Physical and numerical modeling of swirling flow in a scroll vortex intake

Scroll vortex intakes are hydraulic structures commonly used in water supply, drainage and sewerage systems. Water flows into the intake via an eccentric approach channel and a vortex chamber imparts swirl to the flow, leading to a stable air core vortex along the dropshaft. Although much effort has been devoted to investigate the scroll vortex flow, yet the understanding on its hydraulic characteristics is still far from complete due to a lack of detailed velocity field measurements. This paper presents the first comprehensive measurement of the three-dimensional (3D) flow field of a scroll vortex intake using non-intrusive Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA). A validated 3D Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model with the Volume-Of-Fluid (VOF) method is developed for interpreting the measurement. It is found that the vortex flow in the scroll chamber resembles a free vortex and the circulation is approximately equal to that at the chamber inlet, with a thin bottom boundary layer. The vortex flow at the bellmouth outlet possesses a circulation constant smaller than that in the chamber, and its vertical velocity component is approximately constant across the flow thickness.