Hydraulic characterization of flow under high head gates: laboratory setup

Vertical leaf gates are essential for the safe operation of bottom outlets in both ordinary and emergency closure. Characterizing the behavior of such devices in different operating condition is not straightforward, but it is crucial for practitioners. Although the role of the downpull forces and air demand were widely investigated by Naudascher (1991), Aydin (2002) and Aydin et al. (2006), the scientific literature does not provide yet enough information, and most studies consider the hydraulic behavior of the system in some specific conditions (i.e. the upstream water pressure changes or variations in lip geometries). Additional studies are thus needed to characterize a broader spectrum of boundary and operating conditions of gates. On this subject, an experimental research, realized in collaboration with ATB Riva Calzoni S.p.A., is being carried out at the Hydraulic Laboratory of the Department of Civil, Environmental, Land, Building Engineering and Chemistry (DICATECh) of Polytechnic University of Bari. The aim of the study is to provide a wider set of measurements and information on high head gates, including multiple geometrical and operative configurations, in order to improve the quality of design and the reliability of such hydraulic structures. Specific attention is given to the analysis of pressure regimes in the system and to the analysis of the hydrodynamic forces acting on the device.