WorldWideScience

Sample records for saltmarsh channel beds

  1. The effects of tidal range on saltmarsh morphology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodwin, Guillaume; Mudd, Simon

    2017-04-01

    Saltmarshes are highly productive coastal ecosystems that act simultaneously as flood barriers, carbon storage, pollutant filters and nurseries. As halophytic plants trap suspended sediment and decay in the settled strata, innervated platforms emerge from the neighbouring tidal flats, forming sub-vertical scarps on their eroding borders and sub-horizontal pioneer zones in areas of seasonal expansion. These evolutions are subject to two contrasting influences: stochastically generated waves erode scarps and scour tidal flats, whereas tidally-generated currents transport sediment to and from the marsh through the channel network. Hence, the relative power of waves and tidal currents strongly influences saltmarsh evolution, and regional variations in tidal range yield marshes of differing morphologies. We analyse several sheltered saltmarshes to determine how their morphology reflects variations in tidal forcing. Using tidal, topographic and spectral data, we implement an algorithm based on the open-source software LSDTopoTools to automatically identify features such as marsh platforms, tidal flats, erosion scarps, pioneer zones and tidal channels on local Digital Elevation Models. Normalised geometric properties are then computed and compared throughout the spectrum of tidal range, highlighting a notable effect on channel networks, platform geometry and wave exposure. We observe that micro-tidal marshes typically display jagged outlines and multiple islands along with wide, shallow channels. As tidal range increases, we note the progressive disappearance of marsh islands and linearization of scarps, both indicative of higher hydrodynamic stress, along with a structuration of channel networks and the increase of levee volume, suggesting higher sediment input on the platform. Future research will lead to observing and modelling the evolution of saltmarshes under various tidal forcing in order to assess their resilience to environmental change.

  2. Tracking channel bed resiliency in forested mountain catchments using high temporal resolution channel bed movement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Sarah E.; Conklin, Martha H.

    2018-01-01

    This study uses continuous-recording load cell pressure sensors in four, high-elevation (1500-1800 m), Sierra Nevada headwater streams to collect high-temporal-resolution, bedload-movement data for investigating the channel bed movement patterns within these streams for water years 2012-2014. Data show an annual pattern where channel bed material in the thalweg starts to build up in early fall, peaks around peak snow melt, and scours back to baseline levels during hydrograph drawdown and base flow. This pattern is punctuated by disturbance and recovery of channel bed material associated with short-term storm events. A conceptual model, linking sediment sources at the channel margins to patterns of channel bed fill and scour in the thalweg, is proposed building on the results of Martin et al. (2014). The material in the thalweg represents a balance between sediment supply from the channel margins and sporadic, conveyor-belt-like downstream transport in the thalweg. The conceptual model highlights not only the importance of production and transport rates but also that seasonal connectedness between the margins and thalweg is a key sediment control, determining the accumulation rate of sediment stores at the margins and the redistribution of sediment from margins to thalweg that feeds the conveyor belt. Disturbance and recovery cycles are observed at multiple temporal scales; but long term, the channel beds are stable, suggesting that the beds act as short-term storage for sediment but are in equilibrium interannually. The feasibility of use for these sensors in forested mountain stream environments is tested. Despite a high failure rate (50%), load cell pressure sensors show potential for high-temporal-resolution bedload measurements, allowing for the collection of channel bed movement data to move beyond time-integrated change measurements - where many of the subtleties of bedload movement patterns may be missed - to continuous and/or real-time measurements. This

  3. Tidally-driven Surface Flow in a Georgia Estuarine Saltmarsh

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, D.; Bruder, B. L.; Haas, K. A.; Webster, D. R.

    2016-02-01

    Estuarine saltmarshes are diverse, valuable, and productive ecosystems. Vegetation dampens wave and current energy, thereby allowing the estuaries to serve as a nursery habitat for shellfish and fish species. Tidally-driven flow transports nutrients into and out of the estuary, nourishing inshore and offshore vegetation and animals. The effects of vegetation on the marsh hydrodynamics and on the estuary creek and channel flow are, unfortunately, poorly understood, and the knowledge that does exist primarily originates from modeling studies. Field studies addressing marsh surface flows are limited due to the difficulty of accurately measuring the water surface elevation and acquiring concurrent velocity measurements in the dense marsh vegetation. This study partially bridges the gap between the model observations of marsh flow driven by water surface elevation gradients and flume studies of flow through vegetation. Three current meters and three pressure transducers were deployed for three days along a transect perpendicular to the main channel (Little Ogeechee River) in a saltmarsh adjacent to Rose Dhu Island (Savannah, Georgia, USA). The pressure transducer locations were surveyed daily with static GPS yielding highly accurate water surface elevation data. During flood and ebb tide, water surface elevation differences between the marsh and Little Ogeechee River were observed up to 15 cm and pressure gradients were observed up to 0.0017 m of water surface elevation drop per m of linear distance. The resulting channel-to-saltmarsh pressure gradients substantially affected tidal currents at all current meters. At one current meter, the velocity was nearly perpendicular to the Little Ogeechee River bank. The velocity at this location was effectively modeled as a balance between the pressure gradient and marsh vegetation-induced drag force using the Darcy-Weisbach/Lindner's equations developed for flow-through-vegetation analysis in open channel flow.

  4. Predicting Bed Mobility in a Simple River Channel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wydzga, M. A.; Legleiter, C.; Dunne, T.

    2007-12-01

    Prediction of the frequency and spatial pattern of bed mobility in gravel bed rivers is central to a wide range of theoretical and applied interests ranging from sediment transport to the impacts of natural or managed floods on aquatic organisms. Although bed mobility has been investigated in numerous flume and field studies, accurate predictions of grain entrainment and transport in gravel bed rivers remain elusive. Alluvial rivers typically encompass a much wider range of hydraulic and sedimentological conditions than those that have been recreated in laboratory flume studies upon which many grain entrainment and transport models are based. These flume studies are limited to the examination of processes occurring over the short term, commonly with the absence of slower processes such as fine-grain infilling. On the other hand, in field studies key variables can not be controlled and the spatial complexity of processes and conditions complicate data collection and analysis. A unique opportunity currently exists to help bridge this gap between laboratory and field studies: a 3.2 km long, recently constructed, single thread, alternate bar, gravel bed river channel of the Merced River. This channel, constructed for ecosystem restoration purposes, is slowly developing greater complexity, but is still currently defined by a simple plan form and cross-sectional channel geometry compared to most natural gravel bed river channels. This channel can thus be considered a full-scale flume. In the six years since the channel was constructed, a wider range of sedimentological bed conditions have evolved than have been created in a laboratory flume. We are characterizing the bed grain sizes, flow field, grain entrainment, and the sedimentological or bed state conditions in this simple channel. The flow field is modeled using a calibrated, 2D hydrodynamic flow model, MD_SWMS. Grain entrainment is measured with both metal tags inserted into the bed, and painted rock tracers

  5. Response of bed mobility to sediment supply in natural gravel bed channels: A detailed examination and evaluation of mobility parameters

    Science.gov (United States)

    T. E. Lisle; J. M. Nelson; B. L. Barkett; J. Pitlick; M. A. Madej

    1998-01-01

    Recent laboratory experiments have shown that bed mobility in gravel bed channels responds to changes in sediment supply, but detailed examinations of this adjustment in natural channels have been lacking, and practical methodologies to measure bed mobility have not been tested. We examined six gravel-bed, alternate-bar channels which have a wide range in annual...

  6. The Skallingen spit, Denmark: birth of a back-barrier saltmarsh

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartholdy, Jesper; Brivio, Lara; Bartholdy, Anders; Kim, Daehyun; Fruergaard, Mikkel

    2018-04-01

    The formation and evolution of a modern saltmarsh platform on the barrier spit Skallingen in the northernmost part of the Wadden Sea was investigated through historical map records, 12 orthophotos covering the period from 1945 to 2012, sediment cores and cross-sectional creek profiles. The barrier spit, which constitutes the foundation of the saltmarsh platform, formed in about 50 years in the seventeenth century. After its formation the spit was left as a bare sandflat for about 200 years. Along with the development of foredunes, an increased availability of fine-grained sediment and establishment of vegetation in the beginning of the 1890s, the saltmarsh area formed in about 100 years, while the development of a large system of saltmarsh creeks took place in just ca. 50 years. The development of the drainage network, saltmarsh creek morphology and sedimentology during the saltmarsh formation are described in detail and analysed with special attention to the transformation rate from bare sandflat to a genuine vegetation-covered back-barrier saltmarsh.

