Modeling the Mangla Dam Spillway for Cavitation and Aerators Optimization

This study evaluated the effects of increased reservoir conservation level by 40 ft (12.2 m), on spillway velocities;it’s discharging capacity and associated cavitation risk. The study optimized the aerators size and shape to avoid cavitations. The mathematical model was used to estimate the flow velocities and cavitation risk, when scale model study assessed the spillway discharging capacity and optimized the performance of the aerators for modified conditions. The mathematical model simulations showed increased flow velocities and damage index for modified conditions. The damage potential was 2 - 3 times higher with modifications and falls within the major to catastrophic region. The scale model study showed that discharging capacity of the spillway can effectively be restricted to original design by raising spillway crest by 5.0 ft (1.52 m). The scale model study also showed that the two aerators near sluice and at the chute with an air duct pipe of 3.0 ft diameter can improve the free surface flow profile reducing the risks of cavitation. Simulations for several configurations demonstrated clearer affect of aerators ramps on flow trajectory and gate opening. It also depicted that the height of the ramp of sluice aerator has a positive effect on the flow performance to about 7.5 inches (19 cm), when further increase in the ramp height reduced the flow performance.

Effect of bubble morphology and behavior on power consumption in non-Newtonian fluids’aeration process

Due to a prolonged operation time and low mass transfer efficiency, the primary challenge in the aeration process of non-Newtonian fluids is the high energy consumption, which is closely related to the form and rate of impeller, ventilation, rheological properties and bubble morphology in the reactor. In this perspective, through optimal computational fluid dynamics models and experiments, the relationship between power consumption, volumetric mass transfer rate(kLa) and initial bubble size(d0) was constructed to establish an efficient operation mode for the aeration process of non-Newtonian fluids. It was found that reducing the d0could significantly increase the oxygen mass transfer rate, resulting in an obvious decrease in the ventilation volume and impeller speed. When d0was regulated within 2-5 mm,an optimal kLa could be achieved, and 21% of power consumption could be saved, compared to the case of bubbles with a diameter of 10 mm.

Multimodal Machine Learning Guides Low Carbon Aeration Strategies in Urban Wastewater Treatment

The potential for reducing greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions and energy consumption in wastewater treatment can be realized through intelligent control,with machine learning(ML)and multimodality emerging as a promising solution.Here,we introduce an ML technique based on multimodal strategies,focusing specifically on intelligent aeration control in wastewater treatment plants(WWTPs).The generalization of the multimodal strategy is demonstrated on eight ML models.The results demonstrate that this multimodal strategy significantly enhances model indicators for ML in environmental science and the efficiency of aeration control,exhibiting exceptional performance and interpretability.Integrating random forest with visual models achieves the highest accuracy in forecasting aeration quantity in multimodal models,with a mean absolute percentage error of 4.4%and a coefficient of determination of 0.948.Practical testing in a full-scale plant reveals that the multimodal model can reduce operation costs by 19.8%compared to traditional fuzzy control methods.The potential application of these strategies in critical water science domains is discussed.To foster accessibility and promote widespread adoption,the multimodal ML models are freely available on GitHub,thereby eliminating technical barriers and encouraging the application of artificial intelligence in urban wastewater treatment.

Effect of surfactant frequently used in soil flushing on oxygen mass transfer in micro-nano-bubble aeration system

