Design recommendations: Intake structures

Abstract

The design of a vortex free intake has to consider the following points: submergence depth, intake geometry and approach flow conditions. As intake designs and approaching flow conditions vary from project to project, it is usually not possible to investigate the problem analytically. As intake designs always depend on their hydraulic purpose as well as on topography and other factors, myriads of different intake designs have been constructed. A good design of the pump sump essentially involves reducing the contribution from these vorticity sources as far as practicable and thereby reducing the strength of the vortices generated by them to acceptable limits. The design corrections, especially the geometric dimensions associated with them, are specific for the particular sump and without a hydraulic model study such corrections can seldom be derived with confidence. A joint involvement of the pump manufacturer and the sump designer should be considered important in evolving a final design.