  7. Variability of bed mobility in natural, gravel-bed channels and adjustments to sediment load at local and reach scales

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas E. Lisle; Jonathan M. Nelson; John Pitlick; Mary Ann Madej; Brent L. Barkett

    2000-01-01

    Abstract - Local variations in boundary shear stress acting on bed-surface particles control patterns of bed load transport and channel evolution during varying stream discharges. At the reach scale a channel adjusts to imposed water and sediment supply through mutual interactions among channel form, local grain size, and local flow dynamics that govern bed mobility...

  8. Coevolution of bed surface patchiness and channel morphology: 2. Numerical experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, Peter A.; McDonald, Richard R.; Nelson, Jonathan M.; Dietrich, William E.

    2015-01-01

    In gravel bed rivers, bed topography and the bed surface grain size distribution evolve simultaneously, but it is not clear how feedbacks between topography and grain sorting affect channel morphology. In this, the second of a pair of papers examining interactions between bed topography and bed surface sorting in gravel bed rivers, we use a two-dimensional morphodynamic model to perform numerical experiments designed to explore the coevolution of both free and forced bars and bed surface patches. Model runs were carried out on a computational grid simulating a 200 m long, 2.75 m wide, straight, rectangular channel, with an initially flat bed at a slope of 0.0137. Over five numerical experiments, we varied (a) whether an obstruction was present, (b) whether the sediment was a gravel mixture or a single size, and (c) whether the bed surface grain size feeds back on the hydraulic roughness field. Experiments with channel obstructions developed a train of alternate bars that became stationary and were connected to the obstruction. Freely migrating alternate bars formed in the experiments without channel obstructions. Simulations incorporating roughness feedbacks between the bed surface and flow field produced flatter, broader, and longer bars than simulations using constant roughness or uniform sediment. Our findings suggest that patches are not simply a by-product of bed topography, but they interact with the evolving bed and influence morphologic evolution.

  9. Assessing the carbon benefit of saltmarsh restoration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Benjamin; Paterson, David; Hanley, Nicholas

    2016-04-01

    The quantification of carbon sequestration rates in coastal ecosystems is required to better realise their potential role in climate change mitigation. Through accurate valuation this service can be fully appreciated and perhaps help facilitate efforts to restore vulnerable ecosystems such as saltmarshes. Vegetated coastal ecosystems are suggested to account for approximately 50% of oceanic sedimentary carbon despite their 2% areal extent. Saltmarshes, conservatively estimated to store 430 ± 30 Tg C in surface sediment deposits, have experienced extensive decline in the recent past; through processes such as land use change and coastal squeeze. Saltmarsh habitats offer a range of services that benefit society and the natural world, making their conservation meaningful and beneficial. The associated costs of restoration projects could, in part, be subsidised through payment for ecosystem services, specifically Blue carbon. Additional storage is generated through the (re)vegetation of mudflat areas leading to an altered ecosystem state and function; providing similar benefits to natural saltmarsh areas. The Eden Estuary, Fife, Scotland has been a site of saltmarsh restoration since 2000; providing a temporal and spatial scale to evaluate these additional benefits. The study is being conducted to quantify the carbon benefit of restoration efforts and provide an insight into the evolution of this benefit through sites of different ages. Seasonal sediment deposition and settlement rates are measured across the estuary in: mudflat, young planted saltmarsh, old planted saltmarsh and extant high marsh areas. Carbon values being derived from loss on ignition organic content values. Samples are taken across a tidal cycle on a seasonal basis; providing data on tidal influence, vegetation condition effects and climatic factors on sedimentation and carbon sequestration rates. These data will inform on the annual characteristics of sedimentary processes in the estuary and be

  10. Biological impacts of oil pollution: saltmarshes. V. 6

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1997-01-01

    Saltmarshes are priority areas for protection following oil spills, because they can trap and retain large quantities of oil and are difficult to clean. They are included in the 'most vulnerable' category of habitats, as defined by international shoreline vulnerability indices. However, whilst some oiled marshes may take decades to recover, others have shown excellent recovery within one to two years. This report considers factors affecting the fate and effects of oil on saltmarshes, and provides guidelines on clean-up options. The report includes information on the ecology and uses of saltmarshes. (UK)

  11. Salt-Marsh Landscapes and the Signatures of Biogeomorphic Feedbacks

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Alpaos, A.; Marani, M.

    2014-12-01

    Salt marshes are coastal ecosystems which play a large role in the bio-geomorphological evolution of intertidal areas. The dense stands of halophytic plants which populate salt-marsh systems largely contribute to govern their dynamics, influencing marsh hydrodynamics and sediment transport through enhanced flow resistance and settling, and direct particle capture by plant stems. In addition, plants are known to increase vertical accretion through direct organic accretion. Looking across the salt-marsh landscape can one see the signatures of feedbacks between landscape and biota? Field evidence and the results of biomorphodynamic models indeed show that the interplay between physical and biological processes generates some striking biological and morphological patterns at different scales. One such pattern, vegetation zonation, consists in a mosaic of vegetation patches, of approximately uniform composition, displaying sharp transitions in the presence of extremely small topographic gradients. Here we extend the model proposed by Marani et al. (2013) to a two-dimensional framework, furthermore including the effect of direct capture of sediment particles by plant stems. This allows us to account for the effect of the drainage density of tidal networks on the observed biogeomorphic patterns and to model the coupled evolution of marsh platforms and channel networks cutting through them. A number of different scenarios have been modelled to analyze the changes induced in bio-geomorphic patterns by plants with different characteristics, within marshes characterized by different drainage densities, or subjected to changing environmental forcing such as rates of relative sea level rise and sediment supply. Model results emphasize that zonation patterns are a signature of bio-geomorphic feedbacks with vegetation acting as a landscape constructor which feeds back on, directly alters, and contributes to shape tidal environments. In addition, model results show that

  12. Variation of stream power with seepage in sand-bed channels

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2009-12-27

    Dec 27, 2009 ... Keywords: friction slope, seepage, sediment transport, stream power, suction ... particles from the bed and on further movement of the bed load is of great ..... KNIGHTON AD (1987) River channel adjustment – the down stream.

  13. Bed shear stress distribution in straight channels with arbitrary cross section

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Henrik Bo; Fredsøe, Jørgen

    1998-01-01

    The bed shear stress distribution in straight open channels is affected by mechanisms as bed curvature of the cross section profile, shear diffusion, and secondary currents. This paper compares some analytical and numerical methods to estimate the bed shear stress distribution. The methods...

  14. A mathematical model of the flow and bed topography in curved channels

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Olesen, K.W.

    1985-01-01

    A two-dimensional horizontal mathematical model of the flow and bed topography in alluvial channel bends is presented. The applicability of the model is restricted to channels of which the width-depth ratio is large, the Froude number is small, bed load is dominant and grain sorting effects are

  15. Deciphering Depositional Signals in the Bed-Scale Stratigraphic Record of Submarine Channels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sylvester, Z.; Covault, J. A.

    2017-12-01

    Submarine channels are important conduits of sediment transfer from rivers and shallow-marine settings into the deep sea. As such, the stratigraphic record of submarine-channel systems can store signals of past climate- and other environmental changes in their upstream sediment-source areas. This record is highly fragmented as channels are primarily locations of sediment bypass; channelized turbidity currents are likely to leave a more complete record in areas away from and above the thalweg. However, the link between the thick-bedded axial channel deposits that record a small number of flows and the much larger number of thin-bedded turbidites forming terrace- and levee deposits is poorly understood. We have developed a relatively simple two-dimensional model that, given a number of input flow parameters (mean velocity, grain size, duration of deposition, flow thickness), predicts the thickness and composition of the turbidite that is left behind in the channel and in the overbank areas. The model is based on a Rouse-type suspended sediment concentration profile and the Garcia-Parker entrainment function. In the vertical direction, turbidites tend to rapidly become thinner and finer-grained with height above thalweg, due to decreasing concentration. High near-thalweg concentrations result in thick axial beds. However, an increase in flow velocity can result in high entrainment and no deposition at the bottom of the channel, yet a thin layer of sand and mud is still deposited higher up on the channel bank. If channel thalwegs are largely in a bypass condition, relatively minor velocity fluctuations result in a few occasionally preserved thick beds in the axis, and numerous thin turbidites - and a more complete record - on the channel banks. We use near-seafloor data from the Niger Delta slope and an optimization algorithm to show how our model can be used to invert for likely flow parameters and match the bed thickness and grain size of 100 turbidites observed in a

