Dam Engineering CIE 522

Lecturer: Chanda Chisha

MSc. Water Mgt; BEng; PGD. Env.Mgt
 5.0 Energy Dissipation
5.0 Energy Dissipation
5.1 General - Water Flows with high pressure and forces
5.2 Energy Dissipation on Spillways which could lead to distraction of any
5.3 Stepped Spillway object. – It has High Energy.
5.4 Stilling basins - This Energy has to be well managed or
5.5 Plunge pools contained.

- Energy dissipation is termed the process by

which Energy is “Wasted”.

- Spillways and stilling basins are structures

designed to dissipate the energy which
could be of considerable magnitude.
- Water that flows over any spillway acquires
a lot of Kinetic Energy due to its conversion
from Potential Energy into Kinetic Energy.
- This High Flow of the water when
discharged into the river has the ability to
scour the riverbed and in certain cases
undermine the downstream lower layers of
the dam, thus compromising the dam
safety.
 5.0 Energy Dissipation
5.0 Energy Dissipation
5.1 General - Uncontrolled scouring may lead to the
5.2 Energy Dissipation on Spillways backward extension and damaging of the
5.3 Stepped Spillway spillway & the dam.
5.4 Stilling basins
5.5 Plunge pools - This Can be controlled by dissipating the kinetic
energy before it is discharged downstream the
river channel.

- Energy Dissipation is attained by inclusion in any

dam the following;
1. Stepped Spillways
2. Stilling Basins
3. Plunge Pools
 5.0 Energy Dissipation
5.0 Energy Dissipation
5.1 General 1. Stepped Spillways
5.2 Energy Dissipation on Spillways
5.3 Stepped Spillway - The importance of a well sized spillway
5.4 Stilling basins cannot be over emphasized. Spillway
5.5 Plunge pools selection and design forms a very
important aspect in the dam design
process.
- A stepped spillway is a spillway with steps
on the spillway chute to assist in the
dissipation of the kinetic energy of the
descending water. This eliminates or
reduces the need for an additional
energy dissipater, such as a body of
water, at the end of the spillway
downstream.
- The stepped spillway could either be
incorporated in an over-flow spillway or
non-overflow spillway.
 5.0 Energy Dissipation
5.0 Energy Dissipation
5.1 General - 2. Plunge Pool
5.2 Energy Dissipation on Spillways
5.3 Stepped Spillway - This is a structure constructed below the water
5.4 Stilling basins fall or rapids to dissipate energy.
5.5 Plunge pools - Others define it as an energy dissipater which
is located downstream or at an outlet of a
spillway.
- The mechanism is to dissipate the energy of
the water as the water is discharged into the
plunge pool.
 5.0 Energy Dissipation
5.0 Energy Dissipation
5.1 General - 2. Plunge Pool
5.2 Energy Dissipation on Spillways - Typical Schematic Case of the Plunge Pool At
5.3 Stepped Spillway Kariba Dams
5.4 Stilling basins
5.5 Plunge pools

5.0 Energy Dissipation
5.1 General
5.2 Energy Dissipation on Spillways
5.3 Stepped Spillway
5.4 Stilling basins
5.5 Plunge pools
5.0 Energy Dissipation
- 3. Stilling Basin
- This is an energy dissipating structure constructed
downstream. This is more or less an apron at the downstream
of the dam.
- Others term this as a basin-like structure where energy is
dissipated.
- The stilling basin makes it possible for the kinetic to cause the
turbulence and in the process, it is lost as heat energy.
- Special appurtenances such as chute blocks, sills and baffles
piers are provided in the stilling basins.
(i) The chute blocks furrows the incoming jet & and lift a
portion of it from the floor producing a shorter length of
jump than would be possible without them. This is used to
form a serated device at the entrance to the stilling
basin.
(ii) The sill has the function of additional function of diffusing the
residual portion of high velocity jet that may reach the end
of the basin. It is provided at the end of the stilling basin and
reduces the length of the jump & controls the scour.
(iii) Baffle Piers are blocks that are placed in the intermediate
position across the basin floor. It dissipates energy by the
impact action. They are useful in small structures with low
incoming velocities, but are however, unsuitable where high
velocities make cavitation possible
 5.0 Energy Dissipation
Resource Material
https://www.usbr.gov/tsc/techreferences/hydraulics_lab/pubs/PAP/PAP-0951.pdf
https://www.usbr.gov/tsc/techreferences/hydraulics_lab/pubs/HL/HL-2015-06.pdf
https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:13560/Art233d.pdf
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.4296/cwrj147
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303565276_Guidelines_for_Hydraulic_Desig
n_of_Stepped_Spillways
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/245297351_Hydraulic_Design_of_Stepped_
Spillways
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60338aaf8fa8f5432bc23dbe/_Guidanc
e_for_the_Design_and_Maintenance_of_Stepped_Masonry_Spillways.pdf
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00221680209499889
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs142p2_007673.xls
https://www.usbr.gov/tsc/techreferences/hydraulics_lab/pubs/EM/EM25.pdf