Deznisipator Design

ASEAN-German Mini Hydro Project (AGMHP)
Gravel & Sand Traps /

Desilting Basins
Consulting and Engineering 41 Slide 41

Purpose & function

• The purpose of desilting structures is to trap and eliminate
sand and silt from the diverted water.
• If heavy sand and silt-laden water is admitted to the turbine,
hard particles may cause damage to runners, seals and
bearings. Silt might also settle in the water conveyance
system and obstruct flow.
• The traditional method of excluding sand and silt is to
reduce the velocity of the flowing water - in a specifically
designed basin - to such an extent that the particles of a
certain size settle out at the bottom of the structure from
where they can be flushed back to the river (gravity
sluicing).

Gravel trap and sand trap

• A gravel trap and / or sand trap is NOT required when
tapping springs that never flood.
• If the source stream carries heavy bed load during floods, a
gravel trap shall be provided just after the intake orifice.
• In all cases, except for low-head installations with
netH < 10m, a sand trap is required. Recommended:
– 90% of grains > 0.2mm for heads of up to 100m
– 98% of grains > 0.2 mm for heads above 100m
• The bed of the sand trap has to have a trough-like shape in
order to facilitate sediment flushing. A sill at the end of the
sandtrap shall prevent the sand from being washed into to
the headrace canal / pipe. A flushing device in the form of
timber stop logs, steel slide gate or cylindrical bottom outlet
cum spillway shall be provided.
Design principles
Desilting basin must be a longish structure, i.e. about eight
times longer than wide. If the basin is too wide, water will
tend to meander through the basin and areas of high velocity
or even reverse flow will occur and settling of particles is
limited.
In the “ideal desilting basin”

a particle entering water
surface at beginning of
settling basin (point X)
should reach the end
of the basin (point Y) if
it is to be settled.

Basic principles
L = length of settling zone
B = width of settling zone
y = mean water depth or hydraulic depth
t = time for particle to travel L (s)
vp = horizontal velocity
w = fall velocity (from Shield’s graph)
Q = discharge

Design computation
1. The travelling time of a particle through the basin is
tx = L/v
2. The settling time of the same particle is
ty = H/w
where w is the fall velocity of the particle
3. If the particle is to reach the bottom of the basin at
point C, the two times tx and ty must be equal:
L/v = H/w

Design computation (cont.)
4. The basin should be not more than 8 times

longer than wide. Considering this, the above
formulas and the equation of continuity, we
receive the following equation:
8Q
L>
w
The fall velocity w can be obtained from Shield’s
graph (following slide)

Shield’s Graph
Fall velocity of quartz spheres in still water

5. According to Vischer and Huber, 1982, the

critical water velocity can be estimated using
the following formula:
v = 0.44 × d
Accordingly, to settle particles with a size of

max 0.2mm, the critical velocity is 0.2 m/s


6. Velikanov proposed a number of correction factors so that the
formula presented (4.) is modified as follows:
2 2 2
Q λ v(H − 0.2)
L=
B w 7.51 w H
with L = length of the sediment trap in m
B = width of the sediment trap in m (estimated from 4.)
Q = design flow in m3/s
w = fall velocity of sediment particle in m/s (Shield)
λ = 1.55 (coefficient that accounts for the amount of
settled particles to those
transported)
v = average velocity through desilting basin in m/s
(see 5.)
H = depth of basin in m (without storage depth)
7. The effective depth H becomes (using the equation of

continuity):
Q
H=
v B
0.12
H= = 1.0m
0.2 * 0.6

Sections of a Sand Trap
Typical Cross Section

→
Typical Longitudinal
Section ↓

Terminology of a typical intake with sand trap
Side spillway
Masonry weir
Flushing gate
Sluice gate
Intake orifice
Gravel trap
Intake gate Coarse rack
Sand trap Headrace

Terminology of a typical intake with sand trap
Side Spillway
Flushing Gate
Intake Gate
Intake Channel
Trash Rack
Sand trap
Headrace Pipe
Typical layout

Typical design of a small sand trap

Typical arrangement of settling basin after a Tyrolean intake

Desilting basin with two parallel chambers

Requirement for sediment storage

Operation
• Make sure that water levels in sediment trap are as
required. If water levels are lower, flow velocities increase
and sediment cannot settle.
• Watch sediment accumulation. When predefined level of
sediment is reached, sediment trap needs to be flushed by
opening sluice gate. If sediment trap is not flushed,
sediment particles enter power canal and may damage
turbine.
• During flushing, less or no water flows to power house,
flushing should therefore be intense and rapid. Flushing
procedure depends on design
• Make sure that sediment flushed from the sediment trap is
moving far enough and does not block sluice gate
Operation during floods
• During low flows, no sediment and only small silt

concentrations occur. Possibly, sediment traps need
flushing at rare intervals.
• During the rainy season and floods, more sediment is
transported, check sediment traps more frequently if
flushing is required.