In-site soil flushing and aeration are the typical synergetic remediation technology for contaminated sites.The surfactant present in flushing solutions is bound to affect the aeration efficiency.The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of surfactant frequently used in soil flushing on the oxygen mass transfer in micro-nano-bubble(MNB)aeration system.Firstly,bio-surfactants and chemical surfactants were used to investigate their effects on Sauter mean diameter of bubble(dBS),gas holdup(ε),volumetric mass-transfer coefficient(kLa)and liquid-side mass-transfer coefficient(kL)in the MNB aeration system.Then,based upon the experimental results,the Sardeing's and Frossling's models were modified to describe the effect of surfactant on kL in the MNB aeration.The results showed that,for the twenty aqueous surfactant solutions,with the increase in surfactant concentration,the value of dBS,kLa and kL decreased,while the value ofεand gas-liquid interfacial area(a)increased.These phenomena were mainly attributed to the synergistic effects of immobile bubble surface and the suppression of coalescence in the surfactant solutions.In addition,with the presence of electric charge,MNBs in anionic surfactant solutions were smaller and higher in number than in non-ionic surfactant solutions.Furthermore,the accumulation of surfactant on the gas-liquid interface was more conspicuous for small MNB,so the reduction of kL in anionic surfactant solutions was larger than that in non-ionic surfactant solutions.Besides,the modified Frossling's model predicted the effect of surfactant on kL in MNB aeration system with reasonable accuracy.

Cavity length below chute aerators

It is proved that air entrainment is one of the efficient measures dealing with cavi-tation control for the release works of hydropower projects. There are many factors to be considered in designing a chute aerator. One of the most important factors concerns the cavity length below the aerator,which has outstanding effects on air entrainment against cavitation damage. It is crucial to determine reasonable emergence angle for the calculation of the cavity length. In the present paper the overall effects of structural and hydraulic parameters on the emergence angle of the flow from the aerator were analyzed. Four improved expressions of the emer-gence angle with weight coefficient were investigated through experimental data of 68 points observed from 12 aerators of 6 hydropower projects,of both model and prototype,on the basis of error theory. A method to calculate the cavity length be-low aerators was suggested,which considers overall effects of the above men-tioned parameters. Comparison between the method in this paper and the other five methods of calculating the cavity length showed that the present method is much more reliable than the existing methods while the mean error of the method is less than others.

Cavity flow regime for spillway aerators

It is well known that the effect of air entrainment for cavitation damage controls is related not only to the air discharge into aerator devices but also the flow regime of the cavity below them.On the basis of the hydraulic characteristics of the flow,the aerator devices were for the first time classified.The theoretical considerations were performed about the jet length and cavity flow regime with the influencing factors.Comparing with the behavior of the flow through the aerator of discharge tunnels,the flow regimes of the cavity below spillway aerators were experimentally investigated,and the empirical expressions were presented to identify the conversions of the cavity flow regimes,including fully filled cavity,partially filled cavity,and net air cavity.Some issues of the design of the aerator devices were suggested in the present work.

FLOW REGIMES BELOW AERATORS FOR DISCHARGE TUNNELS

The flow regimes below an aerator influence directly the air entrainment and the cavitation damage control. Based on the theoretical considerations, the experiments of the aerator for a discharge tunnel were conducted, and the relationships between the flow regime and hydraulic and geometric parameters were investigated. The results showed that, there are two kinds of threshold values for the flow regime conversions. One is Fr1-2 standing for the conversion from the fully filled cavity to the partially filled cavity, and the other is Fr2-3 which shows the change from the partially filled cavity to the net air cavity. Two empirical expressions were obtained for the conversions of the flow regimes, which can be used in the designs of the aerators.

HYDRAULIC RESEARCH OF AERATORS ON TUNNEL SPILLWAYS

The selection of the configuration and size of an aerator was of importance for a tunnel spillway under the conditions of high speed flows. Experimental investigations were conducted on the effects of entrained air on the tunnel spillway in the Goupitan Project, based on the criterion of gravity similarity and the condition of aerated flow velocity of over 6 m/s, with physical models. The configurations of the aerators were presented of a larger bottom air concentration, to protect the tunnel spillway from cavitation as well as to see no water fills in the grooves.

HYDRAULIC CHARACTERISTICS OF CHUTE AERATORS FOR RELEASE WORKS

On the basis of model tests and theoretical analysis, hydraulic characteristics, air demand, air concentration distribution and their relationships between prototype and model of an aerator were studied. Some computational examples show that the present methods have higher accuracy, and can meet the need of engineering design.

