The present invention discloses improved means of venting bottom hinged water control gates through the abutments over a wide range of tailwater elevations while minimizing the hazard of trapping water born debris in the abutment vents. A single pipe, or a plurality of pipes, may be provided. Check valves may be provided to exclude water borne trash.

A process for the treatment of thick fine tailings that include constituents of concern (CoCs) and suspended solids is provided. The process includes subjecting the thick fine tailings to treatments including chemical immobilization of the CoCs, polymer flocculation of the suspended solids, and dewatering. The chemical immobilization can include the addition of compounds enabling the insolubilization of the CoCs. Subjecting the thick fine tailings to chemical immobilization and polymer flocculation can facilitate production of a reclamation-ready material, which can enable disposing of the material as part of a permanent aquatic storage structure (PASS).

A hydroelectric power generating apparatus includes a check dam mounted on a hilltop portion of a hillside to accumulate water of a river reach, a power generating device mounted on a hill bottom portion of the hillside to be driven by a kinetic energy carried by the water for power generation, a diversion pipe extending from the check dam to the power generating device and having at least one diversion duct which extends along the river reach to make a pipeline that converts gravitational potential energy of the water into the kinetic energy, and a surge tank disposed to stand uprightly from the diversion duct for balancing pressure in the diversion duct.

A hydroelectric power generating apparatus includes a check dam mounted on a hilltop portion of a hillside to accumulate water of a river reach, a power generating device mounted on a hill bottom portion of the hillside to be driven by a kinetic energy carried by the water for power generation, a diversion pipe extending from the check dam to the power generating device and having at least one diversion duct which extends along the river reach to make a pipeline that converts gravitational potential energy of the water into the kinetic energy, and a surge tank disposed to stand uprightly from the diversion duct for balancing pressure in the diversion duct.

The improved process for conditioning sludges by flocculation, according to which: the sludge to be treated is transported in a pipeline, at least one flocculating agent is inserted in the pipeline that transports the sludge to be treated, the sludge is then mixed with the said flocculating agent. finally, the mixture is transported and then discharged in a natural or an artificial excavation at a distance from the bottom of the said excavation that is less than its depth.

A spillway water system comprising at least one adjustable barrier sluice gate of one watercourse and defining: one upstream stretch and one downstream stretch of the watercourse arranged upstream and downstream of the sluice gate respectively; one spillway point arranged at a spillway height and at which a spillway water flow rate skims which flows from the upstream stretch and flows into the downstream stretch; the sluice gate comprising adjustment device/unit adapted to raise or lower the spillway height; a first measurement device/unit for measuring the level of water flowing along the downstream stretch; a second measurement device/unit for measuring the level of water of the upstream stretch; and a command device/unit of the adjustment device/unit operatively connected to the first and to the second measurement device/unit and configured to raise or lower the spillway height depending on the level measured by the first and the second measurement device/unit.

A spillway water system comprising at least one adjustable barrier sluice gate of one watercourse and defining: one upstream stretch and one downstream stretch of the watercourse arranged upstream and downstream of the sluice gate respectively; one spillway point arranged at a spillway height and at which a spillway water flow rate skims which flows from the upstream stretch and flows into the downstream stretch; the sluice gate comprising adjustment device/unit adapted to raise or lower the spillway height; a first measurement device/unit for measuring the level of water flowing along the downstream stretch; a second measurement device/unit for measuring the level of water of the upstream stretch; and a command device/unit of the adjustment device/unit operatively connected to the first and to the second measurement device/unit and configured to raise or lower the spillway height depending on the level measured by the first and the second measurement device/unit.

A remote sensing-based dynamic estimation method for the outflow process of an ungauged free overflow reservoir comprising the following steps: estimating the storage volumes of the water reservoir at different water levels from the water level-area relation curve of the water reservoir by using a digital elevation model, and thereby establishing an area-storage volume relation curve of the water reservoir; obtaining the storage volumes of the water reservoir at the corresponding times; obtaining the change of the storage volume of the water reservoir through accumulative calculation on the change of the storage volume in the time periods corresponding to the two remote sensing images; gradually approximating an outflow coefficient of the water reservoir by using a bisection method; taking the final approximation result as the outflow coefficient of the ungauged reservoir, and calculating the outflow process of the water reservoir during floods.

A precast dam structure includes at least two precast segments coupled together via linkages and a flow path structure. The flow path structure defines a flow path having an intake port and a draft port and is associated with at least one of the at least two precast segments. The flow path structure is configured to provide a change in flow direction, either internally or externally, from the at least one of the at least two precast segments.

An air infiltration system for a hydroelectric plant includes a spillway gate and a linearized cone valve coupled to the spillway gate, the linearized cone valve having a pivotable plate assembly. The spillway gate may be a tainter or Stoney gate and the pivotable plate assembly may have a deflection plate. A method of infiltrating air in water released from an impoundment may include: lifting a spillway gate from a resting position proximate a bottom of a spillway; and pivoting a deflection plate coupled to the gate proximate the bottom of the spillway; wherein water flows through an opening disposed between the deflection plate and the gate and is sprayed into an atmosphere to be oxygenated.