H. E. Schulz, R. J. Lobosco, A. L. A. Simões
Abstract: Self-aeration is a predominant phenomenon of flows along stepped chutes. While the steps increase the energy dissipation rate, they also increase the air uptake, reducing risks of cavitation. Although aeration is a known phenomenon, a definitive quantification of the profile of the air-water mixture is still not available. This study considers the skimming flow regime, and a theoretical solution for the profile of the air-water mixture, based on the one-dimensional mass conservation equation and on a proposal for the air transfer between the atmosphere and the water. The numerical aeration of the flows along stepped chutes is investigated for chutes with uniform steps. The open softwares Salome and OpenFoam® were used for mesh generation and CFD calculations, respectively. The flows are inherently turbulent and their characteristics were investigated here using a two equation k-e turbulence model and adequate wall functions for the wall boundaries.
University of Liège, Liège, BelgiumACOMEN 2011 (5th Interntional Conference on Advanced Computational Methods in Engineering)
