Hydraulic Engineering Hall

© Detlef Aigner

Description

The new hydraulic engineering hall, put into operation in 2015, offers optimal conditions for the study of various hydraulic engineering issues using both large and small-scale dimensions. These include:

• Hydraulic tests with open and closed water systems,
• Operation of hydraulic precision models for flooding scenarios and dam modelling,
• Studies on river engineering, water ecology, and bed material load morphology,
• Stability studies on embankment and bed structures of waters in former open-pit mines,
• Large-scale test stands for dyke and dam constructions as well as for hydroelectric power plants and hydroelectric machines,
• Ethohydraulic studies,
• Wear and hydroabrasion tests.

The laboratory unit has a total floor space of 1,500 m² and a usable testing area of approximately 1,300 m². To set up and dismantle test stands and models, the hall can be fully accessed by heavy equipment such as excavators, wheel loaders or trucks. Moreover, the laboratory unit has its own mobile 3-ton indoor crane as well as a mechanical and electrical workshop. Furthermore, a complex multiple pipe system in connection with 4 centrifugal pumps (flow rate 250 l/s each) and 1 elevated tank enables the independent, parallel operation of 3 water circuits or test fields at a maximum total flow rate of Q = 1,000 l/s.

Technical Features

• Testing area of approx. 1,300 m²,
• Multiple pipe system with fully automatic control for the operation of 4 water circuits, 3 of which can be operated independently,
• Flow rate max. Q = 1,000 l/s using 4 centrifugal pumps of 250 l/s each,
• 2 separate deep storage tanks with a total volume V = 300 m³,
• Elevated tank with max. capacity Q = 100 l/s,
• Indoor crane with 3 t hook load and crane hook height of 5 m,
• Morphological high-performance flume L x W x H = 35.0 m x 4.0 m x 1.0 m with self-sufficient water circulation, max. Q = 1,000 l/s, including sediment dosing and sediment collection equipment,
• Wave channel L x W x H = 30.0 m x 0.8 m x 0.8 m with wave generator for generating numerically controlled spectra including wave attenuation,
• Wave flume L x W x H = 20.0 m x 0.5 m x 0.5 m with 2 wave generators,
• Large tilting flume L x W x H = 10.0 m x 0.3 m x 0.4 m, maximum inclination 13° (steep flume),
• Small tilting flume L x W x H = 6.0 m x 0.15 m x 0.3 m,
• Demonstration flume "Sediment transport in an open channel" L x W x H = 1.6 m x 0.086 m x 0.3 m (inclination 1 - 3 %),
• Pelton and Francis turbine demonstration models,
• Flow measurements for pressure and gravity discharges (IDM magnetic flow meter fully and partially filled, ultrasound, weirs, volumetric, venturi principle),
• 1, 2 and 3D flow measuring units (OTT current meter, Schiltknecht current meter, ADCP, Stereo PIV, LDV-3D, ultrasonic-3D, magnetic-inductive 1 and 2D measurements),
• Water level measuring systems (including ultrasound, capacitive wave gauges),
• Pressure measuring systems for absolute and relative pressures (0.01 - 160 bar),
• Vibration, sound, length recording and strain measurement equipment (acceleration sensors, microphones and hydrophones, contact and non-contact),
• Shear stress measuring devices, laser measuring devices,
• In-house development of an optical high-speed measuring device for air-water mixtures,
• 3D photogrammetry measuring system (AICON),
• Sensor technology for measuring soil moisture and suction tension using time-domain reflectometry or tensiometers,
• 1, 2 and 3D traverse systems,
• Video optical fish tracking system,
• Fish farming facility,
• 2 drones for camera and video flight,
• Underwater drone with 4K-UHD camera and up to 30 meters diving depth,
• Field use with measuring instruments (e.g. ADCP) and motorised inflatable boat as well as data recording technology (e.g. data logger).

Location