Author(s): Pan Jiajia; Guo Xinlei; Fu Hui; Wang Tao
Linked Author(s): Xinlei Guo, Jiajia Pan
Keywords: Water volume-water temperature-hydraulic; Regulation in ice period; South-to-North Water Diversion; Wintertime water transfer; Numerical model
Abstract: Ice formation in open channels poses a critical challenge to the safe and efficient operation of large-scale water diversion infrastructure in cold regions, particularly for long-distance water transfer such as the Central Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project (CRSNWD). This study systematically analyzes the spatiotemporal evolution of water temperature and ice conditions in the CRSNWD main canal based on prototype observations of meteorology, hydraulics, and ice regimes. Spatially, water temperature decreases progressively from south to north due to cumulative heat loss, with the rate of open-channel water temperature decline negatively correlated with conveyance flow rate and air temperature. Temporally, water temperature in each canal pool follows a characteristic decline-and-recovery pattern, reaching its minimum from mid-January to mid-February, which coincides with the peak ice jam risk period. Field observations reveal that both the spatial extent and temporal duration of ice events are significantly smaller and shorter than theoretically and initially anticipated: the ice-affected zone is confined to the reach north of the Qilihe inverted siphon, the ice jam risk zone to the reach north of the Hutuo River inverted siphon. Informed by these findings, the study demonstrates that the current ice-period scheduling thresholds are overly conservative, and proposes a new paradigm of winter water volume–water temperature–hydraulic coordination scheduling. This approach leverages dynamic real-time regulation of conveyance discharge to actively elevate water temperature along the canal, thereby shortening the ice period duration, reducing the spatial extent of ice impact, and enabling conveyance flow rates at critical cross-sections to safely exceed previous operational limits. The proposed coordination scheduling framework provides both a scientific foundation and a practical pathway for enhancing the CRSNWD's wintertime water diversion efficiency while ensuring operational safety under evolving climatic conditions.
Year: 2026