Chapter

p 3:
Design of Dissipation Structures

By
Dr. Nuray Denli Tokyay
 3.1 Introduction
A stilling
tilli bbasin
i iis a short
h t llength
th off pavedd channel
h l placed
l d att th
the ffoott off a
spillway or any other source of supercritical flow to dissipate the energy
of the flow.

Th aim
The i off the
h designer
d i is
i to make
k a hhydraulic
d li jjump to fform within
i hi the
h
basin, so that the flow is converted to subcritical before it reaches the
exposed and unpaved river bed downstream.

The desirable features

f off stilling basin are those that:

1. To tend to ppromote the formation of the jjump,

p,

2. To make the jump stable in one position,

3. To make it as short as possible.

Usually, if the jump is to be formed unaided, the floor of the stilling basin
must be pplaced a substantial distance below the tailwater level. But the
required excavation may of course make the basin very expensive. The
excessive
i ddepthh off excavation
i may bbe avoided
id d

1. Byy wideningg the basin,,

2. By installation of baffles to increase the resistance to flow,

3. By a raised sill.
 3.2 Hydraulic-Jump Basins
Where the energy of flow in a spillway must be dissipated before the
discharge is returned to the downstream river channel
channel, the hydraulic-
hydraulic
jump stilling basin is an effective device for reducing the exit velocity to
a tranquil state. The jump that will occur in such a stilling basin has
distinctive characteristics and assumes a definite form,, depending
p g on

the relation between the energy of flow that must be dissipated and the
depth of the flow.

A comprehensive series off tests have been performed

f by the Bureau off
Reclamation to determine the properties of the hydraulic jump.
Th jump
The j form
f andd the
th flflow characteristics
h t i ti can bbe related
l t d to
t

V
g
d
2
•the
the kinetic flow factor,
factor , of the discharge entering the basin;

•to the critical depth of flow, dc ;

V
g
d
• or to the Froude number , .

Forms of the hydraulic-jump phenomena for various ranges of the

Froude number are illustrated on figure below.
below
 3.2 Characteristic forms of hydraulic jump related to
th FFroude
the d numberb .
When the Froude number of the incomingg flow is 1.0, the flow is at critical depth
p and a
hydraulic jump cannot form.
For Froude numbers from 1.0 to about 1.7, the incoming flow is only slightly below critical
depth and the change from this low stage to the high stage flow is gradual and manifests
depth,
itself only by a slightly ruffled water surface.

As the Froude number approaches 1.7, a series of small rollers begins to develop on the
surface. These become more intense with increasingly higher values of the number. Other
than the surface roller phenomena,relatively
phenomena relatively smooth flows prevail throughout the Froude
number range up to about 2.5.
For Froude numbers between 22.55 and 44.5, 5 an oscillating form of jump
occurs. The entering jet intermittently flows near the bottom and then
alongg the surface of the downstream channel. This oscillatingg flow
causes objectionable surface waves that carry far beyond the end of the
basin. The action represented through this range of flows is designated
as form B on figure below:
For Froude numbers between 4.5 and 9, a stable and well-balanced
jump occurs.
occurs Turbulence is confined to the main body of the jump,
jump and
the water surface downstream is comparatively smooth. Stilling action
for Froude numbers between 4.5 and 9 is designed as form C on figure
below.
As the Froude number increases above 9, the turbulence within the jump and the
surface roller becomes increasingly active, resulting in a rough water surface with
strong surface waves downstream from the jump.
jump Stilling action for Froude numbers
above 9 is designated as form D.
 Basin Design in Relation to Froude Numbers
Basins for Froude Numbers Less Than 1.7:
For a F
F Frouded number b off 1.7,
1 7 the
th conjugate
j t depth,
d th d,,
d iis about
b t ttwice
i ththe
incoming depth, or about 40 percent greater than the critical depth. The
exit velocity,V
velocity V2, is about one-half the incoming velocity,
velocity or 30 percent
less than the critical velocity. No special stilling basin is needed to still
flows where the Froude number of the incomingg flow is less than 1.7,
except that the channel lengths beyond the point where the depth starts
to change should be not less than about 4d,. No baffles or other
di i ti devices
dissipating d i are needed.
d d
These basins, designated type I.
Basins for Froude Numbers Between 1.7 and 2.5
Flow phenomena for these basins will be in the form designated as the
prejump stage, as shown on figure . Because such flows are not
attended
tt d d by
b active
ti turbulence,
t b l bbaffles
ffl or sills
ill are nott required.
i d
The basin should be long enough to contain the flow prism while it is
undergoing retardation.
retardation
The basin lengths given below will provide acceptable basins. These
basins designated type I.I
basins,
Ly
.

