Course content

The course covers the basics in hydraulics of open channel flow, hydraulic design of energy dissipation structures, spillways and outlets, surge tanks, hydraulic steel works, valves, gates and pipe hydraulics.

Learning outcome

The course is offered in English to the students in the first year in the MSc programme Hydropower Development and fourth year of the siv.ing. studies in Civil and Environmental Engineering. The course provides basic knowledge of equations for calculations of water flow in rivers around hydraulic structures. The students shall be able to plan and design hydraulic structures and waterways of a hydropower plant based on the content of the course.

Knowledge

The students should have knowledge of:

- What distinguishes different types of flow

- How do the energy balance is associated with a hydraulic jump

- Energy balance. What does critical flow and the specific energy concept mean

- How the flow pattern change under different influences

- How is the flow downstream a spillway and through an opening

- How the river develops various water lines

- Which pipeline is best for the given hydraulic condition.

Skills

The student will be able to:

- Calculate the capacity of a river under normal and high water condition

- Calculate energy dissipation in a water jump.

- Calculate the capacity of an overflow or outflow.

- Calculate the water lines in different flow situations.

- Dimension pipelines

General knowledge

The student can:

- See the relationship between the derivation of basic equations and solution of practical flow problems around hydro power plants

- Know what issues can be solved with simplistic methods, and which require more expertise.

Learning methods and activities

Lectures and exercises are to a large extent integrated. All lectures and exercises are given in English. Exercises are supplemented with examples in the hydraulic laboratory. For the written exam the exercise will only be given in English. Students can answer the exercise in English or Norwegian.

Compulsory assignments

• Exercises

Recommended previous knowledge

The student should have knowledge in fluid mechanics.

Course materials

Books from the series "Hydropower Development", "open channel hydraulics" by Hubert Chanson, "Open-channel Hydraulics", V.T. Chow, and supplementary lecture notes (English).