Dynamic Pressure at Flip Buckets of Chute Spillways: A Numerical Study

Abstract

This study investigates the dynamic pressure at the flip buckets of chute spillways, which is one of the most important design parameters of these structures. First, the dimensionless parameters affecting pressure were determined by dimensional analysis. Following that, according to the characteristics of selected dams with chute spillways leading to flip buckets, certain Froude number intervals of inflow to the flip bucket, as well as the chute slope angle, radius, and flip bucket curvature angle were selected for analysis. The combination of these parameters resulted in a total of 137 models simulated in FLOW-3D to obtain bottom pressure and maximum pressure values in the flip bucket. Next, based on the dimensionless parameters considered, equations were proposed to determine the bottom pressure and maximum pressure in the flip bucket downstream of the chute, using multiple regression analysis. Using the numerical modeling run results, along with multiple regression analyses, the unknown coefficients of the dimensionless pressure relationship were determined, and final equations for the bottom pressure and maximum pressure were presented. The correlation coefficient and Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) values of the proposed equations for determining the bottom pressure and maximum pressure were 0.94 and 0.96, and, 6.75% and 8.49%, respectively. These values indicate the appropriate accuracy of the proposed equations. In the proposed equations, the Froude number, relative curvature, chute slope angle, takeoff angle, and flip bucket’s curvature angle, respectively, had the highest impacts on the bottom pressure and maximum pressure.