Siphons
"Many older dams were not constructed with a means of draining the reservoir. Lowering the reservoir may be needed for temporary construction, for emergency response, or when regular releases aren't needed. Siphons can be a low-cost means of providing a reservoir outlet if one does not exist. The key operational parameters are: (1) the required hydraulic lift cannot exceed the effective local atmospheric pressure adjusted for vapor pressure and frictional losses; (2) the discharge point of the siphon must be lower in elevation than the body of water to be siphoned; and (3) the pipe or hose used for the siphon must be designed to operate at less than atmospheric pressures. Note that siphon outlets can be difficult to prime."[1]
Examples
Get answers to some of the common questions about siphons
Trainings
On-Demand Webinar: Design of Siphon Systems
Citations:
Revision ID: 5540
Revision Date: 12/14/2022