The Effects of Constructing a Barrage across the Tawe Estuary

1984 ◽  
Vol 16 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 463-475
Author(s):  
T W Broyd ◽  
A G Hooper ◽  
R S W M Kingsbury

A proposed barrage across the tidal reaches of the R. Tawe, South Wales, was modelled to simulate its effect on the environment. Both computer and physical models were prepared, tested and run for a variety of tidal and fresh water flow conditions. A comprehensive data review identified further information essential for model calibration and information. Field surveys to gather physical, chemical and biological information were performed as part of the overall study. The numerical models predicted hydrodynamic and pollutant behaviour upstream of the barrage and sedimentation effects downstream. The physical model was used for navigational effects and for identifying problems during the construction phase. The study revealed that conditions would change but not significantly deteriorate provided that certain remedial actions were taken.

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 458
Author(s):  
Drew C. Baird ◽  
Benjamin Abban ◽  
S. Michael Scurlock ◽  
Steven B. Abt ◽  
Christopher I. Thornton

While there are a wide range of design recommendations for using rock vanes and bendway weirs as streambank protection measures, no comprehensive, standard approach is currently available for design engineers to evaluate their hydraulic performance before construction. This study investigates using 2D numerical modeling as an option for predicting the hydraulic performance of rock vane and bendway weir structure designs for streambank protection. We used the Sedimentation and River Hydraulics (SRH)-2D depth-averaged numerical model to simulate flows around rock vane and bendway weir installations that were previously examined as part of a physical model study and that had water surface elevation and velocity observations. Overall, SRH-2D predicted the same general flow patterns as the physical model, but over- and underpredicted the flow velocity in some areas. These over- and underpredictions could be primarily attributed to the assumption of negligible vertical velocities. Nonetheless, the point differences between the predicted and observed velocities generally ranged from 15 to 25%, with some exceptions. The results showed that 2D numerical models could provide adequate insight into the hydraulic performance of rock vanes and bendway weirs. Accordingly, design guidance and implications of the study results are presented for design engineers.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maha Mdini ◽  
Takemasa Miyoshi ◽  
Shigenori Otsuka

<p>In the era of modern science, scientists have developed numerical models to predict and understand the weather and ocean phenomena based on fluid dynamics. While these models have shown high accuracy at kilometer scales, they are operated with massive computer resources because of their computational complexity.  In recent years, new approaches to solve these models based on machine learning have been put forward. The results suggested that it be possible to reduce the computational complexity by Neural Networks (NNs) instead of classical numerical simulations. In this project, we aim to shed light upon different ways to accelerating physical models using NNs. We test two approaches: Data-Driven Statistical Model (DDSM) and Hybrid Physical-Statistical Model (HPSM) and compare their performance to the classical Process-Driven Physical Model (PDPM). DDSM emulates the physical model by a NN. The HPSM, also known as super-resolution, uses a low-resolution version of the physical model and maps its outputs to the original high-resolution domain via a NN. To evaluate these two methods, we measured their accuracy and their computation time. Our results of idealized experiments with a quasi-geostrophic model [SO3] show that HPSM reduces the computation time by a factor of 3 and it is capable to predict the output of the physical model at high accuracy up to 9.25 days. The DDSM, however, reduces the computation time by a factor of 4 and can predict the physical model output with an acceptable accuracy only within 2 days. These first results are promising and imply the possibility of bringing complex physical models into real time systems with lower-cost computer resources in the future.</p>


2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 234-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vadims Goremikins ◽  
Dmitrijs Serdjuks ◽  
Karina Buka-Vaivade ◽  
Leonids Pakrastins ◽  
Nikolai Vatin

