Experimental and numerical study of flow field hydrodynamics in a corrugated plate sidewall steel aqueduct

Corrugated Plate Sidewall Steel Aqueduct (CPSSA) is a specialized hydraulic structure for water conveyance. This paper investigates the effects of fluid parameters and CPSSA design parameters on flow hydrodynamics via combined experiments and simulations. A water–structure efficiency index is introduced to optimize the design of CPSSA. A CPSSA model with a scale of 1:20 was designed and tested, and numerical simulations considering fluid–structure interactions were performed. The results indicate that the water velocity and corrugated plates significantly impact flow velocity distribution and boundary layer thickness. Increasing corrugation height induces vortex and increases shear zones, thereby reducing water conveyance efficiency. Moderate increase of corrugation pitch and width can enhance water conveyance efficiency and the stiffness of CPSSA. This study advances the knowledge for the design and optimization of CPSSA.