Plausible Differences between the Laboratory and Prototype Behaviors of Spillway Aerator Flows

An aerator, installed to prevent cavitation damages in spillways and outlet works, generates a typical two-phase flow affected by its configuration and flow conditions. The major parameters of concern include air demand, jet trajectory and streamwise changes of air concentration near chute bottom. This study reviews the theoretical basis and deals with several aspects of physical scale modeling, supported exclusively by field measurements. Analyses reveal that the sub-atmospheric pressure generated in the air cavity should also be scaled in physical modeling, which is seldom the case in the laboratory environment. Thus, the conventional approach to upscale the air demand is controversial. With the data from both fields and laboratories, it is demonstrated that a direct conversion of air flow from model to prototype is justified only if the approach flow velocity in the model exceeds 7.0–7.5 m/s or the Reynolds number exceeds 1.58 × 106. Failing to meet this premise would bring about errors for prototype predictions; the error extent depends on both model scale and flow magnitude. In terms of cavity pressure drop, the prototype differs by a factor of less than 10 from its scale model with sufficient air supply. In a model, the air concentration along the chute bottom drops considerably within one to two trajectory lengths. The prototype differs from its model in such a way that the air concentration decay is much slower, with a higher level that is maintained over a longer distance downstream of the impact location. This study is intended to provide insight for laboratory studies and engineering design