Energy Dissipation of Highly Convergent Chutes in Stilling Basins of Concrete Dams

This article presents the results of a combination of experimental and numerical research on the performance of stilling basins of spillways with highly convergent chutes (HCC). The comparison between the energy dissipation of the stilling basins with flat slab and baffle blocks shows that the latest are more efficient. Because of that, the cost savings of using such blocks can be significant. The results obtained could be applied in different cases such as increasing the capacity of existing spillways and protecting dams against overtopping. The application of HCC spillways in new dams could lead to a reduction in the cost of the stilling basin compared to conventional hydraulic jump energy dissipators