Comparison of Energy Dissipation with and without Aerators

Experimental results showed that aerators increase the energy dissipation of the flow in the channel by reducing the velocity coefficient φ in the deflector bucket and the jet trajectory length, by increasing energy dissipation of the jet flow in the air and the diffusion length of the jet falling into the pool and by reducing the energy intensity of the jet falling into the pool. The energy dissipation prevents wash out downstream.When air is not entrained in the water flow, the aerators act as artificial irregularities in the channel. The energy dissipation due to the aerators in the channel without entrained air is greater than when air is entrained in the water flow.Correlations of the experimental data can be used to estimate the energy dissipation effect of the aerators on the outlet structure for the three test cases.

Changes in the activities of key enzymes and the abundance of functional genes involved in nitrogen transformation in rice rhizosphere soil under different aerated conditions

Soil microorganisms play important roles in nitrogen transformation. The aim of this study was to characterize changes in the activity of nitrogen transformation enzymes and the abundance of nitrogen function genes in rhizosphere soil aerated using three different methods(continuous flooding(CF), continuous flooding and aeration(CFA), and alternate wetting and drying(AWD)). The abundances of amoA ammonia-oxidizing archaea(AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria(AOB), nirS, nirK, and nifH genes, and the activities of urease, protease, ammonia oxidase, nitrate reductase, and nitrite reductase were measured at the tillering(S1), heading(S2), and ripening(S3) stages. We analyzed the relationships of the aforementioned microbial activity indices, in addition to soil microbial biomass carbon(MBC) and soil microbial biomass nitrogen(MBN), with the concentration of soil nitrate and ammonium nitrogen. The abundance of nitrogen function genes and the activities of nitrogen invertase in rice rhizosphere soil were higher at S2 compared with S1 and S3 in all treatments. AWD and CFA increased the abundance of amoA and nifH genes, and the activities of urease, protease, and ammonia oxidase, and decreased the abundance of nirS and nirK genes and the activities of nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase, with the effect of AWD being particularly strong. During the entire growth period, the mean abundances of the AOA amoA, AOB amoA, and nifH genes were 2.9, 5.8, and 3.0 higher in the AWD treatment than in the CF treatment, respectively, and the activities of urease, protease, and ammonia oxidase were 1.1, 0.5, and 0.7 higher in the AWD treatment than in the CF treatment, respectively. The abundances of the nirS and nirK genes, and the activities of nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase were 73.6, 84.8, 10.3 and 36.5% lower in the AWD treatment than in the CF treatment, respectively. The abundances of the AOA amoA, AOB amoA, and nifH genes were significantly and positively correlated with the activities of urease, protease, and ammonia oxidase, and the abundances of the nirS and nirK genes were significantly positively correlated with the activities of nitrate reductase. All the above indicators were positively correlated with soil MBC and MBN. In sum, microbial activity related to nitrogen transformation in rice rhizosphere soil was highest at S2. Aeration can effectively increase the activity of most nitrogen-converting microorganisms and MBN, and thus promote soil nitrogen transformation.

Operational guidance for aeration and flow augmentation for the Chicago Area Waterway System—A case study

The Chicago Area Waterway System(CAWS)is a 133.9 km branching network of navigable waterways controlled by hydraulic structures,in which the majority of the flow is treated wastewater effluent and there are periods of substantial combined sewer overflows.The CAWS comprises a network of effluent dominated streams.More stringent dissolved oxygen(DO)standards and a reduced flow augmentation allowance have been recently applied to the CAWS.Therefore,a carefully calibrated and verified one-dimensional flow and water quality model was applied to the CAWS to determine emission-based real-time control guidelines for the operation of flow augmentation and aeration stations.The goal of these guidelines was to attain DO standards at least 95%of the time.The“optimal”guidelines were tested for representative normal,dry,and wet years.The finally proposed guidelines were found in the simulations to attain the 95%target for nearly all locations in the CAWS for the three test years.The developed operational guidelines have been applied since 2018 and have shown improved attainment of the DO standards throughout the CAWS while at the same time achieving similar energy use at the aeration stations on the Calumet River system,greatly lowered energy use on the Chicago River system,and greatly lowered discretionary diversion from Lake Michigan,meeting the recently enacted lower amount of allowed annual discretionary diversion.This case study indicates that emission-based real-time control developed from a well calibrated model holds potential to help many receiving water bodies achieve high attainment of water quality standards.

