High water spillway for barrages and similar structures, comprising an integrated device for aerating the downstream body of water

Abstract

The present invention relates to a high water spillway (5) for barrages and similar structures, comprising a spill threshold (6), the crest of which is located at a first predetermined level (RN) lower than a second predetermined level (RM) corresponding to a maximum level or to the highest water level (PHE) for which the barrage (1) is designed, the difference between said first and second levels (RN and RM) corresponding to a maximum predetermined flow of an exceptional high water, and a fusegate (10) plugging the spillway (5), said gate (10) comprising at least one rigid and solid gate element (11), which is placed on the crest (8) and is held in place thereon by gravity, said gate element being imbalanced when the water reaches a third predetermined level (N) higher than the top of the gate element (11), but at most equal to the second predetermined level (RM). According to the invention, said spillway further comprises an aeration system that comprises at least one duct (20) capable of routing air towards the bottom of the jet discharged by the crest of said gate (11).

Claims

1. A high water spillway for barrages and similar structures comprising: a spill threshold with a crest located at a first predetermined level (RN) lower than a second predetermined level (RM), the second predetermined level corresponding to a maximum level or to a highest water level (PHE) for which the barrage and similar structures are designed, wherein a difference between the first predetermined level and the second predetermined level corresponds to a predetermined maximum flow of an exceptional high water; a fusegate plugging the spillway, the fusegate comprises at least one solid gate placed on the crest and held in place by gravity, the gate being imbalanced when the water reaches a third predetermined level (N) higher than the top of the gate but at most equal to the second predetermined level (RM); an aeration system that comprises at least one duct that routes air downstream of the gate towards a bottom of a jet discharged by a crest of the gate.

2. The high water spillway according to claim 1, wherein the at least one duct comprises pipes.

3. The high water spillway according to claim 1, wherein the gate is made of concrete, which delimits the geometry of the aeration system and wherein the at least one duct includes openings in the gate.

4. The high water spillway according to claim 1, wherein the aeration system further comprises an air intake such that the air intake and the at least one duct are integrated in the fusegate.

5. The high water spillway according to claim 4, wherein the air intake is an air vent leading to a side wall and/or to an intermediate pier of the spill threshold.

6. The high water spillway according to claim 4, wherein the air intake is an air inlet integrated in a feedwell.

7. The high water spillway according to claim 4, wherein the air intake is an air routing circuit integrated in the spill threshold to feed the at least one duct.

8. The high water spillway according to claim 4, further comprising a seal provided between the spill threshold and a base of the fusegate around the aeration system.

Description

DESCRIPTIVE FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1 is a general view of a first embodiment of the invention, i.e. a perspective view showing a structure, such as a barrage, and its high water spillway equipped with an aeration system according to the invention;

(2) FIGS. 2a and 2b are diagrams showing the flows involved and the operating principle of a gate;

(3) FIG. 3 is a diagram in perspective of a second embodiment of the invention;

(4) FIG. 4 is a diagram in perspective of a third embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(5) FIG. 1 is a perspective of a high water spillway 5 according to a first embodiment of the invention. The spillway is a construction element generally placed on a spill threshold of a barrage. The spill threshold has a crest located at a first level RN lower than a second level RM corresponding to a maximum level or highest water level (PHE) for which the barrage is designed, the difference between said first and second levels (RN and RM) corresponding to a predetermined maximum flow of an exceptional high water.

(6) FIG. 1 shows in greater details a fusegate 10 capable of plugging the spillway. The fusegate can, for example, be made up as described in patent EP 434 521.

(7) Said gate 10 comprises at least one rigid and solid gate element 11, which is placed on the crest 8 and held in place thereon by gravity, said gate element being imbalanced, when the water reaches a third predetermined level (N) higher than the top of the gate element 11, but at most equal to the second predetermined level RM.

(8) As shown in FIG. 1, the fusegate 10 comprises several juxtaposed gate elements 11 arranged through the main flow stream. FIG. 1 illustrates gate elements of identical shapes that have several distinct main planes, here five planes, three of which coincide and are arranged perpendicular to the main flow. The other planes form an angle (e.g. of about 45) with the three transverse planes.

(9) Interestingly and in response to the issues mentioned above, the spillway according to the invention includes an aeration system comprising at least one duct 20 capable of routing air to the bottom of the jet discharged through the crest of said gate 10.

(10) FIG. 2a shows the flow, at the RN level, i.e, retained by the gate element 11, whereas FIG. 2b shows the jet discharged above the level of the crest of the gate element 11.

(11) An aeration of the flow is said to be carried out downstream of the gate 10 (or each element of the gate 11).

(12) To do this, at least one duct 20 is provided, preferably fixed or integrated on at least one gate element 11. If the gate element consists of metal walls then the duct(s) is/are fixed to the downstream relative to the direction of the flow motion. If the gate element is made of concrete then a reentrant (an excavation) can be provided in order to form the duct(s) 20.

(13) The or each duct 20 is supplied with air through an inlet or vent 30 which can be placed in several locations.

(14) According to FIG. 1, air vents or inlets 30 are placed laterally to the spillway 5, for example beyond the support wall called the side wall. The vent(s) connect(s) to the duct 20 in the most appropriate way. Here at the threshold of the wall.

(15) According to FIG. 3, the air inlets 30 are located in the lateral support wall.

(16) In the illustrative example in FIG. 4, the air inlets are placed in a support pier 40 located between two gate elements 11.