Hydraulic Engineering and Water Security Study Guide

Flashcards covering hydraulic engineering concepts, dam components, water security definitions, and calculation methods for irrigation and runoff.

Consumptive use

The total amount of water a crop needs to grow, including evaporation from the soil and transpiration.

Hydraulic work

A construction in the field of civil engineering where water is the dominant element.

NOM-011-2015 runoff variables

The calculation factors for natural runoff volume: annual precipitation ($P$), basin area ($A$), and runoff coefficient ($C$).

Troposphere

The layer of the atmosphere where life develops and where meteorological phenomena occur on our planet.

Water security

The condition of having water in adequate quantity and quality for human consumption, economic activities, ecosystem conservation, and the reduction of water-associated risks.

Thornthwaite Formula (1944)

A method to calculate consumptive use based on mean monthly temperatures, a heat index, latitude, and the number of sun hours.

Topographic study (Dams)

An initial study used to obtain precise information on terrain shapes, elevations, and dimensions to define the location and design of a dam.

Blaney-Criddle variables

Factors used to estimate potential evapotranspiration: mean temperature ($T$), percentage of light hours ($p$), crop coefficient ($Kc$), crop type, cycle duration, zone, and planting season.

Irrigation module

A tool used to define the necessary flow for different crop areas, measured in units of volume per time per unit of surface area.

Ecosystem provision services

Services received from an ecosystem specifically related to the supply of water.

Cofferdam (Ataguía)

A temporary work used to contribute to the diversion of the natural channel during its construction of a dam.

Design flood (Avenida de diseño)

Surplus runoff that a dam cannot store, which must be managed by the spillway or overflow work.

Water erosion

The loss of soil in a basin generated by hydrological factors like rain and the quantity and velocity of runoff.

Gravity dam

A type of dam that relies on its own weight to resist the thrust of water and transmits that pressure to the ground.

Super storage volume

The name given to the volume of water found between the NAMO (Normal Maximum Operating Level) and NAME (Maximum Extraordinary Water Level).

Spillway (Vertedor)

A hydraulic structure that allows for the evacuation of surplus water from a reservoir to ensure safety and prevent overtopping.

Inlet (Embocadura)

The structure where water is taken from the reservoir and which defines the total capacity of the spillway.

Restitution work

The part of a spillway designed to reintegrate surplus water back into the riverbed without causing adverse effects.

Diversion dam (Presa derivadora)

A dam designed primarily to raise the river's water level to divert it into an intake or canal rather than storing large volumes.

Armería diversion dam

An Indian or floating type dam with a $150\,m$ spillway curtain and a caudal of $2.60\,m^3/s$ serving $2600$ hectares.

HEC-RAS flow types

The software is capable of simulating two types of flow: steady flow (permanente) and unsteady flow (no permanente).