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Laboratorio de Hidráulica
We drive innovation in hydraulic engineering and hydrology through experimental research, including studies on flooding, urban drainage, and water supply and sanitation systems.
Hydraulic engineering and hydrology
This laboratory is fully equipped to address problems related to almost any area of hydraulic engineering and hydrology, including both pressurised and free-surface flows. The laboratory facilities can be used to conduct projects related to the study of flooding, hydrology and urban drainage using rain simulators, as well as projects concerning water supply and sanitation systems, river hydraulics, and hydraulic engineering works and reservoirs.
This laboratory is fully equipped to address problems related to almost any area of hydraulic engineering and hydrology, including both pressurised and free-surface flows. The laboratory facilities can be used to conduct projects related to the study of flooding, hydrology and urban drainage using rain simulators, as well as projects concerning water supply and sanitation systems, river hydraulics, and hydraulic engineering works and reservoirs.
- Analysis of flood risk in urban and natural systems
- Use of green infrastructure and nature-based solutions to improve resilience to climate change
- Research into hydrological processes and pollutant transport in urban and natural catchments using rainfall simulators
- Development and calibration of surface water quality models
- Installation and operation of water quality monitoring stations in urban water systems and natural environments
- Analysis, through field studies and mathematical modelling, of the impact on water quality caused by discharges of urban and industrial pollutants
- River mouth processes (deltaic areas, estuaries)
- River hydraulics (restoration of riverbanks and banks)
- Water engineering works (dams and hydroelectric power stations)
- Large floor area, flow and test volume: over 1,000 m² of floor space. It features a lower tank with a capacity of 400 m³, along with three independent closed-loop systems to supply water to the experimental models at flow rates of 60, 120 and 400 L/s
- Availability of traditional level and velocity measurement equipment (acoustic Doppler velocimetry, either at a single point or along an entire profile), as well as the application of imaging techniques to determine velocities and contamination (e.g. particle image velocimetry, PIV)
- Comprehensive automation: Full control of pumping systems, instrumentation and testing through automatic systems
- Multidisciplinary approach: Possibility to address problems related to water supply, sanitation, urban and river hydrology, reservoirs and water quality
- Application of AI and Machine Learning: Integrating smart technologies into real-world models to develop new water management strategies
- Large-scale testing on a flexible and versatile structure: Large-scale research infrastructure to conduct highly realistic simulations of real-life urban and hydraulic environments
A facility designed to study and analyse the process of rainwater runoff in urban areas. It features:
Rain simulator offering different levels of intensity
Urban surface that simulates a section of street, including the pavement with two drains and a channel for direct runoff
A small network of drainage pipes that collect surface runoff and direct it to an outlet point where parameters related to flow or water pollution levels are measured
The type of analysis carried out includes high-precision surface flow measurements for the calibration of numerical models and within the drainage network for the calibration of dual-phase models, measurements of pollutant transport on the surface and through the drainage network, and analysis of the hydraulic performance and pollutant removal efficiency of porous or permeable surfaces.
The technical characteristics of the basic urban area are listed below:
- Urban drainage area of 36 m²
- Drip-based rain simulator capable of generating rainfall intensities ranging from 10 to 120 mm/h
- Two gully pots and a downstream runoff channel
- Drainage system with PVC pipes of 85 mm and 190 mm in diameter
This surface is adaptable and highly versatile, allowing for other configurations that enable the analysis of surface runoff over surfaces made of different materials with a range of different slopes to, among other things, study the transport of plastics or the efficiency of grates, or the installation of sustainable drainage modules for the simulation of green roofs, permeable pavements or bioretention areas
A new, larger and more comprehensive version of the MEDUSA-1 installation, featuring a street section with a junction comprising four roof modules of different slopes and materials, and a tube framework, connected by accessible and instrumented manholes.
It incorporates surface runoff and inflow via the pipeline network, as well as a large-scale realistic rainfall simulator with precipitation intensities ranging from 30 to 80 mm/h.
This facility enables the calibration of dual-flow models, the analysis of pollution removal from rooftops and streets, or the replacement of waterproof elements with SUDS techniques to evaluate their performance, amongst other possibilities.
All flow rates are monitored, and there are also sensors for the continuous measurement of pollution levels. In addition to its potential as a research facility, it is of great educational value, both for university students and for the general public.
The technical specifications of this platform, which has a total surface area of 100 m2, are as follows:
- It features one of the world’s largest rain simulators, capable of generating rainfall at rates of 30, 50 or 80 mm/h
- The surface of the model represents the intersection of two streets running perpendicular to one another. The road surface is concrete, with a cross-slope of 2% and a longitudinal slope of 1%. It features four interchangeable building modules to analyse different roof types and SUDS techniques
- It has several gully pots, manholes and a network of pipes
- Upstream of every street and every pipe, with the option to incorporate additional flow into the pipes
This installation uses a conceptual model to simulate the water supply system for the A Coruña metropolitan area and its management:
- Catchment area, with a reservoir and a drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) at the headwaters
- The water is then distributed to three reservoirs via a high-pressure system and to the city via a network of distribution pipes with a number of interconnections, fitted with a large number of sensors to monitor water consumption in different areas of the city (all distribution pipes are fitted with water meters)
- The main lines are fitted with flow meters that use different technologies, and the flow rates are controlled by motorised valves that allow the lines to be opened, closed or regulated, and allow the activation of the interconnections or recirculation systems
- Finally, the facility has a WWTP (wastewater treatment plant) below the model, which is used to recirculate the water.
The purpose of this simulator is to test remote control strategies for system management. The system incorporates sensors that use different technologies and connection methods, integrated into a coherent control system, along with a management platform that enables the creation of operational scenarios and automatic system responses to unforeseen events, such as leaks or spikes in demand.
