Improvement of the designs of hydropower plants' water-intake and outlet facilities

Abstract

1. The designs of water-intake and outlet facilities, like the designs of other elements of water-delivery and discharge paths, are constantly improving. Their development is due to many factors, the most important of which are: the action of objective patterns of development and the influence of scientific and technical progress; new requirements imposed on them in connection with environmental protection, raising the reliability and safety of operation, and consideration of the social factor; and the use of new materials, technologies, and other achievements. 2. Analysis of new developments revealed the following basic directions of improvement in water intakes and outlets: 1) the use of new geometric forms and configurations, and of more efficient geometric parameters; 2) increasing dynamism and mobility; 3) the use of self-controlling operation; 4) splitting up of design elements; 5) the use of additional extraneous substances introduced into the flow; 6) the use of fields (mechanical, centrifugal, thermal, gravitational, magnetic, and electric). 3. Realization of new design solutions in specific objects of hydrotechnical construction is hindered by objective, as well as subjective factors, including the absence of a procedure for substantiating the use of these developments in designing and reconstructing facilities that would take into account their action on the environment, the reliability and safety of operation, social efficiency, specific local conditions, etc.