Influence of Diffusion Angle on Sediment Concentration in Front Inflow Forebay of Pumping Station

Abstract

The numerical simulation and field investigation of solid-liquid two-phase flow are carried out in a large-scale forward intake forebay with various diffusion angles at the Jingtaichuan Pumping Irrigation Project in Gansu Province, China. The purpose is to investigate the properties of sediment deposition in the pumping station forebay. The results indicate that the low-sediment concentration area is in the forebay’s centre, whereas the high-sediment is near the two side walls flanks. The sediment concentration increases dramatically from the centre to the sides. Both the high-sediment concentration area and the sediment concentration increase with water depth. The forebay’s narrowing diffusion angle causes the high-concentration area to gradually decrease while the low-concentration area gradually increase. Furthermore, the amount of siltation and sediment deposition efficiency decrease, resulting in a large increase in forebay sediment concentration and sedimentation efficiency. The sediment concentration and water flow velocity reveal a quadratic polynomial relationship. This study can provide a guide and reference for the design and construction of comparable large-scale pumping station forebays.