Cable truss usage allows developing bridges with reduced requirements for girder stiffness, where overall bridge rigidity is ensured by prestressing of the stabilization cable. The advantages of prestressed suspension trusses to provide required stiffness without massive stiffness girders and the ability of cross-laminated timber to behave in both directions are combined in the analysed structure. Prestressed cable truss with coincident (unclear meaning, difficult to translate) in the centre point of the span main and stabilization cables and vertical suspenders only was considered as the main load carrying system in the considered structure of suspension bridge. Two numerical models evaluated influence of cross-laminated timber deck on the behaviour of prestressed cable truss. Two physical models of the structure with the span equal to 2 m were developed for verification of the numerical models. The first physical model was developed for the case, when panels of the deck are placed without clearances and behaving in the longitudinal direction in compression so as in the transversal direction in bending. The second physical model was developed for the case when panels of the deck are placed with clearances and are behaving in the transverse direction in bending only. The dependences of maximum vertical displacements and horizontal support reaction of the cable truss on the intensity of vertical load in cases of symmetric and unsymmetrical loading were obtained for both physical models. Possibility to decrease the cable truss materials consumption by 17% by taking into accountcombined work of prestressed cable trusses and cross-laminated timber panels was stated.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. 217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah E Williams ◽  
Riccardo Briganti ◽  
Alessandro Romano ◽  
Nicholas Dodd

Most physical model tests carried out to quantify wave overtopping are conducted using a wave energy spectrum, which is then used to generate a free surface wave time series at the wave paddle. This method means that an infinite number of time series can be generated, but, due to the expense of running physical models, often only a single time series is considered. The aim of this work is to investigate the variation in the main overtopping measures when multiple wave times series generated from the same spectrum are used. Physical model tests in a flume measuring 15 m (length) by 0.23 m (width) with an operating depth up to 0.22 m were carried out using a stochastic approach on two types of structures (a smooth slope and a vertical wall), and a variety of wave conditions. Results show variation of overtopping discharge, computed by normalising the range of the discharges at a certain wave condition with the maximum value of the discharge in the range up to 10 % , when the same wave time series is used, but this range increases to 75 % when different time series are used. This variation is found to be of a similar magnitude to both the one found with similar experiments looking at the phenomena in numerical models, and that specified by the confidence bounds in empirical methods.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liwei Cao ◽  
Danilo Russo ◽  
Vassilios S. Vassiliadis ◽  
Alexei Lapkin

<p>A mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) formulation for symbolic regression was proposed to identify physical models from noisy experimental data. The formulation was tested using numerical models and was found to be more efficient than the previous literature example with respect to the number of predictor variables and training data points. The globally optimal search was extended to identify physical models and to cope with noise in the experimental data predictor variable. The methodology was coupled with the collection of experimental data in an automated fashion, and was proven to be successful in identifying the correct physical models describing the relationship between the shear stress and shear rate for both Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids, and simple kinetic laws of reactions. Future work will focus on addressing the limitations of the formulation presented in this work, by extending it to be able to address larger complex physical models.</p><p><br></p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 10677
Author(s):  
Ronghui Ye ◽  
Jun Kong ◽  
Chengji Shen ◽  
Jinming Zhang ◽  
Weisheng Zhang

Accurate salinity prediction can support the decision-making of water resources management to mitigate the threat of insufficient freshwater supply in densely populated estuaries. Statistical methods are low-cost and less time-consuming compared with numerical models and physical models for predicting estuarine salinity variations. This study proposes an alternative statistical model that can more accurately predict the salinity series in estuaries. The model incorporates an autoregressive model to characterize the memory effect of salinity and includes the changes in salinity driven by river discharge and tides. Furthermore, the Gamma distribution function was introduced to correct the hysteresis effects of river discharge, tides and salinity. Based on fixed corrections of long-term effects, dynamic corrections of short-term effects were added to weaken the hysteresis effects. Real-world model application to the Pearl River Estuary obtained satisfactory agreement between predicted and measured salinity peaks, indicating the accuracy of salinity forecasting. Cross-validation and weekly salinity prediction under small, medium and large river discharges were also conducted to further test the reliability of the model. The statistical model provides a good reference for predicting salinity variations in estuaries.


