ADVANCED HYDRAULICS
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Delivery method
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
Basics of Mathematical Analysis, Physics, and Hydraulics are required, as provided by Italian degree courses in Civil and Environmental Engineering (group L-7).
In order to assess effective learning, the exam is composed of an oral discussion of about 45 min, focusing on the technical reports compiled by the student. In particular, during the oral exam, the student shall thoroughly discuss the rationale and the adopted computation techniques. The final rating is based on this part of the exam by 50%.
The remaining 50% is based on the assessment of technical reports in terms of overall developed subjects, results accuracy, clarity and conciseness of presentation, quality (including formal) of diagrams and tables. Deadline for submitting technical reports in final form is 4-5 days before the exam.
The final rating is in thirtieths (min 18, max 30).
AIM OF THE COURSE
This course aims to integrating knowledge in hydraulics with special reference to:
1. Basic principles of hydrodynamics and related equations
2. Basic principles of energy exchange between flow and hydraulic devices (pumps and turbines), including cavitation assessment
3. Open channel steady flows.
Within the Course of Study in “Environmental and Work-Safety Engineering”, the course is included in the cultural area “advances of engineering related to environmental subjects”.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
1. Calculate hydrodynamic forces
2. Calculate energy production in simplified hydropower schemes and perform cavitation assessments
3. Calculate water surface profiles in steady open channel flows
4. Implement spreadsheets to analyze the proposed problems, with special emphasis on the sensitivity of the solution to the variation of selected parameters
5. Compile short technical reports concerning the proposed problems, including main results in tabular and/or graphical form.
The course is subdivided into three main blocks, HYDRODYNAMICS, ENERGY EXCHANGE BETWEEN FLOW AND HYDRAULIC DEVICES (PUMPS & TURBINES), and STEADY OPEN CHANNEL FLOWS, respectively. Related contents are detailed in the following. The hours of classroom activity concerning the three mentioned blocks as well as specific subjects are reported in brackets.
First module of the course – HYDRODYNAMICS [18]:
- Stress tensor [4],
- Viscosity, Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids [2],
- Equations of dynamic equilibrium in differential form, Euler equations, Navier-Stokes equations, dynamic effects of turbulence and Reynolds equations (essentials) [4],
- Equations of dynamic equilibrium in integral form, computation of hydrodynamic forces [8].
Second module of the course – ENERGY EXCHANGE BETWEEN FLOW AND HYDRAULIC DEVICES (PUMPS & TURBINES) [16]:
- Hydropower and hydraulic turbines, energy generation of a hydropower scheme (essentials) [8],
- Cavitation assessment in centrifugal pumps and reaction turbines [8].
Third module of the course – STEADY OPEN CHANNEL FLOWS [20]:
- Uniform flow for general cross-section and roughness distribution [2],
- Specific head, critical depth, sub-critical and super-critical flow, Froude number [2],
- Hydraulic jump and stilling basins [4],
- Weirs and flow gauging (essentials) [2],
- Computation of gradually varied steady flows, also with internal boundary conditions due to locally rapidly varied flow [10].
Classroom lectures and exercises, overall amounting to 54 hours (36 hours lesson, and 18 hours exercise). Standard exercises are supplied by the professor. Solution of most problems requires spreadsheets. Classroom lessons are provided by the professor.
Students should compile technical reports concerning the exercises provided by the professor (summarizing the computation technique and of the obtained result, both in graphical and tabular form). Students could also integrate the mentioned reports by additional insights, concerning specific topics relevant to the course, but not adequately developed in the classroom, proposed by the professor or by the students (in this case, the professor usually suggests one or two bibliographic references).
To compile the technical reports, teamwork is warmly recommended: groups of 3-5 students are usually formed at the starting of the course. The complete set currently amounts to 10 technical reports, with specific subjects and supporting information available on the e-learning platform. On students demand, discussion and review of technical reports can take place both in the classroom and during office hours.
For any further information, please contact:
paolo.espa@uninsubria.it