Comparative analysis reveals that sand discharge tunnels significantly reduce sediment deposition in reservoirs and rivers, suggesting improved management strategies.
Absract Reservoir sand discharge tunnels serve as critical infrastructure for mitigating sediment-related challenges in reservoirs. This study leverages extensive operational data from a sand discharge tunnel to evaluate its impact on reservoir and river scouring-siltation dynamics. An indigenously developed hydro-sediment transport model was developed to simulate typical sediment discharge scenarios. Comparative analyses were conducted to assess scouring-siltation patterns in reservoir and river reaches with and without tunnel operation. Results demonstrate that the hydro-sediment transport model effectively simulates density current-driven sediment transport through the tunnel. The tunnel significantly reduces sediment deposition in target river reaches, restores reservoir capacity, and controls sandbar elevation. Flow rates and sediment concentrations exhibit distinct influences on scouring-siltation dynamics and sandbar evolution. This research elucidates mechanisms by which tunnel operations alleviate sediment deposition near dams, reduce sandbar elevation, and minimize turbine abrasion, providing theoretical support for optimized reservoir management.
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Wang et al. (2025) studied this question.
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