Experimental Study of Submerged Vanes in Intakes under Sediment Feeding Conditions

Abstract

Sediment is transported along the river flow and deposited in the mouth of the intake structure over time and reducing the water intake capacity. Nowadays, many water intake structures lose their function and are closed to operation. To deal with this problem, recently, submerged vane application has offered a practical and economical solution. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of three vane installations under sediment feeding conditions by comparing the bed topography before and after vanes were installed. For that purpose, experiments were carried out in a laboratory channel running for 90-degree intake angle. Three vanes were installed in one column at near the intake entrance. The vanes dimensions were equal to; 3cm height, 12cm long, 10 mm thick, and aligned with alpha = 20 angle to flow direction. The tests were run until equilibrium was reached, i.e. when the outgoing solid discharge was equal or larger than 90% of the incoming. Once the bed topography remained stable, bed and water level surfaces were measured. tests were carried out by feeding sediment from upstream of the main channel.