Dr Andy Nichols

School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering

Senior Lecturer in Water Engineering and Director of General Engineering

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Profile picture of Close Up of Andy Nichols
A.Nichols@葫芦影业.ac.uk
+44 114 222 0256

Full contact details

Dr Andy Nichols
School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering
Room E108
Sir Frederick Mappin Building (Broad Lane Building)
Mappin Street
葫芦影业
S1 3JD
Profile

By developing new sensing and monitoring technologies, and new AI-driven asset management techniques, my research aims to improve water infrastructure management by reducing costs and risks, increasing safety, and maximising efficiency.

Dr Andrew Nichols


Andy joined the department in 2015 after working as a research associate on several industry and EPSRC-funded projects. He was appointed as a Lecturer for the new cross-faculty General Engineering interdisciplinary degree programme.

Part of Andy's research is dedicated to developing new sensing technology for the water industry, utilising optical, electrical, acoustic, and infrared principles. His expertise in instrumentation design facilitates the understanding of hydro-environmental processes. Additionally, he collaborates with companies to validate sensing technologies, and he serves as Chair of the Sensors for Water Interest Group (SWIG.org.uk).

Andy's research extends to investigating flowing water surfaces and developing technologies to measure them, enabling the identification of hydraulic processes. He aims to establish connections with other hydro-environmental processes such as greenhouse gas evasion, pollutant mixing, and sediment transport, resulting in international patents and national awards.

In addition to his work in the water industry, Andy specialises in novel machine learning-based methods for asset management. He has collaborated extensively with Network Rail on numerous projects focused on monitoring, modelling, and managing drainage infrastructure more effectively. His efforts aim to reduce failure and flood risks, safeguarding train operations and rail customers while enhancing overall asset management strategies. For his work in this field, he was awarded a Royal Academy of Engineering Industrial Fellowship.

His research spans from laboratory studies in collaboration with academic colleagues to field studies with industrial partners and local authorities. Andy's multidisciplinary approach and collaboration with industry partners underscore his commitment to addressing real-world challenges in engineering and environmental sciences.


Research interests

Water infrastructure

Sensor development

Infrastructure management

Asset degradation

Whole-life costing

Railway engineering

Publications

Journal articles

  • Cho Y-H, Dao MH & Nichols A (2022) . Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Kumar P, Legge A, Gregory DA, Nichols A, Jensen H, Ebbens SJ & Zhao X (2022) . JCIS Open, 5, 100044-100044. RIS download Bibtex download
  • (2022) . Journal of Hydraulic Research, 60(2), iii-iii. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wu Y, Tait S, Nichols A & Raja J (2021) . Journal of Infrastructure Systems, 27(3), 04021023-04021023. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Legge A, Nichols A, Jensen H, Tait S & Ashley R (2021) . Water Science & Technology. RIS download Bibtex download
  • (2021) . Journal of Hydraulic Research, 59(2), ciii-ciii. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Xie Z, Lin B, Falconer RA, Nichols A, Tait SJ & Horoshenkov KV (2021) . Journal of Hydraulic Research. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wang S, Corredor Garcia JL, Davidson J & Nichols A (2020) . Sensors, 20(20). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nichols A, Rubinato M, Cho Y-H & Wu J (2020) . Sensors, 20(12). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Rubinato M, Nichols A, Peng Y, Zhang J-M, Lashford C, Cai Y-P, Lin P-Z & Tait S (2019) . Water Science and Engineering, 12(4), 274-283. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Gabreil EO, Tait S, Nichols A & Dolcetti G (2019) . International Journal of Ocean and Coastal Engineering, 1(2). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Rojas Arques S, Rubinato M, Nichols A & Shucksmith J (2018) . Flow Measurement and Instrumentation. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Gabreil E, Tait S, Shao S & Nichols A (2018) . Journal of Hydraulic Research/De Recherches Hydrauliques. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Kazemi E, Nichols A, Tait S & Shao S (2017) . International Journal for Numerical Methods in Fluids, 83(1), 3-27. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Horoshenkov K, Van Renterghem T, Nichols A & Krynkin A (2016) . Applied Acoustics, 110, 13-22. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nichols A, Tait S, Horoshenkov K & Shepherd S (2016) . Journal of Hydraulic Research, 54(5), 516-526. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Krynkin A, Horoshenkov KV, Nichols A & Tait SJ (2014) . Review of Scientific Instruments, 85(11). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nichols A, Tait S, Horoshenkov K & Shepherd S (2013) . Flow Measurement and Instrumentation, 34, 118-126. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Horoshenkov KV, Nichols A, Tait SJ & Maximov GA (2013) . JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-EARTH SURFACE, 118(3), 1864-1876. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nichols A, Tait SJ, Horoshenkov KV, Shepherd SJ & Zhang Y (2013) . Water Practice and Technology, 8(3-4), 461-468. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Horoshenkov VK, Nichols A, Tait JS & Maximov AG (2011) . The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 130(4), 2436-2436. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nichols A, Horoshenkov KV, Tait SJ & Attenborough K (2011) . The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 130(4), 2513-2513. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nichols A, Attenborough K & Taherzadeh S (2011) . The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 129(3), EL89-EL93. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nichols A, Attenborough K, Taherzadeh S & Shepherd SJ (2010) . The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 128(4), 2327-2327. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nichols A, Horoshenkov KV, Tait SJ & Maximov G (2010) . The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 128(4), 2327-2327. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wu J, Nichols A, Krynkin A & Croft M () . Journal of Hydraulic Research, 1-15. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wu J, Nichols A, Krynkin A & Croft M () . Acta Geophysica. RIS download Bibtex download

