been centered in the air-water flow region and undertaken with the use of physical models. However, for certain geometry, higher discharges can lead to a non-aerated flow along the spillway, of special interest in small embankment dams designed for relatively large overtopping flows. Moreover, the increasing capabilities of computers, both in terms of software and hardware, provide new opportunities to make use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to analyze the flow in the non-aerated and aerated regions of stepped spillways. A study was completed to compare water depth, velocity and discharge data on the non-aerated flow region of a stepped spillway using both physical and numerical models. Experimental data was acquired in a physical model assembled at the IST, Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal. The model is 0. 50 m high (from crest to toe), has a slope of 1V: 2H, and a width of 0. 70 m. A step height of 5. 0 cm was tested, for unit discharges corresponding to the skimming flow regime. Additionally, a commercially available code was used to reproduce the experimental conditions. A good agreement between numerical and experimental results is shown, indicating that numerical models can be used as a complementary tool in the design and analysis of the flow in stepped spillways.
Year: 2010