CFD to predict the sluice gate jamming in hydraulic engineering

Purpose Sluice gate jamming in moving water frequently occurs in hydraulic engineering, while feasible solutions for the gate closure have not been proposed. This paper aims to reveal the main reason for the gate jamming in free discharge and propose feasible solutions for the gate closure. Design/methodology/approach Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique was used to obtain the pressure and fluid distributions of a sluice gate in the closing process located in a spillway tunnel. The description of the flow domain, computational mesh model, requirements on setting appropriate boundary conditions and the methodology in describing hydraulic forces were discussed. The reason for the gate jamming was investigated by using the CFD method and verified by model tests. Findings The computed results agree well with the experimental results. The results show that the insufficiency of water column force and the excessive friction coefficient are two main reasons for the gate jamming in free discharge. Research limitations/implications The calculation and test errors are inevitable. It is difficult to identify the convective and diffusive transports of vortices in model test in a small gate opening. In that case, precision instruments could be used in the next work to measure the streamline distribution, which will be helpful for the revelation of a jamming gate. Practical implications This paper presents a fast and accurate way to predict the sluice gate jamming in applications, which will be helpful for the systematical solutions of similar problems and the design of a new sluice gate. Originality/value A simplified model of sluice gate jamming in free discharge is established. The reason for gate jamming in free discharge is clarified, and feasible solutions for gate closure are proposed considering the flow condition and gate geometry.