Chapters

  • Nichols A, Williams K & Caswell H (2024) , ICE Handbook of Urban Drainage Practice (pp. 229-254). Emerald Publishing Limited RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wu Y, Nichols A & Tait S (2024) Use of sensors in hydrological-hydraulic model calibration, ICE Handbook of Urban Drainage Practice (pp. 404-410). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Kazemi E, Tait S, Shao S & Nichols A (2016) In Rowi艅ski P & Marion A (Ed.), Hydrodynamic and Mass Transport at Freshwater Aquatic Interfaces RIS download Bibtex download
  • Eiff O, Florens E & Moulin F (2014) , River Flow 2014 (pp. 287-292). CRC Press RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nichols A, Horoshenkov K, Tait S & Shepherd S (2014) , Fluid-Structure-Sound Interactions and Control (pp. 283-288). Springer Berlin Heidelberg RIS download Bibtex download

Conference proceedings papers

  • Kazemi E, Wu Y, Nichols A, Tait S & Raja J (2022) . Proceedings of the IAHR World Congress (pp 6658-6663) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wu JIAYI, Nichols A, Krynkin A & Croft M (2022) . Proceedings of the 39th IAHR World Congress, 19 June 2022 - 24 June 2022. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Kazemi E, Wu Y, Nichols A, Tait S & Raja J (2022) . Proceedings of the 39th IAHR World Congress, 19 June 2022 - 24 June 2022. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wu Y, Tait S, Nichols A & Raja J (2022) . Proceedings of the IAHR World Congress (pp 6601-6607) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wu J, Nichols A, Krynkin A & Croft M (2022) . Proceedings of the IAHR World Congress (pp 5119-5126) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wang S, Nichols A & Davidson J (2022) . Proceedings of the IAHR World Congress (pp 1843-1851) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wu J, Nichols A, Krynkin A & Croft M (2022) . PROCEEDINGS OF THE 39TH IAHR WORLD CONGRESS (pp 5119-5126) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nichols A & Garrard A (2018) A Teaching Sandwich Approach to Integrating Classroom and Practical Teaching. 5 TH Annual Symposium of the United Kingdom & Ireland Engineering Education Research Network: 鈥淭ime for Change鈥 Symposium Proceedings (pp 87-90). London, UK, 23 November 2017 - 24 November 2017. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nichols A, Brown S & Wood G (2018) Student-led online revision tools as an innovative assignment. 5 TH Annual Symposium of the United Kingdom & Ireland Engineering Education Research Network: 鈥淭ime for Change鈥 Symposium Proceedings (pp 117-117). London, UK, 23 November 2017 - 24 November 2017. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nichols A, Rojas Arques S, Rubinato M & Shucksmith J (2018) . Proceedings of the 5th IAHR Europe Congress 鈥 New Challenges in Hydraulic Research and Engineering (pp 785-786). Trento, Italy, 12 June 2018 - 14 June 2018. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Legge A, Jensen H, Tait S, Ashley R & Nichols A (2018) . Proceedings of the 5th IAHR Europe Congress - New challenges in hydraulic research and engineering (pp 727-728). Trento, Italy, 12 June 2018 - 14 June 2018. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Cho Y-H, Rubinato M & Nichols A (2017) The Kinect sensor as a tool for remote flow characterisation. Proceeding of the 37th IAHR World Congress, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 13-18 August, 2017 (pp 5600-5607), 13 August 2017 - 18 August 2017. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nichols A & Rubinato M (2016) Remote sensing of environmental processes via low-cost 3d free-surface mapping. Proceedings of the 4th IAHR Europe Congress - Liege, Belgium, 27 July 2016 - 29 July 2016. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Miozzo C, Marion A, Nichols A & Tait S (2016) (pp 210-217) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nichols A & Rubinato M (2016) (pp 186-192) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nichols A, Tait S & Horoshenkov K (2015) TURBULENT FLOW SURFACE DYNAMICS. PROCEEDINGS OF THE 36TH IAHR WORLD CONGRESS (pp 3032-3041) RIS download Bibtex download
  • (2014) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nichols A, Horoshenkov KV & Tait SJ (2014) Shallow gravel-bed river flows: The behaviour of the free surface and the flow information contained within. River Flow 2014 (pp 301-309) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nichols A, Horoshenkov K & Tait S (2014) (pp 301-309) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Xie Z, Lin B, Falconer R & Nichols A (2012) A cartesian grid method flow shallow water flows over a gravel bed. Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Hydroscience & Engineering, 4 November 2012 - 7 November 2012. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nichols A & Shepherd SJ (2012) Visualizing the variation in normality of a turbulent velocity field. River Flow 2012 - Proceedings of the International Conference on Fluvial Hydraulics, Vol. 1 (pp 85-89) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nichols A, Tait SJ & Horoshenkov KV (2012) Characterization of shallow flows using novel acoustic instrumentation. River Flow 2012 - Proceedings of the International Conference on Fluvial Hydraulics, Vol. 2 (pp 1285-1292) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nichols A, Tait S, Horoshenkov K, Shepherd S & Maximov G (2011) An airborne acoustic method to monitor the hydraulic characteristics of shallow water flows. 34th IAHR Congress 2011 - Balance and Uncertainty: Water in a Changing World, Incorporating the 33rd Hydrology and Water Resources Symposium and the 10th Conference on Hydraulics in Water Engineering (pp 817-824) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Horoshenkov KV, Nichols A, Tait SJ & Maximov G (2011) Ultrasonic characterisation of rough water surface in turbulent open channel flows. Proceedings of Forum Acusticum (pp 2451-2453) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nichols A, Horoshenkov K, Shepherd S, Attenborough K & Tait S (2010) Sonic Characterisation of Water Surface Waves. ADVANCES IN HYDRAULIC PHYSICAL MODELING AND FIELD INVESTMENT AND INVESTIGATION (pp 40-47) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nichols A, Legge A, Tait S, Jensen H & Ashley R () Characterisation of particles from food waste disposers and their expected behaviour in sewers. Proceedings of the 14th IWA/IAHR International Conference on Urban Drainage RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nichols A, Cho Y-H & Rubinato M () Sensing of free-surface patterns in opaque flows using Kinect. Proceedings of HydroSenSoft 2017 RIS download Bibtex download