  16. Mosquito distribution in a saltmarsh: determinants of eggs in a variable environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rowbottom, Raylea; Carver, Scott; Barmuta, Leon A; Weinstein, Philip; Allen, Geoff R

    2017-06-01

    Two saltmarsh mosquitoes dominate the transmission of Ross River virus (RRV, Togoviridae: Alphavirus), one of Australia's most prominent mosquito-borne diseases. Ecologically, saltmarshes vary in their structure, including habitat types, hydrological regimes, and diversity of aquatic fauna, all of which drive mosquito oviposition behavior. Understanding the distribution of vector mosquitoes within saltmarshes can inform early warning systems, surveillance, and management of vector populations. The aim of this study was to identify the distribution of Ae. camptorhynchus, a known vector for RRV, across a saltmarsh and investigate the influence that other invertebrate assemblage might have on Ae. camptorhynchus egg dispersal. We demonstrate that vegetation is a strong indicator for Ae. camptorhynchus egg distribution, and this was not correlated with elevation or other invertebrates located at this saltmarsh. Also, habitats within this marsh are less frequently inundated, resulting in dryer conditions. We conclude that this information can be applied in vector surveillance and monitoring of temperate saltmarsh environments and also provides a baseline for future investigations into understanding mosquito vector habitat requirements. © 2017 The Society for Vector Ecology.

  17. Enhanced stability of steep channel beds to mass failure and debris flow initiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prancevic, J.; Lamb, M. P.; Ayoub, F.; Venditti, J. G.

    2015-12-01

    Debris flows dominate bedrock erosion and sediment transport in very steep mountain channels, and are often initiated from failure of channel-bed alluvium during storms. While several theoretical models exist to predict mass failures, few have been tested because observations of in-channel bed failures are extremely limited. To fill this gap in our understanding, we performed laboratory flume experiments to identify the conditions necessary to initiate bed failures in non-cohesive sediment of different sizes (D = 0.7 mm to 15 mm) on steep channel-bed slopes (S = 0.45 to 0.93) and in the presence of water flow. In beds composed of sand, failures occurred under sub-saturated conditions on steep bed slopes (S > 0.5) and under super-saturated conditions at lower slopes. In beds of gravel, however, failures occurred only under super-saturated conditions at all tested slopes, even those approaching the dry angle of repose. Consistent with theoretical models, mass failures under super-saturated conditions initiated along a failure plane approximately one grain-diameter below the bed surface, whereas the failure plane was located near the base of the bed under sub-saturated conditions. However, all experimental beds were more stable than predicted by 1-D infinite-slope stability models. In partially saturated sand, enhanced stability appears to result from suction stress. Enhanced stability in gravel may result from turbulent energy losses in pores or increased granular friction for failures that are shallow with respect to grain size. These grain-size dependent effects are not currently included in stability models for non-cohesive sediment, and they may help to explain better the timing and location of debris flow occurrence.

  18. Maintenance of an obstruction-forced pool in a gravel-bed channel: streamflow, channel morphology, and sediment transport.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richard D. Woodsmith; Marwan A. Hassan

    2005-01-01

    Maintenance of pool morphology in a stream channel with a mobile bed requires hydraulic conditions at moderate to high flows that route bed load through the pool as it is delivered from upstream. Through field measurements of discharge, vertical velocity profiles, bed load transport, and streambed scour, fill, and grain-size distribution, we found that maintenance of a...

  19. Particle size distribution of main-channel-bed sediments along the upper Mississippi River, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Remo, Jonathan; Heine, Ruben A.; Ickes, Brian

    2016-01-01

    In this study, we compared pre-lock-and-dam (ca. 1925) with a modern longitudinal survey of main-channel-bed sediments along a 740-km segment of the upper Mississippi River (UMR) between Davenport, IA, and Cairo, IL. This comparison was undertaken to gain a better understanding of how bed sediments are distributed longitudinally and to assess change since the completion of the UMR lock and dam navigation system and Missouri River dams (i.e., mid-twentieth century). The comparison of the historic and modern longitudinal bed sediment surveys showed similar bed sediment sizes and distributions along the study segment with the majority (> 90%) of bed sediment samples having a median diameter (D50) of fine to coarse sand. The fine tail (≤ D10) of the sediment size distributions was very fine to medium sand, and the coarse tail (≥ D90) of sediment-size distribution was coarse sand to gravel. Coarsest sediments in both surveys were found within or immediately downstream of bedrock-floored reaches. Statistical analysis revealed that the particle-size distributions between the survey samples were statistically identical, suggesting no overall difference in main-channel-bed sediment-size distribution between 1925 and present. This was a surprising result given the magnitude of river engineering undertaken along the study segment over the past ~ 90 years. The absence of substantial differences in main-channel-bed-sediment size suggests that flow competencies within the highly engineered navigation channel today are similar to conditions within the less-engineered historic channel.

  20. Differentiating submarine channel-related thin-bedded turbidite facies: Outcrop examples from the Rosario Formation, Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansen, Larissa; Callow, Richard; Kane, Ian; Kneller, Ben

    2017-08-01

    Thin-bedded turbidites deposited by sediment gravity flows that spill from submarine channels often contain significant volumes of sand in laterally continuous beds. These can make up over 50% of the channel-belt fill volume, and can thus form commercially important hydrocarbon reservoirs. Thin-bedded turbidites can be deposited in environments that include levees and depositional terraces, which are distinguished on the basis of their external morphology and internal architecture. Levees have a distinctive wedge shaped morphology, thinning away from the channel, and confine both channels (internal levees) and channel-belts (external levees). Terraces are flat-lying features that are elevated above the active channel within a broad channel-belt. Despite the ubiquity of terraces and levees in modern submarine channel systems, the recognition of these environments in outcrop and in the subsurface is challenging. In this outcrop study of the Upper Cretaceous Rosario Formation (Baja California, Mexico), lateral transects based on multiple logged sections of thin-bedded turbidites reveal systematic differences in sandstone layer thicknesses, sandstone proportion, palaeocurrents, sedimentary structures and ichnology between channel-belt and external levee thin-bedded turbidites. Depositional terrace deposits have a larger standard deviation in sandstone layer thicknesses than external levees because they are topographically lower, and experience a wider range of turbidity current sizes overspilling from different parts of the channel-belt. The thickness of sandstone layers within external levees decreases away from the channel-belt while those in depositional terraces are less laterally variable. Depositional terrace environments of the channel-belt are characterized by high bioturbation intensities, and contain distinctive trace fossil assemblages, often dominated by ichnofabrics of the echinoid trace fossil Scolicia. These assemblages contrast with the lower

  1. Signatures of Biogeomorphic Feedbacks in Salt-Marsh Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Alpaos, Andrea; Marani, Marco

    2015-04-01

    Salt-marsh ecosystems which play a large role in the bio-geomorphological evolution of intertidal areas. Dense stands of halophytic vegetations which populate salt marshes largely control the dynamics of these ecosystems influencing marsh hydrodynamics and sediment transport through enhanced flow resistance and settling, and direct particle capture by plant stems. Moreover, plants are also known to increase vertical accretion through direct organic accretion. Field evidence and the results of biomorphodynamic models indeed show that the interplay between physical and biological processes generates some striking biological and morphological patterns at different scales. One such pattern, vegetation zonation, consists in a mosaic of vegetation patches, of approximately uniform composition, displaying sharp transitions in the presence of extremely small topographic gradients. Here we develop a two-dimensional model which describes the mutual interaction and adjustment between tidal flows, sediment transport and morphology mediated by vegetation influence. The model allows us describe the coupled evolution of marsh platforms and channel networks cutting through them. A number of different scenarios were modelled to analyze the changes induced in bio-geomorphic patterns by plants with different characteristics, within marshes characterized by different drainage densities, or subjected to changing environmental forcing such as rates of relative sea level rise and sediment supply. Model results emphasize that zonation patterns are a signature of bio-geomorphic feedbacks with vegetation acting as a landscape constructor which feeds back on, directly alters, and contributes to shape tidal environments. In addition, model results show that biogeomorphic feedbacks critically affect the response and the resilience of salt-marsh landscapes to changes in the environmental forcing.

  2. Real-Time River Channel-Bed Monitoring at the Chariton and Mississippi Rivers in Missouri, 2007-09

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rydlund, Jr., Paul H.

