Investigation of the Different Models of Elliptical-Lopac Gate Performance under Submerged Flow Conditions

The effect of the elliptic ratio on the hydraulic performance of the LOPAC gate has been investigated using experimental and Computational Fluid Dynamics CFD simulations (Flow-3D Hydro). Experiments and simulations were carried out at three different flow discharges, three different submerged ratios, and five different elliptic ratios. In this context, the CFD model was first calibrated and verified using the measured data, and then CFD simulation was performed. The ratio of upstream/downstream flow depth, the flow discharge coefficient, and the energy dissipation through the gate have been calculated and analyzed, and the three-dimensional features of the flow have been described. Based on the results, the elliptical LOPAC gates with circular weirs determine extreme values of the controlled flow parameters. Asymmetric recirculation downstream of the gate is sometimes observed in the model predictions. The use of Coriolis coefficients relevant to the entire cross-section, here deployed just for the circular and the traditional rectangular Lopac gates, has allowed a concise way to report and compare complex flows for any experimental condition.