Numerical simulation to study the vortices formation in water intakes at hydroelectrics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14808/sci.plena.2015.081316Keywords:
CFD, submergence, vortex, water intakeAbstract
In Brazil, hydropower is the main source of electricity generation. Despite the increasing trend in the use of other sources, hydropower will remain the main source in the energy matrix. The efficiency of a hydroelectric plant may be affected by conditions of water supply into the intake. The formation of vortices upstream of water intakes are causes of loss of efficiency and can cause damage to the facilities. The objective of this work is to study the phenomenon of vortex formation in intakes of hydropower through three-dimensional numerical simulation in commercial software ANSYS-CFX, based on studies in experimental model by IPH-UFRGS. Cases with different submergence and volumetric flow rate were analyzed. The mathematical model consists of the equations of conservation of mass and momentum of the mean field, the volume fraction equation, equations of the turbulence model, as well as their respective initial and boundary conditions. The results show that the numerical model is able to reproduce the formation of vortices in water intakes, as observed in the experimental model.
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