Hydro International Vortex Valves Supported by HydroCAD
HydroCAD provides direct support for modeling vortex control valves including the Hydro-Brake Optimum® product line manufactured by Hydro International. This product was formerly marketed as the Reg-U-Flo® vortex valve.
Since
Vortex valves have a unique "S" shaped stage-discharge curve which cannot be
modeled with the traditional orifice equation, Hydro International provides an
on-line design tool which can be used to generate a custom rating curve for any
desired Hydro-Brake configuration. This allows designers to evaluate the
benefits of using vortex valves in their stormwater management systems, which
can often reduce the amount of storage that is required to meet peak-discharge
requirements.
Note: HydroCAD 10.2-7a supports direct import of rating tables produced by the online design tool, eliminating the need for pre-defined rating tables that were previously used. If you have an earlier version of HydroCAD, you must obtain a program update in order to support the latest download format.
Modeling Hydro-Brake products
To create a rating curve for any Hydro-Brake product, use the on-line design tool at Hydro-Brake Optimum.
Step 1: Enter
your "Design Inputs" (on the left) and click the
"Design" button (at the bottom).
Step 2: Click the "Export" button (in the upper-right), check the box for "CSV File - HydroCAD", and click the "Download" button.
Step 3: Save to ZIP download file to any desired folder.
Step 4: Open the ZIP file and drag the CSV file to your HydroCAD\Outlets folder. (You can use another folder if you prefer, but this is the default folder used by HydroCAD.)
Step 5: In your HydroCAD project, edit the pond in which you want to use the Hydro-Brake and create a "Special Outlet" device.
Step 6: On the "Special Outlet" screen click "Load From File" and select the CSV file you created in step 4.
If the rating table doesn't immediately appear on the screen, you are probably using an older version of HydroCAD, and need to update as discussed above.
Step 7: Set the desired description and invert elevation for the vortex valve. This is the elevation at which water will start to flow through the device.
Step 8: Click "OK" and your HydroCAD outlet device is complete! Continue to setup any remaining outlet and storage parameters for your pond.
For further details
For further details please read about modeling vortex control valves in HydroCAD and visit the Hydro-International web site.
Images courtesy of Hydro International.
Hydro-Brake®,
Hydro-Brake Optimum®
and Reg-U-Flo®
are
registered trademarks of Hydro International.
HydroCAD® is a registered trademark of HydroCAD
Software Solutions LLC.