Publications by Giovanni De Cesare

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A comprehensive understanding of physical phenomena based on a hybrid experimental-numerical approach supports a safer design of critical infrastructures. However, for large-scale tsunami-like waves, the reliability of numerical models was insufficiently v ...

The sustainable use of reservoirs for irrigation, flood protection, water supply and hydropower may be endangered due to unavoidable reservoir sedimentation. Turbidity currents are the main process for the transport and deposit of sediments in reservoirs, ...

In the framework of an experimental study on the influence of in- and outflow sequences on flow patterns and suspended sediment behavior in reservoirs, flow fields and inflowing jet were sampled by Ultrasonic Velocity Profilers (UVP). The laboratory set-up consisted of two interconnected rectangular basins between which water was moved back and forth. A parametric study was performed on the magnitude and the frequency of in- and outflow cycles. Jet centerline velocities during inflow sequences were measured

The response of concrete gravity dams under seismic loads is a major concern of dam safety assessment in earthquake-prone areas. This study focuses on the seismic analysis of the tallest non-overflow monolith of Pine Flat Dam. The paper presents results of numerical modelling considering the effects of fluid-structure interaction for both linear and nonlinear analysis using accelerations records of the historical Taft earthquake and of an artificially designed Endurance Time Acceleration Function (ETAF). Li

The International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR) has set the objective of guarantying the upstream migration of the salmons up to Basel, Switzerland, at horizon 2020. One of the last dams to be equipped is the one of Rhinau, in France. T ...

Reservoir sedimentation is worldwide a problem and requires a sustainable solution. The idea of maintaining sediment in suspension by a jet induced artificial turbulence and releasing it through the water intake was tested in laboratory experiments. Therefore, two jet configurations and the influence of their geometrical parameters and the jet discharge on the sediment release were investigated: (i) a circular jet configuration with four jets arranged in a circle on a horizontal plane and (ii) a linear jet

The Kariba Dam is a 128 m high arch dam located on the Zambezi River, between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It forms the Kariba lake, with a surface of 5400 km2 and a capacity of 185 km3. In the 20 years following dam construction, heavy rainfalls required frequent ...

Depending on their characteristics and management, man-made reservoirs can have a significant impact on the natural sediment continuity of rivers. We classify different reservoir types and describe potential risks for the dam and downstream river reach. Ou ...

One of the key success factor for hydrological forecasts is the establishment of initial conditions that represent well the conditions of the simulated basin at the beginning of the forecast. Real-time Data Assimilation (DA) has been shown to allow improvi ...

Hydropower currently ensures two-thirds of Switzerland's domestic energy production and aims to gain more importance in the medium and long term due to nuclear abandon. In this respect, the Massongex-Bex-Rhone (MBR) run-of-river hydropower plant project on ...

The rail link between Geneva Cornavin Station, Eaux-Vives Station and Annemasse (CEVA) is currently under construction including a cut-and-cover tunnel built by slurry walls located in the alluvium of the Foron River. The covered trench cuts the groundwate ...

Typical sand trap flushing systems, such as Büchi and Dufour, require water volumes up to six times the deposited sediment volume for efficient flushing. Furthermore, complete sediment removal particularly in Dufour sand traps can only be realized with drawdown flushing, resulting in operation time and water loss. The objective of the described research project is to improve the flushing system of an existing Dufour sand trap. Numerical simulations, performed with two software packages ANSYS CFX and FLOW-3D

The 3rd correction of the Rhône River is the largest flood protection project in Switzerland so far. Covering a length of 162 km, it aims to protect some 100,000 people and prevent flood damages, which could raise up to 10 billion Swiss francs for major ev ...

Unsteady flows such as tsunamis, impulse waves and dam-break waves can lead to damages and human losses. Hence, specific research to limit casualties and reconstruction costs is needed. The complexity of the phenomena involved suggests that a hybrid experi ...

Bedload transport and driftwood in steep mountain streams can cause serious damage to local communities in the vicinity of watercourses. To prevent such damage, check dams are typically built to hold back sediment and driftwood. However, by completely inte ...

The 2050 Swiss Energy Strategy aims to increase the annual production of hydroelectricity by 4% while 90% of the technically feasible potential is already used. The flexibility of high-head storage power plants (HPP), the main pillar of Swiss peak electric ...

The ecological effects of dams on sediment and river flow have been subject to an increasing attention, leading to the implementation of mitigation measures such as environmental flow release and sediment replenishment. However, fine sediment dynamics have ...

This work is part of a project aiming at dimensioning a fishway for a hydroelectric power plant on the Rhine River. Here we only focus on the design of the fishway entrances, for which a physical model of the draft tubes and tailrace of the powerplant was ...

Velocimetry is used in various fields of research. In hydraulics, Ultrasonic Velocimetry based on the Doppler Shift effect can accurately resolve the quasi-instantaneous flow field [Takeda Y. Velocity profile measurement by Ultrasonic Doppler method. Exper ...

Densely populated and industrialized urban areas, characterized by impermeable surfaces are already subject to major flooding due to surface runoff. The risk is set to worsen with projected increases in extreme precipitation events. Existing runoff mapping tools prove to be inadequate for urban settings where intricate landscapes and infrastructure create complex water flow patterns requiring comprehensive modelling approaches. This study proposes a framework for identifying critical runoff mitigation zones

Giovanni De Cesare

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Numerical approach in the study of tsunami-like waves and comparison with experimental data

Effect of inclined jet screen on turbidity current

One- and two-dimensional UVP velocity sampling in a cuboidal basin subject to in- and outflow sequences

Seismic behavior of pine flat concrete gravity dam using microplane damage-plasticity model

Flow measurement for the design optimization of fish pass entries in a run of river hydropower plant

Fine Sediment release from a reservoir by controlled hydrodynamic mixing

Kariba plunge pool rehabilitation

The sediment challenge of Swiss river corridors interrupted by man-made reservoirs

Application of an Ensemble Kalman filter to a semi-distributed hydrological flood forecasting system in alpine catchments

Hybrid modeling of the Massongex-Bex-Rhône hydropower plant on the Rhone river in Switzerland

Vortex siphon - from 1:1 scale physical model to SPH simulation and prototype

Numerical simulation of a new sand trap flushing system

Bedload transport assessment on a physical model of a large river widening using ultrasonic Doppler velocity measurements

Experimental and numerical study on wave-impact on buildings

Design improvements for combined sediment-wood detention at mountain streams

Hybrid modeling and design review of throttled surge tanks

Reduction of riverbed clogging related to sediment flushing

Physical and 3D Numerical Simulations of the Flow in the Tailrace of a Hydroelectric Power Plant to Design Fishway Entries

Improvement of Acoustic Doppler Velocimetry in steady and unsteady turbulent open-channel flows by means of seeding with hydrogen bubbles

IDENTIFYING CRITICAL AREAS FOR RUNOFF MITIGATION IN SLOPED URBAN ENVIRONMENTS