TRASH RACKS

Glen Canyon Dam,

USA Multi-Level
Intake Structure
 New trash racks
Warm water withdrawal

Existing trash racks

Trash Rack
An integral part of the intake structure

Provided to keep out debris and other materials

Location of Trash Rack

(a) If possible the intake should be aligned so that the trash and ice not collected at the intake
screens
Dam / barrage

River

Trash rack

(b) If the intake is well submerged, the clogging of the racks due to collection of debris and
floating matter is not likely but if the water level would fluctuate around the level of the intake,
the collection of debris would be a serious problem. In this case trash booms should be
provided

Floating
boom

Intake screen Dam

Type of Trash Racks
1. Shallow intake trash rack

- For canal intake

- Small height of rack, extending from water surface to the floor of the intake

- Low head plants

2. Moderately submerged intake trash rack

- Medium head power houses

- Trash racks are submerged considerably below the water surface.

- Raking through power driven or compressed air

3. Deeply submerged intake trash rack

- Provided in the case of cage type intake

Shape of Trash Rack

(a) Semi Circular trash rack - Suitable for high dams with vertical u/s face

(b) Straight rack - Low dams or diversion structures

Inclination of Racks
Low head intakes : the racks are generally inclined at an angle between 15o to 30o from
vertical. The inclination facilitates hand raking and reduces head losses but costlier than
vertical rack.

High head intake: completely submerged, occasional cleaning required vertical semi-
circular trash rack

Removable and Fixed Type Trash Rack

Movable Rack Racks are at great depth below water surface, cleaning in place is
impracticable, provided with movable racks

Fixed Rack Provided in low head scheme

Coarse & Fine Type Trash Rack

Coarse Trash Rack - Installed to prevent large drift such as cakes of ice, root trees,
timber etc.

- clear opening between bars 5 to 30 cm

Fine Trash Rack Installed to protect the m/c and apparatus through which the water
flows (IS 9761 1995 : net opening between bars should be at least 5 mm less than the
minimum opening between turbine runner blades).
General Arrangement
Vertical division of trash racks
are formed by girders. These
divisions are known as panels.
Each panel consists of

a) A system of rigid frame for small

grills

b) A system of vertical bars

generally of rectangular section

c) A series of horizontal pieces

which gives support, control
vibrations, kept at 400 to 500
mm apart. (150 to 200 mm in
lower portion in river carrying
heavy bed load.)

Each panel is generally 1.5 to 2

m wide and 4.0 to 5.0m high.
 HYDRAULIC DESIGN
The entrance area of intake depends on the gross area of rack which is calculated
using permissible velocity through rack.

Permissible Velocity Through Trash Rack (based on the gross area of the rack)

Velocity should be kept low to minimize head losses

1. IS 9761 : 1995:
1995 for small units with hand raking V = 0.75 m/s

for small units with mechanical raking V = 1.5 m/s

2. Varshney: Low pressure intakes V = 0.915 to 1.22 m/s

High pressure intakes V = 3.05 to 3.16 m/s

3. Justin and Creagers recommendations - same as IS:9761 : 1995

4. Justin and Creagers formula

V 0.12 2gH
H = head from centerline of gate to normal water surface

5. Mosonyis formula to eliminate eddies & vortices the entrance velocity

V 0.075 2gH
Creagers graph

H (in m) Permissible Velocity (m/s)

25 2.0

50 4.0

100 5.5

200 7.6

300 9.0
 HEAD LOSS THROUGH RACK

(i) USBR Formula (IS 11388 : 1995)

Va2
ht kt
2g
Va = approach velocity

When the trash rack consists of a rack of bars, the loss will depend on
bar thickness, depth and spacing
2
an an
k t 1.45 0.45
at at

an = net area through trash rack bars

at = gross area of racks and support
where max. loss values are desired, 50% of the rack area shall be
considered clogged
 ht

(ii) O. Kirschmers formula

4/3
t V02
ht kt . . sin
b 2g
Kt = a factor depending on bar shapes
(a) Both ends sharp and rectangular kt = 2.42

(b) One end sharp and other end rounded 1.83

(c) Both ends rounded 1.67

(d) One end rounded and other tapered 1.035

2t

0.25 t

0.30 t

(e) One end rounded and the other streamlined 0.92 0.76

0.15 t
kt = 0.92
kt = 0.76
t = thickness of bars in m
b = clear spacing between bars in m
V0 = velocity of flow in front of rack m/s
= angle of bar inclination with horizontal
Example for Computation of Losses

Calculate head loss through trash rack using IS code and O. Kirschmers formulae for
the following data:

