Hydraulic Study and Design of Modified Flap Gate to Automate the Water Level Control in Canals

Nowadays, considering the importance of water, the hydraulic structures that can accurately control the amount of water is very important. One of the automatic hydraulic gates that fixes the upstream water level is the flap gate. Despite the development of the use of this gate, the existence of problems during operation makes it less accurate.These gates have some disadvantages such as, flow separation, vibration and cavitation. These phenomenon can change the configuration of gate. In this study, a new flap gate has been developed to reduce the disadvantages of the classic flap gate. For this purpose, a hydraulic model was made. In modified flap gate, a round-edge was used to prevent the flow separation. Additionally, a new counterbalance provided a better balance in gate. For static analyzes, the pressure applied to the gate was measured in different discharges and using a general equation for estimating the force and gate opening moment. These equations can be used for similar gates. Finally, the parameters for valve design were presented.