Diversion

diversion

Chiefly Brit an official detour used by traffic when a main route is closed

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Diversion 

in hydraulic engineering, the set of structures that draw water from a river or reservoir, transport it to a hydroelectric power plant, pumping station, or other installation (supply diversion), and also remove water from such installations (drainage diversion).

Two types of diversion are distinguished: nonpressured (canals, nonpressured tunnels, and chutes) and pressured (pipelines or pressured tunnels). Pressured diversions are used when there are significant fluctuations in the water level at the place of intake or drainage. With small fluctuations in level (1-3 m), diversions may be of the pressured or nonpressured type; the type is selected on the basis of technical and economic calculations, taking into account the natural conditions of the area. The water flow velocity in diversions varies greatly depending on the type (1.5-2.5 m/sec for canals and 2.5-6.0 m/sec for tunnels and pressured pipelines). The length of modern water lines for diversions reaches several dozen kilometers, and their carrying capacity is more than 2,000 m³/sec.

REFERENCE

Ispol’zovanie vodnoi energii. Edited by D. S. Shchavelev. Moscow-Leningrad, 1965.

V. A. ORLOV