Assessing the Efficiency of Rainstorm Drainage Networks Using Different Arrangements of Grate Inlets

Urban flooding is a problem faced by most countries because of climate change. Without storm drainage systems, negative impacts may occur, such as traffic problems and increasing groundwater levels, especially in lowlands. The implementation of storm drainage networks and their fittings in poor countries is affecting their economic development. Therefore, improving the efficiency of the storm drainage network is an important issue that should be considered. This paper aims to study the most appropriate position or arrangements of grate inlets to upgrade drainage efficiency at less cost. Different arrangements of grates were studied and their efficiency was determined. A comparison between the total grate’s efficiency was conducted and the best arrangement was selected. Additionally, a dimensional analysis equation was developed to determine the total efficiency of the system. Finally, the FLOW-3D program was used to simulate the laboratory results using different discharges and numbers of inlets. The error of calculation ranged between 5% and 8%. Therefore, the results indicated that this program is a powerful tool for predicting the discharge efficiency and velocity direction for large discharges. A comparison was made between this study and previous studies. The results indicated that the same trend existed. A new equation was developed to correlate discharge efficiency (E) with relative total discharge Q and number of inlets. The equation can be used by planning engineers to conduct initial planning of storm drainage layout systems and achieve cost saving.