Investigating the restoration of Lake Urmia using a numerical modelling approach

We assessed the effectiveness of multiple hydrologic restoration scenarios for Lake Urmia, as well as the variation of its salinity regime under no intervention, using a 2D shallow water model. Tested scenarios, proposed by Urmia Lake Restoration Program Committee, include: Preservation of current lake status (no intervention), complete closing of Shahid Kalantari causeway, dyke construction in the southern part of Lake Urmia, water transfer from Zarrinehrood River to Siminehrood River and reduction of agricultural water consumption by best agricultural practices. Results indicate that neither the closure of the causeway nor the construction of the southern dyke would significantly improve lake conditions when compared to preservation of current lake status. The water transfer alternative doesn’t seem to have any effect on the current lake conditions either. However, the reduction on water diversions by improving agricultural practices in the lake's basin leads to a partial restoration of the lake in terms of water level, surface area and volume. If current conditions persist, salinity in the northern part of Lake Urmia will reach supersaturation levels (340?g/L), generating further salt deposits.     

Is a sequencing batch biofilter granular reactor suitable for textile wastewater treatment?

The textile industry releases highly polluted and complex wastewaters, which are difficult to treat and require numerous treatment steps. Innovative technologies for on-site treatment at each factory would permit cost reduction. For this reason, we ran a laboratory-scale study to assess the suitability of a sequencing batch biofilter granular reactor (SBBGR) for textile wastewater treatment, testing four different types of wastewater. Results demonstrate that wastewater characteristics greatly affect the reactor efficiency. Hence, a pre-study is advisable to define the best operational conditions and the maximum treatment capability for the wastewater under analysis. Nevertheless, SBBGR is a valuable biological treatment, effective in the reduction of pollutant load with stable performances despite the variability in wastewater composition. Tests with ozone integration have demonstrated that it is possible to dose small quantities of ozone to obtain an effluent suitable for direct discharge. However, a dynamic ozone dosage should be used to optimize the process as the correct ozone dose strongly depends on the wastewater composition.     

Numerical modeling of solute transport in deformable unsaturated layered soil

The effect of soil stratification was studied through numerical investigation based on the coupled model of solute transport in deformable unsaturated soil. The theoretical model implied two-way coupled excess pore pressure and soil deformation based on Biot's consolidation theory as well as a one-way coupled volatile pollutant concentration field developed from the advection-diffusion theory. Embedded in the model, the degree of saturation, fluid compressibility, self-weight of the soil matrix, porosity variance, longitudinal dispersion, and linear sorption were computed. Based on simulation results of a proposed three-layer landfill model using the finite element method, the multi-layer effects are discussed with regard to the hydraulic conductivity, shear modulus, degree of saturation, molecular diffusion coefficient, and thickness of each layer. Generally speaking, contaminants spread faster in a stratified field with a soft and highly permeable top layer; soil parameters of the top layer are more critical than the lower layers but controlling soil thicknesses will alter the results. This numerical investigation showed noticeable impacts of stratified soil properties on solute migration results, demonstrating the importance of correctly modeling layered soil instead of simply assuming the averaged properties across the soil profile.     

Variability of Water Resource in the Yellow River Basin of Past 50 Years, China

We use Mann–Kendall trend test and Lepage method to study spatial and temporal variations of the streamflow series over the past 50 years based on daily hydrologic data from six gauging stations in the Yellow River basin. Research results indicate that: (1) The streamflow of the Yellow River basin is decreasing and water resource deficit tends to be more serious from the upper to the lower Yellow River basin; (2) Zero-flow days are observed after 1970 and overwhelmingly prevail during 1990–2000. Moreover, zero-flow events are observed mainly during spring and summer; (3) Low flow events are more sensitive to climatic changes and human activities when compared to the high flow events, which is mainly reflected by larger fluctuation of timing of change points. Furthermore, the timing of change point of hydrologic events tends to be earlier from the upper to the lower Yellow River basin, indicating more intensive impacts of human activities on water resource in the lower Yellow River basin. The current research will be greatly helpful for sound and effective water resource management in the Yellow River basin, being characterized by serious water deficit.     

