PLUNGE POOLS

Drop structures are used to dissiáte energy in locations where the downstream channel is not
deep enough to cause a hydraulic jump. The flow approaches an almosst horizontal impact
bottom instead of a stilling basin with a tangential approach flow. The drop structure is shorter
tan a comparable stilling basin, and its bottom is subjected to impact forces. Impact structures
can have:

A horizontal bottom, made of concrete, or a bucket shaped bottom, where scour is allowed to
occur.

In the first case, a drop is followed by a stilling basin. The approach flow plunges into a
submerged basin and the energy is dissipated both by impact currents and wall jet deviation.

In the second case, the basin is a pool, and the bottom is scoured by the impact jet. If space is
available, and the erosion has no effects on either the upstream and the downstream zones.
Such Plunge pools are tipically used in cases where the approach energy head is up to 30m. The
bottom may be Sandy for low discharge or be rock of excellent quality for a larger discharge. The
plunge pool is thus a copy of the type of energy dissipator found in mountainous creeks or in
steep rivers.

The main differences are in quantity of discharge and velocity. Knowledge on plunge pools is
quite limited in comparison to that for hydraulic jump basins. They are effective in cases where:

The tailwater level is uncertain.

The rock formation is excellent.

Scour does not endanger surrounding structures.

The available space is insufficient for a conventional stilling basin.

TRAJECTORY BASINS

Ski jumps use special effects to dissipate energy when compared to hydraulic jump basins. The
latter are mainly based on the impact effect, much in analogy to the flow in a Borda type pipe
expansión, and their efficiency is greatly dependent on the difference velocity (V1 – V2) between
the inflow and outflow sections.

A ski jump involves the effects of jet dispersion. At the extreme, a compact inflowing water jet
may be dispersed into a spray of water drops that form a inflowing water jet may be dispersed
into a spray of water drops that form a cloud and fall slowly back to the earth. Although such
extreme action is not usual, the dispersión process may be dissipate a significant portion of the
total hydrodynamic energy.

Mason limited the application of ski jumps mainly on the approach velocity and the discharge.
A ski jump may also be effective whenever the tailwater depth is small or unpredictable so that
deep excavation would be needed for the jump stabilisation. It consists of several reaches:

The approach flow on the spillway.

The deflection and take off portion.

The dispersion of water in the air.

The impact portion.

And a jump type tailwater portion.

In order, to obtain maximun energy dissipation and minimun scour simultaneously, the
perimeter of the jet was increased by positioning tooth type elementsat the take off location.
As a result, the rectangular approach jet becomes U shaped shortly upstream of the impact area.

A jet in air is effected by both turbulence and shearing action. If the jet trajectory is long and
the discharge small, the two effects may cause the jet to disintegrate almost completely before
striking the water surface in the tailwater. If a jet is only partially disintegrated, it causes a larger
amount of scour in the impact area. The progress of scour in the upstream direction, and the
posible endangering of surrounding structures, may only be stopped if the tailwater bottom can
resist scour. Therefore, excellent rock conditions can be a requirement. The operation of ski
jumps is characterised by the formation of spray and an extremely rough tailwater surface.
These characteristics are undesirable if powerhouses or other structures are close to the
spillway.

Apart from the typical configuration with a straigh spillway as approach cannel, trajectory basins
may also be designed with orifice jets frome arch dams, and these are often combined with a
surface overfall. A flip bucket is another example with a transverse slope to deflect the jet also
in the lateral direction. The approach channel may also be horizontal, as typically for a bottom
outlet, ending with a trajectory bucket.

The design of the conventional ski jump with a straight prismatic approach chute of slope
between 20° a 60° involves the bucket shape, the take off geometry, the elevation of bucket
relative to the intake and the downstream levels, the trajectory geometry, the trainings walls,
the tailwater scour and the dissipation of excess energy.