Intake and outfall structures

Deltares is an independent Dutch knowledge institute for water, soil and subsurface issues. Within specialist advisory and contract research projects, innovative solutions are offered that make life in deltas, coastal areas and river basins safe, clean and sustainable. This brochure illustrates the capabilities of Deltares in the hydraulic design verification and optimization of intake and outfall structures. The services offered in this field cover specialist advice, troubleshooting, contract research and trainings. The studies are supported with dedicated experimental facilities, software and expertise of hydraulic experts within the Hydraulic Engineering Unit. The optimal design challenge of intake and outfall structures The need for industrial cooling water for power, desalination, chemical and other industrial plants is rising as a result of world-wide economic and social developments. In most cases, the cooling water is withdrawn from surface water, such as rivers, lakes, lagoons and marine/coastal areas. The plants also discharge the (heated or brine) water back into the surface water. The links between surface water and industrial plants are the intake and outfall structures. The hydraulic design process of such structures is a complex but challenging task, as they need to comply with requirements related to the surface water as well as the industrial plants itself. In the first place, these structures need to fulfil the capacity demand of the plant through delivering and discharging the water in a safe and reliable way. Secondly, it is important that the discharged effluent is not able to reach the intake point since this will reduce the plants efficiency. Thirdly, the environmental impact of the plant on the natural aquatic system has to be minimal. In addition, it is noted that these structures are often located in densely populated Delta areas in which the available free area is scarce. In order to fulfil all requirements related to the design and location of intake and outfall structures, Deltares plays a key-factor in assisting their clients (contractors, plant owners, engineering companies) through offering a broad scope of hydraulic studies.

Overall quick assessment (desk study) The hydraulic design of the intake and/or outfall structure is reviewed based on internationally accepted standards (such as the ANSI/HI 9.8 1998 standard for pump intake design) and expert judgment. The study results in a confirmation of the general lay-out, such that it is guaranteed that the physical model test would only result in small modifications, like splitters, curtain walls, corner fillings, surface beams and baffles. The desk study provides recommendations on modifications (if applicable) of the main dimensions of the design. Typical items that are addressed during the study are summarized in the following table.
Schematic illustration of the cooling water loop from submerged intake head to the cooling water plant and back to the diffuser

The focus in this brochure is put on the hydraulic design verification and optimization of the intake and outfall structures and this incorporates: The intake head and pipeline towards pumping station (desk study) The pumping station (desk study, CFD analysis, physical model study) The sealing weir structure (desk study, CFD analysis, physical model study) The outfall pipeline and (multi-port) diffuser system (desk study) Specialist advice In the hydraulic design verification and optimization process of the intake and/or outfall structure, Deltares follows a step-wise approach. First an overall quickassessment of the design is carried out to indicate possible hydraulic problems. This study is often combined with a CFD-analysis. In this first step the main dimensions of the intake or outfall structure are fixed. The advantage of this first check is that the construction of the structure can be started. In the end, only minor modifications need to be included, if necessary. These modifications are the outcome of the physical model investigation (second step). In this investigation, the hydraulic performance of the intake and/or outfall structure is analysed and optimized in order to reach the optimal hydraulic behaviour.

CFD analysis The aforementioned desk study is often extended with a CFD (Computation Fluid Dynamics) analysis. The global flow-patterns are determined to identify adverse flow phenomena like dead water zones, reverse flow, flow separation and eddies. The effects of different modifications of the main dimensions can be studied easily. The purpose of such a study is to identify adverse flow phenomena at an early stage. The results are used to define the most optimal test schedule.

Desh study outfall structure Desk study intake structure Design verification and optimization of (multi-port) Design verification and head loss calculation of the intake diffusers and outfall pipeline including head loss calculation head and pipeline Verification of the range in water level in sealing weir Verification of the range in water level in the sump during structure during steady operation steady operation Submergence of outfall pipes Verification of extreme water levels in the sump occurring Effects of air entrainment on discharge capacity after pump start-up or trip Evaluation of main dimensions based on expert judgement Submergence and NPSH of pumps Evaluation of main dimensions based on ANSI-standard and expert judgement 2 Deltares - Geo-engineering Optional: CFD analysis of flow patterns and identification of possible adverse hydraulic phenomena (vortex building, dead zones)

