AI & predictive analytics |
Hydro Pocket In close partnership with Voith, Ray Sono developed
Above: Masjed Suleyman Dam in Iran. There is great hope AI can help solve the country’s water crisis
and a 14.07% increase in power generation reliability. According to the authors, future research could
further refine these methodologies, explore additional optimisation techniques, and extend the framework’s applicability to other renewable energy systems. Overall, the integration of digital twins and deep learning provides a robust foundation for advancing the operational excellence and sustainability of hydropower plants.
To the rescue Located in one of the most arid regions of the world, Iran
is running out of water. In comparison to a worldwide average of 800mm, its average rainfall is 260mm per year, and with 90% of the country’s water being used for agriculture, effective water management is crucial. However, according to research by Professor John Abraham from Minnesota’s University of St. Thomas in the US, AI is providing solutions to help tackle this water crisis. Abraham has been working with Dr. Farzin Salmasi, a
water engineering professor at the University of Tabriz in Iran, along with a team of 20 Iranian researchers on the ground. And as their research published in the Iranian Journal of Science And Technology and IWA demonstrates, artificial intelligence can help Iran’s engineers improve water structure designs and better protect them.
Abraham specialises in the field of fluid mechanics, and his joint research work with Salmasi has looked at optimising the spillway of storage dams. The team has used computer models to train AI to analyse thousands of different designs and determine which ones will help Iranian engineers improve their water structures. Using AI to make their original ideas better, Salmasi says the joint research work has optimised the stepped spillway of storage dams with the aim of maximising energy dissipation, greatly contributing to the economisation of the designs With the world “in a race to improve the global water crisis because climate change is adversely affecting the planet’s precipitation patterns”, Abraham says they are hopeful their work will help Iran win its race - improving water management faster than the climate is changing. “I think we are going to win this race because we have jet power called AI,” he said. “What gives me hope is we are using these new AI techniques to speed up the optimisation process.”
AI, he believes, will give them the momentum they need for hope, progress, and a sustainable tomorrow.
18 February/March 2026 |
www.waterpowermagazine.com
a state-of-the-art IoT solution that enhances the digital capabilities of hydropower plants for greater efficiency and integration with smart grids. Called Hydro Pocket, this system-agnostic platform enables plant operators worldwide to optimise operations, manage data effectively, and reduce maintenance costs while ensuring operational insights are available in real time. At the beginning of March 2025, Voith successfully commissioned the first Hydro Pocket solution in Japan at the Ohsawagawa hydropower station. Previously, the system could only be monitored remotely via a closed circuit but this new software application enables monitoring from commonly used devices through the Internet, laying the groundwork for further modernisation. The pilot project was implemented in close cooperation with Fuji Electric, which serves as the local customer interface and provided technical support throughout the project. The implementation of the Hydro Pocket system
is reported to have revolutionised operations by providing real-time insights and supporting a more data driven approach. This has significantly improved efficiency and paves the way for future predictive analysis with more data and insights coming from the plant. The Hydro Pocket dashboard, delivered in Japanese, enables seamless local use and highlights the value of localised, customer-centric digital solutions. Plant owners can monitor, analyse and optimise their hydropower stations through a simple, cloud-based application. “Key benefits include faster decision-making,
increased performance and proactive issue resolution,” explains Dirk Fuchs, Head of HyService Digital & Automation at Voith Hydro. The real-time access plant data includes energy
production, plant operation status and grid connection status. Additionally, it provides historical trend charts, automated standard reports and combined operation and event data, transforming data into actionable insights.
References
Review of Artificial Intelligence Applications in Dams and Water Resources: Current Trends and Future Directions by Layth Abdulameer, Najah Mahdi Lateef Al-Maimuri, Ala Hassan Nama, Farhan Lafta Rashid, Hayder Ibrahim Mohammed, Ahmed Noori Ghani Al-Dujaili. Journal of Advanced Research in Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Sciences 128, Issue 2 (2025) 205-225. https://doi. org/10.37934/arfmts.128.2.205225
A review of artificial intelligence in dam engineering Wenxuan Cao, Xinbin Wu, Junjie Li, Fei Kang. Journal of Infrastructure Intelligence and Resilience 4 (2025) 100122.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iintel.2024.100122
Innovative framework for fault detection and system resilience in hydropower operations using digital twins and deep learning Jun Tan, Raoof Mohammed Radhi, Kimia Shirini, Sina Samadi Gharehveran, Zamen Parisooz, Mohsen Khosravi & Hossein Azarinfar. Scientific Reports | (2025) 15:15669 |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-98235-1
https://news.stthomas.edu/publication-article/can-ai-solve- irans-dire-water-crisis-global-research-has-the-answer/
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