Laboratory of Computational Hydraulics - LHC
Summary
Computational Hydraulics is a complex subject whose importance is similar to Incompressible Fluid Dynamics and has several Engineering application fields such as Natural Flood and Dam Rupture Wave Propagation, Calculation and Evaluation of Natural or Forced Flow in Water Bodies, Dispatch Wave Analysis in Hydroelectric Power Plants, Flood Qualitative and Quantitative Control, Mathematical Modeling of Water Systems, Sediment Transport Assessment in Rivers and Channels.
The Laboratory on Computational Hydraulics (LHC) was established in1997 aiming at creating an excellence nucleus on research, education and development of consultancy projects and software applied to water resources mathematical modeling and simulation. The Laboratory is currently working on two PRONEX projects (Project Support and Excellence Nucleus) sponsored by CNPq and FAPERJ, ensuring ground-breaking researches.
Some of LHC research lines are:
• Flood simulation in urban and rural environment
• Development of hydrologic and hydrodynamic models for flood simulation
• Niver and channel hydraulics
• Urban environment hydrology
• Water quality modeling in rivers and lakes
• Sediment transport
• Water resources management
• Environmental sanitation
The main computational models developed by LHC are: MODCEL – Flow Cell Model, a strong tool of hydrodynamic and hydrologic simulation appropriate for several uses such as flood simulation in urban and rural basins or long term simulation of complex water system operations; and Hydro-Flu System, a tool which consolidates and automatises a series of hydrologic calculus steps necessary to simulate floods in small and medium basins. Rural basins such as Pantanal Matogrossense Basin and Amazonic Basin, and urban basins such as Rio de Janeiro City sub-basins are enhanced for application and modeling.
Modeling of river Acari basin at RJ through MODCEL and Hyro-Flu models
Current situation of Flood spot at river Acari basin
Numerical Methods such as Finite Difference, Finite Element and Boundary Element Methods are used on Mathematical Modeling whose Computational Models are developed at the Laboratory.
Besides its education and research activities, the Laboratory acts on Consultancy Projects (COPPETEC). Some of the most important customers are:
• Rio de Janeiro City Hall
• State of Rio de Janeiro Government
• Petrobras
• Furnas Electric Centers
• Brazilian Electric Centers – ELETROBRÁS
• Water Resources Sector Fund (CT-HIDRO)
Infrastructure
Currently, LHC occupies a 350m² area located at room I-206 (2nd floor - Block I) at UFRJ Technology Center. The Laboratory computational infrastructure allows 20 researchers working simultaneously and has a modern and large amphitheater with multimedia equipment.
Faculty
Prof. Flávio Cesar Borba Mascarenhas (head of the department)
Prof. José Paulo Soares de Azevedo
Prof. Rui Carlos Vieira da Silva
Prof. Marcelo Gomes Miguez (assistant)