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  • Week 5: Environmental Hydraulics

    Week 5 of WAT course deals with environmental hydraulics and environmentally sound hydraulic engineering. They form a rapidly developing research domain with an objective to protect and restore quality of the environment when using water resources. We seek to improve our understanding of the dynamics and processes of water, sediment, vegetation, nutrients, and harmful substances in the hydro-environment. The proper understanding of the associated physical, chemical and biological attributes and processes is the basis for the development of reliable modelling tools for river hydraulics, and sediment and pollutant transport. At the Aalto University, environmental hydraulics is a transdisciplinary field combining technological, environmental, economical, and societal interests in a wide context. Our studies cover both natural and built environments, in particular rivers, agricultural channels, and urban water features.

    This week focuses on experimental research methods using the Environmental Hydraulics Flow Channel and hydraulic modelling approaches. You will learn how laboratory, field-scale experiments and numerical models can be used to develop potential engineering solutions to transdisciplinary problems, with a view on river hydraulics and fluvial geomorphology. The broader context is treated with help of lectures on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. We'll also wrap up on Friday discussing both general concepts and detailed analyses results.

    Two exercises are organized in this week: 

      • 1) Thematic task: Flume assignment with a view on experimental methods and data analyses including measurement uncertainty (group work; DL on Tuesday, grading pass/fail) 
      • 2) Weekly exercise: Hydraulic modelling (individual work; DL on Friday at 13:00 [as the correct answers are revealed 13-15, thus we requested you to return in time. Significant 50 % grade reduction if late return by max one week]). 

    General schedule for the week is shown in the figure, followed by the detailed daily schedule below.


    • Detailed schedule (changes possible)

      (last updated 1 Oct 2023)

      All contact sessions take place in campus

      Monday 2.10.

      9:00-12:00 contact session in Water Building classroom. The lecture sets the context of environmental hydraulics and environmentally sound hydraulic engineering; intro to the flume assignment
      13:00 in classroom we first finalize the theory session about experimental data analyses and measurement uncertainty, and then continue together to the Aalto Environmental Hydraulics Lab (EHL, https://www.aalto.fi/en/services/environmental-hydraulics-lab) until 16:00. Carefully read the flume assignment document before coming to the lab.

      Tuesday 3.10.

      EHL flume research continues in more detail in groupings of two WAT course groups at the same time (~1hr each; when your group is not attending a lab session, you should work independently on the other tasks).
      9:00 grouping X
      10:00 grouping Y
      11:00 grouping Z
      Main theme: river flow processes, determination of flow velocities and discharge using different methods (magnetic flow meter, ADV, ADCP).

      13:00-16:00 all afternoon allocated for independent group work on the flume assignment: data analyses & reporting. Approximately at 14-16 Teams helpdesk is on call to answer possible questions about the assignment (optional participation).

      19:00 DL for the flume assignment report submission (one group member submits for all)

      Wednesday 4.10.

      9:00-12:00 Contact session: 286+287 rooms, Water building.

      - Lecture, part 1: Introduction to topic, different models, physical processes in hydrodynamic models. ~45 mins.

      - Lecture, part 2: Short description of principles of computational fluid dynamics. 20 mins. 

      - Group work ~70 mins.

       13:00-16:00 Contact session: U344 class room, Otakaari 1.

      -Exercise instructions ~45 mins.

      -Exercise (2 x 45 mins).

       Thursday 5.10.

      Independent working time for continuing/finishing the hydraulic modelling.

      - Help desk (remotely in Teams, voluntary) at 10:00-11:00: Teams link

      - Help desk (remotely in Teams, voluntary) at 13:00-14:00: Teams link

       Friday 6.10.

      9-12 Independent working time for continuing/finishing the hydraulic modelling, helpdesk (remotely in Teams, voluntary) at 10:00-11:00: Teams link

      Return the weekly exercise (HEC-RAS modelling task) before 13:00 in the return box (see below). Significant 50 % grade reduction if late return by max one week, as the correct answers are revealed during 13-15 session. Thus we requested you to return on time.

      13:00 -15:00 Contact session: (note that we will end at 15, not 16), 286 + 287 rooms, Water building.

      - Lecture, part 1: flume vs. natural rivers; part 2: application of models for understanding future changes. 45 mins.

      - Going through the exercise and its answers, short self-assessment (correct answers and discussing where these results could be applied). 45 mins.


    • Lecture material

    • Exercise material

    • Saatavilla vasta, kun: You are a(n) Opiskelija
      Tehtävä icon
      Thematic task: Flume assignment Tehtävä
    • Kansio icon
      Hydraulic modelling (HEC-RAS), materials Kansio
    • Tehtävä icon
      Weekly exercise: Hydraulic modelling (HEC-RAS), return box Tehtävä
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Week 4: Water & environmental quality
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Week 6: Environmental management and sustainability