INTAKE

An Intake is a hydraulic structure that is

located at the head-works for diverting
desired amount of water to the canals
or tunnels or pipes for power
generation or any other required
purposes. It is the structure containing
an opening (orifice) or a pipe for
pressure flow.
 Requirements of an Intake
Safe release of floods
Low-loss entrances of the power flow
Preventing bed load intrusion into the
canal
Deflecting and flushing of bed load
accumulated in front of the weir
Protecting the canal fro floating debris
and ice, if any, carried by the
watercourse
 General Layout of Typical Intake
Structure
Major Appurtenances
Inlet sill protects against bed load at bottom
The skimmer wall with splitter piers in the inlet section
checks the passage of floating debris and sheet into the
canal
Coarse rack withholds subsurface trash and ice from the
canal
Settling basin followed after intake section collects silts
carried into the canal
De-silting (or flushing) canal serves the purpose of
removing silt deposited in the settling basin at the canal sill
Intake gate (or canal headgate) controls inflow into the
canal
 Factors to be considered for
intake selection
1. Topographical features of the area
2. Type of project: run-of-river or storage type
3. Content and nature of sediment in the river
4. Construction planning
5. Compatibility and integrity of intake wit other
headwork components
6. Geotechnical aspects of banks, beds etc
7. Ratio of quantity of diverted water to the residual
quantity of water at low discharge
Components of a typical intake
Intake of Modi HPP
Intake of Seti Hydropower
 Classification of Intake structure
Based on the type of project
1. Run of river intake
2. Canal intake
3. Dam intake
4. Tower intake
5. Submerged intake
6. Shaft intake(in case of pump storage projects)
Based on the location in river
1. Side intake(lateral intake)
2. Frontal intake
3. Bottom Intake (Tyrolean intake)- opening under the
bed of the river
 Lateral intake

1. Retaining structure
2. Lateral intake
a. forebay/ pond
b. side weir
c. intake sluice
d. sand trap
Qo=total flow
Elements of weir
QA=diverted flow
Tyrolean/ bottom intake
 Comparison between
lateral and bottom intake
 Planning of Intake Structure
Arrangement must be chosen that the diverted amount of water is
ensured at any region of the river
The peak discharge must be safely evacuated from the river and
intake structure without damaging them
Always tend to design the simple and moderately priced
construction (easy operation and maintenance)
As far as possible diverted flow should free of suspended particles
Intakes are generally located at the outer bend of the river in order
to minimize the sediment amount. In case of straight river section or
the bend is slight(<30), groins are arranged in the side opposite to
the intake to increase the bending effect.
The most favorable site for the intake structure is somewhat
downstream of the apex of the bend because the spiral flow is
strongest here causing most of the bed load to be transported
towards the inner bank.
Flow pattern in river
 Lateral intake without damming and repelling of bed
load from intake by technical measures

Lateral intake without damming and

Lateral intake with damming and repelling of
repelling of bed load from intake by
bed load from intake by technical measures
technical measures
Schematic potential arrangement of
elements of an intake structure
Emergency gate and sliding sluice
Example of an intake structure and flushing canal for bed load
removal(QA>0.5.Q0)
Intake structure for a
small HPP with sand
trap and bed load
removal(flushing canal)
Intake structure with bed load removal(flushing canal ) and
spillway(side weir)
 Design of Intake
Fixing the invert level in every part (invert
level of the water at the river and approach
canal specifically )
Discharge in intake should be 10-20% greater
than the design discharge due to flushing
requirements and tentative losses
Design intake structure such a way that the
entrance velocity is neither too small nor large
V = 1 3 m/sec
 Losses in Intakes
Entrance Loss
The entrance loss comprises:
1. The loss due to change
2
in direction of flow.
2
1 = 2 2 where, v = velocity in canal
vf= velocity of flow in main stream
C = constant depending on the angle
of diversion and ranging between 0.8 to 0.4

2. The loss due to sudden contraction of area at the diversion

2
2 =
2
where, K varies between 0.03 for rounded entry to about 1.3 for sharp
entry.
 Rack Loss
1. Kirschmers Formula
4
3
= sin
2
Where, h Lr= rack loss
Kr = a factor depending on the cross-section of bars
t = thickness of rack-bars
b = spacing between bars
vb= velocity of flow in front of bars/rack
= angle of bars with the horizontal The factor Kr has values as shown in
table 12.1 ( 2ref. Dandekar Pg 273)

h Lr =
2
and Kt= 1.45 -0.45R R2
Where Kt = loss coefficient
V = velocity through contracted opening
R = ratio of net area through trash rack bars to gross area of the racks and
supports
Thus, for a typical value of R=0.65, the value of Kt= 0.74
 Hydraulic Design of Intakes
=

=
C =coefficient of Discharge = Ci + Ct
Where, Ci= inlet contraction coefficient
Ct= coefficient for turbulence
ho=hNWL-hcanal

shape Ci Cone angle() Ct

Bell mouth 0.03-0.05 300 0.002
Slightly rounded 0.12-0.25 45 0.04
Sharp cornered 0.5 60 0.07
Sketch for hydraulic design of orifice
 Numerical Example
The invert level of the different components of intake are
as follows:
River Bed Level = 2000m
NWL at river = 2001m
FWL/HFL = 2001.8 m
Sill level= 2000.3 m
Lower edge of orifice opening= 2000.2 m
Water level at canal(hcanal)=2000.6 m
Ci = 0.6 for roughly (sharp) finished masonry
Orifice(assume Ct=0 )
Qdesign = 0.5 m3/s
V = 1.5 m/s
Design an orifice for the intake with suitable dimensions.
 Cont
Q orifice= Q design x 1.1 = 0.55 m3/sec
Now,
Qorifice = A x 1.5 [v=1.5 m/s]
A = 0.367 m2
Take height of orifice opening as 20cm(hence upper edge of the orifice
has invert level 2000.3 m)
A=BxH
L = 0.367/0.2 = 1.84 m
Now, check the capacity of orifice
ho= NWL 2000.6
= 2001-2000.6 = 0.4 m
Q =
=0.6*0.2*1.84*(2*9.81*0.4)
=0.62 m3/s, OK
 Trashrack Design for Side intake
Assume clear spacing = 50 mm to 200mm (Depending upon Length
and width)
Design trashrack so the approach velocity (V0) lies between 0.6
m/sec to 1.5 m/sec

Where,
S = Total area of the submerged part of the screen
Q = Rated flow
V. = Approach velocity
t= Bar width
a= space between bars
K1 = coefficient related to the partial clogging of the sreen (no
automatic racker 0.2 0.3, automatic racker 0.4 0.85)
 Losses through Trashracks

Where,
hr = loss of head through rack, m
t = thickness of rack bars, mm
a = clear spacing between rack bars, mm
v= velocity of flow through the trash rack, m/s
a = angle of bar inclination to the horizontal
(maximum 900 )
 Assignment
Design side intake with coarse trash rack for a
project in which river bed level is 3315.0m amsl,
weir crest level (normal water level) is fixed to
3317.5 m amsl. From hydrological analysis and in
for proposed headworks design condition (for
given undersluice bed level and opening, weir
length and height), the highest flood level in 100
years return period is 3320.83m amsl and flood
level in 20 years return period is 3319.55m amsl.
The canal water level is fixed as 3317.3m amsl.
The turbine discharge of a project is 1.45m3/sec.
Assume other suitable data for design.
 References
Planning of intake structure, Helmut
Lauterjung/ Gangolf Schmidt
Fundamentals of Hydropower engineering , Er.
Sanjeev Baral