Relationship of first step height, step slope and cavity in X-shaped flaring gate piers

The energy dissipation of X-shaped flaring gate piers ahead of a stepped spillway was adopted in the Suofengying Hydroplant. Under the circumstance that the first step is higher than others, at the step surface an aerated cavity occured behind piers. The interaction of the weir head, the elevation difference between crest and chamber outlet, the first step height, the slopes of weir end and step, and the size of cavity, was investigated, the expression was derived to characterize their relationship, and the corresponding curves were plotted. The comparison of the calculated and simulated results with the measured data was performed. When the slopes of step and weir end are equivalent, the relative height difference between the first and second steps becomes the main factor influencing the aerated cavity. These findings may be useful in practical applications.