This study considers environmental impacts and the power production potential of a number of coastally attached tidal lagoons, proposed along the North Wales coast, UK. Initially, the impoundment shape, turbine and sluice gate locations were modified according to the regional bathymetric data. A refined 0-Dimensional approach was implemented to optimise the lagoon operation, based on given turbine and sluice gate specifications. In turn, a two-dimensional numerical model, based on an unstructured triangular mesh, has been refined to simulate the hydrodynamic processes, initially without and subsequently in the presence of the lagoons. The hydrodynamic model adopts a TVD finite volume method to solve the 2D shallow water equations, based on a second-order accurate spatial and temporal numerical scheme. An encouraging performance is apparent in reproducing the established conditions encountered in the region through comparisons against available data. The incorporation of tidal lagoons in the model appears to have a considerable effect on the flow structure in the region, by inducing high velocity accelerations near the sluices and turbines, depending on the stage of the tidal cycle. Considering a two-way generation regime, it is outlined that the loss of intertidal regions can be minimised, which is a major source of concern with regards to the environmental impact of such schemes through an ebb-generation operation. Particular focus is directed towards the comparisons between the 0-D and 2-D modelling results, an aspect which has not been reported previously. Predictions of the models diverge as the scale of the lagoon project increases, but it is highlighted that the 0-D methodology can be utilised for the optimisation of the processes in the initial stages of design before proceeding to more sophisticated numerical model simulations
Pipeline distribution systems account for the vast majority of the physical infrastructure in the water and wastewater industry. Their effective management represents the primary challenge to the industry, from both an operational and public health standpoint. Biofouling is ubiquitous within these systems, and it can significantly impede their efficiency, through increase in boundary shear and associated flow resistance caused by characteristic change in surface dynamics. Nonetheless, conventional pipeline design practices fail to take into account such effects, partly because research findings that could contribute to upgrade and optimize design practices appear scattered in the literature, and are often offering conflicting views as to its causes. This makes it difficult for the adoption of adequate predictive and preventative measures. The aim of this review is to update and contribute to a better understanding of the development and impact of biofilms and biofouling within water management pipelines, particularly within the academia and the general engineering community. The review has confirmed that the potential impact of biofouling on pipeline performance can be significant and that current design approaches are outdated for biofouled surfaces. Further research on this topic is therefore, essential, to ensure that both current and future systems are as effective as possible, both environmentally and financially. In particular, more advanced mathematical modelling frameworks which include the dynamic and case-specific nature of biofouling should be developed. Such a framework could give rise to a real-time monitoring platform to assist the adoption of more cost-effective approaches to maintain and repair the system.
This paper presents a new freeware simulation tool (IberWQ) for 2D water quality modelling in rivers and non-stratified estuaries. The model computes the spatial and temporal evolution of several species and variables which are relevant for the evaluation of the environmental status of rivers and estuaries, including: Escherichia coli, dissolved oxygen, carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand, organic nitrogen, ammoniacal nitrogen, nitrate–nitrite nitrogen, water temperature and salinity. A depth-averaged transport equation is solved for each variable with a mass conservative unstructured finite volume solver. IberWQ is fully coupled to the hydrodynamic module of the software Iber, a freeware simulation tool for solving the 2D shallow water equations. Both models are integrated in the same windows graphical environment, including several tools which allow the user to generate unstructured meshes adapted to the site topography, define spatially variable input parameters and visualize model outputs. We present four application examples to illustrate the possibilities of the software for the dynamic simulation of water quality in rivers and estuaries.
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