Tainan Hydraulics Laboratory

TAINAN HYDRAULICS LABORATORY

BRIEF HISTORY In 1949, the National Hydraulics Research Institute (NHRI), Ministry of Economics Affairs (MOEA), headed by Dr. Kuang-Tsai Chu, was moved from Nanking, China to Taiwan. The NHRI had donated part of their facilities and libraries to the Taiwan Provincial College of Engineering (TPCE; presently, the National Cheng Kung University; NCKU). At then, these two organizations have jointly established the Tainan Hydraulics Laboratory (THL) at TPCE campus on December the 12th of 1950. Following the leaderships of former directors Professor Chao Nee, Professor Frederick L.-W. Tang, and the current director, Professor Hwung-Hweng Hwung, THL had made its way to become one of the leading research institutes both nationally and internationally.

ORGANIZATION Coping with the public demands and corresponding to the national policies, THL has rapidly and greatly developed within the last decades. The proposed projects and the amount of works encountered have also been significantly increased. It therefore becomes more and more needed to establish new divisions and working groups in response to the demands. A world-class Hydraulic Modeling Laboratory, located in An-Nan Campus of NCKU, along with a total area of nearly 11 hectares, was constructed in 1998. The Land Subsidence Prevention and Reclamation Corps had been established, according to the collaboration agreements between the WRA, MOEA, and the THL, NCKU in 1998. The Water Quality Laboratory of the Field Investigation Division was licensed by the Environmental Protection Administration in 1999. In 2002, Water Problems Enterprise Information and Incubation Center was assigned, according to the treaty decorated by the WRA, MOEA and NCKU, to be founded under the guidance of THL. All these changes for THL are aimed at upgrading the level of researches and professional services, both to the public institutions and to the private sectors, for those who entrusted their projects to THL. Besides the Director and the Deputy Director, the laboratory (THL) consists of

10-11 seven divisions: (1) Administration Management, (2) Physical Modeling, (3) Numerical Modeling, (4) Field Investigations, (5) Database and Geographical Information System (GIS), (6) Land Subsidence Prevention and Reclamation Corps (LSPRC), (7) Water Problems Enterprise Information and Incubation Center (WPEIIC). Each division comprises a Chief, one/two Associate Chief, and several Researchers, Associate Researchers, Assistant Researchers, Engineers, and Assistants.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE The scopes of works for THL are listed as follows:

1. Physical Modeling Tests: The physical modeling tests include: (1) Hydrodynamic models; (2) Port, harbor, and marine layouts; (3) Stepped spillways; (4) Pump intakes; (5) Coastal structure models; (6) Rubble-mound breakwaters; (7) Caissons and Armored blocks; (8) Sediment transport models; (9) Beach profile developments; (10) Scour and deposition problems for coastal structures; (11) Coastal morphology developments; (12) Fundamental fluid dynamics; (13)Thermal diffusion models; (14) Breaking waves; Wave and jet interactions; (15) Two phase flows;

10-12 (16) Measurement system research 2.Numerical Modeling: The numerical modeling includes many aspects, such as: (1)Modeling of waves, currents and tides (2)Harbor resonance (3)Morphological modeling (4)Modeling of oil Slick Transport and thermal discharge (5)Water quality simulation and impact assessment (6)Ground water modeling (7)Rainfall runoff modeling (8)Modeling system for rivers and channels

3.GIS and Database Applications: GIS and database applications include: (1) Information and decision support systems, (2) Remote sensing data analysis, (3) 2-D and 3-D graphics, (4) Databases and Geographic information systems, (5) Web applications and Network analysis, (6) Real-time monitoring systems (7) System optimization

4. Field Investigations: Works for the field investigations will include: (1) Monitoring for Waves, Currents, and Tides; (2) Sediment transport and bed materials studies; (3) Topography measurement; (4) Water quality analysis; (5) Groundwater investigation; (6) Meteorological monitoring.

