Geometrical Design and Hydraulic Feasibility of Inner-Reinforced Girders in Hydropower Bifurcations

Abstract

Inner-reinforced girders, also known as ribs, are widely used in hydropower bifurcations. However, while they strengthen structures, they also cause energy loss. This work aims to develop an appropriate geometry form for ribs that can diminish head loss in hydropower bifurcations. The term rib/breadth ratio (RBR) is defined to describe the geometrical form of ribs. An investigation is conducted to study the flow and performance characteristics of bifurcations with ribs using computational fluid dynamics. The dependence of the head loss coefficient on the RBR is given in six working conditions. Results show that the ribs change the local flow patterns and slightly increase the water head loss in some cases. In other cases, however, the ribs make the flow smooth. An appropriate RBR is the key to improve the flow patterns in hydropower bifurcations. The head loss varies with the RBR and reaches the minimum when the RBR is 0.3.