Influence of Partition Wall Length on Inlet Flow Regime of a Pumping Station Arranged in Parallel with a Sluice Gate

Abstract

When a sluice gate is arranged in parallel with pumping station units, biased flow occurs in the forebay when the units are operating. The transverse flow velocity in front of the channel inlet is relatively high, and, in severe cases, it may lead to the formation of suction vortices, impacting the stable operation of pump units. Taking the Liushan Pumping Station project of the Eastern Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project as a case study, this paper investigates the effect of the partition wall length on the inlet flow regime of pumping station units arranged in parallel with the sluice gate to reduce the transverse flow velocity in front of the channel inlet. Using numerical simulations, the inlet flow regimes for different partition wall lengths were compared. Moreover, the flow field distributions in the forebay under different operating conditions were analyzed alongside the transverse flow velocity in front of the channel inlet and the uniformity of flow velocity distribution in the section behind the channel inlet. Hydraulic model tests were then conducted to validate the simulation results. The results indicate that in the original design, there existed a vortex zone in the forebay in front of the inlet of the channel where the transverse flow was relatively high. However, the introduction of partition walls significantly reduced the transverse flow velocity in front of the inlet of the channel in the forebay. The optimal effect was achieved when the length of the partition wall was twice the width of the inlet channel. Furthermore, the uniformity of velocity distribution at the inlet of the channel increased by an average of 7.4%, leading to a substantial improvement in the inlet flow regime of the pumping station. The addition of partition walls in the forebay effectively resolved the issues related to the flow regime in the forebay, providing valuable references for similar engineering studies in the future.