5. Land-Subsidence Prevention and Reclamation Corps (LSPRC): Duties of the LSPRC were set by the WRA, MOEA, those are: (1) Implementing the decisions made by “Land Subsidence Control

10-13 Committee” of WRA, MOEA. (2) Assisting the WRA to promote the land subsidence control related affairs for all city or county governments. (3) Assisting all city and county governments to plan and execute the land subsidence control related policies. (4) Assisting the WRA to review, subsidize, and supervise the land subsidence control related projects for all city and county governments, as well as to monitor and evaluate their effects and results. (5) Cooperating with the WRA to strengthen the professional knowledge and technologies of coastal engineering process; in addition to the soil and water resources conservation activities. (6) To conduct the hydro-geological investigations for groundwater resources development, as well as to establish the groundwater monitoring wells information database, well maintenance and management systems for all the wells constructed and distributed within the country. (7) To establish groundwater resources management system, and to assist the well owners, who have approved water right, in installing water measuring devices; as well as to issue the groundwater right soundly. (8) Assisting the WRA to conduct field investigations for hazards caused by land subsidence and taking the preventive measures against the land subsidence. (9) Assisting the WRA in conducting the public education programs, public relations, and holding conferences for public hearing. (10) To cooperate with the WRA in handling any other affairs related to land subsidence control act.

6. Water Problems Enterprise Information and Incubation center (WPEIIC): Missions of the WPEIIC are set by demands of water related industries, which include the research and development for new technology, and technology transferring for entrepreneurs: (1) Heading up to the global Knowledge-based Economy developing trend. (2) Initiating the actions on the national economic principles, Challenging the 2008, guidelines for measures and policies of national economic

10-14 development. (3) Switching on the actions according to the objectives concluded in the 2003 National Water Congress; namely to emphasize equally among the water resources development, reclamation and conservation, and to leading the public attention on both ecologic conservation and water resources exploitation.

FACILITIES Since 1993, after the An-Nan Campus of NCKU has been fully established, the THL has always been known for its newly constructed world-class Hydraulics Modeling Laboratory. All of the research and field investigation related facilities for THL include: (1) Two Wave flumes of dimensions in 300m (L) × 5m (W) × 5m (D), and 200m (L) × 5m (W) × 5m (D). (2) Three wave basins; one of the basins was constructed indoor and dimensioned in 150m (L) × 60m (W) × 1.5m (D). The others are constructed outdoor with dimensions for one in 50m (L) × 40m (W) × 1.2m (D), and the other in 40m (L) × 16m (W) × 0.8m (D) for thermal dispersion study. (3) Offshore observation platforms (4) Wave gauges and Ocean current meters (5) Total stations and Global positioning systems (6) Echo sounders and Side scanning sonar (7) Water Quality Laboratory (8) Meteorological stations

ACCOMPLISHMENTS Over the past 53 years, THL has published about 300 research papers, reports, and journal publications. Besides, THL can be very much proud of having more than 30 governmental institutes and agencies as its sponsors, which include Bureaus of Kaohsiung, Keelung and Taichung Harbors, Bureau of Industrial Developments, Central Weather Bureau, Taiwan Power Company, China Petroleum Company, and the Water Resources Agency, …etc. An average of approximately 13 projects were usually undertaken by THL, annually, with an

10-15 average amount of budget approximately 5.63 million U.S. dollars (according to the statistics from 1990 to 1998). Some renowned large-scale projects, such as Reclamation of Contaminated Industrial Districts, Wave Transformation Mechanism, Pilot Study for Harbor Resonance, Power Plant Cooling System Intake and Thermal Discharge, Numerical Modeling for Hydraulics, and Water Quality Modeling,…etc., are currently undertaken by THL.

GOALS AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT In 1993, the An-Nan Campus of NCKU was established. Land of the campus was purchased from the Taiwan Salt Industrial Cooperation, MOEA. All of THL’s laboratories and divisions were moved into the newly constructed research facilities on this campus in November, 2000. Since then, the THL has always been known for the newly constructed world- class Hydraulics Modeling Laboratory. Besides, THL has invited researchers and specialists in the related fields to joint the work force such that not only to develop the THL into a world-known research organization, but also begin a new era in the oceanic engineering, and the water resources and hydraulics related researches. Objectives of THL in the future are listed as follows: (1) To conduct the higher-level investigations in water resources and hydraulics, as well as the oceanic engineering for national economic planning and developing projects (2) Assisting the Water Resources Agency, MOEA, to integrate the Scientific- Technological proposals. (3) To establish the water resources and hydraulics, as well as the oceanic engineering databases and the relative geographical information systems for the domestic application purposes. (4) To support the related departments of NCKU in teaching, training, and conducting researches; such that to reach a higher standard research level, and to accomplish the goals of integrating the industries, government agencies, academia and other research related activities.