Effective height of a floor splitter anti-vortex device under varying flow conditions

Abstract

A pump station is a crucial flood control facility for mitigating inundation of urban lowland areas. Securing a site to increase the capacity of a pump station or to maximize the discharge capacity of the pump sump in an urban area is difficult because of various limitations. Moreover, adding a facility to improve the pump capacity of a pump station may affect flow characteristics, e.g., unexpected increases in flow velocity and vorticity, and cause severe problems in pump station operation. To solve those problems, anti-vortex devices (AVDs) have been developed and adopted according to the appropriate design standards. The Korean design criteria for AVDs are based on experience and the standards of other countries because of the lack of adequate data on AVDs. In this study, flow in the sump was numerically simulated at various AVD heights to obtain data for improving the design and efficiency of a pump station. Consequently, the appropriate height for the AVD and changes in the flow pattern and vortex in the pump sump were determined and compared with 12 cases of inflow conditions with respect to the vertical location.