    2009-01-01

    Scour and depositional responses to hydrologic events have been important to the scientific community studying sediment transport as well as potential effects on bridges and other hydraulic structures within riverine systems. A river channel-bed monitor composed of a single-beam transducer was installed on a bridge crossing the Chariton River near Prairie Hill, Missouri (structure L-344) as a pilot study to evaluate channel-bed change in response to the hydrologic condition disseminated from an existing streamgage. Initial results at this location led to additional installations in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Transportation at an upstream Chariton River streamgage location at Novinger, Missouri (structure L-534) and a Mississippi River streamgage location near Mehlville, Missouri (structures A-1850 and A-4936). In addition to stage, channel-bed elevation was collected at all locations every 15 minutes and transmitted hourly to a U.S. Geological Survey database. Bed elevation data for the Chariton River location at Novinger and the Mississippi River location near Mehlville were provided to the World Wide Web for real-time monitoring. Channel-bed data from the three locations indicated responses to hydrologic events depicted in the stage record; however, notable bedforms apparent during inter-event flows also may have affected the relation of scour and deposition to known hydrologic events. Throughout data collection periods, Chariton River locations near Prairie Hill and Novinger reflected bed changes as much as 13 feet and 5 feet. Nearly all of the bed changes correlated well with the hydrographic record at these locations. The location at the Mississippi River near Mehlville indicated a much more stable channel bed throughout the data collection period. Despite missing data resulting from damage to one of the river channel-bed monitors from ice accumulation at the upstream nose of the bridge pier early in the record, the record from the downstream

  3. Single-phase convection heat transfer characteristics of pebble-bed channels with internal heat generation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meng Xianke; Sun Zhongning; Xu Guangzhan

    2012-01-01

    Graphical abstract: The core of the water-cooled pebble bed reactor is the porous channels which stacked with spherical fuel elements. The gaps between the adjacent fuel elements are complex because they are stochastic and often shift. We adopt electromagnetic induction heating method to overall heat the pebble bed. By comparing and analyzing the experimental data, we get the rule of power distribution and the rule of heat transfer coefficient with particle diameter, heat flux density, inlet temperature and working fluid's Re number. Highlights: ► We adopt electromagnetic induction heating method to overall heat the pebble bed to be the internal heat source. ► The ball diameter is smaller, the effect of the heat transfer is better. ► With Re number increasing, heat transfer coefficient is also increasing and eventually tends to stabilize. ► The changing of heat power makes little effect on the heat transfer coefficient of pebble bed channels. - Abstract: The reactor core of a water-cooled pebble bed reactor includes porous channels that are formed by spherical fuel elements. This structure has notably improved heat transfer. Due to the variability and randomness of the interstices in pebble bed channels, heat transfer is complex, and there are few studies regarding this topic. To study the heat transfer characters of pebble bed channels with internal heat sources, oxidized stainless steel spheres with diameters of 3 and 8 mm and carbon steel spheres with 8 mm diameters are used in a stacked pebble bed. Distilled water is used as a refrigerant for the experiments, and the electromagnetic induction heating method is used to heat the pebble bed. By comparing and analyzing the experimental results, we obtain the governing rules for the power distribution and the heat transfer coefficient with respect to particle diameter, heat flux density, inlet temperature and working fluid Re number. From fitting of the experimental data, we obtain the dimensionless average

  4. Ecomorphodynamic Response of Foreshore Saltmarsh to the Implementation of Flood and Erosion Mitigation and Adaptation Structures in a Hypertidal Estuary: Minas Basin, Bay of Fundy, Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matheson, G.; van Proosdij, D.; Ross, C.

    2017-12-01

    Flood and erosion mitigations and adaptation structures are often implemented in anthropogenically modified coastal regions, such as dykelands, to protect against coastal hazards. If saltmarshes are to be incorporated into a coastal management plan as a source of coastal defence, it is paramount to understand how ecomorphodynamic feedbacks triggered by implementing these structures can impact saltmarshes. This study examines how these structures, in combination with natural drivers, have precipitated changes in foreshore saltmarsh erosion and progradation rates over varying spatial scales in the hypertidal Minas Basin, located in the upper Bay of Fundy, during the past 80 years. Foreshore change rates (in 25m segments) are obtained using empirical field measurements, geomatics techniques in a geographical information system (GIS), as well as imagery and digital surface models (DSMs) derived from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Furthermore, UAV DSMs were used to determine infill rates and short-term sediment budgets in saltmarsh borrow pits. Natural cyclical foreshore change rates are observed in the Minas Basin, but are often augmented by the presence of anthropogenic structures. Erosion and progradation rates in individual transects have been observed to be as much as -14.9m/yr and 20.1m/yr, respectively. In individual saltmarsh communities, average change rates have been observed to be as much -3.4m/yr and 2.1m/yr across the entire foreshore. Furthermore, results suggest that under specific environmental conditions some structures (e.g. kickers) work in tandem with saltmarshes to protect the upland by precipitating ecomorphodynamic feedbacks that promote saltmarsh progradation. Conversely, other structures (e.g. foreshore rocking) can exacerbate natural cycles of erosion, locally. Borrow pit studies reveal that although local suspended sediment concentrations, which can vary from 50mg/l to 50000mg/l, play an integral role in pit sedimentation, channel geometry

  5. Channel change and bed-material transport in the Lower Chetco River, Oregon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wallick, J. Rose; Anderson, Scott W.; Cannon, Charles; O'Connor, Jim E.

    2010-01-01

    The lower Chetco River is a wandering gravel-bed river flanked by abundant and large gravel bars formed of coarse bed-material sediment. Since the early twentieth century, the large gravel bars have been a source of commercial aggregate for which ongoing permitting and aquatic habitat concerns have motivated this assessment of historical channel change and sediment transport rates. Analysis of historical channel change and bed-material transport rates for the lower 18 kilometers shows that the upper reaches of the study area are primarily transport zones, with bar positions fixed by valley geometry and active bars mainly providing transient storage of bed material. Downstream reaches, especially near the confluence of the North Fork Chetco River, are zones of active sedimentation and channel migration.Multiple analyses, supported by direct measurements of bedload during winter 2008–09, indicate that since 1970 the mean annual flux of bed material into the study reach has been about 40,000–100,000 cubic meters per year. Downstream tributary input of bed-material sediment, probably averaging 5–30 percent of the influx coming into the study reach from upstream, is approximately balanced by bed-material attrition by abrasion. Probably little bed material leaves the lower river under natural conditions, with most net influx historically accumulating in wider and more dynamic reaches, especially near the North Fork Chetco River confluence, 8 kilometers upstream from the Pacific Ocean.The year-to-year flux, however, varies tremendously. Some years may have less than 3,000 cubic meters of bed material entering the study area; by contrast, some high-flow years, such as 1982 and 1997, likely have more than 150,000 cubic meters entering the reach. For comparison, the estimated annual volume of gravel extracted from the lower Chetco River for commercial aggregate during 2000–2008 has ranged from 32,000 to 90,000 cubic meters and averaged about 59,000 cubic meters per

  6. Recent saltmarsh foraminiferal assemblages from Iceland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lübbers, Julia; Schönfeld, Joachim

    2018-01-01

    This study reports for the first time boreal to subarctic intertidal foraminiferal assemblages from saltmarshes at Borgarnes and Faskrudsfjördur on Iceland. The composition of living and dead foraminiferal assemblages was investigated along transects from the tidal flat to the highest reach of halophytic plants. The foraminiferal assemblages from Borgarnes showed 18 species in the total foraminiferal assemblage of which only 7 species were recorded in the living fauna. The assemblages were dominated by agglutinated taxa, whereas 3 calcareous species were recorded, of which only Haynesina orbicularis was found in the living fauna. The distribution limit of calcifying species corresponds to the lower boundary of the lower saltmarsh vegetation zone. Furthermore, calcareous tests showed many features of dissolution, which is an indication of a carbonate corrosive environment. The species forming the dead assemblages were mainly derived from the ambient intertidal areas and were displaced by tidal currents into the saltmarsh. The foraminiferal assemblages from Faskrudsfjördur showed two species, of which only one species was recorded in the living fauna. The assemblage was dominated by the agglutinated foraminifer Trochaminita irregularis. The foraminiferal species recorded on Iceland were the same as commonly found elsewhere in Europa. Since no species was found which is endemic to North America, Iceland is considered part of the European bio province. The foraminiferal could have been immigrated to Iceland from Europe through warm water currents, migratory birds or marine traffic since the last Ice Age.

