Simulation of open channel flows by an explicit incompressible mesh-free method

In this study,to simulate open channel flows,an explicit incompressible mesh-free method is employed in which the pressure field is obtained by explicitly solving the pressure Poisson equation.To capture the velocity information in open channel flows,the source term in the pressure Poisson equation is modified while the spatial discretization of gradient and Laplacian models is based on the moving particle semi-implicit(MPS)method.The inflow boundary condition is treated by injecting fluid particles into the domain according to the inlet discharge,and the outflow condition is handled by prescribing the pressure distribution and removing the fluid particles beyond the domain.The explicit incompressible mesh-free method is then used to simulate open channel flows,including weir flow,hydraulic jump,and flow over an obstacle.In the simulations,velocity distribution and flow pattern are examined.The simulated results are compared to available experimental measurements and other numerical results.There is a good agreement between the simulated results and the experimental measurements.It shows that the explicit incompressible mesh-free method can reproduce the flow characteristics in the open channel flows.

Sorption of ammonium and phosphate from aqueous solution by biochar derived from phytoremediation plants

The study on biochar derived from plant biomass for environmental applications is attracting more and more attention. Twelve sets of biochar were obtained by treating four phytoremediation plants, Salix rosthornii Seemen, Thalia dealbata, Vetiveria zizanioides, and Phragmites sp., sequentially through pyrolysis at 500 °C in a N2 environment, and under different temperatures(500, 600, and 700 °C) in a CO2 environment. The cation exchange capacity and specific surface area of biochar varied with both plant species and pyrolysis temperature. The magnesium(Mg) content of biochar derived from T. dealbata(TC) was obviously higher than that of the other plant biochars. This biochar also had the highest sorption capacity for phosphate and ammonium. In terms of biomass yields, adsorption capacity, and energy cost, T. dealbata biochar produced at 600 °C(TC600) is the most promising sorbent for removing contaminants(N and P) from aqueous solution. Therefore, T. dealbata appears to be the best candidate for phytoremediation application as its biomass can make a good biochar for environmental cleaning.