SpillwayPro: Integrated Water Surface Profile, Cavitation, and Aerated Flow Analysis for Smooth and Stepped Chutes

Spillways of large and small dams experience flow conditions that exceed the capabilities of common water surface profile computer programs. Unique channel geometries, steep slopes, and streamline curvature demand rigorous mathematics, while phenomena associated with aerated flow and potential cavitation require special analyses, especially for stepped chutes. SpillwayPro is a generalized, energy-based, water surface profile calculation tool for both smooth and stepped chutes that integrates cavitation analysis and aerated flow effects, with separate modules supporting aerator design and the development of optimized structure profiles that meet cavitation parameter objectives. Simultaneous calculation of smooth and stepped-chute flow profiles enables the rapid assessment of the energy dissipation benefits of steps, as well as their unique aerated flow and cavitation issues. SpillwayPro’s technical basis is presented, and its results are compared to the data from prototype case studies and empirical methods developed from large-scale laboratory studies. SpillwayPro’s fundamental energy-based methods are useful for cases that differ from idealized empirical approaches and would benefit from a more rapid analysis than can be accomplished with physical or computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling.