THE FLOW IMPROVEMENT WITHIN THE

VERTICAL WELLS OF THE SECONDARY

INTAKES
 1. INTRODUCTION
 Secondary intakes are used to recover the energy from side streams
that can’t be captured into the reservoir. Hereby, using these intakes is
justified: additional flow reaches the turbines and makes the
hydropower plant to operate at higher efficiency.
The secondary intake outline
  Unfortunately, there is a risk of absorbing sediments and air
that can affect the hydraulic circuit and even the turbine by
damaging the blades. More unwanted phenomena may occur
as well: fluctuation of the head and flow, interruption of the
liquid column, wrong indication of measurement devices.
 The problem has not been solved yet, although studies
and experiments have been made, all with unsatisfactory
results. To avoid these issues, it is important to prevent
formation of air pockets and their movement through the
system at high speed.

2. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS OBTAINED ON PROTOTYPE

Two-phase flows in vertical wells have been studied mainly on

physical scale models, but scale checks are not common in
the literature.
 Measurements were made in vertical wells of the secondary
intakes Netis and Bodu, which are connected to the main inlet
pipe that supplies Retezat hydropower plant.
 They have a length of 80 meters and can carry flows from 0.5 to
1.5 m3/s.
 An outline of the water cycle of the supply to the main gallery is
shown below. The aeration and air release process parameters
are highlighted on this scheme.

Netis well
 The air pockets movement is possible due to the positive
longitudinal slope of the main inlet pipe ( 2/1000 - 3/1000 ).
 The process of natural aeration within the flow could be
studied by measuring the air and water flow rates at the
wells input. The research was extended to study the air
release process within two-phase flow, in order to establish
the cause of these issues.
Hydraulic parameters variation
 The phenomenon of aeration, like any complex hydraulic
phenomenon, was approached by means of experimental hydraulics.
 Dimensional analysis method involves using the following ratio:
 Qa / Qw = F (geometrical ratio, Tu, Cp, Fr, Re, We)
Fr = V / ( gh )1/2 ; Re = Vd / ν ; VL = (8Qw g/fπD)1/3 ;
f = 8g / C2 and C = 1 / nR1/6
 Thus, the parameters shown in the table below, can be determined.
Experimental results
 The value of the Qd/Qah ratio shows that only part of the air
flow rate is driven out of the air release pipe. The literature has proven
that the main parameter to explain this process is the downward
velocity of water current in the well.
Along with increasing water flow rate, the absorbed air flow
rate is also increasing, and the air release system works by throwing
powerful jets of air-water mixtures.
In conclusion both air release pipes could not avoid air
pockets to reach the main inlet pipe.

3. THE PROPOSED SOLUTION

The solution is based on the idea that separation of the

two phases may occur in the same vertical well. The water jet is
dispersed at the periphery of the well, while the middle of the
well remains open and allows air to pass freely to the surface.
In order to be primed and properly directed, water must
enter through a funnel suspended by three radial fins on the
base plate. The funnel has (under the inlet pipe) a double
conical device that disperses the water.