Fundamentals of Hydraulics and Water Distribution Network Management

The course aims to provide students with the fundamental knowledge required to address civil engineering problems involving fluids at rest and/or in motion. In particular, the course covers the design and verification of reservoirs, pressurised pipelines and pipe networks, as well as natural and artificial open channels. Water distribution network regulation will also be addressed.

This will enable students to approach issues related to water resources management and hydraulic systems, hydraulic risk mitigation, and the generation of electricity from renewable energy sources.

The knowledge acquired will be applicable to the design and management of materials and systems aimed at improving quality of life, in accordance with Goals 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.

Knowledge and understanding

Students will acquire knowledge of fluid properties and an understanding of the principles of hydrostatics, the fundamental equations governing the dynamics of ideal fluids, and the laws governing the motion of real fluids, together with their respective fields of applicability. They will also understand the operation of hydraulic machinery and the physics of open-channel flows. In addition, students will acquire the fundamentals of dimensional analysis and understand the principles underlying the operation and regulation of pressurised pipe networks.

Applying knowledge and understanding

Through practical exercises, students will learn how to determine pressure distributions and hydrostatic forces and how to apply the fundamental equations governing the dynamics of ideal and real fluids. They will also be able to address simple design and verification problems involving systems with pumps and turbines. For open-channel flows, students will be able to determine critical depth and normal depth and to plot and interpret steady-flow water-surface profiles. They will also be able to apply dimensional analysis to hydraulic problems and address simple problems involving the verification, design and regulation of water distribution networks.

Making judgements

Students will be able to identify the appropriate computational schemes and equations for the hydraulic problem under consideration and to justify the assumptions adopted. They will critically assess the results obtained, verifying the consistency of pressures, discharges and hydraulic heads with the physical and operating conditions of the hydraulic system considered. They will be able to distinguish between conditions in which the ideal-fluid assumption is appropriate and those in which head losses must be taken into account. In the analysis of open-channel flows, students will be able to identify the flow regime and determine the boundary conditions required to plot water-surface profiles. In the analysis of pressurised pipe networks, they will be able to assess the consistency of flow-rate and pressure distributions and justify regulation choices.

Communication skills

Students will be able to describe hydraulic phenomena and explain calculation procedures using appropriate technical terminology. The graphical and written responses required in the written examinations will enable students to develop and demonstrate their ability to clearly represent hydraulic systems, pipe networks and water-surface profiles, explicitly state the assumptions adopted and the calculation steps, and interpret the results obtained. The final oral examination will also allow students to demonstrate their ability to explain theoretical concepts and justify the proposed solutions.

Learning skills

Students will develop an independent approach to learning, based on the critical use of textbooks and teaching materials, the integration of theory and applications, and the review of errors. These skills will provide the basis for further study and for the continuing development of professional competences.

The course combines theoretical explanations and numerical applications in order to promote a gradual understanding of the topics and the active participation of students. The following activities are planned:

• Lectures, delivered in a participatory format in order to maximise student involvement and support the progressive development of the course content;
• Guided exercises aimed at the numerical application of concepts and of the analysis and modelling methods most commonly used in hydraulics, with applications to the verification, design and regulation of water distribution networks;
• Mid-term tests aimed at assessing students’ actual understanding of the course content and the progressive development of their competences;
• Technical visits to construction sites, utility operators and other organisations active in the field of hydraulic engineering works, subject to organisational availability.

Should it become necessary to conduct teaching activities in blended or online mode, methods and tools will be adapted while maintaining the learning objectives and course content.

Students with specific needs or with a status formally recognised by the University may agree with the lecturer on appropriate support measures and a personalised learning pathway, in accordance with the applicable University regulations.

Attendance is strongly recommended. Participation in lectures and practical sessions supports progressive learning, discussion of problem-solving procedures, and verification of understanding.

• Introduction to the course
• Fluids and their properties
• Fluid statics
• Fluid kinematics
• Fundamental equations of hydraulics
• Bernoulli’s theorem
• Equations governing the motion of real fluids
• Dimensional analysis
• Pressurised flows
• Practical problems involving long pipelines and systems with pumps and turbines
• Verification, design and regulation of pressurised water distribution networks
• Open-channel flows: uniform flow, critical flow conditions and steady flow
• Plotting and interpretation of steady-flow water-surface profiles

Mossa, M., Petrillo, A.F. (2013) Idraulica, Casa Editrice Ambrosiana, Milano

Pezzinga, G. (2008) Esercizi di meccanica dei fluidi, Aracne Editrice, Roma

The final exam consists of a written and an oral test.

Two in-progress written tests will be held, each covering approximately 50% of the course content. Each test will consist of 10 questions, with a maximum score of 3 for each question. If a student will pass both tests (each with a minimum score of 18/30), he/she will have the possibility to access straight the oral exam.

• Determine the pressure distribution in a fluid at rest and represent the corresponding pressure diagram.
• Calculate the resultant hydrostatic force acting on a plane or curved surface.
• Apply Bernoulli’s theorem, clearly stating the assumptions and the meaning of each term.
• Apply dimensional analysis to a hydraulic problem and identify the relevant dimensionless quantities.
• Determine the dynamic force exerted by a flow.
• Plot and interpret the hydraulic grade line and the energy grade line.
• Evaluate head losses along a pipeline.
• Calculate the power required by a pump or generated by a turbine.
• Analyse and design a pressurised pipe network.
• Determine the critical depth and normal depth in an open channel.
• Identify the flow regime in an open channel.
• Plot and interpret steady-flow water-surface profiles, clearly specifying the relevant boundary conditions.