Physical Experimentation and 2D-CFD Parametric Study of Flow through Transverse Bottom Racks

Abstract

In the present study, the hydraulic operation of flow through transverse bottom racks screens with conventional triangular wedge wire and alternative circular section wire is experimentally and numerically analyzed. A laboratory prototype is built for experimentation with clean water and sediment. The numerical experiment is developed with the Ansys Fluent software, and a 2D CFD parametric study is designed to evaluate the influence on the captured flow of geometric variables, such as the screen incline, position of the screen along the channel (top, middle, bottom), and shape, wire width, or slot width. The physical model results make it possible to determine the efficiency of the screens in terms of collection capacity and sediment removal. In contrast, numerical experimentation determines the influence of geometric variables on the collection flow. The flows captured by each screen slot are determined numerically. The trends of the total flows captured are determined, and the performance of each studied screen type is assessed using the relevant non-dimensional parameters.