Influence of Stand-Alone Vertical Gas Vents on Aeration and Denitrification of Organic Municipal Waste Assessed by Two-Dimensional (2D) Lysimeters

Landfilled organic waste, in the presence of oxygen, can undergo aerobic decomposition facilitated by heterotrophic microorganisms. Aerobic degradation of solid waste can quickly consume available oxygen thus curtailing further degradation. The aim of this study was the investigation of a low-cost method of replenishing oxygen consumed in landfilled waste. Three 2D lysimeters were established to investigate the effectiveness of stand-alone, vertical ventilation pipes inserted into waste masses. Two different configurations of ventilation were tested with the third lysimeter acting as an unventilated control. Lysimeters were left uninsulated and observed over the course of 6 months with regular collection of gas and leachate samples. Lysimeters were then simulated for Oxygen (O2) and Nitrous oxide (N2O) to analyze the denitrification contributions of each. The experiment revealed that a single ventilation pipe can increase the mean oxygen level of a 1.7 m × 1.0 m area by up to 13.5%. It also identified that while increasing the density of ventilation pipes led to increased O2 levels, this increase was not significant at the 0.05 probability level. A single vent averaged 13.67% O2 while inclusion of an additional vent in the same area only increased the average to 14.59%, a 6.7% increase. Simulation helped to verify that lower ventilation pipe placement density may be more efficient as in addition to the effect on oxygenation, denitrification efficiency may increase. Simulations of N2O production estimated between 8% - 20% more N2O being generated with lower venting density configurations.

微曝气生物滤池-固相碳源反硝化生物滤池强化脱氮处理新运粮河水的示范工程研究

滇池是中国富营养化状态最为严重的湖泊，而入湖河流氮磷元素的输入是其主要原因。河流水质的低 C/N 特征是限制氮素去除的关键因素，采用固相反硝化技术能够为反硝化过程提供持续的碳源，因而能够强化受污染河流的脱氮效果。以滇池的重点控制入湖河流-新运粮河为研究对象，设计了微曝气生物滤池（Biological aerating filter，BAF）-固相碳源反硝化（Solid-phase denitrification，SPD）组合工艺，在河道旁路展开示范工程研究。组合工艺设计规模为800 m3·d-1，BAF（气水比为3∶1-5∶1）和SPD生物滤池的最大表面水力负荷分别为4.2和1.4 m3·m-2·h-1，其中SPD生物滤池采用新型固相碳源共混可生物降解聚合物与惰性载体共混作为生物膜载体。工艺研究结果表明，在BAF气水比为3∶1-5∶1、HRT为0.5-1 h和SPD滤池HRT为0.5-1 h的运行工况下，BAF对NH4＋-N的平均硝化率达到了91.27%，SPD滤池的平均反硝化率93.60%，工艺出水NH4＋-N、NO3--N和NO2--N平均浓度分别为0.68、0.70和0.02 mg·L-1。示范工程对各项污染物的去除效果良好，对TN、TP和CODCr的去除率分别达到84.93%、50.15%和31.39%；工艺出水TN、TP和CODCr平均浓度分别为1.75、0.20和22.96 mg·L-1，主要水质指标均达到了地表水V类水质标准。采用新型固相碳源填充的反硝化生物滤池强化了工艺针对低C/N水质特征污染水体的脱氮效果，组合工艺对滇池氮素输入控制具有重要的意义。