Physical model study A physical model study is the final step to optimize the intake/outfall structure design. If all recommendations of the quick-assessment analysis are followed, the scale model tests will only lead to small modifications. The intake/outfall design is reproduced to scale by making use of the Froude scaling principle. The acceptance criteria and the test schedule are reported in the test procedure. Most intake structures are judged based on the ANSI/HI 9.8-1998 standard. It is also possible to use other standards or acceptance criteria from the pump manufacturer. No standards are available for outfall structures. The hydraulic performance of such structures is evaluated by expert judgement. The design is optimized by, for example, minimizing air entrainment and obtaining stable water levels. The first is required since excessive air entrainment can lead to foaming, capacity loss and when it is transported into the discharged pipes, this might lead to buoyancy of the pipe. To reduce pump energy usage the water levels should be optimized. The test schedule undergoes, in general, the following phases: 1. Initial testing: a broad range of operating conditions is tested to asses the hydraulic behaviour of the original structure. 2. Optimization testing: several small modifications are tested to obtain an optimized design. 3. Final testing (intake only). In the optimized design, exaggerated velocity tests, clogging tests and air entrainment tests are performed. Velocity fluctuations in the bell mouth are determined. 4. Witness testing: The model testing is completed by a witness test during which the proper performance of the intake/outfall structure is demonstrated to the client.

Examples of vortices which are not allowed

Typical hydraulic phenomena that are observed and/or measured during the tests are: Global flow patterns (i.e. dead zones, eddies, flow separation, jets) Free surface vortices Submerged vortices Air entrainment Outfall: Water levels Intake: Pre-rotation in suction line Intake: Velocity profiles in the suction line

Example of small modifications

Troubleshooting Deltares can also assist in a troubleshooting process in which root-cause(s) is (are) sought for problems related to intake and outfalls structures. Typical examples of hydraulic problems are: pump vibration, pumps not operating at their expected capacity, sediment ingress, biofouling, foaming, unexpected low water levels in the structure, air entrainment, wearing of the pumps and cavitation. A troubleshooting study often includes a site visit and an off-site desk study in which the problems are analyzed through site measurement data, photographs and video footage. A troubleshooting analysis concludes with a solution strategy, and this sometimes may include further analysis (e.g. a physical model test). Innovations and Contract Research Hydraulic optimization of an intake or outfall structure often leads to significant savings in energy and construction costs. Deltares combines experimental and numerical research in Joint-Industry and contract research projects. Such projects foster synergy between academic and industrial forces. Research projects are carried out in close collaboration with the client.
Deltares - Geo-engineering

Model of an outfall structure

Deltares is currently working on setting-up a new Joint Industry Project on pump sump designs. Topics that are planned to be included in this project are: Innovative measures to avoid marine biofouling Innovative designs of jet dissipating structures efficiently break-up jets at minimum additional head loss. Research on the development of free surface and sub-surface vortices leading to innovative antivortex designs. Derive new acceptance criteria for pump sumps with a view to energy and construction cost savings, increasing flow velocities in the suction bell, etc. Influence of scaling effects New experimental techniques C FD validation studies and exploration of new numerical models to simulate detail flow phenomena (vortices) For more information related to this Joint Industry Project: team-ios@deltares.nl Training Deltares provides training courses in Dutch which are given on a yearly basis. English courses can be organized on demand. The following course subjects are available: Hydrodynamics of pipeline systems - Dynamic behaviour (water hammer, pressure surges, control dynamics) Hydraulic behaviour of pumps, valves and hydraulic resistances in pipeline systems On demand: tailor-made training courses on hydrodynamics of pipeline systems based on daily applications of the client. Course program is set-up in close consultation with the client. On demand: design of intakes and outfalls. Software and Facilities To carry out the aforementioned services Deltares makes use of the following dedicated test facilities and software.

Intake & outfall basins Two dedicated basins are available to perform physical model tests of both intake and outfall structures. The facilities can be easily accessed and have viewing windows for observation of flow phenomena around the structure. Dedicated measurement equipment, like flow and water level control is standard available. If required, extra measurement equipment can easily be installed.

WANDA WANDA is a commercially available software program developed by Deltares for water hammer simulations. The program is used to model and simulate complex pipeline systems/networks including hydraulic components (e.g. pumps, valves, air vents, air vssels, etc). For intake and outfall structures WANDA is utilized to determine the (extreme) water levels. More information about the WANDA software package can be found on website http://wanda.deltares.nl.

CFX (Ansys Inc.) CFX is Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code for the simulation of 3D flows in a wide sense. It can be applied to the numerical simulation of mass, momentum and heat transfer in incompressible or compressible, laminar or turbulent, steady or unsteady, Newtonian or non-Newtonian fluid flows. Nowadays also the motion of particles, the mixture of fluids, fluid phases (gas, liquid, solid), concentrations, chemical and biological reactions, can be calculated. CFX is used to determine the large-scale flow patterns in intake and outfall structures. For more information, please visit http://www. ansys.com/products/fluid-dynamics/cfx.

P.O. Box 177 2600 MH Delft, The Netherlands team-ios@deltares.nl www.deltares.nl