2011 ◽  
Vol 90-93 ◽  
pp. 2363-2371
Author(s):  
Bin Wei Xia ◽  
Ke Hu ◽  
Yi Yu Lu ◽  
Dan Li ◽  
Zu Yong Zhou

Physical models of layered rock mass with different dip angles are built by physical model test in accordance with the bias failure characteristics of surrounding rocks of layered rock mass in Gonghe Tunnel. Bias failure characteristics of surrounding rocks in thin-layered rock mass and influences of layered rock mass dip angle on stability of tunnel are studied. The research results show that failure characteristics of physical models generally coincide with those of surrounding rocks monitored from the tunnel site. The failure regions of surrounding rock perpendicular to the stratification planes are obviously larger than those parallel to. The stress distributions and failure characteristics in the surrounding rocks are similar to each physical model of different dip angles. The stress distributions and failure regions are all elliptic in shape, in which the major axis is in the direction perpendicular to the stratification planes while the minor axis is parallel to them. As a result, obvious bias failure of surrounding rocks has gradually formed. The physical model tests provide reliable basis for theoretical analysis on the failure mechanism of deep-buried layered rock mass.


Author(s):  
Raja Abou Ackl ◽  
Andreas Swienty ◽  
Flemming Lykholt-Ustrup ◽  
Paul Uwe Thamsen

In many places lifting systems represent central components of wastewater systems. Pumping stations with a circular wet-pit design are characterized by their relatively small footprint for a given sump volume as well as their relatively simple construction technique [1]. This kind of pumping stations is equipped with submersible pumps. These are located in this case directly in the wastewater collection pit. The waste water passes through the pump station untreated and loaded with all kind of solids. Thus, the role of the pump sump is to provide an optimal operating environment for the pumps in addition to the transportation of sewage solids. Understanding the effects of design criteria on pumping station performance is important to fulfil the wastewater transportation as maintenance-free and energy efficient as possible. The design of the pit may affect the overall performance of the station in terms of poor flow conditions inside the pit, non-uniform und disturbed inflow at the pump inlet, as well as air entrainment to the pump. The scope of this paper is to evaluate the impact of various design criteria and the operating conditions on the performance of pump stations concerning the air entrainment to the pump as well as the sedimentation inside the pit. This is done to provide documentation and recommendations of the design and operating of the station. The investigated criteria are: the inflow direction, and the operating submergence. In this context experiments were conducted on a physical model of duplex circular wet pit wastewater pumping station. Furthermore the same experiments were reproduced by numerical simulations. The physical model made of acrylic allowed to visualize the flow patterns inside the sump at various operating conditions. This model is equipped with five different inflow directions, two of them are tangential to the pit and the remaining three are radial in various positions relative to the pumps centerline. Particles were used to enable the investigation of the flow patterns inside the pit to determine the zones of high sedimentation risk. The air entrainment was evaluated on the model test rig by measuring the depth, the width and the length of the aerated region caused by the plunging water jet and by observing the air bubbles entering the pumps. The starting sump geometry called baseline geometry is simply a flat floor. The tests were done at all the possible combinations of inflow directions, submergence, working pump and operating flow. The ability of the numerical simulation to give a reliable prediction of air entrainment was assessed to be used in the future as a tool in scale series to define the scale effect as well as to analyze the flow conditions inside the sump and to understand the air entrainment phenomenon. These simulations were conducted using the geometries of the test setup after generating the mesh with tetrahedral elements. The VOF multiphase model was applied to simulate the interaction of the liquid water phase and the gaseous air phase. On the basis of the results constructive suggestions are derived for the design of the pit, as well as the operating conditions of the pumping station. At the end recommendations for the design and operating conditions are provided.


2014 ◽  
Vol 905 ◽  
pp. 348-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nuryazmeen Farhan Haron ◽  
Wardah Tahir

This paper reviews the physical models that had been used in order to conduct the experiment of estuarine salinity intrusion into rivers. Several studies used the physical models to get a better understanding of the estuary salinity mixing process and salt-wedge estuary characteristics along the flume. Besides, the laboratory investigations using the physical model also useful for verification purposes as discussed by previous researchers.


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