Thickness of rack bars = 1 cm

Clear spacing between bars = 7.5 cm
Inclination of rack with horizontal = 750
Shape of bars is rectangular (Kt = 2.42)
Ratio of solid area to total area = 0.30
Approach velocity = 0.65 m/s
Given :
Thickness of rack bars, t = 1 cm = 0.01 m
Clear spacing between bars, b = 7.5 cm
Inclination of rack with horizontal, = 75
Shape of bars, KT = 2.42
Approach velocity, V = 0.65 m/s

Ratio of solid area to total area, as/at = 0.3

(I) Applying the O.Kirschmers formula as

4/3
t V02
ht kt . . sin
b 2g

4/3
0.01 0.65 2
h t 2.42 . . sin 750
0.075 2 * 9.81

= 0.003 m
(II) Applying I.S.Code method

Va2
ht kt
2g
where,
2
an an
k t 1.45 0.45
at at

= 1.45 (0.45 * 0.7) (0.7)2

= 0.645
then, 0.652
h t 0.645
2 * 9.81

= 0.014 m
(iii) A. Berzinskis formula (1958)
(trash rack place perpendicular to direction of flow)

l V2
h t kdkf p f
1.6
sin
b 2g V0

Va
l l b l
f 8 2 .3 2. 4
b b l
b b
t t t
l =length of bar in the direction of flow m
b = clear spacing between bars in m
p = ratio of solid area to total area
kf = Coefficient of the form of the section of the bar
= 0.51 long rectangular X-section
= 0.35 circular X-section
= 0.32 an elongated X-section with semi-circular ends
V = velocity of current in m/s where the water surface is free
kd = 1.1 to 1.2 for a modern automatic rack cleaner
= 1.5 old rack
= 2 to 4 or even more for manual cleaning as a function of the discharge
and debris load in the water.


(iv) I. Ideltchiks formula

(rack placed oblique to the flow)

V2
h t k d 1 2
2g

kd = see method (iii)

p = same as (iii)

l
1 f ,
t

2 f , p

Head loss through rack oblique screen inflow
Design Head

Apart from the dead weight of the assembly, the trash racks also encounter the water
pressure and dynamic pressure of floating material. According to Mosonyi the racks
are generally designed for a differential head of 1 to 2m under normal circumstances
and 4 to 5 m under exceptional circumstances

G. Brown : 1/4 of total head (including 15% head for impact)

U.S. Army corps of Engineers : 3m

Creager & Justin : 1/4 of total head

IS11388:1995 : 6m differential head for racks

: 7m differential head for racks supporting membrane

USBR : 12 m differential head for deeply submerged intake

: 2/3 of maximum depth of submergence for
submergence 6 m or less

Chilla :6m
Maneri :6m
Dhalipur & Dhakrani : 1.84 m
 VIBRATION OF RACKS

Trash rack should be checked for adequacy against bar vibrations induced by
the flow and associated shedding of vortices

Natural Frequency
1/ 2
EIg
fn
2 Wl3
fn = Natural frequency
l = Unrestrained length of the bar (cm)
E = Youngs modulus (kg/cm2)
I = Moment of inertia (cm4)=wt3/12
g = Acceleration due to gravity (cm/s2)
= Coefficient depending on end fixity
W = Virtual weight (total weight of bar plus weight of vibrating fluid) kg

= ( + (b/t) f)
b = Effective spacing between bars (cm)
t = Thickness of bars (cm)
= volume of rack bars between support (cm3)
= Specific weight of the bar (kg/cm3)
f = Specific weight of the water (kg/cm3)
Determination of

= 2 for pinned support

= 4 2 /31/2 =22.7 for rigid support

End Fixity Coefficient (Varshney)

Forcing Frequency

Caused by the vortex shedding phenomena at the downstream edge of the trash
rack bar

t ff
Strouhal Number S
V0

V0 = approach velocity
t = thickness of bars
ff = forcing frequency
V0 S
ff
t

Strouhal Number : Function of spacing between bars only if (b/t) < 5

t
In general S = f(spacing of bar & shape of bars)
b
rounded bar for (b/t) > 5 S = 0.265
(b/t) = 2 S= 0.46
Resonance

ff
IS 11388 : 1995 0 .6
fn

ff
Vibrations Starts at 0.65
fn

Most Critical range = 0.90 1.08

Influence of shape of obstacle on limit value of

parameter of Strouhal number (Varshney)
 Spacing of Trash Rack Bars
IS: 9761 : 1995

