Reservoir Sediment Simulation System for Asynchronous Flow Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current reservoir sediment simulation technologies fail to accurately simulate the asynchronous propagation of flood and sediment peaks, leading to sediment accumulation and reduced reservoir capacity, and are limited in their ability to handle complex water-sediment scenarios.

Innovation Solution

An experiment simulation system comprising a flow rate control module, sediment supply module, water-sediment experiment module, and discharged sediment collection module, which includes a DC variable frequency water pump, sediment feeder, suspension mixing device, and measurement equipment to simulate various sediment peak scheduling scenarios and measure sediment transportation processes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If field observation is used to study water-sediment motion, then direct measurement data can be obtained, but the difficulty is high, cost is high, and safety is low

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeasurement data accuracyVSAvoidobservation difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a physical model system that copies the complex natural water-sediment environment in a controlled laboratory setting. The model flume reproduces key hydraulic and sediment transport characteristics without requiring field deployment, thereby achieving measurement objectives while avoiding the difficulties, costs, and safety risks of field observation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Productivity

If numerical simulation is used to study water-sediment motion, then simulation results can be obtained, but high performance computers are required and long-sequence simulations are costly and difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesimulation efficiencyVSAvoidcomputational complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the complex water-sediment system into controllable physical components within a model flume, allowing incremental experimentation and observation. This physical segmentation replaces the need for complex computational models, enabling long-sequence simulations through repeated physical experiments rather than computationally intensive numerical calculations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Device complexity

If a single-structure experiment device is used, then the structure is simple, but it cannot satisfy water-sediment asynchronous inflow conditions and sediment peak scheduling requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructure simplicityVSAvoidexperiment condition adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces dynamic control capabilities to the experiment device, including variable flow rate mechanisms and adjustable sediment supply systems. These dynamic components allow the device to adapt to different experimental conditions such as water-sediment asynchronous inflow and various sediment peak scheduling scenarios, transforming a static simple structure into a versatile adaptive system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Manufacturing precision

If existing experiment devices are used, then the device is relatively low in cost, but it cannot achieve high-precision simulation of reservoir sediment peak scheduling

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesimulation precisionVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent designs a multi-functional experiment system that can perform various sediment peak scheduling simulations (different timing scenarios, different sediment types, different flow conditions) using a single integrated apparatus. This universal design achieves high-precision simulation capabilities without proportionally increasing system complexity, as the same core components serve multiple experimental purposes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables high-precision simulation of sediment control in reservoirs, effectively maintaining long-term storage capacity by accurately simulating sediment transportation processes and providing a theoretical basis for sediment peak scheduling.

Implementation Method 1

The water pump is a Direct Current (DC) variable frequency water pump and implements stepless linear adjustment of the pumping flow rate by adjusting the working frequency of a variable frequency motor

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVariable frequency motor control:

Implementation Method 2

The suspension mixing device is located at the bottom of the open-channel connecting section and is configured to implement sufficient mixing of the experimental water flow and the experimental sediment in order to prevent the sediment from settling

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSuspension: Suspension

Implementation Method 3

The measurement equipment is configured to measure water flow and sediment motion parameters of the experiment module

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFlow measurement:

Data Source

PatentEP4216197B1Experiment simulation system and experiment simulation method for reservoir sediment peak scheduling
Publication Date: 2024.05.01 CHINA THREE GORGES CORPORATION
  • EP4216197B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4216197B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4216197B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The invention discloses an experiment simulation system for reservoir sediment peak scheduling, including a flow rate control module, a sediment supply module, a water-sediment experiment module and a discharged sediment collection module, wherein the flow rate control module is configured to customize a flood flow process that meets experiment requirements; the sediment supply module can configure sediment carrying flow which meets experiment requirements so as to implement high-precision simulation of water-sediment asynchronization; the water-sediment experiment module is configured to carry out a reservoir area sediment peak scheduling experiment; and the discharged sediment collection module is configured for water-sediment separation and water-sediment recovery. In addition, the invention further discloses a corresponding experiment method. The water-sediment transportation conditions of a reservoir in different scheduling modes can be simulated, high-precision simulation of reservoir sediment peak scheduling is implemented, and technical support is provided for keeping the effective storage capacity of the reservoir for a long time.