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Retrofitting of pressurized sand traps in hydropower plants
- Source :
- Water, Volume 13, Issue 18, Water, Vol 13, Iss 2515, p 2515 (2021)
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2021.
-
Abstract
- Unlined pressure tunnels in sound rock, combined with pressurized sand traps at the downstream end, allow for low-cost construction of hydropower tunnel systems. This design concept is utilized in hydropower plants across the world. Currently, many such power plants are being upgraded with higher installed capacity, which may result in challenges with the sand trap efficiency. A physical scale model test, accompanied by 3D CFD simulations of a case study pressurized sand trap, has been studied for economic retrofitting. The geometric model scale is 1:36.67 while the velocity scale and sediment scale are 1:1 (same average flow velocity and sediment size in model and prototype). This is currently an uncommon scaling approach but with several advantages, as presented in this paper. Various options for retrofitting were investigated. A combined structure of ramp and ribs was found to significantly improve the sediment trap efficiency. The main novelties from this work are the proposed design of the combined ramp and rib structure. Secondary results include an efficient setup for physical scale models of pressurized sand traps and a methodology that combines the benefits of 3D CFD simulations with physical scale models testing for sand trap engineering and design.
- Subjects :
- pressurized sand trap
physical scale model tests
Scale (ratio)
Geography, Planning and Development
Sediment trap (geology)
Aquatic Science
Ansys CFX
Biochemistry
unlined pressure tunnel
Retrofitting
TD201-500
Scaling
Hydropower
Water Science and Technology
Water supply for domestic and industrial purposes
business.industry
sediments
retrofitting
Sediment
Hydraulic engineering
Trap (plumbing)
renewable energy
hydropower
particle tracking simulation
3D CFD
Environmental science
TC1-978
business
Scale model
Marine engineering
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 20734441
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Water
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....5d7ea2887b86102ee1f5fdbbf5874a13
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.3390/w13182515