Characterization of Thruster-Induced Turbulence for Fine Sediment Suspension

Reservoir sedimentation is a key challenge for storage sustainability because it causes volume loss, affecting hydropower production capacity, dam safety, and flood management. A preliminary EPFL study proposed and studied an innovative device (called SEDMIX), which uses water jets to keep fine sediments near the dam in suspension and ultimately allows the sediments to be released downstream. The jets induce a rotational flow which creates an upward motion and keeps fine sediments in suspension near the dam and water intakes. The sediment can then be continuously released downstream through the power waterways at acceptable concentrations, without additional water loss or required energy. The efficiency of the SEDMIX device has been confirmed through experimental simulations and numerical analyses at EPFL This study involves updated experimental simulations to include thrusters in the device design instead of water jets, because they lead to a less complex arrangement that requires less energy to operate. The thruster-induced turbulent kinetic energy is observed and characterized using Ultrasonic Velocity Profiling (UVP) to determine optimal device configurations for effective sediment release.