François Avellan

Expertise Hydrodynamics of turbines, pumps and pump-turbinesCavitationHydroacousticsNumerical flow simulations and experimental investigationsIEC 60193 Reduced Scale Physical Model Tests Expertise Hydrodynamics of turbines, pumps and pump-turbinesCavitationHydroacousticsNumerical flow simulations and experimental investigationsIEC 60193 Reduced Scale Physical Model Tests Mission The mission of the EPFL Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines is teaching, research and scientific service outreach in the field of hydrodynamics of rotating machines such as hydraulic turbines, pumps, pump-turbines. Theoretical modeling and both numerical simulation and experimental methods are investigated with a particular emphasis on the hydropower technology applications such as design, engineering, installation, control and operation of hydraulic machines. Prof. François Avellan, Eng. Dr., EPFL Emeritus Professor since 2020, graduated in Hydraulic Engineering Engineering from Ecole nationale supérieure d'hydraulique, Institut national polytechnique de Grenoble, France, in 1977 and, in 1980, got his doctoral degree in engineering from University of Aix-Marseille II, France. Research associate at EPFL in 1980, and director of the EPFL Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines from 1994 to 2020, he  was appointed Ordinary Professor in Hydraulic Machinery in 2003. Supervising 42 EPFL doctoral theses, he was distinguished by SHF, Société hydrotechnique de France, awarding him the "Grand Prix 2010 de l'hydrotechnique". His main research domains of interests are hydrodynamics of turbine, pump and pump-turbines including cavitation, hydro-acoustics, design, performance and operation assessments of hydraulic machines. Prof. Avellan was Chairman of the IAHR Section on Hydraulic Machinery and Systems from 2002 to 2012.He has conducted successfully several international ans Swiss collaborative research projects, involving key hydropower operators and suppliers, such as:Scientific Adviser for the XFLEX HYDRO  European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 857832;Coordination for the FP7 European project n° 608532 "HYPERBOLE: HYdropower plants PERformance and flexiBle Operation towards Lean integration of new renewable Energies" (2013-2017);Deputy Head of the Swiss Competence Center for Energy Research & Supply of Electricity (SCCER-SoE) to carry out innovative and sustainable research in the areas of geo-energy and hydropower for Phase I (2013-2016) and Phase II (2017, 2020).Principal investigator for the  EUREKA European research projects: N° 4150 and N° 3246, "HYDRODYNA, Harnessing the dynamic behavior of pump-turbines", (2003-2011), N° 1605, "FLINDT, Flow Investigation in Draft Tubes", http://flindt.epfl.ch/, (1997-2002). N° 2418, "SCAPIN, Stability of Operation of Francis turbines, prediction and modeling";Principal investigator for the  Swiss KTI/CTI research projects with GE Renewable Energy (anc. ALSTOM Hydro), Birr, ANDRITZ Hydro, Kriens, FMV, Sion, Groupe E, Granges-Paccot, Power Vision engineering, Ecublens and SULZER Pumps, Winterthur, and in the ETH Domain, HYDRONET Project for the Competence Center Energy and Mobility, PSI Villingen. Furthermore, he is involved in scientific expertise and independent contractual experimental validations of turbines and pump turbines performances for the main hydropower plants in the world. In recognition for his work as Convenor of the TC4 working group of experts in editing the IEC 60193 standard he received the "IEC 1906 Award" from the International Electrotechnical Commission. Teaching & PhD Past EPFL PhD Students Francisco Pereira, Christophe Bruttin, Christophe Arn, Roland Hirschi, Paul Bourdon, Gino Blommaert, Michaël Kaye, Jean-François Caron, Philippe Couty, Sonia Kvicinsky, Sebastiano Mauri, Jorge Alejandro Arpe Alca, Youcef Ait Bouziad, Lluis Ferrando Lopez, Mohamed Faiçal Guennoun, Alexandre Perrig, Christophe Nicolet, Elena Berca, Monica Iliescu, Philippe Ausoni, Alireza Zobeiri, Olivier Braun, Nicolas Ruchonnet, Stefan Berten, Sébastien Alligné, Steven Roth, Amirreza Zobeiri, Vlad Hasmatuchi, Andres Müller, Olivier Pacot, Ebrahim Jahanbakhsh, Christian Vessaz, Christian Landry, Arthur Favrel, Keita Yamamoto, Simon Pasche, Elena Vagnoni, João Nuno Gomes Borga Delgado, Joao Gomes Pereira Junior, Sebastián Camilo Leguizamón Sarmiento, Siamak Alimirzazadeh