Experimental study of a hydraulic model of the side inlet and outlet of a pumped storage power station

Abstract Inlets/outlets have bi-directional characteristics and complex structures, which have important implications for practical operational safety and efficiency. In this paper, the hydraulic characteristics of the lateral inlet/outlet of a pumped storage power station are studied by means of model tests. The flow velocity distribution at the leading edge of the inlet/outlet orifice and the barrage section is more uniform, and the flow velocity distribution at the left, middle, and right of each orifice is the same. The formation of swirl is related to the relative submergence depth s/d and the Froude number Fr, with the inlet/outlet Fr < 0.23, relative submergence depth s/d > 0.5 and it has no harmful eddies.