Stepped Spillway with Hydraulic Jumps: Application of a Numerical Model to a Scale Model of a Conceptual Prototype

Abstract

Hydraulic jumps on the steps of a stepped spillway were investigated analytically, physically, and numerically. Using classic hydraulic formulae, a conceptual prototype was designed. A large scale model was adapted and an experimental study was conducted to examine similarity of hydraulic jumps on each step, minimizing hydraulic jump length and maximizing discharge per unit width. A numerical model based on the 2D Reynolds averaged equations, where the free-surface is represented using a refined volume-of-fluid algorithm, the internal obstacles are described by means of the fractional area-volume obstacle representation method, and the turbulence is represented by a specially developed RNG (Renormalization Group)