Experimental Study of Hydro-suction Dredging Blockage Depth Under Different Hydraulic Conditions

Hydro-suction is an appropriate and economical method for dredging deposited sediment at reservoirs. In this study, a physical model was made and some experiments were designed to analyze the ranges of blockage depth in different hydraulic conditions. In the model, 80 tests were conducted using three diameters (d), three water heads (H) and different diving depths of pipe inlet (Z) from the sediment level to the blockage depth. In general, the results indicated that the more increase in the diving depth, the higher hydro-suction efficiency. In some of the experiments, a vortex flow was observed under the pipe inlet. The results indicated that the formed vortex flow have a positive effect on the hydro-suction efficiency. The results associated to the blockage depth approved that hydro-suction systems with larger pipe diameter and more water head have a greater blockage depth (Zb). The Froude number (Fr) analysis indicated that an increase in Fr would cause increment efficiency and blockage depth of hydro-suction system. Subject to a constant pipe diameter, the results revealed that increasing the H/d ratio equal to 66.66 and 133.33%, would enhance the Zb/d ratio equal to 58.89 and 112.22%, respectively.