Flow Energy Baffle

a device on a water apron or within the bottom reinforcements and behind spillway installations; designed for extinguishing excess kinetic energy in the water and for decreasing and redistributing the flow speeds. Several types of flow energy baffles are distinguished.

Damper structures built in the form of a water apron well or a baffle pier are based on the use of the phenomenon of an inundated hydraulic jump. Baffles of the cylindrical type intensify the extinguishing process by decomposition of the flow into separate jets of various directions, which results in an intensive mixing and vortex production in the flow. To achieve optimal conditions of spreading of the concentrated flow over the bed of the tail water, spreading baffles and water-apron ramps are used. As a consequence of the formation of vortices and pressure pulsations at high flow speed, local cavitational damage may occur; therefore, flow energy baffles are usually made of high-strength materials, such as reinforced concrete.