Issues and directions in hydraulics

This book contains the proceedings of an ambitious colloquium aimed at pegging progress in the field of hydraulics by bringing into focus major issues and directions currently facing the advancement of that field. Whereas once it was relatively easy to get an overall sense of progress in hydraulics, now the immense number of conference and journal articles generated annually make that task almost overwhelming. This colloquium sought to address that dilemma by assembling experts in many pertinent areas of hydraulics and charging them with summarizing the current issues in their area and pointing out directions for further advancement. The result is this end-of-the-century snapshot of hydraulics presented by authorities from around the globe. The issues and directions in hydraulics, as covered by this book, cluster around the following general sets of considerations: assessment of progress in well-established, heavily researched areas; effective and relevant hydraulics education; opportunities and challenges in response to evolving societal interests in water-resource management, energy efficiency, and environmental well-being; possibilities created by instrument and computer-based innovations, and by developments in understanding and modeling fundamental aspects of fluid mechanics; and, interactions among diverse groups of professionals involved in related facets of a common overall interest, such as the wise management of a watershed or reach of a river, or the efficient production and use of energy. These issues and directions vary with regional perspectives, in accordance with local needs. The colloquium had a special personal facet. It was an occasion to celebrate the career of John Fisher Kennedy (1933-1991), an eminent hydraulician and former director of the hydraulics institute that organized the colloquium.