Dams and Hydroelectric Projects

Design, construction and maintenance hydroelectric power projects can entail numerous flow problems. With its strength in free-surface flow modeling, FLOW-3D can be used to address a wide range of design problems for existing and proposed projects. For instance, a common application for FLOW-3D is to confirm the hydraulic performance of spillway designs, as demonstrated in the dam simulation above. Here, studies by Manitoba Hydro indicated that lateral contraction effects in the three-gated sluiceway at its Wuskwatim hydroelectric project in northern Manitoba could be substantially reduced if minor design changes were made. As a result, an approximate 5% increase in spillway capacity at the design head was realized. This allowed designers to raise the spillway invert and reduce overall construction costs.