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2012 International Conference on Modern Hydraulic Engineering

Siphon Pipeline Resistance Characteristic Research

Yan tao, Chen li, Xu min, Zhou min, a*
State Key Lab of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, china

Abstract
Siphon desilting can effectively solve the problem of silting-up in small and medium reservoirs. Based on the crossdam siphon model, through clean water and muddy water siphon tests, the paper investigated hydraulic characteristic,
desilting characteristic of the siphon pipe and influence factors. By analyzing the experimental data and calculated
results, the calculating method of siphon pipe resistance has been verified. The results show that under certain water
head, pipe resistance ascends along with increscent pipe diameter, while it descends when hump height or desilting
concentration increases.

2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Society for Resources,
2011 Published
by ElsevierOpen
Ltd.access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
Environment
and Engineering
Keywords: cross-dam siphon; resistance characteristic; influence factors; hump height; calculating methods

1. Introduction
The annual sediment amount carried in runoff of seven big rivers can reach up to 2.3 billion ton in our
country, which occupies the world first place. Rivers in northern china contain more sediment, for
instance the maximum sediment concentration of yellow river is about 1000kg/m3. Generally there would
be serious silting problem if reservoir is built in such kind of river, the impound capacity and project
benefit can be greatly affected. Statistics shows small and medium size reservoirs own the higher rate of
storage decrease than the larger one, and the silting problem is worse [1]. Because of their small storage,
huge amount and widespread characteristic, desilting needs for small and medium reservoirs are urgent.
Siphon pipeline can be a very good solution to this problem. Its operating principle is with certain water
head, the sediment deposit was sucked and drove to downstream through the siphon pipeline continually.
This method does need neither evacuating the reservoir nor losing extra water, and the effect is

* Corresponding author. Yan tao. Tel.: +86 18971571822

E-mail address: yantao1988@gmail.com

1877-7058 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Society for Resources, Environment and Engineering
Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license. doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2012.01.689

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remarkable. Xiaohuashan reservoir which located in hua county, Shaanxi province has used siphon
pipeline for desilting since 1976. The annual desilting quantity is 0.1~0.12 million ton. In 1983 the
desilting quantity is 65% more than entered sediment [2].
Resistance characteristic is a basic factor for siphon pipeline design. Water head loss is actually the
energy loss from the movement of water and sediment particles during the pipeline transportation.
Existing results show that when pipeline material and layout fixed, conveying flow, slurry concentration
and pipe diameter are the main influence factors to the pipe resistance [3-5]. The slurry in pipeline
essentially belongs to two-phase flow. Because of sediment particles, turbulent structure and energy loss
of muddy water is completely different from clean water; pipe resistance characteristic is different too.
Focus on the cross-dam siphon pipeline, the paper investigated siphon pipeline resistance characteristic,
the influence factors and the law of resistance change along with influence factors. At last the
experimental data was used to test the calculation methods.
2. Experiment introduction
2.1. experimental system
The experiment was conducted in the State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower
Engineering Science, Wuhan University. Using generalized reservoir model, the size 18m 2m
1.8m(figure1), water inflow is monitored by electromagnetic flow meter (maximum error+0.5% ), water
lever is measured by point gauge(0.01cm precision),and controlled by flap gate. Front pond and bar
screen is to make sure stability of water flow. In the end of model there is a grit chamber. The entire
system operated circularly.

Fig. 1. Experimental layout

The materials of siphon pipes are PE, fixed in the front of reservoir. Upstream and downstream
Inflection of Pipeline is 90 degree; those are connected by curve elbows. The elevation of pipe inlet and
outlet is designed according to hypothetical sedimentation surface and downstream channel. In this case
the distance between dam top and sedimentation surface is 0.84m, the distance between dam top and
downstream channel is 1.55m. The scale is 1:20(model: prototype).

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Fig. 2. Arrangement of siphons

2.2. Experimental condition and Method

Two parts of experiment were carried out in this paper, clean water siphon test and muddy water
siphon test. The purpose of clean water siphon test is to research hydraulic characteristic of siphon pipes,
influencing factors mainly concerns water head, pipe diameter and hump height. Combining all three
factors there are 27 groups in all. Muddy water siphon test focus on how sediment concentration affects
siphon pipe resistance. Under certain water head and pipe diameter, with three different hump height
there are 3 groups altogether. Experimental conditions see table 1.
Table 1. Experimental conditions
No.

Water head
H/m

1.31m

Pipe diameter
D/mm
Clean water test condition
15mm

Hump height
T/m
0.84

1.21m

20mm

0.84+0.05

1.06m

25mm

0.84+0.10

1
2
3

Muddy water test condition

1.31m
15mm
0.84

0.84+0.05

0.84+0.10
Annotation: hump height means the distance between pipe top and sedimentation surface

The sediment deposit in the front of reservoir is very fine. In order to make the movement of particles
in model agree with situation in prototype, the sediment particles follow the rule of incipient motion
similarity. By using Zhangs starting velocity formula (1), the model particles can be calculated. Natural
sand with median diameter 0.0485mm has been selected.
0.5

d
h
(1)
U e 1.34( )0.14 17.6 s
gd 0.00000496( 1 )0.72 g (ha h)

d
d

Where d1 =reference particle size; ha = equivalent height of water column; h =water depth; d =particle
diameter; s =density of sediment; =density of water; g =acceleration due to gravity.

