At Newcastle University

The second semester is defined as a compulsory common platform on Hydro-Informatics and based on a set of techniques and tools applied in different situations. The acquired competencies provide to the participants the general capacities compulsory to develop and to enter a specialization in the following semester.

Teaching Contents:

Module 2.1 - Hydro-Informatics & Integrated Water Resources Management

The module presents the context of different environments such as urban areas, catchments, coastal zones. According to these specific situations, the course gives a methodology to identify the type of Hydro-Informatics methods and tools and provides a global vision of computer based decision support systems that are widely used into offices of engineers, water authorities, national bodies and international agencies. The module underlines the major issues on sustainable water management, the water policies and strategies of management.

Module 2.2 - Numerical methods and computational hydraulics

The module provides introduction, through theory and practice, to numerical methods applied generally to the water field and especially to computational hydraulics. The course is based on introduction to differential equations in fluid mechanics for free-surface flow and transport system used for unsteady flows simulation. The module presents in details and through exercises the most widely used approaches such as method of characteristics, finite differences and finite elements.

Module 2.3 - Introduction to software packages

The module offers to the participants to use and to apply through case studies the major modelling packages for hydrological catchments modelling, drinking network design and optimisation, sewage network design and management, 1D and 2D free surface flows in continental and marine environments. The proposed tools are issued and developed by the most advanced professional and scientific producers such as Danish Hydraulic Institute (DK), Electricité de France EDF (F), WL Delft Hydraulics (NL), Wallingford software (UK), WASY (DE). The purpose for the participants is to have an extensive knowledge and practice of the modelling procedures with the different packages.

Module 2.4 - Software engineering

The module presents the main concepts of software engineering based on modern ICT. Knowledge on Java programming and Web-technologies will be complemented. Introduction will be given to computational environments such as Internet, clusters, parallel computing etc. as well as the design, implementation and set-up of water related Web services.

Module 2.5 - Advanced ICT, databases & GIS - Communication

The module presents the growing position of ICT in hydro-engineering for both design and collaboration through virtual laboratories. The strong acquisition in this field constitutes a key component of the know-how of hydro-informatics and water management professionals. The databases and GIS are mainly covered in the integration of application and data management aspects. To support coherence of the program this module is run E-Learning activity sharing between all partners of the consortium. Exercises will be done on simple projects to be run in Web-based collaboration by students from all partner-universities to acquire, besides engineering, soft skills in team-working in a heterogeneous multicultural group. The exercises realized in the communication part (oral and written activities with multimedia devices and tools) are conducted both in English and in a second European language. On completion of this module, the participant acquires essential skills which are compulsory into future professional activities and positions in multi-cultural environment.