Robert M. Boes

Discussion of "Skimming, Nonaerated Flow on Stepped Spillways over Roller Compacted Concrete Dams" by Ines Meireles, Floriana Renna, Jorge Matos, and Fabian Bombardelli

AbstractThe nonaerated region may occupy a large portion of the skimming flow in steep, stepped spillways, particularly for relatively high unit flow rates. In spite of the numerous contributions on the hydraulic properties at both the inception point of air entrainment and the aerated region, much less is known regarding the flow in the nonaerated region. In this paper, new empirical evidence, based on an extensive data set obtained during several years in a large-scale facility, sheds light on the features of the nonaerated-flow region. Diverse ways to locate and estimate the main hydraulic properties at the inception point are first discussed and compared. Then, expressions capable of characterizing the main flow variables along the nonaerated region are presented, namely, the boundary-layer development, the velocity distribution, the equivalent clear-water depth, the characteristic depth taking into account the free-surface unsteadiness due to turbulence, and the energy dissipation. The energy dissipa...

Laboratory investigation on measuring suspended sediment by portable laser diffractometer (LISST) focusing on particle shape

This paper deals with a laboratory investigation on measuring suspended sediment volume and mass concentration (SSC) and particle size distribution (PSD) by a portable submersible laser diffractometer (LISST-100X) focusing on effects of particle shape and inversion modes on the results. Experiments were carried out in a mixing tank using suspensions of glass beads, fine quartz sand, feldspar and mica powder particles of spherical, rounded, angular and flaky shapes respectively, at various SSCs. SSCs and PSDs measured by LISST were compared to SSCs from gravimetric analysis and to PSDs obtained from image analysis of dry particles and from a non-portable laser diffractometer. Experiments using spherical and rounded particles showed that LISST with the corresponding inversion modes, i.e. spherical and ‘random shaped’, provides PSD and SSC values similar to reference methods. For angular and flaky particles, however, SSCs were found to be overestimated by factors of 1.5 and 8 respectively. Measurements in a mixture of 70% feldspar and 30% mica powders showed that the SSC overestimation factor for mixed particle-type suspensions can be predicted as the weighted sum of the SSC factors of the components and their mixing ratio. For known highly non-spherical particle types, LISST SSCs can be corrected by a gravimetrically determined or predicted overestimation factor. Moreover, correction of overestimated contributions of lower size bins, the range of measureable SSC and time averaging of LISST measurements are addressed. Further investigations are necessary to assess effects of non-spherical particles and mixtures of various particle types on LISST SSC and PSD estimates.

Laboratory flume experiments with the Swiss plate geophone bed load monitoring system: 1. Impulse counts and particle size identification

We performed systematic flume experiments using natural bed load particles to quantify the effect of different parameters on the signal registered by the Swiss plate geophone, a bed load surrogate monitoring system. It was observed that the number of impulses computed from the raw signal clearly depends on bed particle size, mean flow velocity, bed roughness, and to a minor extent on particle shape. The centroid frequency of the signal resulting from the collision of a bed load particle against the geophone plate was found to be inversely related to particle size but to be less sensitive to variations in mean flow velocity and bed roughness than the signal amplitude, which is also related to particle size. Combining frequency and amplitude information resulted in a more robust identification of the transported particles size over a wide range of sizes than using amplitude information alone.

Laboratory flume experiments with the Swiss plate geophone bed load monitoring system: 2. Application to field sites with direct bed load samples

The Swiss plate geophone is a bed load surrogate monitoring system that had been calibrated in several gravel bed streams through field calibration measurements. Field calibration measurements are generally expensive and time consuming, therefore we investigated the possibility to replace it by a flume-based calibration approach. We applied impulse-diameter relations for the Swiss plate geophone obtained from systematic flume experiments to field calibration measurements in four different gravel bed streams. The flume-based relations were successfully validated with direct bed load samples from field measurements, by estimating the number of impulses based on observed bed load masses per grain-size class. We estimated bed load transport mass by developing flume-based and stream-dependent calibration procedures for the Swiss plate geophone system using an additional empirical function. The estimated masses are on average in the range of ±90% of measured bed load masses in the field, but the accuracy is generally improved for larger transported bed load masses. We discuss the limitations of the presented flume-based calibration approach.

Trajectories and air flow features of ski jump-generated jets

ABSTRACT Ski jumps are frequently applied as spillways of high dams. The resulting jet impact location on the plunge pool surface is often distant from the dam toe so that the latter is protected from scouring. Furthermore, the jet disintegrates and disperses prior to its impact, thereby reducing the specific energy addition to the plunge pool. The present research addresses four aspects, based on three physical modelling campaigns: (1) geometry of upper and lower jet trajectories; (2) virtual jet take-off angles for the trajectory computations; (3) average and minimum cross-sectional air concentrations along the jet; and (4) general jet air concentration profiles. It is shown that the trajectory parabola may also be applied for negative jet take-off angles, and that these are smaller than the bucket angle. As for the air concentration distribution along the jet, tests indicate that the latter depends exclusively on the relative jet black-water core length.

