Floodgates and Pumping System

FLOODGATES &
PUMPING SYSTEM
What are Floodgates?
Floodgates, also called stop gates are devices that are designed
to allow for the controlled flow of water from various types
of water systems. The floodgate is a common component in
all sorts of systems ranging from reservoirs, dams, and
spillways. Essentially, any human constructed system that is
used to control the level and flow of water in a river, lake, or
stream will be equipped with some type of floodgate.
Function of Floodgates
The exact design of floodgates will vary, depending on the overall

design of the dam or spillway. In some cases, the main function of the
floodgates is to direct the flow of water from one section of the water
system to another. At other times, the floodgates operate as a means of
lowering the water level of the section of river or lake that is found
behind a dam or spillway. This is often an important function that can
be used to lower the amount of pressure on the dam or reservoir when
rain or melting snow has generated an amount of water in the system
than is considered desirable or safe.
Valves
While the design for floodgates may vary somewhat based on

purpose and the structure of the retaining water system, all types will
have a few elements in common. Valves are a common component
on all floodgate designs. Most valve designs today allow for both
automated and manual operation. When the valves are engaged, the
mechanism of the floodgates allows for the opening of the gates and
the release of a controlled amount of water. The valves help to
control the rate and speed that the water is released, so that flooding
is not likely to occur as a result.
Types of Floodgates
Several types of floodgates are in common use today. Radial

gates are a rotating design that features gates composed of
cylindrical sections. Clamshell gates have a design that allows
the gate to open in a fashion that is similar to the opening of
the two sections of a clamshell. Fuse gates make use of free
standing blocks that are set into the spillway sill and allow for
the orderly release of water at various points along the face of
the spillway.
Types of Floodgates
• Bulkhead Gates
• Hinged Crest Gates
• Radial Gates
• Drum Gates
• Roller Gates
• Clamshell Gates
• Fuse Gates
Bulkhead gates
Bulkhead gates are vertical walls with movable,

or re-movable, sections. Movable sections can be
lifted to allow water to pass underneath (as in a
sluice gate) and over the top of the structure.
Historically, these gates used stacked timbers
known as stop logs or wooden panels known as
flashboards to set the dam's crest height. Some
floodgates known as coupures in large levee
systems slide sideways to open for various traffic.
Bulkhead gates can also be made of other
materials and used as a single bulkhead unit.
Miter gates are used in ship locks and usually
close at an 18° angle to approximate an arch. A sluice gate on the Harran canal
Hinged Crest Gates
Hinged Crest gates, are wall sections that

rotate from vertical to horizontal, thereby
varying the height of the dam. They are
generally controlled with hydraulic power,
although some are passive and are powered
by the water being impounded. Variations:
• Flap gate
• Fish-belly flap gates
• Bascule gates
• Pelican gates
A US Army Corps of Engineers hinged
. bascule crest gate during installation
Radial Gates
Radial gates are rotary gates consisting of

cylindrical sections. They may rotate
vertically or horizontally. Tainter gates are a
vertical design that rotates up to allow water
to pass underneath. Low friction trunnion
bearings, along with a face shape that
balances hydrostatic forces, allow this design
to close under its own weight as a safety
feature.
Tainter Gate Diagram
Drum Gates
Drum gates are hollow gate sections that

float on water. They are pinned to rotate
up or down. Water is allowed into or out
of the flotation chamber to adjust the
dam's crest height.
Drum gates on a diversion dam

Clamshell Gates
Clamshell gates have a design that allows

the gate to open in a fashion that is
similar to the opening of the two sections
of a clamshell.
Clamshell floodgates at the Arrowrock

Dam.
Fuse Gates
Fuse gates are a mechanism designed to provide the

controlled release of water in the event of
exceptionally large floods. The design consists of
free standing blocks (the fuse gates) set side by side
on a flattened spillway sill. The Fuse gate blocks act
as a fixed weir most of the time, but in excessive
flood conditions they are designed to topple forward,
allowing the controlled discharge of water. Multiple
fuse gates are generally set up side by side, with
each fuse gate designed to release under
progressively extreme flooding, thus minimizing the
impact of the floodwater on the river downstream. Fuse gate in Terminus Dam - Lake
Kaweah
What are Pumping Systems?
Pumping systems account for nearly 20% of the world’s electrical

energy demand. Furthermore, they range between 25-50% of the energy
usage in certain industrial plant operations. The use of pumping systems
is widespread. They provide domestic, commercial, and agricultural
services. In addition, they provide municipal water and wastewater
services, and industrial services for food processing, chemical,
petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and mechanical industries.
The function of a Pump
Pumps have two main purposes:
• Transfer of liquid from one place to another place (e.g. water from
an underground aquifer into a water storage tank)
• Circulate liquid around a system (e.g. cooling water or lubricants

