Hydraulics of architectural water features and water parks

We have finally come across a book on hydraulics in architectural water features that we believe could be very useful for any customers and other people interested in calculations for the construction of architectural water features and water park features.

Its author, Mr. Juan Eusebio González Fariñas, was professor of the Hydraulics of Architectural Water Features course at the University School of Technical Architects at the La Laguna University (Canary Islands), and has taught several courses on architectural water features and water parks. Read More

The book - which is currently only available in Spanish - is divided up into 6 chapters and 3 annexes, which set out the most common hydraulic formulas and reviews and explains the fountain nozzles that are most used in architectural water features. It also explains the method used for performing automatic calculations for pipework and pumping units, etc. and for calculating parabolic jets of water, sheets of water, cascades, etc.

From my point of view, chapter 4 is extremely useful for facilitating the creation of architectural water features, as it explains how to use the specific application of the EPANET computer program to perform calculations for pipe systems with fountain nozzles. EPANET is a freely available program.

If any customers are interested, they can find out more in the courses given by the author.

SUMMARY OF THE BOOK ON HYDRAULICS IN ARCHITECTURAL WATER FEATURES

“Hydraulics of architectural water features and aquatic installations” is a practical manual that covers the "basic principles and procedures of hydraulics", "software tools" and "technical information about products". This second edition, which includes an approach to different aquatic installations, explains the use of different computer programs such as Excel and other freely distributed applications, including Epanet, which make it possible to safely, quickly and efficiently perform analytical calculations of cases with medium and high levels of complexity.

The book is split up into six chapters and two annexes:

• Chapter 1 uses profuse visual information with photos and diagrams by the author, as well as numerous documentary sources, to introduce the reader to the installations of architectural fountains. The sources are carefully referenced in the "References" section.
• Chapters 2 and 5 are dedicated to an overview of the hydraulics of pressurized pipes and free surface flow, from the perspective of the application (which is much simpler nowadays than in the past) of the most common mathematical methods, combining strictness, accessibility and efficiency in the design work..
• Chapter 3 covers the specific hydraulics of the pumps, nozzles and sprinklers, etc. used as fundamental components in architectural water features and aquatic installations.
• Chapter 4 concentrates on introducing the reader to the specific uses of the EPANET program in architectural water features, water parks and hydro-massage facilities..
• Chapter 6 provides numerous practical resolved examples of inclined jets of water, sheets and cascades, nozzles, tank-pump-network-nozzle systems, free surface water features, aquatic installations at theme parks - particularly water slides - and Spa installations, to summarize the strategies focused on in this book.
• Annex I focuses on readers who wish to gain a greater insight into the fundamental aspects of calculations for piping systems and pipe networks in real conditions. In other words, without the usual simplifications found in basic hydraulics courses.
• Annex II is a summary of roto-dynamic and centrifugal pumping equipment with mixed flow and axial flow, of their hydraulic behavior in piping systems and of their selection for a given application. The book has two sub-sections, one on Symbols and another on References. It is impossible to avoid consulting the first section, due to the common use of symbols in hydraulics, and due to the fact that in many cases it is necessary to use a single symbol for different variables and parameters.

In general, it has been decided to use spreadsheets and the EPANET program to tackle and solve pressurized flow problems. EPANET is not only useful for solving complex network problems, which it was initially designed for, but its simplicity means that it can be used for simple tank-piping-pump-piping-tank systems and systems for supplying water to architectural water features, water parts, Spas, fire prevention systems and sprinkler irrigation systems, etc. EPANET is a user-friendly program. "Help Topics" and a "quick learning guide" can be found under the "Help" option. This program is sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the USA, and its English language version is distributed for free.

The Spanish translation of EPANET 2, which is used in this book, was done by Mr. Fernando Martínez Alzamora, of the Hydraulic Networks and Pressurized Systems Group / Water and Environmental Engineering Institute / Valencia Polytechnic University / Spain, and corresponds to the original version, 2.00.10, from July 2002. It is also freely available and may be downloaded for free.

Solutions to the problems of free surface flow, a "second" and certainly more complex area of hydraulics, are tackled using spreadsheets and general software programs for mathematical calculations