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In this paper typical bypass efficiencies of sediment bypass tunnels (SBTs) used to counter reservoir sedimentation are described, distinguishing between two layouts of the tunnel intake. It results that SBTs are an effective measure to reduce the sedimentation of dam reservoirs, particularly of type (A) with intake at the reservoir head. The hydroabrasive wear of tunnel inverts is significant and
has to be mitigated by using adequate invert liners. The invert abrasion can be estimated based on an abrasion model where a correct input value of the bed material resistance coefficient is paramount to limit model uncertainties. Based on abrasion measurements at prototype SBTs typical values of the material resistance coefficient are recommended for high-strength concrete, natural stones and steel liners. The field experiences gathered so far and the comparison of various invert materials suggest granite pavers as a promising lining material for severe abrasion conditions.
Sediment transport in high-speed flows over a fixed bed. 2: Particle impacts and abrasion prediction
(2017)
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 Dietrich's model.
A major drawback of sediment bypass tunnels is the potential for severe invert abrasion due to intense bedload sediment transport. This paper briefly describes the abrasion phenomena as well as the available models used to predict invert material loss. The application and calibration is demonstrated on the basis of the Mud Mountain sediment bypass tunnel, Washington, USA.
Bedload transport and hydro-abrasive erosion at steep bedrock rivers and hydraulic structures
(2018)
The Solis reservoir is located in the Alps in Grisons, Switzerland and is operated by the electric power company of Zurich (ewz). Since its construction in 1986, high sediment input during flood events has led to major aggradations in the reservoir. Up to date, nearly half of the original reservoir volume has been filled with sediments from upstream mountain torrents. The deltaic deposition starts extending into the active water volume. Therefore, ewz plans a sediment bypass tunnel to flush the incoming bedload around the dam to the downstream reach. In a first step the reservoir level during flood events is lowered to the minimum operation level. The delta is subjected to free surface flow and the bedload is transported over the delta and deposited further downstream. This sediment relocation decreases the delta volume within the active storage. During further flood events, the incoming sediment is led to the bypass tunnel intake using a guiding structure and flushed through the tunnel. If the flood exceeds the capacity of the bypass tunnel, the surplus flow passes the tunnel intake towards the bottom outlets with the bedload still being flushed through the tunnel. A skimming wall located upstream from the tunnel intake prevents driftwood blocking by leading it to the reservoir front where it can be safely removed. Both the sediment relocation due to water level drawdown and the flushing through the bypass tunnel are investigated and optimized in a hydraulic model at the Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology (VAW) of ETH Zurich. Additionally, the sediment relocation process in the model is compared with a relocation test in the prototype.
Supercritical sediment-laden open channel flows occur in many hydraulic structures including dam outlets, weirs, and bypass tunnels. Due to high flow velocities and sediment flux severe problems such as erosion and abrasion damages are expected in these structures (Jacobs et al., 2001). Sediment bypass tunnels (SBT), as an effective measure to decrease reservoir sedimentation by bypassing sediments during floods, are exceptionally prone to high abrasion causing significant annual maintenance cost (Sumi et al., 2004; Auel and Boes, 2011). The Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology (VAW) of ETH Zurich conducted a laboratory study to counteract these negative effects (Auel, 2014). The main goals of the project were to analyze the fundamental physical processes in supercritical flows as present in SBTs by investigating the mean and turbulence flow characteristics (Auel et al., 2014a), particle motion (Auel et al., 2014b; 2015b), and abrasion development caused by transported sediment. Besides new insights into the three listed topics, paramount interest is given to their inter-relations and the development of an easily applicable abrasion prediction model (Auel et al., 2015a). This paper presents selected results on the second topic, i.e. the analysis of saltation trajectories of single coarse particles in supercritical flow.
Particle dynamics are investigated experimentally in supercritical high-speed open channel flow over a fixed planar bed of low relative roughness height simulating flows in high-gradient non-alluvial mountain streams and hydraulic structures. Non-dimensional equations were developed for transport mode, particle velocity, hop length and hop height accounting for a wide range of literature data encompassing sub- and supercritical flow conditions as well as planar and alluvial bed configurations. Particles were dominantly transported in saltation and particle trajectories on planar beds were rather flat and long compared with alluvial bed data due to (1) increased lift forces by spinning motion, (2) strongly downward directed secondary currents, and (3) a planar flume bed where variation in particle reflection and damping effects were minor. The analysis of particle saltation trajectories revealed that the rising and falling limbs were almost symmetrical contradicting alluvial bed data. Furthermore, no or negligible effect of particle size and shape on particle dynamics were found. Implications of experimental findings for mechanistic saltation-abrasion models are briefly discussed.
Abrasion in a concrete-lined sediment bypass tunnel is estimated using a Japanese state-of-the-art prediction model and validated by measured invert abrasion data at Asahi Reservoir, Japan. The model is described in detail, certain shortcomings are disclosed, and a revised version is proposed. The model consists of a kinetic energy term accounting for the impact by saltating particles, and a friction work term accounting for the grinding stress. It is found that the latter term yields concrete abrasion values being consistently a multiple compared to its kinetic term contradicting other research. Based on that, and a possible particle impact angle inconsistency, it is proposed to omit the friction work term. It is shown that the calculated abrasion is overestimated by 138% on average compared with that measured, if both terms are accounted for. However, promising results are obtained with only 30% overestimation by neglecting the friction work term.
An experimental investigation of supercritical uniform and gradually varied open channel flows is presented for a wide range of Froude numbers and flume width-to-flow depth aspect ratios. The instantaneous streamwise and vertical flow velocities were measured in a laboratory flume over the entire width using a two dimensional–laser Doppler anemometry (2D-LDA) system to determine turbulence intensities, and bed and Reynolds shear stresses. The mean velocity patterns show undulation across the flume, indicating the presence of counterrotating secondary current cells. These currents redistribute turbulence intensities and bed and Reynolds shear stresses across the flume. For aspect ratios ≤ 4−5, i.e., narrow open channel flow, the velocity-dip phenomenon is identified both in the streamwise velocity and the Reynolds shear stress distributions. For high aspect ratios, i.e., wide open channel flow, the strength of secondary currents diminish toward the flume center, resulting in a 2D flow farther away from the walls and no velocity-dip phenomenon. Froude number effects on the flow characteristics are less pronounced compared to the aspect ratio effects. At high Froude numbers, the results for narrow and wide open channel flows agree well with literature data. The log-law holds in the inner region across the entire flume width for all investigated Froude numbers and aspect ratios. The Reynolds shear stress distribution agrees well with the computed spanwise bed shear stress distribution. At the flume side walls, the bed shear stresses are 20–50 % higher than the mean values. These results are verified with an engineering example in which high sediment transport and corresponding deep abrasion patterns at the side walls were observed.