Theses / Dissertations

  • Nichols A (2014) FREE SURFACE DYNAMICS IN SHALLOW TURBULENT FLOWS. RIS download Bibtex download

Preprints

  • Rojas-Arques S, Nichols A & Shucksmith JD (2022) , Research Square Platform LLC. RIS download Bibtex download
Research group

Water - Environmental Fluid Mechanics

SuDS (Sustainable Drainage Systems) and Urban Drainage

Water - Catchments & River Engineering

Resources, Infrastructure Systems & Built Environment

Grants

View all research projects

Co-UDLABS (Building Collaborative Urban Drainage research lab communities) is a Horizon 2020 project funded under the Research Infrastructures programme (INFRAIA-02-2020 - Integrating Activities for Starting Communities).

Hydro KTP

The KTP project, in collaboration with Hydro International, will deliver a system for monitoring sediment loads and predicting maintenance requirements in stormwater treatment technologies.

Teaching interests

Interdisciplinary engineering

Engineering design

Fluid mechanics

Teaching activities

Andy is the Director of General Engineering, a unique interdisciplinary course at 葫芦影业. Andy also teaches fluid mechanics and interdisciplinary design. Andy has developed and employed a number of novel techniques in his teaching, demonstrating these at pedagogical conferences and earning him several awards in recognition of his teaching excellence.

Professional activities and memberships
  • Chair of the Sensors for Water Interest Group (SWIG)
  • 21st Harold Jan Schoemaker Award for best paper in the Journal of Hydraulic Research
  • Outstanding Teaching Award in the 葫芦影业 Students Union Academic Awards 2018
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
  • Member of the  Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management
  • 葫芦影业 Early Career Researcher Scheme 2015
  • CIWEM new generations competition 2012 winner
  • IAHR UK young person鈥檚 paper competition 2012 winner
  • SWIG early career researcher competition 2012 winner
  • SET for Britain 2012 finalist
  • Royal Academy of Engineering Industrial Fellowship in Railway Drainage Infrastructure Management
PhD opportunities

Andy currently has capacity to take on a limited number of new PhD students. Please contact him directly if this is of interest.