  7. Saltmarsh plant responses to eutrophication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, David Samuel; Warren, R Scott; Deegan, Linda A; Mozdzer, Thomas J

    2016-12-01

    In saltmarsh plant communities, bottom-up pressure from nutrient enrichment is predicted to increase productivity, alter community structure, decrease biodiversity, and alter ecosystem functioning. Previous work supporting these predictions has been based largely on short-term, plot-level (e.g., 1-300 m 2 ) studies, which may miss landscape-level phenomena that drive ecosystem-level responses. We implemented an ecosystem-scale, nine-year nutrient experiment to examine how saltmarsh plants respond to simulated conditions of coastal eutrophication. Our study differed from previous saltmarsh enrichment studies in that we applied realistic concentrations of nitrate (70-100 μM NO 3 - ), the most common form of coastal nutrient enrichment, via tidal water at the ecosystem scale (~60,000 m 2 creeksheds). Our enrichments added a total of 1,700 kg N·creek -1 ·yr -1 , which increased N loading 10-fold vs. reference creeks (low-marsh, 171 g N·m -2 ·yr -1 ; high-marsh, 19 g N·m -2 ·yr -1 ). Nutrients increased the shoot mass and height of low marsh, tall Spartina alterniflora; however, declines in stem density resulted in no consistent increase in aboveground biomass. High-marsh plants S. patens and stunted S. alterniflora did not respond consistently to enrichment. Nutrient enrichment did not shift community structure, contrary to the prediction of nutrient-driven dominance of S. alterniflora and Distichlis spicata over S. patens. Our mild responses may differ from the results of previous studies for a number of reasons. First, the limited response of the high marsh may be explained by loading rates orders of magnitude lower than previous work. Low loading rates in the high marsh reflect infrequent inundation, arguing that inundation patterns must be considered when predicting responses to estuarine eutrophication. Additionally, we applied nitrate instead of the typically used ammonium, which is energetically favored over nitrate for plant uptake. Thus, the

  8. Saltmarsh boundary modulates dispersal of mangrove propagules: implications for mangrove migration with sea-level rise.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Jennifer M; Bell, Susan S

    2015-01-01

    Few studies have empirically examined the suite of mechanisms that underlie the distributional shifts displayed by organisms in response to changing climatic condition. Mangrove forests are expected to move inland as sea-level rises, encroaching on saltmarsh plants inhabiting higher elevations. Mangrove propagules are transported by tidal waters and propagule dispersal is likely modified upon encountering the mangrove-saltmarsh ecotone, the implications of which are poorly known. Here, using an experimental approach, we record landward and seaward dispersal and subsequent establishment of mangrove propagules that encounter biotic boundaries composed of two types of saltmarsh taxa: succulents and grasses. Our findings revealed that propagules emplaced within saltmarsh vegetation immediately landward of the extant mangrove fringe boundary frequently dispersed in the seaward direction. However, propagules moved seaward less frequently and over shorter distances upon encountering boundaries composed of saltmarsh grasses versus succulents. We uniquely confirmed that the small subset of propagules dispersing landward displayed proportionately higher establishment success than those transported seaward. Although impacts of ecotones on plant dispersal have rarely been investigated in situ, our experimental results indicate that the interplay between tidal transport and physical attributes of saltmarsh vegetation influence boundary permeability to propagules, thereby directing the initial phase of shifting mangrove distributions. The incorporation of tidal inundation information and detailed data on landscape features, such as the structure of saltmarsh vegetation at mangrove boundaries, should improve the accuracy of models that are being developed to forecast mangrove distributional shifts in response to sea-level rise.

  9. Sedimentological analysis and bed thickness statistics from a Carboniferous deep-water channel-levee complex: Myall Trough, SE Australia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palozzi, Jason; Pantopoulos, George; Maravelis, Angelos G.; Nordsvan, Adam; Zelilidis, Avraam

    2018-02-01

    This investigation presents an outcrop-based integrated study of internal division analysis and statistical treatment of turbidite bed thickness applied to a Carboniferous deep-water channel-levee complex in the Myall Trough, southeast Australia. Turbidite beds of the studied succession are characterized by a range of sedimentary structures grouped into two main associations, a thick-bedded and a thin-bedded one, that reflect channel-fill and overbank/levee deposits, respectively. Three vertically stacked channel-levee cycles have been identified. Results of statistical analysis of bed thickness, grain-size and internal division patterns applied on the studied channel-levee succession, indicate that turbidite bed thickness data seem to be well characterized by a bimodal lognormal distribution, which is possibly reflecting the difference between deposition from lower-density flows (in a levee/overbank setting) and very high-density flows (in a channel fill setting). Power law and exponential distributions were observed to hold only for the thick-bedded parts of the succession and cannot characterize the whole bed thickness range of the studied sediments. The succession also exhibits non-random clustering of bed thickness and grain-size measurements. The studied sediments are also characterized by the presence of statistically detected fining-upward sandstone packets. A novel quantitative approach (change-point analysis) is proposed for the detection of those packets. Markov permutation statistics also revealed the existence of order in the alternation of internal divisions in the succession expressed by an optimal internal division cycle reflecting two main types of gravity flow events deposited within both thick-bedded conglomeratic and thin-bedded sandstone associations. The analytical methods presented in this study can be used as additional tools for quantitative analysis and recognition of depositional environments in hydrocarbon-bearing research of ancient

  10. Saltmarsh boundary modulates dispersal of mangrove propagules: implications for mangrove migration with sea-level rise.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer M Peterson

    Full Text Available Few studies have empirically examined the suite of mechanisms that underlie the distributional shifts displayed by organisms in response to changing climatic condition. Mangrove forests are expected to move inland as sea-level rises, encroaching on saltmarsh plants inhabiting higher elevations. Mangrove propagules are transported by tidal waters and propagule dispersal is likely modified upon encountering the mangrove-saltmarsh ecotone, the implications of which are poorly known. Here, using an experimental approach, we record landward and seaward dispersal and subsequent establishment of mangrove propagules that encounter biotic boundaries composed of two types of saltmarsh taxa: succulents and grasses. Our findings revealed that propagules emplaced within saltmarsh vegetation immediately landward of the extant mangrove fringe boundary frequently dispersed in the seaward direction. However, propagules moved seaward less frequently and over shorter distances upon encountering boundaries composed of saltmarsh grasses versus succulents. We uniquely confirmed that the small subset of propagules dispersing landward displayed proportionately higher establishment success than those transported seaward. Although impacts of ecotones on plant dispersal have rarely been investigated in situ, our experimental results indicate that the interplay between tidal transport and physical attributes of saltmarsh vegetation influence boundary permeability to propagules, thereby directing the initial phase of shifting mangrove distributions. The incorporation of tidal inundation information and detailed data on landscape features, such as the structure of saltmarsh vegetation at mangrove boundaries, should improve the accuracy of models that are being developed to forecast mangrove distributional shifts in response to sea-level rise.

  11. Tidal events and salt-marsh structure influence black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) recruitment across an ecotone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Jennifer M; Bell, Susan S

    2012-07-01

    Field experiments were conducted at a black mangrove-salt-marsh ecotone in southwest Florida (U.S.A.) to investigate retention of propagules of the black mangrove, Avicennia germinans, by salt-marsh plants as a mechanism of facilitation operating on recruitment success at landward boundaries. Buoyant A. germinans propagules are dispersed by tides, and stranding is required for establishment; therefore, processes that enable stranding should facilitate mangrove recruitment. We expected the physical structure of salt-marsh vegetation to define propagule retention capacity, and we predicted that salt-marsh plants with distinct growth forms would differentially retain propagules. Experimental monoculture plots (1 m2) of salt-marsh plants with different growth forms (Sporobolus virginicus [grass], Sesuvium portulacastrum [succulent forb], and Batis maritima [succulent scrub]) were created, and A. germinans propagules were emplaced into these plots and monitored over time. For comparison, propagules were also placed into natural polyculture plots (1 m2). Polyculture plots contained at least two of the salt-marsh plant taxa selected for monoculture treatments, and S. virginicus was always present within these polyculture plots. Natural polyculture plots retained 59.3% +/- 11.0% (mean +/- SE) of emplaced propagules. Monocultures varied in their propagule retention capacities with plots of S. virginicus retaining on average 65.7% +/- 11.5% of transplanted propagules compared to 7.2% +/- 1.8% by B. maritima and 5.0% +/- 1.9% by S. portulacastrum. Plots containing S. virginicus retained a significantly greater percentage of emplaced propagules relative to the two succulent salt-marsh taxa. Furthermore, propagule entrapment, across all treatments, was strongly correlated with salt-marsh structure (r2 = 0.6253, P = 0.00001), which was estimated using an indirect quantitative metric (lateral obstruction) calculated from digital images of plots. Overall, our findings imply that

  12. 210Pb sediment dating in coastal transition zones: tropical saltmarshes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruiz-Fernandez, A. C.; Sanchez-Cabeza, J. A.; Carnero-Bravo, V.; Perez-Bernal, L. H.

