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Title: Bonneville Powerhouse 2 Fish Guidance Efficiency Studies: CFD Model of the Forebay

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1059042· OSTI ID:1059042

In ongoing work, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District (CENWP) is seeking to better understand and improve the conditions within the Bonneville Powerhouse 2 (B2) turbine intakes to improve survival of downstream migrant salmonid smolt. In this study, the existing B2 forebay computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was modified to include a more detailed representation of all B2 turbine intakes. The modified model was validated to existing field-measured forebay ADCP velocities. The initial CFD model scenarios tested a single project operation and the impact of adding the Behavior Guidance System (BGS) or Corner Collector. These structures had impacts on forebay flows. Most notable was that the addition of the BGS and Corner Collector reduced the lateral extent of the recirculation areas on the Washington shore and Cascade Island and reduced the flow velocity parallel to the powerhouse in front of Units 11 and 12. For these same cases, at the turbine intakes across the powerhouse, there was very little difference in the flow volume into the gatewell for the clean forebay, and the forebay with the BGS in place and/or the Corner Collector operating. The largest differences were at Units 11 to 13. The CFD model cases testing the impact of the gatewell slot fillers showed no impact to the forebay flows, but large differences within the gatewells. With the slot fillers, the flow above the standard traveling screen and into the gatewell increased (about 100 cfs at each turbine intake) and the gap flow decreased across the powerhouse for all cases. The increased flow up the gatewell was further enhanced with only half the units operating. The flow into the gatewell slot was increased about 35 cfs for each bay of each intake across the powerhouse; this change was uniform across the powerhouse. The flows in the gatewell of Unit 12, the most impacted unit for the scenarios, was evaluated. In front of the vertical barrier screen, the CFD model with slot fillers showed reduced the maximum velocities (in spite of the increased the flow into the gatewell), and decreased the area of recirculation. The area near the VBS exceeding the normal velocity criteria of 1 ft/s was reduced and the flows were more balanced.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
1059042
Report Number(s):
PNNL-21420; 400403209
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English