By attaching such importance to R&D, Hydroplus illustrates it’s commitment to continuous product improvement. The company owns and operates a hydraulics testing centre in Marolles (just outside Paris) and takes part in studies and tests in conjunction with laboratories around the world. Fusegates are being developed for new types of environment and extreme conditions on a continous basis. Below are examples of prototype testing that have enhanced our product offering and helped to consolidate our leadership position in this industry.
Fusegates in an ice-bound environment
Performance against significant wave action
Resistance to floating debris impact
Folding fusegates
River fusegates
The hydraulics testing centre in Marolles
In conjunction with the Russian institute NIIES, two types of tests were performed for traditional labyrinth-crested fusegates:
(1) using a scale model; and
(2) using a prototype on site.
These in-depth studies focused on the consequences of dam failure as well as quick and extreme temperature shifts. Since 2001, fusegates installed on the Khorobrovskaya dam have been constantly monitored. They have proven to be remarkably effective despite harsh winter conditions in a location where ice cover can be as thick as 0.7 m.
To withstand even more rigorous conditions, a specific fusegate model was developed at the Institute for Marine Dynamics in Newfoundland, Canada.
Watch the video ( mpg file, 2359 Kb)
The effect of wave action was the focus of tests conducted at the Hydraulic Laboratory of Colorado State University. These tests were used to establish the performance parameters of labyrinth-crested fusegates under various wave conditions.
As part of the Terminus Dam spillway upgrade in California, tests conducted at the Utah State University and at the Tennessee Valley Authority allowed validation of an effective solution to protect the fusegate’s inlet well from violent impacts caused by floating objects (giant sequoias, in the case of the Terminus Dam). Flood waters are channelled to an inlet structure located in close proximity to one of the abutment walls of the spillway (remote from the fusegates themselves).
In partnership with the Russian institute, NIIES, Hydroplus has developed a system of folding fusegates. As opposed to the normal type of fusegate, folding fusegates do not overturn in the event of flooding. They stay in place and fold away, allowing discharge to flow over the crest. Post flooding, the folding fusegates can be raised up in their initial position. In July 2004, following numerous tests on scale models in the lab, a full-scale prototype was installed on the Khorobrovskaya Dam in Russia. Folding fusegates are an ideal solution for projects where the flood recurrence interval for the initial overturn is relatively short.
Hydroplus worked closely with the Politecnico di Milano Technical University (in Milan, Italy) to design a fusegate system and methodology for controlling river floods. Mathematical models were developed for fusegate dimensioning and for optimizing temporary retention basins. A pilot project was implemented in China, and new applications may be launched in the near future in Europe and the United States.
In the view of Hydroplus engineers, the hydraulics testing centre in Marolles (France) is a very special facility for designing and developing testing processes on full-scale models. It includes a test bench featuring two submerged pumps each with a nominal capacity of 1,000 m3/hr, a basin (representing the dam’s reservoir) whose volume is roughly 15 m3 and a sill (representing the spillway) whose maximum width is 1.8 m. In addition, it is equipped with data acquisition systems and highly accurate measurement gauges. Hydraulics testing is conducted on a regular basis at the centre.
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