f
o
r
1
.
7
Fr

.
4≤ ≤55 ≤ ≤25
2
L
e
n
g
t
h

o
f
j
u
m
p

i
n
c
r
e
a
s
e
s

l
i
n
e
a
r
l
y

w
i
t
h

F
r
o
u
d
e

n
u
m
b
e
r
Basins for Froude Numbers Between 2.5 and 4.5
Flows for these basins are considered to be in the transition flow stage
because a true hydraulic
y jjumpp does not fullyy develop.
p Stillingg basins that
accommodate these flows are the least effective in providing
satisfactory dissipation because the attendant wave action ordinarily
cannot be controlled by the usual basin devices. Waves generated by
the flow phenomena will persist beyond the end of the basin and must
often
ft bbe ddampenedd byb means apartt from
f the
th bbasin.
i
Where a stilling device must be provided to dissipate flows for this range
of Froude number
number, the basin shown on figure B-1, B 1 which is designated a
type IV basin, has proved relatively effective for dissipating the bulk of
the energy
gy of flow.
Type IV Basin Dimensions
Minimum Tailwater Depths for Type IV Basins
However, the wave action propagated by the oscillating flow cannot be
However
entirely dampened. Auxiliary wave dampeners or wave suppressors must
sometimes be used to pprovide smooth surface flow downstream.
Because of the tendency of the jump to sweep out and as an aid in-
suppressing wave action, the water depths in the basin should be about 10
percent greater than the computed conjugate depth.
Often, the need to design this type of basin can be avoided by selecting
stilling basin dimensions that will provide flow conditions that fall outside
the range of transition flow. For example, with an 22.65-m3/s capacity
spillway
ill where
h th the specific
ifi energy att the
th upstream
t endd off the
th basin
b i iis
about 4.6 m and the velocity into the basin is about 9.14 m/s, the Froude
number will be 33.22 for a basin width of 3 m.m The Froude number can be
raised to 4.6 by widening the basin to 6 m. The selection of basin widening
the basin to 6 m. The selection of basin width then becomes a matter of
economics as well as hydraulic performance.
 Alternative Low Froude Number Stilling Basins
Type IV basins are fairly effective at low Froude number flows for small
canals and for structures with small unit discharges.
However, recent model tests. have developed designs quite different
from the type IV basin design, even though the type IV basin design was
included in the initial tests.
Palmetto Bend Dam stilling basin is an example of a low Froude number
structure, modeled in the Bureau of Reclamation Hydraulics Laboratory,
whose recommended design is quite different from type IV design.
The type IV design has large deflector blocks, similar to but larger than
chute blocks, and an optional solid end sill; the Palmetto Bend design
has no chute blocks,
blocks but has large baffle piers and a dentated end sill.
sill
Dimensions for Alternative Low Froude Number
Basin
Minimum Tailwater Depths for Alternative Basins
Length of Jump
The foregoing generalized designs have not been suitable for some
Bureau applications, and the increased use of low Froude number
stillingg basins has created a need for additional data on this type
yp
of design. A study was initiated to develop generalized criteria for the
design of low Froude number hydraulic-jump stilling basins. The criteria
and guidelines from previous studies were combined with the results of
this study to formulate the design guidelines recommended for low
Froude number stilling basins . However,
However it should be noted that a
hydraulic-jump stilling basin is not an efficient energy dissipator at low
Froude numbers; that is, is the efficiency of a hydraulic-jump
hydraulic jump basin is less
than 50 percent in this Froude number range. Alternative energy
dissipators,
p , such as the baffled apron
p chute or spillway,
p y, should be
considered for these conditions. The recommended design has chute
blocks, baffle piers, and a dentated end sill. All design data are
presented on figure
f B4..
The length
g is rather short, approximately
pp y three times d, ((the conjugate
j g
depth after the jump). The size and spacing of the chute blocks and
baffle piers are a function of d, (incoming depth) and the Froude number.
The dentated end sill is proportioned according to d, and the Froude
number. The end sill is placed at or near the downstream end of the
stilling basin.
basin Erosion tests were not included in the development
of this basin. Observations of flow patterns near the invert downstream
from the basin indicated that no erosion problem should exist.
exist
However, if hydraulic model tests are performed to confirm a design
based on these criteria, erosion tests should be included. Tests should
be made over a full range of discharges to determine whether abrasive
materials will move upstream
p into the basin and to determine the erosion
potential downstream from the basin. If the inflow velocity is greater than
15 m/s, hydraulic model studies should be performed.
 Basins for Froude Numbers Higher Than 4.5
and V<15 m/s
For these basins
basins, a true hydraulic jump will form.
form The elements of the
jump will vary according to the Froude number. The installation of
accessory devices such as blocks, baffles, and sills along the floor of
the basin produce a stabilizing effect on the jump, which permits
shortening the basin and provides a safety factor against sweep out
ca sed by
caused b inadequate
inadeq ate tail
tailwater
ater depth.
depth
The basin shown on figure B2, which is designated a type III basin, can
be adopted where incoming velocities do not exceed 15 m/s m/s. The type
III basin uses chute blocks, impact baffle blocks, and an end sill to
shorten the jjumpp length
g and to dissipate
p the high-velocity
g y flow within the
shortened basin length. This basin relies on dissipation of energy by the
impact blocks and on the turbulence of the jump phenomena for its
effectiveness.
Type III Basin Dimensions
Minimum Tailwater Depths for Type III Basins
Height of Baffle Blocks and End Sill
and
Length of Jump
Because of the large impact forces to which the baffles are subjected by
the impingement of high incoming velocities and because of the
possibility of cavitation along the surfaces of the blocks and floor, the
use of this basin must be limited to heads where the velocity does not
exceed 15 m/s.
C i
Cognizance mustt bbe ttaken
k off th
the added
dd d lloads
d placed
l d on ththe structure
t t
floor by the dynamic force brought against the upstream face of the
baffle blocks.
blocks This dynamic force will approximate that of a jet impinging
upon a plane normal to the direction of flow. The force, in Newtons, may
be expressed
p byy the formula:

