Hydraulics
HECE is active in all areas of hydraulics and hydrodynamics.
Free-Surface Flow
Among all the fields of hydraulics affected by digital technology, HACH’s focus on modeling all types of free-surface flow stems simply from their prominence in the major water-related challenges we are most committed to addressing. At the level of the global hydrological system, the need to manage—and thus anticipate—natural and accidental phenomena leads to the use of physically based approaches to model the various stages a drop of water undergoes from the moment it strikes the Earth’s surface, from runoff to the swelling of streams, rivers, and storage areas, all the way to major rivers and inland waterways.
Flow around the Bomal wastewater treatment plant
3D animation of digital topography superimposed on aerial images—area of the Fragnée Bridge in Liège (Belgium)
Pressurized flows
The usual theoretical distinction between pressurized and free-surface flows often conflicts with field practice as well as with a holistic view of transport phenomena. Structures that are partially and temporarily loaded, drainage networks that are momentarily saturated, transient phenomena in supply networks, and more—all of these scenarios are addressed by a unified formulation of the equations solved by WOLFin both 1D and 2D
Subsurface Flow
In the context of large-scale spatial and temporal modeling of a watershed’s hydrological cycle, the subsurface flow phase is essential for establishing material balances that are not accounted for by surface runoff. Hypodermic flow or groundwater flow—these are all “layers” that must be modeled to achieve an accurate hydrological representation, and they are addressed using the same numerical methods adapted to transport equations.
Given the static or dynamic stresses they impose on a hydraulic structure, subsurface flows are a key concern for HACH in its criteria for the design, optimization, operation, and monitoring of hydraulic structures.
