Effect of Angle and Geometric Shape of Block on Flow Energy Dissipation in Baffled Chute

Abstract

Controlling the excess flow energy when using the inclined chute to transfer water is always one of the important hydraulic issues. In the present study, the effect of determining how the shape of the blocks and the longitudinal distance between them affects the energy dissipation under various angles of chutes was evaluated experimentally. The experiments were carried out on three chutes with angles of 20, 23, and 26.6 degrees, five different geometric shapes of blocks, and three different longitudinal distances of 1.5H, 2H, and 2.5H (H is block height). The results indicated that the energy dissipation rate on smooth chute models was between 21.38 to 66%. The baffles on the chute create the flow resistance, and the difference between the energy dissipation rate in baffled chute models compared to smooth chutes is between 21 and 61%. By increasing the angle of the chute from 20 to 26.6 degrees, the energy dissipation on smooth and baffled chutes decreases by 22 and 6%, respectively. Increasing the longitudinal distance between the blocks reduces energy dissipation in all models. For the superior model, a 66% increase in the longitudinal distance between the blocks decreases the energy dissipation rate by 10%.

Keywords

• angle of chute
• baffled chute
• energy dissipation
• shape of block