HRI’s physical hydraulic modeling laboratory operation has been meeting the needs of our clients since 1947. Clients from around the world have come to HRI's laboratory to witness model testing, and to participate in every phase of the hydraulic design process: from conceptual design through the refinement of final design details. HRI engineers work side-by-side with our clients in the laboratory, developing, observing and documenting the performance of alternative project designs to ensure the final design for the project will meet performance, technical and economic requirements.
A very high percentage of our modeling work is performed for repeat clients. We take this as a testament to the utility of our modeling efforts in support of our clients, whether they are designers, decision makers or regulatory authorities. Our ability to offer a hybrid approach, combining physical modeling with numerical modeling and field observations, results in a very high degree of client confidence in final results produced and contributes to a very high degree of project credibility with decision makers, regulatory authorities, public participants and other project stakeholders.
- Physical Modeling Resources
- Physical Modeling Applications
PHYSICAL MODELING RESOURCES
FACILITIESHRI's physical hydraulic modeling operation, with laboratory space at the Delta Barrage (Alkanater) location totaling more than 30,000 sq meters, is the largest commercial operation in the middle east. We have accommodated models with footprints as large as 40 m by 30 m, and flows in excess of 2.0 cms. We operate in-house model fabrication and instrumentation shops, and can accommodate the most intricate of model-construction requirements and the most demanding of data-acquisition and experiment-control needs.
STAFFHRI’s principals and senior professional staff have extensive hydraulic modeling experience, gained with HRI and also with renowned research and academic laboratories prior to joining the firm. HRI modeling staff have a wealth of practical experience in a wide range of modeling applications, and have proven capabilities in planning, construction, testing and documentation of modeling projects. We operate efficiently, and we meet the scheduling commitments we make to our clients.
PHYSICAL HYDRAULIC MODELING APPLICATIONS
HRI has performed physical modeling for hundreds of projects over since 1947. A detailed list of modeling projects is available upon request. Typical applications include:
- Sedimentation
- Navigation
- Hydroelectric
- Coastal
- Industrial
Sedimentation
HRI's experience in physical modeling has involved a wide range of river engineering applications. Of particular interest, are investigations into the management of sediment in river environments.
Studies conducted by HRI:
- have resulted in the development of new intake geometries designed to minimize the quantity of sediment entering power, irrigation and municipal water supply intakes
- have investigated the use of devices such as submerged vanes, berms and river training walls to control areas of deposition and erosion and
- have examined the potential for bridge pier scour and the methods to guard against it.
Navigation
A number of projects investigated in HRI's laboratory have concentrated on the navigation conditions along the Nile river that serve as vital transportation means in Egypt
Areas of investigation have included:- examining the potential impacts that adding a hydroelectric project to an existing lock and dam facility has on the flow patterns and navigation conditions upstream and downstream of the project, and
- development of design modifications to minimize any adverse impacts identified in the model.
Hydroelectric
Hydroelectric projects examined in HRI's laboratories have ranged in size from run-of-the-river projects, having a generating capacity of less than 1 MW, to major developments including multiple unit powerhouses, spillways and dams with a capacity of over 1,000 MW.
HRI engineers work with our clients to examine and improve the powerhouse efficiency, spillway performance (maximum flow capacity), dam construction and river closure methods, sediment management, and impacts on the environment, including identifying and minimizing impacts on fisheries and areas of erosion and/or deposition.
Specific hydraulic experience includes inlet and outlet structures, powerhouse models, penstocks, diversion tunnels, control gates and valves, sediment flushing, and fuse plug erosion
Coastal
Coastal developments, such as harbors and marinas, often require the construction and testing of a physical model, to provide quantitative design information and identify areas where design modifications could improve the facilities performance.
HRI's engineers have utilized physical models to investigate the allowable wave climate within harbors, the performance of floating breakwaters, the circulation patterns in the vicinity of harbors, and the layout of small craft marinas, including the design requirements for breakwater protection and impacts on longshore transport of beach sediments.
Industrial
Industrial applications investigated in HRI's laboratories have included a number of projects for the design and testing of the layout of cooling systems for thermal power plants.