A flow splitter, in hydraulic engineering

Hydraulic engineering

This article is about civil engineering. For the mechanical engineering discipline see Hydraulic machineryHydraulic engineering as a sub-discipline of civil engineering is concerned with the flow and conveyance of fluids, principally water and sewage. One feature of these systems is the extensive...

, is any device designed to break up the flow of water or nappe

Nappe (water)

The term Nappe when used in relation to hydro-engineering refers to the sheet of water over-topping a dam. It is an important issue in dam construction because unless air can be introduced into the nappe, the vibration of the water can lead to dam failure, as occurred in the Vajont Dam disaster in...

 over a dam

Dam

A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...

 wall or weir

Weir

A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...

. Flow splitters are used to reduce the likelihood of nappe vibration that might cause the failure of a dam wall by aerating the water flow. They are also used to restrict large flows of stormwater

Stormwater

Stormwater is water that originates during precipitation events. It may also be used to apply to water that originates with snowmelt that enters the stormwater system...

, in situations where a stormwater management device is designed only to treat small storms.

Another use for a flow splitter is to again break up the nappe so as to allow fish, such as salmon

Salmon

Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...

 to swim upstream and over small weirs.

Split flow weirs are also used in drinking water

Water purification

Water purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, materials, and biological contaminants from contaminated water. The goal is to produce water fit for a specific purpose...

 and wastewater

Wastewater

Wastewater is any water that has been adversely affected in quality by anthropogenic influence. It comprises liquid waste discharged by domestic residences, commercial properties, industry, and/or agriculture and can encompass a wide range of potential contaminants and concentrations...

 treatment plants (sewage treatment

Sewage treatment

Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater and household sewage, both runoff and domestic. It includes physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove physical, chemical and biological contaminants...

 or industrial wastewater treatment

Industrial wastewater treatment

Industrial wastewater treatment covers the mechanisms and processes used to treat waters that have been contaminated in some way by anthropogenic industrial or commercial activities prior to its release into the environment or its re-use....

) to proportion flows to different outlets in a junction box.