Monitoring and maintenance

• Check if sediment trap works during high sediment
concentrations, take water samples after sediment trap
and watch if particles larger than 0,2 mm are removed
efficiently. Allowed size and concentration depends on
turbine and is provided by manufacturer
• If flushing does not remove all sediments, remove
sediments manually
• Often 2 parallel basins are provided. The designer must
clarify how sediment trap should be operated at
low/high flows and for flushing.
• Check structure and gates similarly like weir or dam

Headrace
Channels
and
Structures

General
• The headrace conveys the water from the intake /
desilting basin to the forebay. A headrace can have any
length from zero (if penstock starts at desilting basin) to
several kilometers.
• The most cost effective headrace is an open channel
because these can be constructed with low gradients
(longitudinal slopes) but large cross-sections and hence
introduce low head losses to the scheme.
• Earth channels are the lowest cost options. However,
problems associated with unlined open channels are:
high maintenance requirements, water losses,
landslides triggered by seepage water from unlined
canal, requires stable and relatively flat cross slopes.
Headrace
• If open channel headrace is not possible (e.g.

crossings, unstable or steep ground) pipelines should
be used.
• For both, open channel and pipeline, the flow velocity
should be such that gravel and sediments can be
carried to the sediment trap or forebay to be flushed
from there.
• Also excessive velocity should be avoided because it
may cause erosion of canal walls.

Allowable flow velocities

Sedimentation velocities

Lining Types
Type of lining Remarks
Stone masonry lining low cost solution if stones and
(trapezoidal section or inexpensive labor is available
flume type)
Concrete lining (plain thickness of lining 50 to 100 mm,
concrete, non-reinforced) common problems with joints and
poor subsoil (embankment situations)
Ferro-cement lining requires skilled workers
Buried membrane linings side slopes of canals must be flat to
(PE, PVC or butyl liners) place membranes => canal requires
large space
pre-fabricated canal only for small flow rates
sections (sheet metal,
concrete, etc.)
Lined Channels

Design principles
• Leakage from an unlined headrace canal shall not exceed 5
l/s per 100m of canal length. In steep terrain or landslide
prone areas, headrace pipes shall be used.
• Plastic pipes must be buried. Steel or cast iron pipes
forming a pipe bridge are to be used to cross gullies or
landslide areas.
• In long headrace canals and/
or steep terrain, canal over-
flow spillways into existing
gullies shall be provided.
• Provision shall be made to
release trapped air along
pipelines.

Design and analysis:

Free surface flow

Geometry of channels
The best geometry would be a semi-circle because the
circular (for pipe flow) and the semi-circular shapes (for free
surface flow) give the largest area with the smallest wetted
perimeter (where friction retards the flow). (However, the semi-
circle is seldom chosen in practice because excavation to a
circular shape is difficult.)
Trapezoidal sections are common for earth channels; for small
design discharges (Q<500l/s), the
trapezoidal form should be as
close as possible to the semi-
circle. For larger flows somewhat
wider but shallower channels
must be chosen to avoid deep
excavation.
Manning-Strickler formula
v = K s × R2 3 I
Where v = mean velocity [m/s]
Ks = roughness coefficient according
to Strickler [m1/3s-1]
R = hydraulic radius = A/p [m]
Where A = the cross-sectional area [m2]
p = wetted perimeter [m]
I = slope of water surface
= slope of canal or river bed for
uniform flow = Is [m/m]

Roughness coefficient according to Strickler

Roughness Coefficient (Ks)[m1/3s-1]
for different channel types (selection)
Earth Canals
- smooth, straight, uniform sections, no vegetation 40 - 60
- in rock, relatively smooth and uniform 30 - 40
- in rock but coarse with irregularities 20 - 30
- smooth, straight in fine soils and some vegetation 30 - 35
Concrete Canals
- with smooth cement finish (smoothed surface) 65 - 90
- with normal timber formwork 60 - 75
Stone Masonry Canals
- well-pointed stone masonry using river stones 50 - 60
- plastered masonry canals 65 - 90

