The use of Computational Fluid Dynamics in Spillway Design
Not all spillway upgrade projects fit standard design methods. Each dam and spillway system have specific characteristics that can create unique hydraulic constraints. At times, these hydraulic constraints can exceed the limitations provided in general spillway design guidance and require the need for additional study. Those additional studies, whether for evaluation of existing conditions or verification of spillway design feasibility, may require specialized engineering resources to evaluate spillway performance. For those cases computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models can be a beneficial tool for evaluating existing conditions, understanding the hydraulic characteristics of a design, and improving hydraulic performance during the design phase. The scale of a CFD study can also be modified to look at the hydraulic performance of a specific area of a structure, or the structure as a whole. This presentation will provide an overview of what CFD is and examples of general guidance (USACE, Reclamation, NRCS) used in hydraulic structure design and where CFD modeling was used to support a design. Specific examples include using CFD to evaluate spillway alternatives, estimating training wall heights, examining spillway and stilling basin performance, and verifying a spillway rating curve. The software cost and applications continue to improve with advancements in technology and the availability of open-source software, and overall CFD can be a valuable, cost-effective tool during the design process.
Author Bio
Wyatt Lantz works for Schnabel Engineering doing water resources engineering for dam related projects. Wyatt has worked for Schnabel for 3 years. Prior to working at Schnabel, he attended Utah State University and received both his B.S. and M.S. degrees. Maridee Romero-Graves, PE, is a licensed Professional Engineer in North Carolina and the Commonwealth of Virginia. She is bilingual and holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the Central University of Venezuela and a Master of Civil Engineering from North Carolina A&T University. Maridee, now an Associate Engineer, has been a dedicated dam engineer at Schnabel Engineering for 17 years, contributing her expertise from their Greensboro, North Carolina office. She is a director and part of the VLWA Dam Committee and hopes to continue participating in and supporting the VLWA with conferences, dam owner training, and sharing her dam engineering knowledge with colleagues, dam owners, regulators, and others.
