Finite element analysis of the influence of support hinges and operating rods on curved sluice gates

In the finite element structural calculation of curved steel sluice gates, different simplified treatment methods for support hinges and operating rods lead to discrepancies in the stress and strain results of local components of the gates. Taking the example of the main transverse beam inclined support arm curved steel sluice gates at a hydropower station on the Wujian River in Guizhou, four connection methods between support hinge systems were established, including direct constraints, creation of column coordinate systems, node coupling, and contact setting. Additionally, three modeling methods for the operating rods structure were compared, including direct constraints, beam elements, and solid elements. The comprehensive comparison of the effects of each modeling method on the static calculation results of the gates was conducted, and the static and dynamic characteristics of the curved steel sluice gates were evaluated. The results indicate that setting the contact connection method between support hinges yields more reasonable results, and the results of establishing column coordinate system constraints and node coupling are also reasonable. Regarding the operating rods, the displacement results of setting the frictional contact method are more reasonable, while the displacement results of the completely smooth rigid domain method are slightly larger, and the displacement results of the completely bound node coupling method are slightly smaller. The strength and stiffness of the sluice gates at the engineering table holes meet the specifications, but under various operating conditions, the low-order vibration frequencies of the gates are close to the main frequencies of water flow pulsation.