The urban water supply control system allows the incorporation of several data management platforms, generally based on the Internet of Things (IoT), along with various decision-making processes, generally based on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.
This project, carried out in collaboration with the water supply company of the city of A Coruña (EMALCSA), comprises a series of pressurised water pipeline infrastructure projects:
- Ductile iron pipe panel and its full-scale components
- Bypass of the actual water supply network to measure parameters related to water quality
This first infrastructure is a meshed network with a closed-loop distribution system, which is used to calibrate or test components prior to their installation in the distribution network of A Coruña, and to study pressure losses in supply system connections. It also serves as a teaching aid, offering a significant advantage over educational simulators as all elements are full-scale.
The second infrastructure, built using the same materials, includes an inlet and an outlet from the A Coruña distribution network, ensuring a continuous flow. A mesh panel is provided to isolate and remove sections of pipework in order to analyse any sediment build-up and biofilm formation that may take place in an area located at the head of the distribution network.
This pipe panel is equipped with high-quality measurement probes to analyse the origin and nature of the processes that lead to the formation of deposits in drinking water distribution pipes, which can cause occasional episodes of turbidity or discolouration of the water. As this installation is directly connected to the supply network of the city of A Coruña, it can detect fluctuations in the network and has the following technical specifications:
- A 100 mm diameter piping system with valves that enable different flow configurations
- It is equipped with a Panametrics AT600 ultrasonic flowmeter and a UNIK5000 pressure sensor, which continuously record hydraulic variables
- The panel features two ports to collect spot water samples, a CRIUS contact-sensor particle counter, and a compact S::CAN system to continuously measure physical and chemical parameters such as pH, temperature, conductivity, oxygen content, nitrates, nitrites, turbidity, residual chlorine and colour
In addition to serving as a research facility, these facilities are part of the quality control infrastructure for A Coruña’s water supply and offer educational resources designed to highlight the importance of these services.
Traditionally, there have been two methodologies to analyze hydraulic phenomena: numerical methods and physical models. Hydraulic physical modelling provides a direct insight into the problem and a visual representation of the physical environment that is difficult to replicate using numerical models. Being able to visualise the problem under study in three dimensions—such as seeing how a sheet of water floods an area and then proposing solutions, for example, using barriers—is something that is done much more intuitively using a physical model than a numerical model.
The main idea behind MEDUSA-6 is to expand on the concept of the well-known AR-SandBox augmented reality systems. These systems allow for topographical representation and the generation of virtual rainfall and runoff on a surface made of sand in a quick and interactive manner. However, they do not allow for the input of any quantitative data, which means they are essentially recreational and educational tools, and are not suitable for professional use.
By contrast, the MEDUSA-6 system has been designed as a realistic river flow simulator and flood zone analyser, which is entirely quantitative. The input of technical data and solutions is based on a calculation model using Iber software, which is endorsed by the Directorate-General for Water and is used in a wide range of projects that delineate flood zones or that are of the public water domain.
This free-surface flow test channel is 30 m long and has a cross-section 2 m wide and 1.5 m deep. This channel has been used in the past to study structures within watercourses or as a section of steep-gradient channels, such as fish ladders..
Furthermore, the channel’s features make it ideal for experimental work on overhead or buried pipelines, including hydraulic flow characterisation, cross-sectional optimisation, the study of pipe rehabilitation techniques, and the analysis of infiltration and exfiltration processes. It could also be used to house other types of equipment, such as actuators, valves, pumps, inspection chambers or sustainable drainage systems.
Physical model on a scale of 1:40 of the project for the construction of the dam for the Ocaña 2 Hydroelectric Power Station (Ecuador). The goal of this physical model is to provide the basis to calculate drainage and spillway structures in the field of dam engineering. In addition, the facility is currently used for educational purposes, with students analysing the operation of various dam components such as spillways, gates and the stilling basin.
The SUDS Campus is a full-scale pilot facility that monitors and evaluates green infrastructure (Nature-Based Solutions) at the Elviña and Zapateira campuses.
Project EQC2019-006507-P, funded by: the 2017–2020 National R&D&I Plan for grants towards the purchase of scientific and technical equipment.
2019-2020 Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades.
The laboratory is equipped with a wide range of instruments to measure and monitor hydraulic and water quality parameters for both pressurised and free-surface flows. This equipment, along with high-precision data acquisition systems, is made available for use in experimental work that is carried out in the laboratory. The main equipment available in the Hydraulics Laboratory is as follows:
Speedometers and flowmeters. The facility is equipped with three ADV point-type Doppler hydrometry systems and a UB-Lab velocity profiler, which enables the determination of 1D velocity profiles in pipes and channels. The laboratory features several auxiliary area-velocity flowmeters, that use ultrasonic or pressure sensors. Finally, conventional hydrometric equipment such as electromagnetic current meters and ADP profilers are also available for gauging river channels.
Imaging techniques. The laboratory has developed methodologies to determine surface flow velocities in urban hydrology applications, such as drainage channels and retention basins, along with methods to determine water levels and pollution levels using low-cost equipment based on Raspberry Pi and Python platforms. A low-cost LSPIV (large-scale particle image velocimetry) methodology has been developed to measure runoff generated on the surface of lab-based rainfall simulators. It uses fluorescent particles and UVA lighting to prevent raindrops from interfering with the flow images.
Disdrometer. A Parsivel2 (OTT) disdrometer is available, providing detailed information on different precipitation variables such as its energy, intensity, and the distribution of raindrop sizes and velocities.
Water quality measurement equipment. There are four probes to measure total suspended solids (TSS) and another four probes to measure conductivity. These devices (S::CAN) enable the continuous measurement of contaminant transport (both in solid and dissolved forms) in the laboratory’s urban drainage models.
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