through machines and equipment)
Components of Pumping System
• Pumps (different types of pumps are explained in section 2)
• Prime movers: electric motors, diesel engines or air system
• The piping used to carry the fluid
• Valves used to control the flow in the system
• Other fittings, controls, and instrumentation
• End-use equipment, which has different requirements (e.g. pressure, flow) and
therefore determines the pumping system components and configuration. Examples
include heat exchangers, tanks and hydraulic machines
Pumping System
Characteristics
The pressure is needed to pump the liquid through the system at a certain
rate. This pressure has to be high enough to overcome the resistance of the
system, which is also called “head”. The total head is the sum of the static
head and friction head.
Pumping System
Characteristics
Static head, is the difference in height between the source and

destination of the pumped liquid. It is independent of the flow.
(see Fig. 1)
Pumping System
Characteristics
The static head consists of:
Static suction head (hS): resulting from lifting the liquid relative to the
pump centerline. The hS is positive if the liquid level is above pump
centerline, and negative if the liquid level is below pump centerline
(also called “suction lift)
Static discharge head (hd): the vertical distance between the pump

centerline and the surface of the liquid in the destination tank
Pumping System
Characteristics
The static head at a certain

pressure depends on the
weight of the liquid and can
be calculated with this
equation as shown in Fig. 1:
Pumping System
Characteristics
Friction head
• This is the loss needed to overcome that is caused by the resistance to flow in
the pipe and fittings.
• It is dependent on size, condition and type of pipe, number and type of pipe
fittings, flow rate, and nature of the liquid.
• The friction head is proportional to the square of the flow rate as shown in
Fig. 2.
• A closed-loop circulating system only exhibits a friction head (i.e. not static
head).
Pumping System
Characteristics
In most cases, the total head of a system is a combination of static head

and friction head as shown in Fig. 2. The left figure is a system with a
high static head (i.e. the destination reservoir is much higher than the
source). The right figure is a system with a low static head (i.e. the
destination reservoir is not much higher than the source).
Pumping System
Characteristics
Pump Performance Curve
The head and flow rate determine the performance of a pump, which is
graphically shown in Fig. 2 as the performance curve or pump characteristic
curve.
Fig. 2 (Top Left) shows a typical curve of a centrifugal pump where the head
gradually decreases with increasing flow.
As the resistance of a system increases, the head will also increase. This, in
turn, causes the flow rate to decrease and will eventually reach zero. A zero
flow rate is only acceptable for a short period without causing the pump to
burn out.
Pump Operating Point
The rate of flow at a certain head is called the duty point. The pump
performance curve is made up of many duty points.
The pump operating point is determined by the intersection of the

system curve and the pump curve as shown in Fig. 3
The Best Efficiency Point (BEP) is the pumping capacity at maximum

impeller diameter, in other words, at which the efficiency of the pump is
highest. All points to the right or left of the BEP have a lower efficiency.
Pump Suction Performance
Cavitation or vaporization is the formation of bubbles inside the pump.

This may occur when the fluid’s local static pressure becomes lower
than the liquid’s vapor pressure (at the actual temperature). A possible
cause is when the fluid accelerates in a control valve or around a pump
impeller.
Vaporization itself does not cause any damage. However, when the velocity is
decreased and pressure increased, the vapor will evaporate and collapse.
This has three undesirable effects:
1. Erosion of vane surfaces, especially when pumping water-based liquids.
2. Increase of noise and vibration, resulting in shorter seal and bearing life.
3. Partially choking of the impeller passages, which reduces the pump performance
and can lead to loss of total head in extreme cases.
The Net Positive Suction Head Available (NPSHA) indicates how much the
pump suction exceeds the liquid-vapor pressure, and is a characteristic of the
system design.
The NPSH Required (NPSHR) is the pump

suction needed to avoid cavitation and is a
characteristic of the pump design.
REFERENCES
https://www.wise-geek.com/what-are-floodgates.html
https://whatispiping.com/pumps-pumping-systems/

Floodgates and Pumping System

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Floodgates and Pumping System

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Floodgates and Pumping System

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

FLOODGATES &

The exact design of floodgates will vary, depending on the overall

While the design for floodgates may vary somewhat based on

Several types of floodgates are in common use today. Radial

Bulkhead gates are vertical walls with movable,

Hinged Crest gates, are wall sections that

Radial gates are rotary gates consisting of

Drum gates are hollow gate sections that

Drum gates on a diversion dam

Clamshell gates have a design that allows

Clamshell floodgates at the Arrowrock

Fuse gates are a mechanism designed to provide the

Pumping systems account for nearly 20% of the world’s electrical

Pumps have two main purposes:

• Circulate liquid around a system (e.g. cooling water or lubricants

• Pumps (different types of pumps are explained in section 2)

• Prime movers: electric motors, diesel engines or air system

• The piping used to carry the fluid

• Valves used to control the flow in the system

• Other fittings, controls, and instrumentation

Static head, is the difference in height between the source and

The static head consists of:

Static discharge head (hd): the vertical distance between the pump

The static head at a certain

In most cases, the total head of a system is a combination of static head

The pump operating point is determined by the intersection of the

The Best Efficiency Point (BEP) is the pumping capacity at maximum

Cavitation or vaporization is the formation of bubbles inside the pump.

1. Erosion of vane surfaces, especially when pumping water-based liquids.

The NPSH Required (NPSHR) is the pump

You might also like