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6. FLOW CONTROL STRUCTURES
4&1. Types of Flow Control Structures
Eaaction of Flow Control Structures, Three basic functions of flow control structures can be
Gsinguished:
® to regulate the water level,
© to regulate the discharge,
® t0 measure the discharge.
These three functions are not always needed in a flow control system, as they depend on the
Sew control method.
‘pes of Flow Control Structures. Often, the function of discharge regulation and discharge
‘measurement is combined in one device. Therefore, four types of flow control structures can
te distinguished:
+ water level regulators,
+ discharge regulators,
* discharge measurement structures,
+ discharge regulators with measurement provisions.
Additional structures. Structures are also required at canal crossings with drains and roads.
Moreover, structures might be required to dissipate excessive energy at steep alignments to
void erosion of the bed. Thus, the additional canal structures are:
* conveyance structures, such as bridges and culverts, and aqueducts and inverted siphons,
* fall structures, such as drop structures and chutes.
Water level Regulators, The control of water level is exercised by a water level regulator,
2iso called "check structure" or “cross regulator". The function of the water level regulator
fs to maintain a certain (target) water level, i.e. the setpoint, at every discharge.
The water level regulators will be discussed later in combination with the flow control
methods, The other types of structures will be discussed here in the next sections.
Discharge Regulators
6.2.1. Introduction
Discharge Regulators. Discharge regulators are structures that regulate the discharge from one
nal to another. They are widely applied in irrigation and may occur at different places in
main irrigation system: at the headworks, at the head-end of secondary and sub-secondary
a 2 FLOW CONTROL IN IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE,
irrigation canals, and at the offiakes to the tertiary irrigation units.
Discharge regulators are used less in drainage, where water level control is normally
applied. However, discharge regulators in drainage are used to prevent discharges to enter the
main system, such as at tidal outlets.
The pure discharge regulators are not equipped with water measuring provisions. It
means that the amount of flow has to be measured in a separate water measurement structure
that is placed in series with the gate, see figure 6.1. The regulator process is based on "feed-
backward” regulation: the target discharge is obtained by adjusting the discharge regulator on
basis of the discharge measurement.
Examples of discharge regulators without discharge measurement provisions are:
© the flap gate for on-off operation of the discharge in irrigation,
* the vertical gate, (the vertical slide gate and the roller gate) and the radial gate for the
regulation of an adjustable flow, but also for an on-off operation of the discharge.
Gated overflow structures are also used as discharge regulators, and they will be discussed
in the section on “discharge regulators with measurement provisions".
DISCHARGE REGULATOR
DISCHARGE MEASUREMENT
Figure 6.1. Discharge regulation and discharge measurement.
6.2.2, Types of Discharge Regulators
Flap gate, Flap gates consist of a gate-leaf that pivot about a horizontal hinge. In irrigation,
flap gates are opened against the flow direction, see figure 6.2. An operator opens and closes
the gate manually. They are used as discharge regulators for an intermittent water supply,
with only an "on-off" function.
GATE CLOSED GATE AT THE DESIGN DISCHARGE
Figure 6.2. Flap gate for discharge regulation in irrigation. 6. FLOW CONTROL STRUCTURES B
GATE CLOSED GATE AT THE DESIGN DISCHARGE
Figure 6.3. Flap gate for discharge regulation in drainage.
In drainage, flap gates are opened by the water pressure, i.e. the higher tailwater levels
will close the gate, see figure 6.3. It is also possible that an operator opens and closes the gate
manually. Flap gates as discharge regulators are widely applied at crainage outfalls.
Vertical slide gate. The vertical slide gate consists of a simple rectangular gate-leaf that is
moved up- and downwards in grooves, see figure 6.4. Slide gates are used only for the
smaller openings (6 < +3 m) in structures and to a maximum of 3 m height, as the hoisting
device becomes otherwise too heavy to overcome the friction in the grooves,
Vertical slide gates have usual an underflow (“orifice flow"), and can well be used to
as discharge regulators. The discharge below the slide gate is not very sensitive for changes
in upstream water levels. The slide gate may also well be used for an intermittent water
supply, with only an on-off function.
The advantages of the slide gate as discharge controller are: the structure is relative
cheap, the structure is simple and sturdy, it provides a reasonable constant discharge for
varying upstream water levels in the parent canal. Moreover, sediment can be transported
through the structure.
The disadvantages of discharge regulators with slide gates are: the gate does not pass.
Moating debris, and the discharge cannot be measured accurately.
UNDERFLOW TYPE OVERFLOW TYPE
gure 6.4. Overflow and underflow of the vertical gate.