Author(s): K. Verelst; J. Vercruysse; P. X. Ramos; T. De Mulder
Linked Author(s): Kristof Verelst, Pedro Xavier Ramos, Tom De Mulder
Keywords: No keywords
Abstract: During the design of a filling and emptying system of a lock with openings in the lock gate, inserting breaking logs at the downstream side of the lock gate is one of the potential means to enhance the energy dissipation of the filling jets and to reduce the hydrodynamic forces on the ships moored in the lock chamber. To investigate the influence of breaking logs on flow patterns and energy dissipation in the lock chamber, a dedicated (generic) physical model was built, consisting of one circular opening in a lock gate sealed by a vertical lift valve. Both configurations without and with breaking logs, having a square cross-section, were tested. The configurations with breaking logs differ with respect to the spacing and the number of the breaking logs. First, the influence of the breaking logs and the associated blockage of the opening by the breaking logs onto the discharge coefficient of the opening was assessed. The velocity measurements and the visualisation of the flow pattern revealed the spreading of the jet and the corresponding velocity decay at short distances downstream of the gate opening. Also an asymmetrical behaviour of the jet and backflow effects were noticed, due to the dimensions and downstream boundary conditions of the model.
Year: 2016