Name

Flow Science

Legal name

Flow Science Incorporated

Website

https://flowscience.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hydraulic Engineering Consulting

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD)

Keywords

• Fluid flow analysis
• Hydraulic engineering consulting
• Waterhammer analysis
• Computational fluid dynamics
• Pipeline transient modeling

Headquarters

HQ city

Pasadena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Engineering Consulting Services: Flow Science generates revenue through specialty consulting engagements providing fluid flow analysis, hydraulic analysis, CFD analysis, waterhammer analysis, and water quality modeling services to municipal water/wastewater utilities, government agencies, and industrial clients. Revenue is derived from project-based consulting engagements rather than recurring software licensing.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Core offering

Flow Science Incorporated is a specialty engineering consulting firm that analyzes fluid motion and transport problems for the water and wastewater industry. Its core offerings are five integrated consulting services—Hydraulic Analysis, Pipeline Transients (pressure surge/waterhammer) Analysis, Water Quality Analysis, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), and Turbulent Mixing and Dispersion Analysis—delivered using proprietary NETWORK, SURGE, and FLOWMOD software, plus distribution rights to DYRESM-WQ and ELCOM/CAEDYM reservoir models. The firm has also commercialized a Battery Power Surge Mitigation (BPSM) system as a standalone surge-control technology.

Product overview

Flow Science is a specialty consulting firm, not a software product company. The company provides fluid flow analysis consulting services for the water/wastewater industry, founded in 1983. The core offerings consist of five integrated consulting services: Hydraulic Analysis, Pipeline Transients Analysis (surge/waterhammer analysis), Water Quality Analysis, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling, and Turbulent Mixing and Dispersion Analysis. A recent innovation is the Battery Powered Surge Mitigation (BPSM) system—a novel technology product for surge control using batteries coupled with pump controls. All services leverage the company's proprietary analysis software programs (NETWORK, SURGE, FLOWMOD) developed over 38+ years, along with licensed models including DYRESM-WQ and ELCOM/CAEDYM from the University of Western Australia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hydraulic Analysis Analysis of pipelines and hydraulic structures including open channel flows, hydraulic jumps, air entrainment, pumping wet wells, and gravity junction structures; addresses pump vibration and cavitation problems for water/wastewater utilities and government agencies.
• Pipeline Transients Analysis State-of-the-art pressure surge (waterhammer) analysis for water and wastewater systems using proprietary NETWORK and SURGE software developed over more than 30 years, for pipeline systems from 6 inches to 12 feet in diameter and from thousands of feet to hundreds of miles in interconnected length.
• Water Quality Analysis Analysis of water quality issues in reservoirs, lakes, and rivers using DYRESM-WQ (distributed by Flow Science, developed at the University of Western Australia) and FLOWMOD proprietary CFD software; covers reservoir mixing, destratification, and water quality modeling for utility and industrial clients.
• Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Detailed flow analyses within distribution storage reservoirs, clearwells, and aeration basins using proprietary CFD software (FLOWMOD); informs mixing system design and optimizes water quality through proper inlet/outlet configurations and baffle placement.
• Turbulent Mixing and Dispersion Analysis Engineering applications of turbulent mixing and dispersion theory for diffuser system design to meet NPDES requirements in coastal ocean, estuaries, and rivers; includes field studies using ICP-MS technology and modeling from 6,500 gpm to 840,000 gpm discharge flows.
• Battery Powered Surge Mitigation (BPSM) Novel battery-based surge control system coupled with pump controls that prevents waterhammer and pressure surges; senses power loss and activates controlled ramp-down of pumps, avoiding hydraulic surges, waterhammer, and vapor cavity formation, and providing load-shaving capability to reduce peak power consumption.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District saved $22 million by using spring-loaded sewage vacuum relief valves instead of pressurized surge tanks ($2.7M vs $24.9M present value cost)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• 174 Power GlobalminorOthers · 1 January 2020Con Edison and 174 Power Global announced a 100-MW/400-MWh battery project at a former fossil fuel plant in Astoria, Queens. Flow Science references this as an example of lithium ion battery viability for BPSM systems.
• Jacobs EngineeringcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerKing County (WA) is working with Jacobs Engineering and Flow Science in the design of a Battery Power Surge Mitigation (BPSM) system to solve potential wastewater overflow problems at the West Point Wastewater Treatment Plant.
• Black & VeatchminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFlow Science acted under agreement with Black & Veatch to use ELCOM model for water quality simulation within Boulder Basin for the Clean Water Coalition.
• Carollo EngineersminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFlow Science and Carollo Engineers conducted a line fill slam test to determine venting conditions for East Bay MUD's Main Treatment Plant outfall.
• Sierra Environmental ServicesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFlow Science was retained through agreement with Sierra Environmental Services to perform hydraulic transient analyses and surge suppression design for City and County of San Francisco Utilities Engineering Bureau.
• CDMminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFlow Science was contracted by CDM to perform CFD flow analysis of the North Basin of the Sunset Reservoir for San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.
• MWH UK Ltd.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFlow Science completed its first project under contract with MWH UK Ltd. on behalf of United Utilities Water PLC in Warrington, United Kingdom.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Black & Veatch: Global infrastructure engineering firm with major water expertise; has retained Flow Science as a subconsultant on Boulder Basin ELCOM modeling, reflecting both partnership and competitive overlap in reservoir water quality work.
• Jacobs Engineering: Large diversified EPC and consulting firm with a substantial water practice; named partner to Flow Science on the King County West Point BPSM project and a competitor for large hydraulic consulting programs.
• Tetra Tech: Large consulting and engineering firm with deep water resources and hydraulics practices serving the same municipal utility buyers; competes for large transient/hydraulic analysis scope and can bundle specialty work into broader programs.

Direct peers

• DHI Group: Denmark-based hydrology and hydraulics software/consulting firm behind MIKE by DHI, with surge/transient and water quality modeling tools directly analogous to Flow Science's NETWORK, SURGE, and FLOWMOD offerings.
• Alden Research Laboratory: Specialty hydraulic engineering and fluid dynamics consulting firm performing physical hydraulic modeling and CFD for water, wastewater, and industrial clients. Highly comparable to Flow Science in niche focus, project-based service model, and proprietary modeling tooling.
• Carollo Engineers: Largest US engineering firm dedicated exclusively to water and wastewater, with a hydraulic/transient analysis practice that competes head-to-head with Flow Science on pump station and pipeline surge work for utilities such as East Bay MUD.
• Brown and Caldwell: Water and environmental engineering consultancy offering hydraulic modeling, surge analysis, and CFD services to municipal utilities, with overlapping project types and client set.
• Hazen and Sawyer: Water and wastewater specialty engineering firm with in-house transient analysis and CFD capabilities serving the same municipal utility buyers as Flow Science, including pump station and reservoir design.
• Computational Hydraulics International (CHI): Specialty hydraulic and water quality modeling firm providing InfoWorks, ICM, and related modeling plus consulting services to water utilities; competes with Flow Science in CFD/reservoir water quality niches.

Emerging players

• Bentley Systems (OpenFlows HAMMER): Provider of OpenFlows HAMMER waterhammer/surge analysis software used by many of the same utilities Flow Science serves. Not a direct consulting peer but a competing delivery vehicle for the same analysis Flow Science performs with its proprietary NETWORK/SURGE code.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Flow Science