Control of sediment diversion in run-of-river hydropower schemes

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:Sedimentation and the effects it has on turbine blades was the primary problem identified in run-of-river (RoR) hydropower schemes. Sedimentation in RoR hydropower schemes also increases trash rack blockage and reduces energy output in the long-term.Damage occurs to all underwater parts that come into contact with sediment. The main concern is sediment passing through the hydropower intake and causing turbine damage. The reason for the abrasion and cavitation of turbine blades is increased sediment loads in river channels. This problem can be overcome in two ways. The first is the use of existing lakes or reservoir storage upstream as natural sand traps, and the second is by investigating the three features associated with river bend diversion, which are: the optimum diversion location in a river bend to minimise the abstraction of sediment, the optimum diversion structure angle to limit coarse sediment diversion, and the sediment load diverted through the intake.The first objective of the research was investigated by construction of a physical model of a curved river channel to determine the location of the deepest scour forming on the outside of the bend. The second objective was to test the diversion orientation to maximize the local scour and thereby limiting sediment diversion at the intake. A third objective was to compare mathematical 2D model simulated scour results with the findings of the laboratory tests to evaluate the reliability of the numerical model predictions.Finally different diverted discharge ratios were tested with different intake setups in the physical model, to evaluate the sediment load diverted. .The first experiment in the curved laboratory channel was to predict where the deepest scour takes place without a diversion structure. This was then followed by placing a diversion structure at the maximum scour position, retrieved from experiment one, and by angling the structure with reference to the flow direction. The flow direction vector was placed as a tangent to the bend and orientated at angles of 0⁰, 30⁰, 45⁰ and 60⁰ into the bend direction.The optimum diversion location was found to be positioned on the outside of the bend, approximately 60⁰ into the channel bend. The final position of maximum scour in a 90⁰ bend corresponds with the Sediment Committee and the Chinese Hydraulic Engineering Societies (1992) prediction of 60⁰ into the bend. The optimal diversion had a 30⁰ angle to the flow direction, as this presented the most efficient and effective scouring in front of the model intake.Numerical simulations were performed with the CCHE 2D (hydrodynamics and sediment dynamics) modelling program. The numerical results were compared to the physical results to validate CCHE as a beneficial simulation tool. It was found that the numerical model predicted the scour depths at the intakes tested with an accuracy of 43.8%, which is within the accuracy range of the sediment transport equation used by the numerical model.The final experiment was the diversion of sediment with different intake level heights and discharges. It was evident from the results that low sediment diversion ratios were achieved with a diverted discharge ratio of 50% or less. The intake elevation highest above the channel bed diverted the least sediment. The interrelationship between Diverted Discharge Ratio (DDR), Diverted Froude number Ratio (DFrR) and Diverted Sediment load Ratio (SDR) was established in the study.It is recommended that RoR schemes have sand traps downstream of the diversion structures and that turbines are coated with HVOF to overcome the power loss arising due to the excessive erosion of hydro turbines.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University