Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Design Modification for Control of the "Hydraulique" Phenomenon Downstream of Low-Head Dam: Case Study—Salmon River Dam

  • Technical Note
  • Published:
Iranian Journal of Science and Technology, Transactions of Civil Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Among the various solutions proposed for these structures are stepped dams, which despite effectively reducing the flow pattern, weaken the vortex and dramatically lower the risk of vortex formation by reducing the size of the deadly roller. At high tailwater depths, however, the dimensions and submerged roller current strength can still be dangerous. Using triangular wedges as a complementing structure topping the step to change the vortex flow pattern is one method that has been addressed in previous studies. The present study investigates the effectiveness of these wedges on the proposed stepped design in reducing drowning risk at the Salmon Dam, the most dangerous dam in a pest management system that controls the immigrant sea lamprey population in the Great Lake of Ontario, Canada. It is shown that installing wedges on the steps, despite falling short of eliminating vertical vortex flow entirely, by changing the pattern and flow direction from vertical vortex to horizontal vortex, poses a risk of drowning in a wide range of tailwater depth. This study found that optimal wedge placement reduces the dangerous vertical roller area from 27 to 83% of the tailwater depth area. Moreover, using wedges on continuous steps retains the positive effect of wedges but also expands the range. The distance between the wedges wields significant influence on the flow pattern, but reducing the distance between them does not necessarily reduce the viewing range of this vertical roller.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5 a
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Fig. 18
Fig. 19

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

Q :

Flow rate

H 1 :

Upstream head

P :

Dam height

B :

Channel width

B1:

Effective channel width with wedges effect

Y t :

Tailwater depth

t 1 :

Water depth above the steps no. 1

t 3 :

Water depth above the steps no. 2

t :

Water depth above the dam crest

H step1 :

Step no. 1 height

H step2 :

Step no. 2 height

L Step :

Step length

g :

Acceleration of gravity

\(\rho_{{\text{w}}}\) :

Water viscosity

d 1 :

Water depth in the center of steps no. 1

d 2 :

Water depth in the center of steps no. 2

d c :

Critical depth

H r :

Roller height

L r :

Roller length

References

  • Chanson H (2002) Hydraulics of stepped chutes and spillways. CRC Press, Boca Raton

    Google Scholar 

  • Chow VT (1959) Open channel hydraulics. McGraw-Hill, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Francis JB (1884) Experiments on the flow of water over submerged weirs. Trans ASCE 8:303–312

    Google Scholar 

  • Hager W (1983) Hydraulics of plane free overfall. J Hydraul Eng ASCE 109(12):1683–1697

  • Hotchkiss RH, Comstock M (1992) Discussion of ‘drown proofing of low overflow structures’ by H. J. and W. M. Birk. J Hydraul Eng 118(11):1586–1589

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsu EY (1950) Discussion on control of the hydraulic jump by sills. In: Forster JW, Skrinde RA (eds) Transactions, ASCE, vol 115. pp 988–991

  • Kern EW (2014) Public safety at low-head dams: Fatality database and physical model of staggered deflector retrofit alternative. M.S. theses, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Brigham Young University

  • Leutheusser HJ (1988) Dam safety yes, but what about safety at dams?. In: Proceedings of national conference in Colorado Springs, CO: ASCE

  • Leutheusser HJ, Birk WM (1991) Drown proofing of low overflow structures. J Hydraul Eng 117(2):205–213

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leutheusser HJ, Fan JJ (2001) Backward flow velocities of submerged hydraulic jumps. J Hydraul Eng 127(6):514–517

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marchi E (1993) On the free-overfall. J Hydraul Res IAHR 31(6):777–790

  • Mazurek K, Hallett A, Aktar A, Thomson J, Katapodis C, Amos M (2008) Phase I development of an improved sea lamprey barrier. Project Completion Report, Great Lakes Fishery Commission

  • McGhin RF (2016) Submerged jump remediation at low-head dams: The multiple staggered deflector design. M.S. theses and dissertations, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Brigham Young University

  • McGhin RF, Hotchkiss H, Kern E (2018) Submerged hydraulic jump remediation at low-head dams: partial width deflector design. J Hydraul Eng 144(12):0418074

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore WL, Morgan CW (1959) Hydraulic jump at an abrupt drop. Trans ASCE 124:507–524

  • Ohtsu I, Yasuda Y (1991) Transition from supercritical to subcritical flow at an abrupt drop. J Hydraul Res 29:309–328

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olsen RJ, Johnson MC, Barfuss SL (2013) Risk of entrapment at low-head dams. J Hydraul Eng 139(6):675–678. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0000721

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olsen RJ (2013) Hazard classification and hydraulic remediation options for flat-topped and ogee-crested low-head dams. M.S. theses and dissertations, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Utah State University

  • Padova D, Mossa M, Sibilla S (2017) SPH modelling of hydraulic jump oscillation at an abrupt drop. Water (switzerland) 9(10):790. https://doi.org/10.3390/w9100790

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rajaratnam N, Muralidhar D (1969) Flow below deeply submerged rectangular weirs. J Hydraul Res 7(3):355–374

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rajaratnam N, Ortiz NV (1977) Hydraulic jumps and waves at abrupt drops. J Hydraul Div ASCE 103(HY4):381–394

  • Rand W (1995) Flow geometry at straight drop spillways. Proc ASCE 81(791):1–13

  • Rouse H (1943) Energy loss at the base of a free overfall. Trans ASCE 108:1383–1387

  • Tschantz BA, Wright KR (2011) Hidden dangers and public safety at low-head dams. J Dam Saf 9(1):8–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu S, Rajaratnam N (1996) Submerged flow regimes of rectangular sharp-crested weirs. J Hydraul Eng 122(7):412–414

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Islamic Azad university, original GLFC funding, Jeff Thomson for building model, Tracy McArthur for helping with apparatus/setup.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Bandar Abbas Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bandar Abbas, Iran

    G. Beygipoor

  2. Civil and Environmental Department, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada

    K. Mazurek

Authors
  1. G. Beygipoor
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. K. Mazurek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to G. Beygipoor.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Beygipoor, G., Mazurek, K. Design Modification for Control of the "Hydraulique" Phenomenon Downstream of Low-Head Dam: Case Study—Salmon River Dam. Iran J Sci Technol Trans Civ Eng 46, 1771–1784 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40996-021-00713-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40996-021-00713-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation