Thermal structure and hydrodynamic analysis for a new type of flexible temperature-control curtain

•A new type of flexible TCC scheme is proposed for low-temperature water treatment.•Thermal structure and pressure distribution of TCC in different month are analyzed.•Thermal structure in different month is significantly influenced by TCC.•Both static and dynamic pressure difference increase with thermal stratification.•Static pressure difference is significantly higher than the dynamic pressure difference. Stratified water temperature and low temperature outflow water caused by water storage characteristics in deep reservoirs are common practical problems. The temperature-control curtain (TCC) is a novel low-temperature water treatment technique, characterized by a simple structure and low cost. In the present paper, a new type of flexible TCC scheme is proposed. Moreover, its applicability in engineering is explored by analyzing the thermal structure and hydrodynamic characteristics of the TCC. The general notions and theoretical basis of Boussinesq approximation for thermal flow are first elaborated. Then, the three-dimensional TCC form is obtained through the structural nonlinear analysis method based on Vector Form Intrinsic Finite Element (VFIFE). In addition, using a reservoir which is under TCC construction in southwest China as the research object, the thermal structure change with and without TCC scenario is observed to evaluate the improvement effect of outflow temperature from April to June. Lastly, taking the flood situation from July to August as the most unfavorable condition, the hydrodynamic characteristics are investigated, including the static and the dynamic pressures applied on the curtain. These preliminary modeling works provide important theoretical references for further engineering operation.