Flow of a micropolar fluid in a micro-channel under the action of an alternating electric field: Estimates of flow in bio-fluidic devices

The paper is devoted to a study of the electro-osmotic flow of a micropolar bio-fluid, when the flow takes place between two plates that are in a state of periodic vibrations. Considering blood as a micropolar fluid, it is found that the amplitude of oscillation of the microparticles of blood increases when the micropolar effect is pronounced more and more and that a rise in DebyeHückel parameter enhances both the velocity and microrotation gradient. The results provide guidelines for the improvement of design of bio-sensing and micro-fluidic devices. The study leads to the conclusion that electrical double layers formed in the vicinity of the wall can significantly alter the flow dynamics of physiological fluids in micro-bio-fluidic devices.     

Performance of enviss? stormwater filters: results of a laboratory trial

An experimental study was undertaken by Monash University to develop and test enviss? stormwater treatment and harvesting technologies - non-vegetated filtration systems with an extremely low footprint. This paper focuses on the water quality and hydraulic performance of two systems tested over a 'year' of operation in a Melbourne climate: (1) REUSE enviss? filters, designed for stormwater harvesting systems for non-potable supply substitution, and (2) WSUD enviss? filters, developed to treat urban stormwater prior to discharge to downstream systems. The presence of chlorine as a disinfection agent proved to be very efficient for the removal of microorganisms in REUSE enviss? filters. WSUD enviss? filters had the benefit of providing an elevated nutrient treatment performance, due to an extended depth of filter media. However, nutrient outflow concentrations (total nitrogen (TN) in particular) were found to increase during the testing period. Also, extended dry weather periods were found to have a detrimental effect on the treatment performance of almost all pollutants for both filters (nutrients, Escherichia coli and heavy metals). Although hydraulic conductivity results indicated two or three sediment trap replacements per year are required to maintain filtration rates, it is expected that the compressed loading rate schedule overestimated this maintenance frequency.     

Use of a stable carbon isotope to assess the efficiency of a drinking water treatment method with CO?

CO? gas with a special isotopic signature (δ13C = -35.2‰ vs. VPDB) was used as a marker to evaluate the efficiency of a drinking water treatment method and the effect of an ultrasonic (US) stirrer. This treatment was developed to prevent precipitation and corrosion effects in water-supply systems. The research work was performed using a laboratory-scale pilot plant that was filled with tap water. The stable isotope analyses of δ13C-DIC (Dissolved Inorganic Carbon) in the water samples indicated that the maximum content of added CO? gas in DIC was in the range of 35 to 45%. The use of the US stirrer during the entire experiment decreased the method's overall efficiency by 10%, due to degassing at a late stage of the experiment but accelerated the dissolution process in the early experimental stage.     

Effect of compressive stress on the dispersion relation of the flexural–gravity waves in a two-layer fluid with a uniform current

The explicitly analytical solution is derived for the dispersion relation of the flexural–gravity waves in a two-layer fluid with a uniform current. The upper fluid is covered by a thin plate with the presence of the elastic, compressive and inertial forces. The density of each of the two immiscible layers is constant. The fluids of finite depth are assumed to be inviscid and incompressible and the motion be irrotational. A linear system is established within the framework of potential theory. A new representation for the dispersion relation of flexural–gravity waves in a two-layer fluid is derived. The critical value for the compressive force is analytically determined. The dispersion relation for the capillary–gravity with an inertial surface in a two-layer fluid can be obtained in parallel. Some known dispersion relations can be recovered from the present solution.     

The role of groundwater in loading of nutrients to a restricted bay in a Precambrian Shield lake Part 2. – Numerical modeling

Previous modeling of hydrologic and nutrient budgets of lakes in Precambrian Shield regions have generally ignored groundwater as a source of water and supplier or sink of nutrients. This paper and its companion (Part 1) address this science gap by probing the role of groundwater in the nutrient balance for a restricted bay of a Precambrian Shield lake (Lake of the Woods) that experienced extensive shoreline development in the 1990s. Based on field data (Part 1), we applied a 3D reactive transport model (FEFLOW) to simulate the fate of nutrients in a cottage septic plume in groundwater and seepage into the bay. Corresponding simulations are for chloride and septic tracers in the plume, and 1D modeling of the mass balance of one septic tracer (acesulfame) in the bay. Our results suggest that, before they reach the lake, significant portions of the septic plume contaminants are attenuated by various processes, including uptake by transpiring plants. Extrapolating, we estimate that, for annual fluxes to the bay, groundwater seepage contributes ~1–3% of the phosphorus (P) and ~2–5% of the dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN). The results suggest that these groundwater nutrient fluxes to the bay are derived mainly from natural background sources. In contrast, cottage septic plumes contribute a quarter of the groundwater flux of DIN to Poplar Bay, while the septic contribution of P to the bay is negligible. We estimate that the largest sources of P and DIN fluxes to Poplar Bay are influx from the open lake and atmospheric deposition.     

