Baffle Apparatus

A method for optimizing a position of a selectively adjustably positioned baffle apparatus for the purpose of directing fluid flow to reduce damage to an open flow channel energy dissipating basin that includes an inlet, an outlet, a floor, a sidewall that extends upward from an edge of the floor, and an opposing sidewall that extends upward from an opposing edge of the floor defining an open flow channel energy dissipating basin interior with an energy dissipating basin span between the sidewall and the opposing sidewall, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a baffle apparatus that includes a deflector structure that is generally planar and is adjustably positioned substantially transverse to a downstream direction flow in the energy dissipating basin, said deflector structure spanning between the sidewall and the opposing sidewall above the floor, and a means for selectively adjustably positioning and securing said deflector structure to the sidewall, wherein said deflector structure directs flow in the energy dissipating basin to flow in a downstream direction from a reverse upstream direction adjacent to the floor;
• (b) determining a range of fluid flowrates that can occur in the energy dissipating basin corresponding to a minimum fluid flow rate and a maximum fluid flow rate present at the energy dissipating basin inlet;
• (c) measuring fluid velocity profiles corresponding to said minimum fluid flow rate adjacent to the energy dissipating basin floor, adjacent to a fluid free surface, and at a plurality of points intermediate to said adjacent to the energy dissipating basin floor velocity profile and said adjacent to the fluid free surface velocity profile, said fluid velocity profiles to be taken adjacent to the energy dissipating basin outlet;
• (d) measuring fluid velocity profiles corresponding to said maximum fluid flow rate adjacent to the energy dissipating basin floor, adjacent to a fluid free surface, and at a plurality of points intermediate to said adjacent to the energy dissipating basin floor velocity profile and said adjacent to the fluid free surface velocity profile, said fluid velocity profiles to be taken adjacent to the energy dissipating basin outlet;
• (e) measuring fluid velocity profiles corresponding to a plurality of selected fluid flowrates between said minimum fluid flow rate and said maximum fluid flow rate, for each selected fluid flow rate measuring fluid velocity profiles adjacent to the energy dissipating basin floor, adjacent to a fluid free surface, and at a plurality of points intermediate to said adjacent to the energy dissipating basin floor velocity profile and said adjacent to the fluid free surface velocity profile, said fluid velocity profiles to be taken adjacent to the energy dissipating basin outlet;
• (f) mapping a composite fluid velocity profile adjacent to the energy dissipating basin outlet for each of said minimum fluid flow rate, maximum fluid flow rate, and said selected fluid flow rates between said minimum fluid flow rate and said maximum fluid flow rate;
• (g) determining from said composite fluid velocity profiles for each of said minimum fluid flow rate, maximum fluid flow rate, and said selected fluid flow rates between said minimum fluid flow rate and said maximum fluid flow rate, the location and magnitude of counter rotating eddys defined in particular by a transition point location for each of said minimum, maximum, and other selected fluid flow rates, wherein each said transition point is defined as a direction of a fluid flow velocity reversal going from a downstream direction to an upstream direction at the energy dissipating basin outlet, thus producing a plurality of transition point locations corresponding to each of a plurality of fluid flow rates;
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• (h) positioning said baffle apparatus such that said baffle apparatus engages a portion of the downstream direction fluid flow velocity being directed to produce a downstream direction fluid flow velocity adjacent to the floor of the energy dissipating basin outlet at substantially all of said plurality of fluid flow rates, thus eliminating said transition point locations and upstream direction fluid flow velocity adjacent to the floor of the energy dissipating basin outlet for substantially all of said minimum fluid flow rate, said maximum fluid flow rate, and said selected intermediate fluid flow rates.