hydrotec consultants ltd is a new consultancy which was formed in January 1999. We specialize in the design and model testing of hydraulic structures for the water and wastewater industries. Our aim is to provide a comprehensive service, offering not only physical scale modelling facilities, but also design capabilities, which encompass preliminary conceptual design through to detailed hydraulic design and independent hydraulic design auditing.

The designs of a wide range of hydraulic structures result in a complex fluid flow distributions, which cannot be readily modelled by mathematical means. Whilst the use of a similar previous designs and generic design guides, such as those for distribution chambers, can be useful in establishing structural layouts and approximate dimensions, relatively small dimensional changes and variations in the presentation and capacity of upstream flow can have significant effects on actual operation.

Other examples where the nature and distribution of flow is critical in achieving efficient plant performance and reliability are all types of pumping stations. Poor presentation of flow to pump intakes, whether for submersible, vertical spindle, wet or dry-well pumps, clean or wastewater, can result in pre-swirl, floor, wall and surface vortices. Phenomena such as these need to be eliminated, across the full range of pumped flows if efficient and reliable pump operation is to be achieved.

hydrotec has the specialist design and modelling capabilities to effectively predict full scale operating conditions. Our ability to simulate both free surface effects, e.g. weir distribution, air entrainment etc. and sub-surface performance, e.g. process stream mixing and submerged vortices, provides a powerful design tool which can be employed to minimize long term plant maintenance costs and the risk of un-programmed loss of plant availability.