Physical and Numerical Modeling of the Hydraulic Characteristics of Type-A Piano Key Weirs
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 146, Issue 5
Abstract
Piano key weirs (PKWs) have been introduced in recent years as a hydraulically efficient and cost-effective type of spillway, and there are more than 30 PKWs under construction or already constructed globally. However, owing to the numerous geometric parameters and complex hydraulic characteristics of PKWs, the discharge capacity of a PKW is still difficult to estimate. To improve the overall understanding of the flow behavior in the vicinity of PKWs and to investigate the intrinsic link between the structural parameters and discharge capacity of PKWs, this study employs a combination of numerical simulations and physical model tests to investigate the hydraulic characteristics of PKW models (including flow regimes, water surface lines, streamlines, and flow velocities) under different water head conditions. Furthermore, based on the detailed flow field information provided by the numerical simulations, the internal mechanism for the discharge capacity of the PKW is revealed by analyzing the flow field under the weir crest and the distribution of turbulent kinetic energy near the PKW.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
This study was partly supported by a National Natural Science Foundation-sponsored project (Grant No. 51579206), Key R&D Projects in Shaanxi Province (Grant No. 2018SF-352), and Shaanxi Province Natural Science Fundamental Research Project (Grant No. 2015JM5201).
References
Abdollahi, A., A. Kabiri-Samani, K. Asghari, H. Atoof, and S. Bagheri. 2017. “Numerical modeling of flow field around the labyrinth side-weirs in the presence of guide vanes.” ISH J. Hydraul. Eng. 23 (1): 71–79. https://doi.org/10.1080/09715010.2016.1239555.
Anderson, R. M. 2011. “Piano key weir head discharge relationships.” M.Sc. thesis, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Utah State Univ.
Anderson, R. M., and B. P. Tullis. 2012a. “Comparison of piano key and rectangular labyrinth weir hydraulics.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 138 (4): 358–361. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0000509.
Anderson, R. M., and B. P. Tullis. 2012b. “Piano key weir: Reservoir versus channel application.” J. Irrig. Drain. Eng. 138 (8): 773–776. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)IR.1943-4774.0000464.
Anderson, R. M., and B. P. Tullis. 2013. “Piano key weir hydraulics and labyrinth weir comparison.” J. Irrig. Drain. Eng. 139 (3): 246–253. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)IR.1943-4774.0000530.
Azimi, A. H., and S. S. Hakim. 2019. “Hydraulics of flow over rectangular labyrinth weirs.” Irrig. Sci. 37 (2): 183–193. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-018-0616-6.
Bilhan, O., M. C. Aydin, M. E. Emiroglu, and C. J. Miller. 2018. “Experimental and CFD analysis of circular labyrinth weirs.” J. Irrig. Drain. Eng. 144 (6): 04018007. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)IR.1943-4774.0001301.
Blancher, B., F. Montarros, and F. Laugier. 2011. “Hydraulic comparison between piano key weirs and labyrinth spillways.” In Proc., Int. Conf. Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs, Liège, 141–150. Leiden, Netherlands: CRC Press.
Bremer, F., and M. Oertel. 2017. “Numerical investigation of wall thickness influence on piano key weir discharge coefficients: A preliminary study.” In Proc., 3rd Int. Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs, 101–108. Leiden, Netherlands: CRC Press.
Carollo, F. G., V. Ferro, and V. Pampalone. 2017. “Testing the outflow process over a triangular labyrinth weir.” J. Irrig. Drain. Eng. 143 (8): 06017007. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)IR.1943-4774.0001198.
Cicero, G., and J. Delisle. 2013. “Effects of the crest shape on the discharge efficiency of a type A piano key weir.” In Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs II, edited by S. Erpicum, D. Laugier, M. Pfister, M. Pirotton, G.-M. Cicero, and A. J. Schleiss, 41. London: Taylor & Francis Group.
Crookston, B., R. Anderson, and B. Tullis. 2018. “Free-flow discharge estimation method for piano key weir geometries.” J. Hydro-environ. Res. 19 (Mar): 160–167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jher.2017.10.003.
Crookston, B., and B. Tullis. 2013a. “Hydraulic design and analysis of labyrinth weirs. I: Discharge relationships.” J. Irrig. Drain. Eng. 139 (5): 363–370. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)IR.1943-4774.0000558.
Crookston, B., and B. Tullis. 2013b. “Hydraulic design and analysis of labyrinth weirs. II: Nappe aeration, instability, and vibration.” J. Irrig. Drain. Eng. 139 (5): 371–377. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)IR.1943-4774.0000553.
Dabling, M., and B. Tullis. 2012. “Piano key weir submergence in channel applications.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 138 (7): 661–666. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0000563.
Denys, F., G. Basson, and J. Strasheim. 2017. “Fluid structure interaction of piano key weirs.” In Proc., Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs III: 3rd Int. Workshop on Labyrinth Piano Key Weirs (PKW 2017), 119. Leiden, Netherlands: CRC Press.