    2016-12-01

    Sea level rise (SLR) is one of the climate change effects expected to have the largest impact on coastal environments. SLR rates are not uniform around the planet and, therefore, local and regional data and trends are needed for proper adaptation plans. As long term monitoring stations of SLR are very scarce in most of the world, SLR trends obtained from 210Pb-dated sediment cores from tropical saltmarshes have become a practical alternative to obtain SLR trends within the past century, under the assumption that these ecosystems accrete at a similar rate to SLR. However, tropical saltmarshes are challenging environments for 210Pb dating: they are regularly dry, intermittently covered by seawater only during the highest tides, and sedimentary records often reflect the transition between terrestrial and marine environments (e.g. changes in grain size distribution, organic matter content and elemental composition) with all these factors contributing for atypical 210Pb depth profiles. In addition, 137Cs, the chronostratigraphic marker most commonly used to corroborate 210Pb dating, fails to be preserved in the sedimentary record in tropical areas, owing to its solubility in marine waters, if at all detectable. The present study describes the challenges and proposed solutions for 210Pb dating saltmarsh sediment cores from two saltmarsh areas (southern Gulf of California and Yucatan Peninsula) including the use of plutonium isotopes for corroboration purposes. Acknowledgements: projects CONACYT CB2010/153492 and PDCPN201301/214349; UNAM PAPIIT-IN203313 and the PRODEP network "Aquatic contamination: levels and effects" (year 3).

  13. Vegetation response to soil salinity and waterlogging in three saltmarsh hydrosequences through macronutrients distribution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferronato, Chiara; Speranza, Maria; Ferroni, Lucia; Buscaroli, Alessandro; Vianello, Gilmo; Vittori Antisari, Livia

    2018-01-01

    Saltmarshes consist of soil hydrosequences, where the complex interactions between water tide fluctuations, soil physicochemical properties and plant colonization contribute to the triggering of the pedogenetic processes and consequently to the stability of the saltmarsh edges. In this study, the composition and richness of the vegetation cover were investigated along soil transects in three different saltmarshes. With the aim to investigate the response of the vegetation to the soil hydroperiod and its influence on the availability of soil nutrients, plant and soil samples were collected in four representative sites on each saltmarsh transect (hydrosequence). Among the different species of saltmarshes, L. vulgare and S. europaea colonized intertidal areas, where an accumulation of nutrients (Ca, K, P, S and Na) and organic C and total N (OC and TN, respectively) was found. These intertidal areas are the "critical transition zones", which drive the transition between the terrestrial and the aquatic systems along the increase of soil salinity and water saturation. Among the different element cycles analysed in the soil-plant system, the analysis of the Na and S dynamic, through both bioconcentration and translocation indexes, explains the different adaptation mechanisms to different salinity and waterlogging stressors. The limiting of the species areal was generally associated firstly with a decrease in their Na and S bioconcentration factor and, to a lesser extent, with the increase in their Na and S translocation.

  14. Geomorphic changes resulting from floods in reconfigured gravel-bed river channels in Colorado, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elliott, J.G.; Capesius, J.P.

    2009-01-01

    Geomorphic changes in reconfi gured reaches of three Colorado rivers in response to floods in 2005 provide a benchmark for "restoration" assessment. Sedimententrainment potential is expressed as the ratio of the shear stress from the 2 yr, 5 yr, 10 yr, and 2005 floods to the critical shear stress for sediment. Some observed response was explained by the excess of flood shear stress relative to the resisting force of the sediment. Bed-load entrainment in the Uncompahgre River and the North Fork Gunnison River, during 4 and 6 yr floods respectively, resulted in streambed scour, streambed deposition, lateral-bar accretion, and channel migration at various locations. Some constructed boulder and log structures failed because of high rates of bank erosion or bed-material deposition. The Lake Fork showed little or no net change after the 2005 flood; however, this channel had not conveyed floods greater than the 2.5 yr flood since reconfi guration. Channel slope and the 2 yr flood, a surrogate for bankfull discharge, from all three reconfi gured reaches plotted above the Leopold and Wolman channel-pattern threshold in the "braided channel" region, indicating that braiding, rather than a single-thread meandering channel, and midchannel bar formation may be the natural tendency of these gravel-bed reaches. When plotted against a total stream-power and median-sediment-size threshold for the 2 yr flood, however, the Lake Fork plotted in the "single-thread channel" region, the North Fork Gunnison plotted in the " multiplethread" region, and the Uncompahgre River plotted on the threshold. All three rivers plotted in the multiple-thread region for floods of 5 yr recurrence or greater. ?? 2009 Geological Society of America.

  15. River sedimentation and channel bed characteristics in northern Ethiopia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demissie, Biadgilgn; Billi, Paolo; Frankl, Amaury; Haile, Mitiku; Lanckriet, Sil; Nyssen, Jan

    2016-04-01

    Excessive sedimentation and flood hazard are common in ephemeral streams which are characterized by flashy floods. The purposes of this study was to investigate the temporal variability of bio-climatic factors in controlling sediment supply to downstream channel reaches and the effect of bridges on local hydro-geomorphic conditions in causing the excess sedimentation and flood hazard in ephemeral rivers of the Raya graben (northern Ethiopia). Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was analyzed for the study area using Landsat imageries of 1972, 1986, 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2012). Middle term, 1993-2011, daily rainfall data of three meteorological stations, namely, Alamata, Korem and Maychew, were considered to analyse the temporal trends and to calculate the return time intervals of rainfall intensity in 24 hours for 2, 5, 10 and 20 years using the log-normal and the Gumbel extreme events method. Streambed gradient and bed material grain size were measured in 22 river reaches (at bridges and upstream). In the study catchments, the maximum NDVI values were recorded in the time interval from 2000 to 2010, i.e. the decade during which the study bridges experienced the most severe excess sedimentation problems. The time series analysis for a few rainfall parameters do not show any evidence of rainfall pattern accountable for an increase in sediment delivery from the headwaters nor for the generation of higher floods with larger bedload transport capacities. Stream bed gradient and bed material grain size data were measured in order to investigate the effect of the marked decrease in width from the wide upstream channels to the narrow recently constructed bridges. The study found the narrowing of the channels due to the bridges as the main cause of the thick sedimentation that has been clogging the study bridges and increasing the frequency of overbank flows during the last 15 years. Key terms: sedimentation, ephemeral streams, sediment size, bridge clogging

  16. Experimental study on single-phase convection heat transfer characteristics of pebble bed channels with internal heat generation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meng Xianke; Sun Zhongning; Zhou Ping; Xu Guangzhan

    2012-01-01

    The water-cooled pebble bed reactor core is the porous channels stacked with spherical fuel elements, having evident effect on enhancing heat transfer. Owing to the variability and randomness characteristics of it's interstice, pebble bed channels have a very complex heat transfer situation and have little correlative research. In order to research the heat transfer characters of pebble bed channels with internal heat source, electromagnetic induction heating method was adopted for overall heating the pebble bed which was composed of 8 mm diameter steel balls, and the internal heat transfer characteristics were researched. By comparing and analyzing the experimental data, the rule of power distribution and heat transfer coefficient with heat flux density, inlet temperature and working fluid's Re were got. According to the experimental data fitting, the dimensionless average heat transfer coefficient correlation criteria was got. The fitting results are good agreement with the experimental results within 12% difference. (authors)

  17. Spatio-temporal changes of a mangrove–saltmarsh ecotone in the northeastern coast of Florida, USA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wilfrid Rodriguez

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available General circulation models predict warming trends and changes in temperature and precipitation patterns that have the potential to alter the structure and function of coastal habitats. The purpose of this study was to quantify the expansion and contraction of mangroves and saltmarsh habitats and assess the impact of climate on these landscape changes. The study was conducted in a mangrove/saltmarsh ecotone in Flagler County, FL, near the northern range limit of mangroves along the Atlantic coast of North America. We used time series of historical aerial photography and high-resolution multispectral satellite imagery from 1942 to 2013 to quantify changes in the extent of mangrove and saltmarsh vegetation and compared these changes to climate variables of temperature and precipitation, temperature–seasonality, as well as historical sea-level data. Results showed increases in mangrove extent of 89% between 1942 and 1952, and a continuous increase from 1995 to 2013. Largest decrease in saltmarsh extent occurred between 1942 and 1952 (-136% and between 2008 and 2013 (-81%. We found significant effects of precipitation, temperature, seasonality, and time on mangrove and saltmarsh areal extent. The statistical effect of sea-level was rather small, but we speculate that it might have ecological impacts on these two coastal ecosystems. Results also showed a cyclical dynamism as well as a reversal in habitat dominance, which may be the result of complex interactions between plant habitats and several environmental drivers of change such as species interactions, and hydrological changes induced by sea-level rise, in addition to temperature and precipitation effects. Our results on mangrove/saltmarsh expansion and contraction may contribute to the improvement of management and conservation strategies for coastal ecosystems being impacted by climate change.

