About the lab
Physical hydraulic modelling remains the gold standard for de-risking complex hydraulic structures. CFD has come a long way, but for problems involving free-surface turbulence, sediment-laden flows and air entrainment, a calibrated scale model still produces design data that simulation alone cannot match.
The IHE Lab was built precisely so we don't have to subcontract this critical work. Models are constructed in-house, instrumented, run, and analysed by the same engineers who hold the structural design brief.
What we model
- Spillways: ogee, chute, side-channel, shaft, and Piano Key Weir geometries
- Energy dissipators: stilling basins, baffle blocks, plunge pools
- Intakes & outlets: for hydropower, water supply and irrigation
- Bridge hydraulics: pier scour, abutment scour, afflux estimation
- River training works: guide bunds, spurs, revetments
- Sediment transport: reservoir sedimentation, sluicing, flushing
Cross-validation workflow
Every physical model study runs in parallel with a CFD simulation. Where the two diverge, we investigate — that gap is usually where the most interesting engineering insight sits. Final design recommendations cite both, with explicit uncertainty bounds.
Open to academic collaboration
We host MTech and PhD researchers from partner institutes for thesis work on the lab's facilities. If you're a faculty member with a relevant brief, get in touch.