Free-surface vortices and air entrainment reduce the efficiency and operational stability of suction-driven hydraulic systems, particularly under low submergence and high discharge conditions where localized suction intensifies momentum non-uniformity. The present experimental study investigates vortex suppression through the redistribution of inflow using a multi-intake configuration combined with air separation and autonomous feedback regulation. Experiments are conducted in a transparent intake facility over submergence ratios 0.44≤H*≤3.0, and Reynolds numbers 2.5×103−7.7×104, employing one to five intake branches while maintaining constant total discharge. High-speed visualization, branch-wise pressure measurements, flow rate analysis, and direct quantification of air entrainment are used to characterize the vortex evolution. Partitioning the total discharge among multiple branches reduces local suction intensity and pressure non-uniformity, thereby weakening the concentrated rotational momentum responsible for vortex growth. Air-core vortices observed in single-intake operation transition to weaker surface disturbances and are fully suppressed under multi-intake configurations, even at low submergence. Measured reductions in vortex core volume, air-core penetration rate, penetration depth, pressure fluctuations, and entrained air demonstrate the effectiveness of momentum redistribution. Complete stabilization at high throughput is achieved through integration of closed-loop control and air separation, providing a practical and scalable strategy for mitigating vortex-induced air ingestion in hydraulic and industrial fluid systems.
Mondal et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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