Stability of a tumblehome hull under the dead ship condition

Some methods for direct stability assessment under the dead ship condition were currently developed by the international maritime organization(IMO)under the Second Generation Intact Stability Criteria.Model tests and simulations are carried out to validate the numerical methods used in assessing the stability under the dead ship condition.This is done in three stages.Firstly,the uncoupled roll mathematical model(1 DOF)is adopted to calculate the roll motion based on the irregular beam waves and the steady wind.Secondly,a drift free experiment is conducted to measure the roll motion under irregular beam waves with zero speed,and then two restrained experiments with counter weights and four springs are performed under the same condition.Finally,the effects of the drift and sway motions on stability under the dead ship condition are then verified by experimental results,and the results of the numerical methods are compared to the results of the model experiments.It is concluded that more accurate numerical methods could be developed for assessing the direct stability under the dead ship condition.     

Social impacts of a large-dam construction: the case of Castanhão,Brazil

ABSTRACT

Castanhão Dam, a mega-water-management work in Brazil, was built – according to the official reasoning – to reduce water scarcity and boost the economy. It compulsorily displaced over 10,000 people, whose satisfaction with the new standard of living, a decade after the resettlement, was marginally negative, contrasting with the pre-construction expectations. The government invested almost exclusively in infrastructure, signaling that their focus was the corporations, not the displaced citizens. Despite the improved water availability, the quality of life did not improve for the directly affected societal groups, indicating that water scarcity is not the main development hindrance in the Brazilian semi-arid region.     

Public–private partnerships for water in Asia: a review of two decades of experience

This article reviews the development of public–private partnerships (PPP) in water services in Asia over the last two decades and situates the Asian experience within the wider global context. Through a comparative analysis of PPP data from two different sources, the article highlights the critical issue of how ‘private’ is defined in understanding the extent of PPP in Asia, due to the important role played by enterprises under mixed public and private ownership. The article identifies cyclical patterns of development of PPP in the water sector across countries and the use of hybrid contractual and institutional arrangements for PPPs.     

Assessment of Cyclic and Asynchronous River Flow Patterns of the Angara – Yenisei and Volga – Kama Cascades as a Condition for a Possible HHP Operation Using a Compensated Energy Generation Mode

Power Technology and Engineering - The assessment of cyclic river flow fluctuations of the Angara – Yenisei and Volga – Kama cascades was performed to reveal the streamflow variation...     

Adsorption study of a commonly used antidepressant drug, fluoxetine hydrochloride, onto a crosslinked β-cyclodextrin-carboxymethylcellulose polymer

A study was carried out by ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies to establish the efficiency of adsorption of fluoxetine hydrochloride (FLU), onto a crosslinked β-cyclodextrin-carboxymethylcellulose (β-CD-CMC) polymer. The adsorption was performed in mixtures containing aqueous FLU solution at 20 mg/L and 0.01-0.30 g of the β-CD-CMC polymer, at 25 °C, and atmospheric pressure under stirring. The results have revealed that the adsorption is a rapid process and the polymer possesses a high affinity for FLU with an adsorption capacity of 5.076 mg of FLU/g of polymer. This adsorption may involve the formation of a stable inclusion compound β-CD-CMC/FLU through the penetration of the FLU aromatic ring (A and/or B) into the β-CD cavity, and a physical adsorption with the polymer network. The inclusion compound can be stabilized by the formation of H-bonds between the -CF(3) group of FLU and the 6'-OH group of β-CD, and van der Waals interactions between the FLU aromatic ring and β-CD cavity. The data from a kinetic study have also indicated that the adsorption process was well described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, in which the initial adsorption rate and constant were estimated at 1.938 mg/g min and 0.075 g/mg min, respectively. Moreover, the results of adsorption equilibrium fitted the Freundlich isotherm, indicating a multilayer coverage and heterogeneous surface. Together, these results suggest that the adsorption of FLU onto the crosslinked β-CD-CMC polymer could constitute an advantageous technology for removing this commonly used antidepressant drug from wastewater due to the high adsorption capacity of the polymer and non-toxic character of β-CD to humans and environment.     