Elsayed, K., and C. Lacor. 2011. “Numerical modeling of the flow field and performance in cyclones of different cone-tip diameters.” Comput. Fluids 51 (1): 48–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compfluid.2011.07.010.
Erpicum, S., A. Silvestri, B. Dewals, P. Archambeau, M. Pirotton, M. Colombié, and L. Faramond. 2013. “Escouloubre piano key weir: Prototype versus scale models.” Proc., Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs II, 65. London: Taylor & Francis Group.
Geng, Y. S., and S. K. Sun. 2006. “A new type of labyrinth weir–PK weir.” South-North Water Transfers Water Sci. Technol. 4 (4): 57–59. https://doi.org/10.13476/j.cnki.nsbdqk.2006.04.021.
Hirt, C. W., and B. D. Nichols. 1981. “Volume of fluid (VOF) method for the dynamics of free boundaries.” J. Comput. Phys. 39 (1): 201–225. https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-9991(81)90145-5.
Karimi, M., J. Attari, M. Saneie, and M. R. Jalili Ghazizadeh. 2018. “Side weir flow characteristics: Comparison of piano key, labyrinth, and linear types.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 144 (12): 04018075. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0001539.
Laugier, F. 2007. “Design and construction of the first piano key weir spillway at Goulours dam.” Int. J. Hydropower Dams 14 (5): 94.
Laugier, F., J. Vermeulen, and B. Blancher. 2017. “Overview of design and construction of 11 piano key weirs spillways developed in France by EDF from 2003 to 2016.” Proc., Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs III: Proc. 3rd Int. Workshop Labyrinth Piano Key Weirs, 37. Leiden, Netherlands: CRC Press.
Lefebvre, V., J. Vermeulen, and B. Blancher. 2013. “Influence of geometrical parameters on PK-weirs discharge with 3D numerical analysis.” In Labyrinth and piano key weirs II, edited by S. Erpicum, D. Laugier, M. Pfister, M. Pirotton, G.-M. Cicero, and A. J. Schleiss, 49. London: Taylor & Francis Group.
Leite Ribeiro, M., M. Bieri, J. L. Boillat, A. J. Schleiss, G. Singhal, and N. Sharma. 2012. “Discharge capacity of piano key weirs.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 138 (2): 199–203. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0000490.
Lempérière, F., and A. Ouamane. 2003. “The piano keys weir: A new cost-effective solution for spillways.” Int. J. Hydropower Dams 10 (5): 144–149.
Machiels, O., S. Erpicum, B. J. Dewals, P. Archambeau, and M. Pirotton. 2009. “Large scale experimental study of piano key weirs.” Proc., 33rd IAHR Congress: Water Eng. Sustain. Environ., 1030–1037. Vancouver, BC, Canada: The International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research.
Machiels, O., S. Erpicum, B. J. Dewals, P. Archambeau, and M. Pirotton. 2011. “Experimental observation of flow characteristics over a piano key weir.” J. Hydraul. Res. 49 (3): 359–366. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221686.2011.567761.
Machiels, O., M. Pirotton, A. Pierre, B. Dewals, and S. Erpicum. 2014. “Experimental parametric study and design of piano key weirs.” J. Hydraul. Res. 52 (3): 326–335. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221686.2013.875070.
Mehboudi, A., J. Attari, and S. Hosseini. 2016. “Experimental study of discharge coefficient for trapezoidal piano key weirs.” Flow Meas. Instrum. 50 (Aug): 65–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.flowmeasinst.2016.06.005.
Ouamane, A., and F. Lempérière. 2006. “Design of a new economic shape of weir.” Proc., Int. Symp. on Dams Soc. 21st Century, 463–470. Leiden, Netherlands: CRC Press.
Pralong, J., F. Montarros, B. Blancher, and F. Laugier. 2011. A sensitivity analysis of piano key weirs geometrical parameters based on 3D numerical modeling labyrinth and piano key weirs (PKW 2011). London: CRC Press.
Ribeiro, M. L., M. Pfister, A. J. Schleiss, and J.-L. Boillat. 2012. “Hydraulic design of A-type piano key weirs.” J. Hydraul. Res. 50 (4): 400–408. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221686.2012.695041.
Sangsefidi, Y., M. Mehraein, and M. Ghodsian. 2018. “Experimental study on flow over in-reservoir arced labyrinth weirs.” Flow Meas. Instrum. 59 (Mar): 215–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.flowmeasinst.2017.12.002.
Savage, B. M., B. M. Crookston, and G. S. Paxson. 2016. “Physical and numerical modeling of large headwater ratios for a 15 labyrinth spillway.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 142 (11): 04016046. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0001186.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 146 • Issue 5 • May 2020
Copyright
©2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 13, 2018
Accepted: Sep 10, 2019
Published online: Feb 19, 2020
Published in print: May 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Jul 19, 2020
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.