Author(s): Jaime Gomes; Marcelo Marques; Jorge Matos
Linked Author(s): Jorge Matos
Keywords: Stepped spillways; Skimming flow; Hydrodynamic pressure; Cavitation inception
Abstract: An experimental study on the hydrodynamic pressure field was conducted on a steeply sloping stepped chute assembled at Hydraulic Research Institute of Rio Grande do Sul University, Brazil. The analysis of the extreme negative pressure field on 0. 6 to 1. 5 m prototype scaled high steps suggests that cavitation inception may occur on the non-aerated flow, for unit discharges larger than about 13 to 16 m2/s. However, significantly larger flow rates may be considered without the potential occurrence of cavitation inception, provided that the spillway length is sufficiently short. Based on experimental data, design recommendations are included to estimate the maximum unit discharge to avoid cavitation inception, in function of the geometric characteristics of the spillway.
Year: 2007