ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: The baffle-drop shaft was one kind of the important hydraulic structures which were designed to convey flow vertically downward. In this paper, the hydraulic performances of the baffle-drop shafts were tested with the help of physical model tests, and the results showed that: baffle spacing was the key parameter in shaft designing. Too large baffle spacing might lead to S-shaped sweeping motion which was harmful to the structural safety and longevity, while too small values would reduce the flow conveying capacity. The baffle spacing would be appropriate only when the corresponding flow patterns in the shaft were cascade drops for its good performances on energy dissipation. In addition, the dynamic pressure measuring data indicated that the pressure characteristics of the cascade drops were also rational. Therefore, the baffle spacing should be decided to help to form cascade drops in baffle-drop shafts.