At the start of the experiment, fill model by water injection system. Adjust flap gate so that water level
can achieve target elevation, preparatory work is over. In clean water siphon test, the velocity of the
siphon pipe flow is obtained by calculation of the discharge per 25s.

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In muddy water siphon test, the velocity gained by the same way above. Sampling points are 5 in all,
which located in 0s, 6s, 10s, 15s, and 20s after the siphon begins in each condition. Every sampling time
lasts for 2s. After drying and weighing the test samples, desilting concentration can be work out, which is
treated as the instant concentration in each sampling moment.
3. Results and Analysis
3.1. Clean water siphon resistance
Water flow strike the tube wall during transportation, which leads to the energy loss along with
resistance head. Tube wall types and flow regime play the decisive roles in clean water siphon resistance.
The resistance is caused by friction between flow layer and tube wall or adjacent layer in laminar flow;
while in turbulent flow the resistance head is caused by vortex, which is decided by the thickness of
viscous sub layer and roughness of boundary.
Reynolds number shows all groups work in the area of turbulent flow resistance smooth area and
transition area. Test data of flow velocity are presented in figure3. Siphon pipe resistance change as
follows: with fixed water head, when the hump height increases, flow velocity of siphon pipe drops
linearly, which suggests the pipe resistance goes up with hump height; while pipe diameter performs in
contrast with the pipe resistance, that means small diameter produces large friction or resistance because
the turbulent intensity between flow and tube wall ascends. Pipe diameter affects the resistance more
significant than hump height in this test, when diameter increases by 5mm, the growth of flow velocity
can achieve 0.1m/s. the performance shows no difference under each water head.

Fig. 3. Measured date and calculation results of clean water siphon

Using Chezy and Manning formula, resistance loss is obtained in velocity form, which is also
presented in figure3.Calculated values are in good agreement with the measured data, deviation less than
5%.
3.2. Muddy water siphon resistance
The component of muddy water siphon resistance is relatively complex. During transportation, energy
loss is very much involved with turbulent flow, which can be affected by sediment particle. As a result,

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resistance head includes friction between flow and tube wall, the particles settling energy loss, and
collision resistance loss.
The most obvious feature of siphon desilting is the concentration varies along with working time, this
result in variation of pipe resistance and the change of outlet flow. The variation of outlet flow velocity
and concentration is presented in figure 4. In the beginning, desilting concentration reach the peak,
maximum value appears under condition T1, that is 0.05g/ml; then the concentration declines
immediately, as the sampling points increase, instant desilting concentration is approaching 0g/ml.
Velocity performs the opposite law, it is increasing all the whole test.

Fig. 4. The varying concentration and flow velocity along with time

The muddy water can be classified into homogeneous slurry and Heterogeneity slurry [6]. Since the
high head and fine sediment particles in the front of reservoir, sedimentation will not occur inside the
siphon pipe during transportation. Homogeneous slurry calculation method (2) is chosen for comparing
head loss with fitting value of test data, besides the improved clean water resistance formula (3) is also
used for comparison. The results show in figure 5.

Fig. 5. Calculation results and test data comparison of head loss

Jm
J 0 Cv ( s 1)

Where

(2)

J m = hydraulic slope of slurry; J 0 = hydraulic slope of clean water; Cv = volume concentration;

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s = sediment density.

L U2
(3)
D 2g
Where h f s = head loss of slurry; s = resistance coefficient of slurry; L = pipe length; D =pipe
diameter; U = flow velocity; g =acceleration due to gravity.
The head loss from test data fluctuates near the results from formula 2 and 3, but the range is not too
much. There are small differences between results from formula 2 and 3; formula 3 can better reflect the
varying concentration in the siphon process.
hf s s

4. Conclusion
The experiments described above demonstrate that when test water head fixed, siphon pipe resistance
goes up along with the increasing hump height, while resistance is in contrast with the siphon pipe
diameter. Pipe diameter affects the resistance more significant than hump height during the tests. The
influencing law and degree is quite similar under each water head.
Varying concentration along with working time will cause the resistance change of siphon pipe. In
muddy water siphon test, initial concentration reaches the peak value, then decreases severely, while flow
velocity appears the trend of increase, which means resistance is concordant with the siphon desilting
concentration.
Chezy and Manning formulas are able to accurately reflect the pipe resistance in clean water siphon
condition; while in muddy water siphon condition, improved clean water resistance formula can better
reflect the varying concentration in the siphon process.
Acknowledgements
This article is supported by national natural science foundation of china (10932012)
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