Research

Research Themes

The main themes of fundamentally oriented research at the Hydraulics Laboratory are:

Hydraulic structures (navigation locks, weirs, bank and bed protection, energy dissipation, fish passages,…)
Hydro- and morphodynamics of rivers and estuaries
Eco-hydraulics

Candidates interested in starting up PhD research on the aforementioned themes are requested to contact the laboratory staff.

Contract research

The laboratory also carries out contract research (with physical models, numerical models and field measurement campaigns) in various branches of applied hydraulics: river and canal engineering, hydraulic structures, closed conduit flow, urban hydraulics, ...

On-going PhD research

Comparative study of numerical modelling of flooding-drying in complex process-based models and idealized models of (inter)tidal areas (Haoyan Dong)
Depth-averaged idealized modelling of morphodynamic equilibria in long tidal basins and estuaries (Tian Qi)
Numerical study of flow and mixing in open-channel confluences: influence of width discordance and bed degradation (Tian Jin)
Assessment and optimization of LIDAR Doppler velocimetry for complex atmospheric flows (Gertjan Glabeke)

Recently defended PhD research

Flow Dynamics at T-Shaped Open-Channel Confluences: Effects of Bed Elevation Discordance (RAMOS Pedro)
Open-Channel Flow Past a Lateral Cavity: Experimental Study of Mass Exchange and Free-Surface Seiching (Lukas Engelen)
Depth-averaged idealized modelling of the hydro- and morphodynamics of tidal inlet systems and estuaries (Thomas Boelens)
Downstream migration of eel and salmon through a shipping canal: challenges on the road (Jenna Vergeynst)
On the influence of extreme discharge ratios onto open channel confluence hydro- and morphodynamics (Laurent Schindfessel)
On the influence of hydraulic resistance onto flow patterns in an open channel confluence (Stéphan Creëlle)
Experimental and numerical modeling of dynamic dredging plumes (Boudewijn Decrop)
Interaction between water flow and macrophytes: an experimental and numerical Study of flow and sedimentation in vegetation patches (Dieter Meire)
Optical imaging techniques for determining the spatial heterogeneity in vegetated streams and rivers (Rebeca Roldan Gonzales)
Experimental study of the hydrodynamic performance of a nature-friendly bank protection subject to ship waves in a confined, non-tidal waterway (Sieglien De Roo)
A fundamental study of exchange processes in river ecosystems (Liesbet De Doncker)