Study on Eco-restoration of Polluted Rivers

[Objective] This study was conducted to find a restoration method suitable for urban polluted rivers. [Method] A segment of a representative river in the old part of a certain city in south Jiangsu was selected as a research area through previous investigation, and the polluted river was cleaned and restored by 3 methods, i.e. artificial wetland, floating island type wetland and purification floating island. [Resuit] Floating plants （Hydrocotyle verticillata and Myriophyllum spicatum） showed better restoration effects than emergent aquatic plants （Iris wilsonii, Arundo donax, reed, water-cultured Ilex chinensis and Lythrum salicaria）. The two types of plants showed the removal rates of total nitrogen of 37.9% and 34.1%, respectively, the removal rates of total phosphorous of 80.1% and 73.5%, respectively, the removal rates of COD of 81.1% and 74.8%, respectively, the removal rates of ammonia nitrogen of 80.6% and 85.9%, respectively, and the removal rates of SS of 59.1% and 77.3%, respectively. Among the purification floating island, the artificial wetland and the floating island type wetland, the purification floating land restoration technique exhibited the best removal effect, with the removal rates of 87.6%, 71.3%, 87.6%, 97.5% and 81.8% for total nitrogen, total phosphorous, ammonia nitrogen COD and SS, respectively. The nitrification and denitdfication rates of bottom mud and water samples in the engineering segment were remarkably higher than those in the reference segment, by 15.4% and 21.1%, respectively. The nitrification and denitrification rates of bottom mud in the engineering segment and the non-engineering segment were higher than those of water samples by 26.9% and 31.8%, respectively. Restoration plants showed better removal effects of total phosphorous, total nitrogen, COD and SS under aeration condition than noeration condition. [Conclusion] The purification floating island has a significant restoration effect on urban polluted river.

Simulating Surface Aeration Systems at Different Scale of Mixing Time

Macro and micromixing time represent two extreme mixing time scales,which governs the whole hydrodynamics characteristics of the surface aeration systems.With the help of experimental and numerical analysis,simulation equation governing those times scale has been presented in the present work.

Effect of Different Environmental Conditions on Algicidal Effect of Water-soluble Extracts of Chinese Chive

[Objective] The paper was to study the algicidal effect of water-soluble extracts of Chinese chive under different environmental conditions, so as to provide reference for further study and development of new algicidal substances. [Method] The effects of water-soluble extracts of Chinese chive on the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa under different pH, light and aeration conditions were compared and studied. [Result] The growth inhibition rate of water-soluble extracts of Chinese chive on M. aeruginosa was greater than 90% under different pH conditions. With the growth of M. aeruginosa, the culture liquid with different initial pH was finally tended to 9-9.5. The growth inhibition rate of water-soluble extracts of Chinese chive on algae cell increased with the prolongation of culture time within the light intensity range of 1 000-4 000 lx. The inhibition effect of water-soluble extracts of Chinese chive on M. aeruginosa under low light intensity（1 000 lx）was better than that under high light intensity, the best light intensity for growth was not conducive to the exertion of allelopathic effect. Meanwhile, aeration condition was more conducive to the inhibition effect of water-soluble extracts of Chinese chive on the growth of M. aeruginosa. [Conclusion] pH, light and aeration conditions all affected the inhibition effect of water-soluble extracts of Chinese chive treated by high temperature on M. aeruginosa. Understanding the effect of these environmental factors on algicidal effect of allelochemicals could provide reference for further study and development of new algicidal substances.

