Author(s): Angel N. Menéndez, Emilio A. Lecertúa, Nicolás D. Badano
Linked Author(s): Angel Menéndez
Keywords: Panama Canal, lock system, hydraulic design, modeling system, numerical modeling
Abstract:
The modeling system built to design the filling/emptying hydraulic system of the Third Set of Locks of Panama Canal, is described. This modeling system is constituted by a series of zero, one, two, and three-dimensional numerical models and a physical model. The main characteristics of the models and the concatenation of models among them are explained. Its application in order to select and optimize the design of non-standard hydraulic components, to determine opening and closing times for valves in order not to exceed design conditions, to calculate the mean vessel throughput and freshwater consumption, and to establish alternatives to minimize vorticity in the water intakes of the water saving basins, is discussed. It is shown that the numerical modeling was the key tool for design, and the mechanism to generate results at the prototype scale free of scale effects present in the physical model, while the main role of the latter one was to validate the numerical models. (2614, 76, 294)
Year: 2017