Department of Hydraulics Research Center of Disaster Reduction and Environmental Issues

The Department of Hydraulics and Research Center of Disaster Reduction and Environmental Issues are responsible for the research on hydraulic problems arising from large-sized hydro projects or crux programs funded by the Ministry of Water Resources, the State Power Corporation of China as well as the Natural Science Foundation Commission. The main research activities of the Department and Research Center cover the general layout of hydro projects, hydraulics of spillways for high dams, energy dissipation and erosion, flow induced vibration, cavitation and air entrainment, ice problems in rivers, industrial hydraulics, risk assessment of flood disasters, mitigation measures for flood calamities in major rivers and large cities, hydraulic design of inter-basin water transfer projects and development of instrumentation for model test and field investigation. Methods adopted in research work include physical model, numerical simulation and prototype observation. More than hundred research papers and technical reports are published annually. Since 1985, 5 research findings have been awarded the State Prizes of Progress in Science and Technology, Innovation in Science and 40 achievements have been granted the prizes from ministries or provinces. The Department and Research Center has a total staff of 63, including 25 senior engineers, among them 7 possess doctor degree and 23 possess master degree.

¡¡¡¡There are four large laboratories in this Department embracing a total area of 8,000 m and providing maximum water circulation system of 7.2 m /s. Furthermore, the large scale vacuum tank and high speed water tunnel, being the biggest testing facilities for cavitation research in China, are provided. The international cooperation activities and consultation services in diversified fields or circles are also carried out in full swing such as the risk mapping for Insurance Company of American FM Industrial and Enterprise, flood risk analysis on Yellow River Delta (UNDP funded program), studies on the general layout and energy dissipation for LIWAGU hydro project in Malaysia, consultation on high speed flow and gate vibration for KARUN III in Iran, water transfer project from Biluhe river to Dalian city in China funded by Asian Development Bank, Sino-Finish cooperation research program of numerical simulation on dam break wave and river ice, consultation on water supply project in Bangladesh, and hydraulic analysis on water supply system of thermal power plant in Pakistan, etc.

The hydraulic model test of the Three Gorges Hydro Project, maximum height of dam is 175 m, maximum discharge is 102,500 m3/s and the total installed capacity is 18,200 MW. It has been involved in the research on hydraulic problems in different stages of construction. The model scale is 1:125, the model possesses an area of 2,000 m2.

¡¡¡¡The vacuum tank is the important testing facility for research on cavitation in high speed flow. Maximum vacuum percentage 98.7%, maximum circulating water supply 1 m3/s, maximum working head 14 m.

The numerical simulation on flood and sediment transport for the Lower Yellow River has been developed, which is combined with the finite differential and finite volume methods. The simulated flood propagation and sediment transport process from Huayuankou to Sunkou (319 km) in the Lower Yellow River can be applied for making decision of flood prevention and disaster mitigation. The model is satisfactory to simulate the process of flood routing, sediment transport, the influence of various channels, banks and dikes.

Dianchi Lake, the largest fresh lake in the plateau of China, is suffered from serious problems of water pollution. The figure in the left shows the simulated distribution of comprehensive water quality classification in the Lake in 1997. It shows that the water quality of most water bodies in the Lake greatly exceeds the water quality standard of drinking water, class ¢óof GB3838-88.