  18. Cyclic Sediment Trading Between Channel and River Bed Sediments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haddadchi, A.

    2015-12-01

    Much of the previous work on sediment tracing has focused on determining either the initial sources of the sediment (soils derive from a particular rock type) or the erosion processes generating the sediment. However, alluvial stores can be both a source and sink for sediment transported by streams. Here geochemical and fallout radionuclide tracing of river-bed and alluvial sediments are used to determine the role of secondary sources, sediment stores, as potential sources of sediment leaving Emu Creek catchment, southeastern Queensland, Australia. Activity concentrations of 137Cs on the river sediments are consistent with channel erosion being the dominant source at all sites sampled along the river. To characterise the deposition and remobilisation cycles in the catchment, a novel geochemical tracing approach was used. Successive pockets of alluvium were treated as discrete sink terms within geochemical mixing models and their source contributions compared with those of river bed sediments collected adjacent to each alluvial pocket. Three different size fractions were examined; silts and clays (banks indicates a high degree of 'trading' between the fluvial space and the alluvial space. Hence, management works aimed at primarily reducing the supply of sediments to the outlet of Emu Creek should focus on rehabilitation of channel banks in the lower catchment.

  19. The transfer of radionuclides from saltmarsh vegetation to sheep tissues and milk

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Beresford, N.A. [Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, CEH-Lancaster, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP (United Kingdom)], E-mail: nab@ceh.ac.uk; Howard, B.J. [Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, CEH-Lancaster, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP (United Kingdom); Mayes, R.W.; Lamb, C.S. [Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH (United Kingdom)

    2007-11-15

    Radionuclides released into the Irish Sea by the Sellafield reprocessing plant are deposited onto tide-washed pastures along the western coast of the United Kingdom. Many of these pastures are grazed by sheep or cattle. This paper describes a controlled feeding study, in which saltmarsh vegetation harvested from close to the Sellafield plant, was fed to lambs and adult female sheep for a period of 8 weeks. Activity concentrations of {sup 60}Co, {sup 95}Nb, {sup 106}Ru, {sup 134}Cs, {sup 137}Cs, {sup 238}Pu, {sup 239,240}Pu and {sup 241}Am were determined in edible tissues and transfer parameters estimated. The activity concentrations of some of the radionuclides will not have been in equilibrium with those in the diet. Nevertheless, the study was reasonably realistic in terms of agricultural management as the period of the study was similar to that for which lambs graze on the saltmarshes. A field study to determine the activity concentrations of {sup 137}Cs and {sup 239,240}Pu in the milk of ewes grazing a saltmarsh close to Sellafield is also described.

  20. Evaluation of High-Temporal-Resolution Bedload Sensors for Tracking Channel Bed Movement and Transport Thresholds in Forested Mountain Headwater Catchments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, S.; Conklin, M. H.; Bales, R. C.

    2014-12-01

    High temporal resolution data is required to take channel bed movement data beyond time integrated changes between measurements where many of the subtleties of bedload movement patterns are often missed. This study used continuous bedload scour sensors (flexible, fluid-filled pans connected to a pressure transducer) to collect high temporal resolution, long term bedload movement data for 4 high elevation (1500-1800 m) Sierra Nevada headwater streams draining 1 km2 catchments and to investigate the physical channel characteristics under which they perform best. Data collected by the scour sensors were used to investigate the disturbance and recovery patterns of these streams, to relate the observed patterns to channel bed stability, and to evaluate whether the channel bed is acting as a sediment source, sink, or storage across various temporal scales. Finally, attempts are made to identify discharge thresholds for bed movement from scour sensor and discharge data and to compare these threshold values to observed changes in the channel bed. Bedload scour data, turbidity data, and stream discharge data were collected at 15 minute intervals for (WY 2011 to WY 2014), including both above average (2011) and below average (2012, 2013, 2014) water years. Bedload scour sensors were found to have a relatively high (60%) failure rate in these systems. In addition, they required in situ calibrations as the factory and laboratory calibrations did not translate well to the field deployments. Data from the working sensors, showed patterns of abrupt channel bed disturbance (scour and/or fill) on an hour to day temporal scale followed by gradual recovery on a day to month scale back to a stable equilibrium bed surface elevation. These observed patterns suggest the bed acts as a short term source or sink for sediment, but is roughly sediment neutral over longer time periods implying the changes in bed elevation are reflective of fluctuations in storage rather than a true source or

  1. Wandering gravel-bed rivers and high-constructive stable channel sandy fluvial systems in the Ross River area, Yukon Territory, Canada

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Darrel G.F. Long

    2011-07-01

    Gravel-dominated strata, inter-bedded with, and overlying coal-bearing units, are interpreted as deposits of wandering gravel-bed rivers, with sinuosity approaching 1.4. In most exposures they appear to be dominated by massive and thin planar-bedded granule to small pebble conglomerates, which would traditionally be interpreted as sheet-flood or longitudinal bar deposits of a high-gradient braided stream or alluvial fan. Architectural analysis of exposures in an open-pit shows that the predominance of flat bedding is an artefact of the geometry of the roadside exposures. In the pit the conglomerates are dominated by large scale cross stratification on a scale of 1–5.5 m. These appear to have developed as downstream and lateral accretion elements on side-bars and on in-channel bars in water depths of 2–12 m. Stacking of strata on domed 3rd order surfaces suggests development of longitudinal in-channel bar complexes similar to those observed in parts of the modern Rhône River system. Mudstone preserved in some of the channels reflects intervals of channel abandonment or avulsion. Minimum channel width is from 70 to 450 m.

  2. Effects of Drawdown and Structures on Bed-Load Transport in Pool 8 Navigation Channel

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Abraham, David; Hendrickson, Jon

    2003-01-01

    ... of a pool drawdown and structures on bed-load transport in the Pool 8 navigation channel. Work was conducted as part of the Monitoring of Completed Navigation Projects (MCNP) program. BACKGROUND...

  3. The impact of erosion protection by Stone Dams on Salt-Marsh vegetation on Two Wadden Sea Barrier Islands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Loon-Steensma, van J.M.; Slim, P.A.

    2013-01-01

    This paper describes and quantifies the effect of low stone dams on the extent and composition of salt-marsh habitats on two Dutch Wadden islands: Terschelling and Ameland. The stone dams were built to prevent erosion of the salt-marsh edge. Analyses of a series of aerial photographs taken between

  4. Channel change and bed-material transport in the Umpqua River basin, Oregon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wallick, J. Rose; O'Connor, Jim E.; Anderson, Scott; Keith, Mackenzie K.; Cannon, Charles; Risley, John C.