Capillary effect on the sloshing of a fluid in a rectangular tank submitted to sinusoidal vertical dynamical excitation

Surface tension effects on fluid sloshing in a tank subjected to external excitation has been less studied. This work aims at understanding this phenomenon in order to derive practical solutions to problems faced in several engineering. A tank containing a fluid with a free surface is submitted to gravity and capillary forces and subject to external dynamic excitation. Introduction of vertical sinusoidal dynamical excitation leads to a problem of paramtric oscillations governed by the Mathieu equation. Analysis of the Mathieu equation shows the existence of stable and unstable regions in the stability diagram. Some results induced by harmonic excitations on the fluid sloshing are presented. When the external dynamical excitation amplitude ~ is small, periodic solutions appear in stable regions and when e increases, the fluid behavior is not perfectly periodic and the amplitudes are not regular. Nonlinear effects make the behavior of the fluid complicated and render it almost unpredictable. In stable regions, the solution remains bounded at any time. When changing the perturbation parameter 6, the phase difference increases and also with the increase of the surface tension.     

Financial performance of India’s irrigation sector: a historical analysis

Abstract

India’s public irrigation sector is one of the largest in the world in terms of number of large reservoirs, total storage capacity and irrigated area. But poor financial performance has been threatening its sustainability. Hence, many changes have been introduced in the area of water pricing over the years. But studies that focus on the issue of financial recovery are scanty. Analysis presented in the article shows that despite a substantial increase in area under irrigation, there has been a consistent decline in revenue generated from irrigation fee collection across states. The recovery rate of irrigation fees has been better in less developed states than in more developed states.     

Homotopy-based analytical approximation to nonlinear short-crested waves in a fluid of finite depth

A nonlinear short-crested wave system, consisting of two progressive waves propagating at an oblique angle to each other in a fluid of finite depth, is investigated by means of an analytical approach named the homotopy analysis method(HAM). Highly convergent series solutions are explicitly derived for the velocity potential and the surface wave elevation. We find that, at every value of water depth, there is little difference between the kinetic energy and the potential energy for nonlinear waves. The nonlinear short-crested waves with a larger angle of incidence always contain the more potential wave energy. With the aid of the HAM, we obtain the dispersion relation for nonlinear short-crested waves. Furthermore, it is shown that the wave elevation tends to be smoothened at the crest and be sharpened at the trough as the water depth increases, and the wave pressure crests and troughs become steeper with increasing incident wave steepness.     

Stability of fluid flow in a Brinkman porous medium–A numerical study

The stability of fluid flow in a horizontal layer of Brinkman porous medium with fluid viscosity different from effective viscosity is investigated. A modified Orr-Sommerfeld equation is derived and solved numerically using the Chebyshev collocation method. The critical Reynolds number cRe, the critical wave number αc and the critical wave speed cc are computed for various values of porous parameter and ratio of viscosities. Based on these parameters, the stability characteristics of the system are discussed in detail. Streamlines are presented for selected values of parameters at their critical state.     

An expert system for predicting shear stress distribution in circular open channels using gene expression programming

The shear stress distribution in circular channels was modeled in this study using gene expression programming (GEP). 173 sets of reliable data were collected under four flow conditions for use in the training and testing stages. The effect of input variables on GEP modeling was studied and 15 different GEP models with individual, binary, ternary, and quaternary input combinations were investigated. The sensitivity analysis results demonstrate that dimensionless parameter y/P, where y is the transverse coordinate, and P is the wetted perimeter, is the most influential parameter with regard to the shear stress distribution in circular channels. GEP model 10, with the parameter y/P and Reynolds number (Re) as inputs, outperformed the other GEP models, with a coefficient of determination of 0.7814 for the testing data set. An equation was derived from the best GEP model and its results were compared with an artificial neural network (ANN) model and an equation based on the Shannon entropy proposed by other researchers. The GEP model, with an average RMSE of 0.0301, exhibits superior performance over the Shannon entropy-based equation, with an average RMSE of 0.1049, and the ANN model, with an average RMSE of 0.2815 for all flow depths.