Laboratory of Optimization and Automation of Management in Water Engineering and Water Technologies

The laboratory operates at NUWGP in accordance with the rector's order No. 426 dated July 17, 2013, and the rector's order No. 1 dated January 11, 2020, and carries out its activities in accordance with the Regulations "On the Research Laboratory of Hydrodynamics of Near-Critical Flows," approved by the aforementioned order.

1. Areas of activity

1. Conducting fundamental research on near-critical flows of liquids.

2. Solving applied hydrodynamics problems of near-critical flows for specific operating conditions of various types of hydropower and hydraulic structures.

3. Conducting laboratory and field studies to determine hydrodynamic, kinematic and other characteristics of structures to find optimal solutions to various problems related to the design, construction, and operation of hydropower and hydraulic facilities.

4. Surveying rivers and adjacent areas to identify sites suitable for the construction of hydroelectric power stations.

5. Surveying the technical condition of hydraulic structures and the equipment of hydropower and hydraulic facilities.

6. Preparing passports and operating rules for hydroelectric power stations, reservoirs, and other hydroelectric and hydraulic facilities.

7. Consulting and providing assistance to production.

8. Raising the scientific and technical level of training for bachelor's, master's in the specialty 'Renewable Energy Sources and Hydropower' and PhD students of the relevant specialties.

2. Head and executors

• Scientific head of the laboratory— Ph.D., professor of the Department of Energy Ryabenko O.A.

• Executors:  
  Ph.D., associate professor Halich O.O.
  Ph.D., associate professor Tymoshchuk V.S.
  Cand.Sc., senior lecturer Herba O.V.
  PhD student Zaychuk R.M.
  PhD student Popruh P.V.

3. Scientific equipment

1. Installation for studying steady and unsteady operating modes of intake and discharge pipelines of HPPs and PSHPPs.

2. Installation for experimental research on near-critical flows of liquids.

3. Pressure derivation stand.

4. Installation for calibration of measuring instruments.

5. Energy stand for vertical model turbines.

6. Energy stand for horizontal model (natural) turbine.

7. Automated system for measuring depths and pressures in the studied water flow area.

4. Scientific results

4.1. Dissertation defenses (Doctor of Philosophy)

• Herba O.V."Improving the operating conditions and designs of hydraulic screw turbines for small hydropower plants," NUWGP, 2025.

4.2. Reports at international scientific and technical conferences

1. Halych O., Nowak P., Bilkova E., Riabenko O. Hydraulic modelling for environmentally friendly small hydropower: innovations and applications.XVIIII International Scientific Conference of Environmental and Climate Technologies. CONECT 2025. May 14–16, 2025, Riga, Latvia.

2. Riabenko O., Nowak P., Halych O., Vovk L. Innovative trends in the use of pumped storage power plants in the management of energy systems. Proceedings of International Conference and Exhibition HYDRO 2025 “Partnering for Global Solutions”, October, 22-24, 2025, Thessaloniki, Greece.

3. Riabenko O., Nowak P., Bilkova E., Halych O. The Role of Pumped Storage Power Plants in Ukrainian Energy Market Under Conditions of Military Conflict. XIX International Scientific Conference of Environmental and Climate Technologies. CONECT 2026. 13–15 May 2026, Riga, Latvia.

4.3. Scientific publications

1. Riabenko O., Halych, O., Tymoshchuk, V., Kliukha, O. Use of Near-critical Flows in the Operation of Hydropower and Water Management Facilities. Proceedings of CEE 2025. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, vol 781. Springer, Cham. 2025. P. 334-345. In: Blikharskyy, Z., Katunský, D., Lichołai, L. (eds) (Scopus).

   https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-06850-7_33

2. Halych O., Bilkova E., Nowak P., Riabenko O. A review on hydropower in Ukraine - its state, role in the energy system and potential for post-war recovery. Energy Strategy Reviews, Volume 62, 2025, 11 pp. 101997 (Scopus).

   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2025.101997

3. Ryabenko O.A., Popruh P.V., Poplavskyi D.M. Numerical modeling of the hydraulic regime of the upper reservoir of the Dniester HPP during the passage of the designed flood.Bulletin of NUWGP. Collection of scientific papers. Technical sciences. Issue No. 1 (109) 2025. P. 75-83.

4. Herba O.V., Halich O.O., Ryabenko O.O. Evaluation of the economic efficiency of using screw turbines on small rivers.Bulletin of NUWGP, series "Technical Sciences", issue 2 (110) 2025 — P. 121-130.

5. Ryabenko O., Sunichuk S., Zaychuk R., Pylypenko V. Using trapezoidal water meters to determine filtration losses of earthen dams.Journal "Hydropower of Ukraine", No. 1-4. 2025. P. 90-93. ISSN 1812-9277.

6. Riabenko O. Paradoxes and Equations for Conjugated Depths of Near-critical Fluid Flows with the Allowance of Non-hydrostatics in their Initial Cross Sections. International Journal of Fluid Mechanics Research 53(2):79-90. 2026.

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