Research on Modification of Non-limiting Water Range of Soil

[Objective] The paper was to study and modify non-limiting water range （NLWR） of soil. [Method] The water content when total soil water potential was -0.3 MPa or soil mechanical resistance was 0.85 MPa was selected as the lower limit of NLWR to replace the original water content of permanent wilting point or the water content under soil mechanical resistance of 2.0 MPa. NLWR could be calculated us-ing the minimum value of upper limit minus the maximum value of lower limit. [Re-sult] Compared with original NLWR or least limiting water range （LLWR）, the modi-fied NLWR had more practical significance. When Db〉Db-thr, soil physical properties hindered the growth of crops, so the soil should be improved; when Db〉Db-thr, soil physical properties hindered the growth of crops, so-the soil should be improved; wtlen Db〈Db-thr, as long as the soil water content is within NLWR, soil physical properties had no effect on crop growth. NLWR at this time could be used as the basis for irrigation man- agement in farmland. [Conclusion] The study provides theoretical support and scientific basis for relevant researches about evolution rule and regulatory mechanisms of soil physical quality, relationship between soil physical quality and crop growth and yield, water-fertilizer-salt management of soil.

Nitrogen Release Kinetics and Nitrification-Denitrification on Surface Sediments under Aerating Disturbance Condition

[Objective] This study aimed to investigate the nitrogen release kinetics and nitrification-denitrification on surface sediments under aerating disturbance condition, with the purpose to solve the sediment nitrogen release and secondary pollution problems. [Method] The effect of in situ sediments aeration on the release of nitrogen pollutants was investigated, and the nitrogen release kinetics parameters were analyzed. The process of nitrification and denitrification under sediments aeration condition was investigated in laboratory. [Result] The nitrogen released from sediments was enhanced by aeration disturbance. The concentration of NH4＋-N and TN reached the maximum value in 30 min, and release rates were proportional to the disturbance strength. In this study, with the distance of aerator to the sediments surface of 0, 1, 2 and 3 cm, the suspended sediments concentrations were 3.52, 3.41, 3.26 and 3.01 g/L, respectively. Maximum release concentration of NH4＋-N and TN were 14.3, 13.8, 13.2, 12.2 mg/L and 33.21, 30.98, 29.83, 27.30 mg/L, respec- tively. In addition, both NH4＋-N and TN release kinetics could be described by Double Constant Equation as InC=A＋Blnt. Nitrification reaction occurred and was promoted by continued aerating to sediments.The concentration of NH4＋-N dropped down from 12.4 mg/L to 0.2 mg/L in 8 d, with the concentration of NO3--N increased to the maximum value of 10.8 mg/L. In addition, concentration of NO3--N and TN decreased from 10.8 mg/L and 37.4 mg/L to 0.36 mg/L and 23.2 mg/L after the stop of aeration for 12 d, indicating the occurrence of denitdfication reaction. Therefore, sediment aeration could accelerate nitrogen release and nitrification reaction, and with intermittent aeration, nitrogen could be removed from sediments in-situ by nitrification and denitrification. [Conclusion] The results provided technical reference for the in situ sediment remediation for the black-odor rivers in cities.

Polyurea coating for foamed concrete panel:An efficient way to resist explosion

Autoclaved aerated concrete(AAC) panels have ultra-light weight,excellent thermal insulation and energy absorption,so it is an ideal building material for protective structures.To improve the blast resistance of the AAC panels,three schemes are applied to strengthen the AAC panels through spraying 4 mm thick polyurea coating from top,bottom and double-sides.In three-point bending tests,the polyurea-coated AAC panels have much higher ultimate loads than the un-coated panels,but slightly lower than those strengthened by the carbon fiber reinforced plastics(CEFRPs).Close-in explosion experiments reveal the dynamic strengthening effect of the polyurea coating.Critical scaled distances of the strengthened AAC panels are acquired,which are valuable for the engineering application of the AAC panels in the extreme loading conditions.Polyurea coatings efficiently enhance the blast resistance of the bottom and double-sided polyurea-coated AAC panels.It is interesting that the polyurea-coated AAC panels have much more excellent blast resistance than the CFRP reinforced AAC panels,although the latter have better static mechanical properties.