The effect of the compound slope spillway on air entrainment and total kinetic energy using computational fluid dynamics

Abstract The spillway is a hydraulic structure used for managing discharge, dissipating energy, and aeration purposes. The objective of this CFD analysis was to compare the ways in which water moved over various slanted spillways. Both the turbulence and the air–water interface were located using the volume of fluid (VOF) technique and a realizable k-model. Five different spillway models with varying slopes (normal = 30°, compound1 = 20° and 39°, and compound2 = 39° and 20°) were modelled and simulated in ANSYS Fluent. Computational data have been compared to the experimental results, and the findings were astonishing – the CFD model precisely captured the all-important flow facets. The numerical model pinpointed the inception point that occurred due to changes in slope and structure. In comparison to the normal slopes of (30°) and the compound slopes of (39°/20°), the surge in the location of the inception point was around 58%. The results of the research indicate a significant increase in turbulent kinetic energy as a result of the introduction of the compound slope. The study conducted has effectively achieved a crucial objective of the project, which is to enhance the operational efficiency and reliability of the spillway under diverse flow conditions.