Deflector Effect on Chute Flow

Jet deflection and energy dissipation of ski jumps guarantee the safety of hydraulic structures. Deflectors on spillways and bottom outlets are mostly complex constructions. The aim of this study is to find simple-shaped deflectors allowing for jet deflection into the tailwater, thereby characterizing the parameters of the trajectory under different approach flow conditions. The test program included eight right-angled tetrahedrons and two vertical plate deflectors. A systematic variation of the approach flow depth and Froude number, in combination with different deflector alignments, resulted in basic principles for deflector design. To study scale effects caused by viscosity and surface tension, three symmetric deflectors were tested as a model family at different approach flow depths. The results indicate the importance of the approach flow Froude number and the relative deflector height on the jet trajectory. The relevant jet parameters, including the deflection angle, the maximum jet elevation, and the jet impact onto the tailwater channel, are specified.

Hydraulic structures: a positive outlook into the future

Hydraulic structures are, and will remain, relevant in the future, given the enormous problems in water engineering to come. After having been a key topic up to the Second World War, they have lost attractiveness until recent years, given the advance of mainly river and environmental engineering. Following the recent developments in laboratory instrumentation, a number of problems in hydraulic structures can be solved mainly using experimentation, thereby accounting for the flow complexities given by the often spatial and highly turbulent flow structures, combined with multi-phase flow. An outlook into the future of hydraulic structures further reveals the importance of updated hydraulic book series, from which students and practicing engineers profit from the knowledge available among the International Association for Hydro-environment Engineering and Research Committees. As a conclusion, hydraulic structures will play a dominant role in the future, given the enormous but fascinating problems posed by the scarcity and abundance of water on our planet.

Real-time measurements of suspended sediment concentration and particle size using five techniques

Fine sediments are important in the design and operation of hydropower plants (HPPs), in particular with respect to sediment management and hydro-abrasive erosion in hydraulic machines. Therefore, there is a need for reliable real-time measurements of suspended sediment mass concentration (SSC) and particle size distribution (PSD). The following instruments for SSC measurements were investigated in a field study during several years at the HPP Fieschertal in the Swiss Alps: (1) turbidimeters, (2) a Laser In-Situ Scattering and Trans- missometry instrument (LISST), (3) a Coriolis Flow and Density Meter (CFDM), (4) acoustic transducers, and (5) pressure sensors. LISST provided PSDs in addition to concentrations. Reference SSCs were obtained by gravimetrical analysis of automatically taken water samples. In contrast to widely used turbidimeters and the single-frequency acoustic method, SSCs obtained from LISST, the CFDM or the pressure sensors were less or not affected by particle size variations. The CFDM and the pressure sensors allowed measuring higher SSC than the optical or the acoustic techniques (without dilution). The CFDM and the pressure sensors were found to be suitable to measure SSC ≥ 2 g/l. In this paper, the measuring techniques, instruments, setup, methods for data treatment, and selected results are presented and discussed.

Hydro-abrasive erosion of hydraulic turbines caused by sediment - a century of research and development

Hydro-abrasive erosion of hydraulic turbines is an economically important issue due to maintenance costs and production losses, in particular at high- and medium-head run-of- river hydropower plants (HPPs) on sediment laden rivers. In this paper, research and development in this field over the last century are reviewed. Facilities for sediment exclusion, typically sand traps, as well as turbine design and materials have been improved considerably. Since the 1980s, hard-coatings have been applied on Francis and Pelton turbine parts of erosion-prone HPPs and became state-of-the-art. These measures have led to increased times between overhauls and smaller efficiency reductions. Analytical, laboratory and field investigations have contributed to a better processes understanding and quantification of sediment-related effects on turbines. More recently, progress has been made in numerical modelling of turbine erosion. To calibrate, validate and further develop prediction models, more measurements from both physical model tests in laboratories and real-scale data from HPPs are required. Significant improvements to mitigate hydro-abrasive erosion have been achieved so far and development is ongoing. A good collaboration between turbine manufacturers, HPP operators, measuring equipment suppliers, engineering consultants, and research institutes is required. This contributes to the energy- and cost-efficient use of the worldwide hydropower potential.

Sediment transport in high-speed flows over a fixed bed: 2. Particle impacts and abrasion prediction

Abstract Single bed load particle impacts were experimentally investigated in supercritical open channel flow over a fixed planar bed of low relative roughness height simulating high‐gradient non‐alluvial mountain streams as well as hydraulic structures. Particle impact characteristics (impact velocity, impact angle, Stokes number, restitution and dynamic friction coefficients) were determined for a wide range of hydraulic parameters and particle properties. Particle impact velocity scaled with the particle velocity, and the vertical particle impact velocity increased with excess transport stage. Particle impact and rebound angles were low and decreased with transport stage. Analysis of the particle impacts with the bed revealed almost no viscous damping effects with high normal restitution coefficients exceeding unity. The normal and resultant Stokes numbers were high and above critical thresholds for viscous damping. These results are attributed to the coherent turbulent structures near the wall region, i.e. bursting motion with ejection and sweep events responsible for turbulence generation and particle transport. The tangential restitution coefficients were slightly below unity and the dynamic friction coefficients were lower than for alluvial bed data, revealing that only a small amount of horizontal energy was transferred to the bed. The abrasion prediction model formed by Sklar and Dietrich in 2004 was revised based on the new equations on vertical impact velocity and hop length covering various bed configurations. The abrasion coefficient kv was found to be vary around kv ˜ 105 for hard materials (tensile strength ft > 1 MPa), one order of magnitude lower than the value assumed so far for Sklar and Dietrichs model. Copyright