Model-Driven Sewage System Design and Intelligent Management of the Wuhan East Lake Deep Tunnel Drainage Project

Rapid urbanization in China has overwhelmed traditional drainage systems, resulting in frequent flooding and water pollution in densely populated urban areas. This study focuses on the East Lake core area of Wuhan, proposing a deep tunnel drainage system to improve sewage storage and conveyance capacity. A pilot-scale pipe model was employed to determine the critical non-silting velocity for full-pipe sewage flow. Based on projected dry-season inflows and intercepted combined sewer discharges, the design capacities for pumping stations and pretreatment facilities were defined. A three-dimensional gas–liquid two-phase numerical model was used to simulate inflow shaft hydraulics at Erlangmiao, Luobuzui, and Wudong pretreatment stations. Simulation results confirm that all shafts meet energy dissipation and ventilation requirements, with uniform flow and velocity distributions that could be obtained by a vortex-type shaft. The system not only mitigates regional environmental challenges but also shows significant social, environmental, and economic benefits. Overall project design, applied methodology, simulation study, and outcomes could provide a valuable reference to deep tunnel drainage design and research.