Author(s): Adele Bosman; Erik Fr Bollaert; Gerrit R. Basson
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Rock scour; Equilibrium depth; Erodibility Index Method; Plunging jet; CFD analysis
Abstract: The safety of dams is often endangered by rock scour formation near the dam’s foundation due to a free-falling jet from the spillway plunging into the plunge pool. The prediction of the scour hole geometry is essential in the hydraulic design of high head dams to ensure the stability of the dam. Rock scour is normally predicted by analytical-empirical formulae and methods. Despite extensive research since the 1950s, presently there is no universally agreed method to accurately predict the equilibrium scour hole dimensions caused by plunging jets at dams. The purpose of the research is therefore to contribute to the knowledge on predicting the equilibrium scour hole geometry downstream of a high head dam caused by a fully developed rectangular jet plunging into a shallow plunge pool.
Year: 2024