Dimensioning Urban Drainage Systems in Housing Subdivisions in the Amazon Using Different Hydrological Models

Hydrological studies for sizing urban drainage systems in the Amazon have often been neglected and little investigated for rainwater projects. This research evaluated alternative hydrological models used in sizing urban drainage network projects in subdivisions with subsidized houses in the Amazonian region in Brazil. Statistical tests of these models were performed for both original and alternative scenarios. The methodological steps we conducted as follows: 1) evaluate the dimensioning of infrastructure project networks, considering two case studies contemplated by the Calha Norte Program (CNP) in the state of Amapá;2) test the statistical significance of the dimensioning of network diameters (α < 0.05), considering a) benchmark project (MD or M1) approved by the Ministry of Defense;b) determination of concentration time (Ct) and rainfall intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) relationships, as well as estimating diameters using alternative models. The results indicated a significant influence on the diameters of the projected rainfall networks (p < 0.05), suggesting that alternative models predicted more unfavorable flow peaks than the original model. We conclude that the benchmarking model underestimated the diameter of the project compared to alternative models, which means the optimized Ct parameter significantly impacts dimensioning estimates in rainwater projects in these Amazonian municipalities. This suggests that underestimated parameters in MD may cause inefficiency in the stormwater system projects in future similar scenarios.

Calculation of watershed flow concentration based on the grid drop concept

The grid drop concept is introduced and used to develop a micromechanism-based methodology for calculating watershed flow concentration. The flow path and distance traveled by a grid drop to the outlet of the watershed are obtained using a digital elevation model （DEM）. Regarding the slope as an uneven carpet through which the grid drop passes, a formula for overland flow velocity differing from Manning＇s formula for stream flow as welt as Darcy＇s formula for pore flow is proposed. Compared with the commonly used unit hydrograph and isochronal methods, this new methodology has outstanding advantages in that it considers the influences of the slope velocity field and the heterogeneity of spatial distribution of rainfall on the flow concentration process, and includes only one parameter that needs to be calibrated. This method can also be effectively applied to the prediction of hydrologic processes in un-gauged basins.

Winter sea ice albedo variations in the Bohai Sea of China

Sea ice conditions in the Bohai Sea of China are sensitive to large-scale climatic variations. On the basis of CLARA-A1-SAL data, the albedo variations are examined in space and time in the winter（December, January and February） from 1992 to 2008 in the Bohai Sea sea ice region. Time series data of the sea ice concentration（SIC）, the sea ice extent（SIE） and the sea surface temperature（SST） are used to analyze their relationship with the albedo. The sea ice albedo changed in volatility appears along with time, the trend is not obvious and increases very slightly during the study period at a rate of 0.388% per decade over the Bohai Sea sea ice region.The interannual variation is between 9.93% and 14.50%, and the average albedo is 11.79%. The sea ice albedo in years with heavy sea ice coverage, 1999, 2000 and 2005, is significantly higher than that in other years; in years with light sea ice coverage, 1994, 1998, 2001 and 2006, has low values. For the monthly albedo, the increasing trend（at a rate of 0.988% per decade） in December is distinctly higher than that in January and February. The mean albedo in January（12.90%） is also distinctly higher than that in the other two months. The albedo is significantly positively correlated with the SIC and is significantly negatively correlated with the SST（significance level 90%）.

Time-resolved measurements of NO2 concentration in pulsed discharges by high-sensitivity cavity ring-down spectroscopy

To describe the complex kinetics of formation and destruction mechanism of nitrogen dioxide（NO2）, there is an increasing demand for real-time and in situ analysis of NO2 in the discharge region. Pulsed cavity ring-down spectroscopy（CRDS） provides an excellent diagnostic approach. In the present paper, CRDS has been applied in situ for time evolution measurement of NO2 concentration which is rarely investigated in gas discharges. In pulsed direct current discharge of NO2/Ar mixture at a pressure of 500 Pa, a peak voltage of -1300 V and a frequency of 30 Hz, for higher initial NO2 concentration（3.05×10^（14）cm^（-3）, 8.88×10^（13）cm^（-3））,the NO2 concentration sharply decreases at the beginning of the discharge afterglow and then becomes almost constant, and the pace of decline increases with pulse duration; however, for lower initial NO2 concentration of 1.69×10^（13）cm^（-3）, the NO2 concentration also decreases at the beginning of the discharge afterglow for 200 ns and 1 μs pulse durations, while it slightly increases and then declines for 2 μs pulse duration. Thus, the removal of low-level NO2 could not be promoted by a higher mean energy input.

Pre-treatment of pyridine wastewater by new cathodic–anodic-electrolysis packing

A novel cathodic–anodic-electrolysis packing（CAEP） used in the treatment of pyridine wastewater was researched, which mainly consisted of 4,4′-diamino-2,2′-disulfonic acid（DSD acid） industrial iron sludge. The physical properties and morphology of the packing were studied. The CAEP was used in a column reactor during the pretreatment of pyridine wastewater. The influence of p H, hydraulic retention time（HRT）, the air–liquid ratio（A/L）and the initial concentration of pyridine were investigated by measuring the removal of total organic carbon（TOC） and pyridine. The characterization results showed that the bulk density, grain density, water absorption percentage and specific surface area were 921 kg/m3,1086 kg/m3, 25% and 29.89 m^2/g, respectively; the removal of TOC and pyridine could reach50% and 58% at the optimal experimental conditions（p H = 3, HRT = 8 hr, A/L = 2）. Notably,the surface of the packing was renewed constantly during the running of the filter, and the handling capacity was stable after running for three months.