Latest Activities from the IAHR Working Group on Transient Flows
The IAHR Working Group on Transient Flows brings together researchers, professionals, and institutions from around the world to advance the understanding, modeling, and control of transient flows in pressurized hydraulic systems. Through technical sessions, training courses, specialized publications, and international meetings, the group fosters scientific collaboration and knowledge transfer on complex phenomena such as water hammer, fluid-structure interaction, and air–water dynamics, contributing to safer and more efficient hydraulic infrastructure solutions.
Latest Activities
8th IAHR Europe Congress – Special Session SS C3: Transient Flows in Pressurized Conduits | June 4–7, 2024 | Lisbon, Portugal
On June 5, 2024, the Special Session SS C3: Transient Flows in Pressurized Conduits took place during the 8th IAHR Europe Congress. Held in the main amphitheater, the session was convened by Dr. David Ferras (IHE Delft, Netherlands), Dr. Silvia Meniconi (University of Perugia, Italy), and Dr. Dídia Covas (Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal).
The session brought together leading experts from institutions including CERIS (Portugal), IHE Delft (Netherlands), University of Perugia (Italy), and University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli" (Italy).
Six presentations were delivered, covering:
Anomaly detection
Fluid-structure interaction
Vibration mitigation
Numerical and experimental modeling
Air-phase transient dynamics
Key takeaways emphasized the need for robust detection tools, advanced data processing, and experimental validation. The discussions also highlighted the potential for energy recovery and the importance of understanding air interactions and vibration control.
IAHR Online Training Course on Modelling Software for Transient Flows | March 24–28, 2025 | Online (via Zoom)
This online training course, part of the new IAHR Training Courses Series, was organized by the IAHR Working Group on Transient Flows. Designed for engineers, researchers, and professionals, it focused on numerical modeling of transient flows in hydropower systems, water distribution networks, and industrial pipelines.
The program included:
Theoretical foundations of transient flow modeling
Practical applications using commercial and open-source tools
Case studies illustrating modeling approaches
Speakers:
Anton Schleiss, Bryan Karney, Bruno Brunone, Christophe Nicolet, Lina Sela, Mohamed Ghidaoui, and others from leading institutions worldwide.
Coordinators:
Silvia Meniconi (University of Perugia, Italy)
David Ferras (Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Spain)
Sponsors:
Deltares, Bentley Systems, Power Vision Engineering (SIMSEN)
Supporters:
China Society for Hydropower Engineering, CSSI
Upcoming Activities
IAHR Monograph: "Transient Flows in Hydraulic Systems"
Expected release: End of 2025
A new IAHR monograph is currently in development, offering a comprehensive overview of transient flow phenomena in hydraulic systems. It will combine theory, experiments, and engineering applications, targeting professionals in water supply networks, hydropower, and fluid transport systems.
Key topics include:
Pressure surges and protection strategies
Water hammer and frictional effects
Air-water interactions and column separation
Unsteady friction and damping
Fluid-structure interaction
Anomaly detection via pressure waves
Editors and contributors:
Silvia Meniconi, David Ferras, Moez Louati, Dídia Covas, José Adriasola Velasco
International IAHR Meeting on Transient Flows | November 25–26, 2025 | Carapina Pavilion, Greater Vitória, Brazil
Organized by the IAHR Working Group on Transient Flows and the Technical Committee on Hydraulics of the Brazilian Association of Water Resources (ABRHidro), this meeting will be held alongside the XXVI Brazilian Symposium on Water Resources.
The event will feature:
Keynote lectures
Oral presentations
Panel discussions
It aims to foster international collaboration and present the latest research in transient flow modeling and applications.
All the instructions for submitting extended abstracts can be found at the following link.The submission deadline is August 31, 2025.
Related
IAHR Working Group on Transient Flows
1st IAHR International Meeting on Transient Flows, Vitória, Brazil, 25 - 26 November 2025