Trash rack should be so spaced the net opening between them should be at
least 5 mm less than the minimum opening between turbine runner blades.
Usually varies from 40 mm to 100 mm [IS 11388:1995]

1. Trash racks have usual interspaces of 100-500 mm while screen have space
between 15 100 mm which are used sometimes at low head plants

Francis Turbine : Shortest distance between the vanes of the runner

Propeller Turbine : In the case the Francis turbines the number of vanes
could be more compared to number of blades in the propeller or Kaplan
turbines, hence in the case of Francis turbine the spacing of trash bars be
closer than that for a propeller turbine. If possible a wide spacing be
provided so that the frequency of cleaning be prolonged as much as
possible.
Experiences says

Clear opening 7.5 to 15 cm for medium size turbines

Clear opening 15 to 25 cm for larger size turbines

1/30 runner diameter (Nigam)

1/50 runner diameter (Varshney)

Impulse Turbines
Impulse turbines have relatively small openings in the flow passages
of their nozzles. Close spacing of rack bars is required to prevent
relatively small trash.

Space between Rack Bars

< 1/5 of jet diameter at max. needle openings

FRANCIS

KAPLAN
 LENGTH OF RACK BARS
Length of rack bars between lateral supports is limited by the vibration
characteristics and related to bar thickness and velocity through the bars

Unsupported Length of Bar (cm)

t V (m/s) After Davis

(mm) 0.6 1.0 1.5 2.0 3.0

6 50 42 32 29 24
10 75 60 47 40 35
12 100 80 63 55 45
20 150 115 100 82 65
25 175 145 125 112 88

To avoid objectionable vibrations the length limits as given above may be

kept in view

IS 113888: 1995 Recommends that lateral unsupported length of rack

bars should not be more than 70 t (t = thickness of
bars)
THICKNESS OF RACK BARS

IS 11388 : 1995
Minimum 8 mm : for trash rack where a single rack extends from water
surface to the bottom of rack like canal type power plants.

Minimum 12 mm: for completely submerged intake with power driven cleaning
rakes.

WIDTH OF RACK BARS

determined by structural requirements.

A minimum distance from the face of the rack to the horizontal flat is
provided for raking purpose, i.e,
= 38 mm (Nigam)
= 50 mm (Varshney)
= 40 mm (IS11388: 1995)
Width should not be more than 12 times the thickness and also should not
be less than 50 mm. (IS11388: 1995)
Design Stress

Based on failure from lateral buckling of bars USBR and IS 11388: 1995
suggested design stress

= yield stress (1.23 0.0153 l/t)

l = laterally unsupported length of bar

t = thickness of bar

Generally for steel, yield stress = 2320 kg/cm2

Design Example of Trash Rack
Design a trash rack for a low head hydro power project for discharge 300
m3/s. The span of the intake is 60 m and maximum ponding of water
above the sill of the trash rack is 6.0 m. The minimum clear spacing of
the blades of the turbine is 10 cm.
 Discharge , Q = 300 m3 / s
Span of the Intake = 60 m
Maxm ponding above sill of trash rack = 6.0 m
Minm clear spacing of turbine blades = 10 cm = 0.10 m

According to IS 9761:1995, trash rack should be spaced that the net

opening between them should be at least 5 mm less than the minimum
opening between turbine runner blades and varies from 40 mm to 100
mm [ IS 11388:1995 ]

Net opening between rack bars = 100 5 = 95 mm

Let spacing of rack bars be 80 mm
Adopting shallow intake trash rack and shape of trash rack is straight,
Permissible velocity through trash rack, V = 0.75 m/s
(for small unit with hand raking)
Area of trash rack , A = Q/V = 300 / 0.75 = 400 m 2
Height of trash rack , H = A / span = 400 / 60 = 6.667 m , say 6.7 m
Let inclination of trash rack = 20
Thickness of rack bars = 12 mm = 0.012 m
Width of rack bar (12 * 12 ) = 144 mm 50 mm

Let width of rack bars = 80 mm

From tables, for t = 12 mm and V = 0.75 m/s,
Unsupported length, l = 92.5 cm , say 90 cm

Head loss through rack:

KT = 1.67 (for both ends rounded)

= 0.0036 m

Check for Stability:

Let = 22.7 (for welded support)
Natural frequency
 1.152 cm4

= W l t = 8 * 90 * 1.2 = 864 cm3

Then,

Forcing frequency:
 S = 0.265

so then, ff = 16.56 s-1

Resonance:

ff / fn = 16.56 / 58.50
= 0.28 < 0.60

Hence, the designed trash rack is stable.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------