Optimization of Stepped Spillway Dimensions and Investigation of Flow Energy Dissipation over a Physical Model

In this study, using the feasible direction method to determine the optimum slope and step height of a stepped spillway while the flow dissipated energy is maximized. Then the obtained optimized slope and step height were used and a wooden physical model of the Maxwill Dam with 1:25 scale has been built. Overall, eighteen experiments were carried run with several flow rates. The flow depths at up and down of the model were measured to calculate the dissipated energy of flow. Results show that the flow kinetic energy decreases by increasing the flow rate. The optimized slope and step height were applied to equation 8 to calculate the maximum flow dissipated energy. Comparing results of two physical and numerical models show a good agreement, which conform the goodness of optimized model.