Example
Example Qd = 300 l/s = 0.3 m3/s
Stone masonry channel vrec = 1.0 m/s
Selected A = Q/v = 0.3/1.0 = 0.3 m2
width b = height h =0.30.5 = 0.55 m
pointed stone masonry Ks = 50 m1/3s-1
R = A/p=0.3/(3x0.55)
=0.18m
23 v 2 1.0 2
v = Ks × R I → I= ( 23
) → I = ( 23
) = 0.0039
Ks × R 50 × 0.18
0.0039 m/m = 3.9 mm/m or 3.9 0/000

Design graphs

Example for a channel with I=0.0012

Design details
A pipe bridge over a gully with a A coarse trash rack to prevent
side spillway large debris from entering a
siphon

Failure mechanisms
There are two types of failure mechanisms:

1. Failure of hydraulic performance
2. Structural failure
• due to seepage flow in earth channels, especially
under rapid drawdown conditions
• due to seepage flow and erosion under concrete
channels (poor drainage)
• due to uplift pressure under concrete channels,
especially when channel is empty and during high
flood water levels

Failure mechanisms
Structural failure due to seepage flow in earth channels,
especially under rapid drawdown conditions
Rapid drawdown is a critical loading case for earth channels
and should be avoided unless channel is designed for this
condition

Failure mechanisms
• Structural failure due to seepage flow and erosion under
concrete channels (poor drainage)
• Provide and maintain proper drainage

Failure mechanisms
Structural failure due to uplift pressure under concrete
channels, especially when channel is empty and during high
flood water levels
Avoid under all circumstances, fill canal
River flooding
River at normal flow

Operation and maintenance
In order to reduce friction losses and maintain the

conveyance capacity, there should be no obstacles or
sediment depositions in the headrace. Obstacles can be
objects in the headrace but also growth of vegetation. If the
flow velocities are too small, e.g after long periods of low
flows, or following floods, there can be sediment
depositions which must be flushed or removed manually.
Excessive vegetation in earth channels must be removed.
Both, obstacles or sediment depositions can reduce flow
velocities and increase water levels which can cause spill
over the channel side walls.

Monitoring and maintenance

• Check channel regularly for leaks, watch especially for
increasing leakage
• Watch stability of earth channels (erosion, slope stability)
and structural integrity of concrete channels (cracks, leaks)
• Make sure drainage during ditches function properly to
avoid seepage flow underneath channel
• Check regularly for erosion under concrete channel if it is
located within flooding river
• Remove sediment deposits
Drainage ditch

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ASEAN-German Mini Hydro Project (AGMHP)

Gravel & Sand Traps /

Consulting and Engineering 41 Slide 41

Purpose & function

Consulting and Engineering 42 Slide 42

Gravel trap and sand trap

In the “ideal desilting basin”

Consulting and Engineering 44 Slide 44

Consulting and Engineering 45 Slide 45

Consulting and Engineering 46 Slide 46

Design computation (cont.)

4. The basin should be not more than 8 times

Consulting and Engineering 47 Slide 47

Consulting and Engineering 48 Slide 48

Design computation (cont.)

5. According to Vischer and Huber, 1982, the

Accordingly, to settle particles with a size of

Consulting and Engineering 49 Slide 49

Design computation (cont.)

Design computation (cont.)

7. The effective depth H becomes (using the equation of

Consulting and Engineering 51 Slide 51

Sections of a Sand Trap

Typical Cross Section

Consulting and Engineering 52 Slide 52

Terminology of a typical intake with sand trap

Consulting and Engineering 53 Slide 53

Terminology of a typical intake with sand trap

Consulting and Engineering 55 Slide 55

Typical design of a small sand trap

Consulting and Engineering 56 Slide 56

Typical arrangement of settling basin after a Tyrolean intake

Consulting and Engineering 57 Slide 57

Desilting basin with two parallel chambers

Consulting and Engineering 58 Slide 58

Requirement for sediment storage

Consulting and Engineering 59 Slide 59

Operation during floods

• During low flows, no sediment and only small silt

Consulting and Engineering 61 Slide 61

Monitoring and maintenance

Consulting and Engineering 62 Slide 62

Consulting and Engineering 63 Slide 63

• If open channel headrace is not possible (e.g.

Consulting and Engineering 65 Slide 65

Allowable flow velocities

Consulting and Engineering 66 Slide 66

Consulting and Engineering 67 Slide 67

Consulting and Engineering 69 Slide 69

Consulting and Engineering 70 Slide 70

Design and analysis:

Consulting and Engineering 71 Slide 71

Consulting and Engineering 73 Slide 73

Roughness coefficient according to Strickler

Consulting and Engineering 74 Slide 74

0.0039 m/m = 3.9 mm/m or 3.9 0/000

Consulting and Engineering 75 Slide 75