V
F

A
E

d
,
w
h
e
r
e
E1
1 2

g
= 2γ 1 = 1 +
1
2
where:
h
γ = unit weight of water, in N/m3
A = area off th
the upstream
t fface off th
the block,
bl k iin m2, andd
E1= the specific energy of the flow entering the basin, in m.
N ti pressure on the
Negative th back
b k fface off the
th bl
blocks
k will
ill ffurther
th
increase the total load. However, because the baffle blocks
are placed a distance equal to 0.8d 0 8d2, beyond the start of
the jump, there will be some cushioning effect by the time
the incoming g jjet reaches the blocks,, and the force will be
less than that indicated by the above equation. If the full
force computed by using the above equation is used, the
negative pressure force may be neglected.
 Basins for Froude Numbers Higher Than 4.5
and V>15 m/s
Where incoming velocities exceed 15 m/s, or where impact baffle blocks
are not used, the type II basin (fig. B3) may be adopted.
B
Because the
th dissipation
di i ti iis accomplishedli h d primarily
i il bby hydraulic
h d li jump
j
action, the basin length will be greater than that indicated for the type III
basin.
basin
However, the chute blocks and dentated end sill will still effectively
reduce the length
length. Because of the reduced margin of safety against
sweep out, the water depth in the basin should be about 5 percent
greater than the computed conjugate depth.
Type II Basin Dimensions
Minimum Tailwater Depths for Type II Basins
Length of Jump
 Rectangular Versus Trapezoidal Stilling Basin
The use of a trapezoidal stilling basin instead of a rectangular basin may
often be proposed where economy favors sloped side lining over vertical
wall construction. Model tests have shown, however, that the hydraulic-
jump action in a trapezoidal basin is much less complete and less stable
than it is in the rectangular basin. In a trapezoidal basin, the water in the
triangular areas along the sides of the basin adjacent to the jump does
not oppose the incoming high-velocity
high velocity jet.
jet
The jump, which tends to occur vertically, cannot spread sufficiently to
occupy the side areas.
areas Consequently,
Consequently the jump will form only in the
central portion of the basin, while areas along the outside will be
occupied by upstream-moving flows that ravel off the jump or come from
the lower end of the basin.
The eddy or horizontal roller action resulting from this phenomenon
tends to interfere and interrupt the jump action to the extent that there is
incomplete
p dissipation
p of the energy
gy and severe scouringg can occur
beyond the basin. For good hydraulic performance,
the sidewalls of a stilling basin should be vertical
or as close to vertical as practicable.