    2011-01-01

    The Umpqua River drains 12,103 square kilometers of western Oregon; with headwaters in the Cascade Range, the river flows through portions of the Klamath Mountains and Oregon Coast Range before entering the Pacific Ocean. Above the head of tide, the Umpqua River, along with its major tributaries, the North and South Umpqua Rivers, flows on a mixed bedrock and alluvium bed, alternating between bedrock rapids and intermittent, shallow gravel bars composed of gravel to cobble-sized clasts. These bars have been a source of commercial aggregate since the mid-twentieth century. Below the head of tide, the Umpqua River contains large bars composed of mud and sand. Motivated by ongoing permitting and aquatic habitat concerns related to in-stream gravel mining on the fluvial reaches, this study evaluated spatial and temporal trends in channel change and bed-material transport for 350 kilometers of river channel along the Umpqua, North Umpqua, and South Umpqua Rivers. The assessment produced (1) detailed mapping of the active channel, using aerial photographs and repeat surveys, and (2) a quantitative estimation of bed-material flux that drew upon detailed measurements of particle size and lithology, equations of transport capacity, and a sediment yield analysis. Bed-material transport capacity estimates at 45 sites throughout the South Umpqua and main stem Umpqua Rivers for the period 1951-2008 result in wide-ranging transport capacity estimates, reflecting the difficulty of applying equations of bed-material transport to a supply-limited river. Median transport capacity values calculated from surface-based equations of bedload transport for each of the study reaches provide indications of maximum possible transport rates and range from 8,000 to 27,000 metric tons per year (tons/yr) for the South Umpqua River and 20,000 to 82,000 metric tons/yr for the main stem Umpqua River upstream of the head of tide; the North Umpqua River probably contributes little bed material. A

  5. Changes in the channel-bed level of the western Carpathian rivers over the last 40years

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kijowska-Strugała, Małgorzata; Bucała-Hrabia, Anna

    2017-04-01

    Channel-bed level is constantly changing in time and space, and the process is dependent on both natural and anthropogenic factors. In mountain areas this is one of the more visible morphological processes. The main aim of the research was to analyze the dynamics of the position of river channel beds. Three rivers located within the western part of Polish Carpathians were chosen for the analysis: the Ropa river, the Kamienica Nawojowska river and the Ochotnica river. They are typical rivers for the Beskidy Mountains, medium Flysch mountains. To assess changes in the position of channel bed long-term series of data of minimum water stages in the river were used. The Ropa river is the biggest left tributary of the Wisłoka river (basin a of the upper Vistula River). The total length of the river amounts to 80 km, its gradient equals 58.9‰ and the water basin area amounts to 974 km2. The Kamienica Nawojowska river, with a length of 32.2 km is a right tributary of Dunajec river. The average decrease for the entire watercourse is 18.1‰. The catchment area is 238 km2. The Ochotnica river is 22.7 km long and it is a left tributary of the Dunajec river. The average slope for the entire watercourse is 36.1‰. The Ochotnica river characterized by deep valleys (catchment area 107.6 km2). Analysis of trends in minimum annual water stages in the alluvial Ropa river channel throughout the multi-year period of 1995-2014 shows an increasing trend amounting to 0.8 cm/year. In the Kamienica Nawojowska river the tendency of incision was observed starting from the 1960 to 2014. Average annual rate of increase of the minimum stages was between 0.4 to 1.2 cm/year. On the basis of the analysis of the minimum water levels in the years 1972-2011 two periods can be seen with different tendencies to change the position of the Ochotnica channel bottom. The first covers the years 1972-1996, where aggradation (3.9 cm/year) was the predominant process while in the period 1997-2011 incision

  6. Determination of the manning coefficient from measured bed roughness in natural channels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Limerinos, John Thomas

    1970-01-01

    This report presents the results of a study to test the hypothesis that basic values of the Manning roughness coefficient of stream channels may be related to (1) some characteristic size of the streambed particles and to (2) the distribution of particle size. These two elements involving particle size can be combined into a single element by weighting characteristic particle sizes. The investigation was confined to channels with coarse bed material to avoid the complication of bed-form roughness that is associated with alluvial channels composed of fine bed material. Fifty current-meter measurements of discharge and appropriate field surveys were made at 11 sites on California streams for the purpose of computing the roughness coefficient, n, by the Manning formula. The test sites were selected to give a wide range in average size of bed material, and the discharge measurements and surveys were made at such times as to provide data covering a suitable range in stream depth. The sites selected were relatively free of the extraneous flow-retarding effects associated with irregular channel conformation and streambank vegetation. The characteristic bed-particle sizes used in the analyses were the 16,- 50,- and 84-percentile sizes as obtained from a cumulative frequency distribution of the diameters of randomly sampled surficial bed material. Separate distributions were computed for the minimum and intermediate values of the three diameters of a particle. The minimum diameters of the streambed particles were used in the study because a particle at rest on the bed invariably has its minimum diameter in the vertical position; this diameter is, therefore, the most representative measure of roughness height. The intermediate diameter was also studied because this is the diameter most easily measurable-either by sieve analysis or by photographic techniques--and--because it is the diameter that had been used in previous studies by other investigators. No significant

  7. Preliminary assessment of channel stability and bed-material transport along Hunter Creek, southwestern Oregon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Krista L.; Wallick, J. Rose; O'Connor, Jim E.; Keith, Mackenzie K.; Mangano, Joseph F.; Risley, John C.

    2011-01-01

    This preliminary assessment of (1) bed-material transport in the Hunter Creek basin, (2) historical changes in channel condition, and (3) supplementary data needed to inform permitting decisions regarding instream gravel extraction revealed the following: Along the lower 12.4 km (kilometers) of Hunter Creek from its confluence with the Little South Fork Hunter Creek to its mouth, the river has confined and unconfined segments and is predominately alluvial in its lowermost 11 km. This 12.4-km stretch of river can be divided into two geomorphically distinct study reaches based primarily on valley physiography. In the Upper Study Reach (river kilometer [RKM] 12.4-6), the active channel comprises a mixed bed of bedrock, boulders, and smaller grains. The stream is confined in the upper 1.4 km of the reach by a bedrock canyon and in the lower 2.4 km by its valley. In the Lower Study Reach (RKM 6-0), where the area of gravel bars historically was largest, the stream flows over bed material that is predominately alluvial sediments. The channel alternates between confined and unconfined segments. The primary human activities that likely have affected bed-material transport and the extent and area of gravel bars are (1) historical and ongoing aggregate extraction from gravel bars in the study area and (2) timber harvest and associated road construction throughout the basin. These anthropogenic activities likely have varying effects on sediment transport and deposition throughout the study area and over time. Although assessing the relative effects of these anthropogenic activities on sediment dynamics would be challenging, the Hunter Creek basin may serve as a case study for such an assessment because it is mostly free of other alterations to hydrologic and geomorphic processes such as flow regulation, dredging, and other navigation improvements that are common in many Oregon coastal basins. Several datasets are available that may support a more detailed physical assessment

  8. Preliminary assessment of channel stability and bed-material transport in the Rogue River basin, southwestern Oregon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Krista L.; O'Connor, Jim E.; Keith, Mackenzie K.; Mangano, Joseph F.; Wallick, J. Rose

    2012-01-01

    This report summarizes a preliminary assessment of bed-material transport, vertical and lateral channel changes, and existing datasets for the Rogue River basin, which encompasses 13,390 square kilometers (km2) along the southwestern Oregon coast. This study, conducted to inform permitting decisions regarding instream gravel mining, revealed that: * The Rogue River in its lowermost 178.5 kilometers (km) alternates between confined and unconfined segments, and is predominately alluvial along its lowermost 44 km. The study area on the mainstem Rogue River can be divided into five reaches based on topography, hydrology, and tidal influence. The largely confined, active channel flows over bedrock and coarse bed material composed chiefly of boulders and cobbles in the Grants Pass (river kilometers [RKM] 178.5-152.8), Merlin (RKM 152.8-132.7), and Galice Reaches (RKM 132.7-43.9). Within these confined reaches, the channel contains few bars and has stable planforms except for locally wider segments such as the Brushy Chutes area in the Merlin Reach. Conversely, the active channel flows over predominately alluvial material and contains nearly continuous gravel bars in the Lobster Creek Reach (RKM 43.9-6.7). The channel in the Tidal Reach (RKM 6.7-0) is also alluvial, but tidally affected and unconfined until RKM 2. The Lobster Creek and Tidal Reaches contain some of the most extensive bar deposits within the Rogue River study area. * For the 56.6-km-long segment of the Applegate River included in this study, the river was divided into two reaches based on topography. In the Upper Applegate River Reach (RKM 56.6-41.6), the confined, active channel flows over alluvium and bedrock and has few bars. In the Lower Applegate River Reach (RKM 41.6-0), the active channel alternates between confined and unconfined segments, flows predominantly over alluvium, shifts laterally in unconfined sections, and contains more numerous and larger bars. * The 6.5-km segment of the lower

  9. 3D structure of macropore networks within natural and de-embarked estuary saltmarsh sediments: towards an improved understanding of network structural control over hydrologic function

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carr, Simon; Spencer, Kate; James, Tempest; Lucy, Diggens

    2015-04-01

    Saltmarshes are globally important environments which, though occupying biodiversity e.g. the EU Habitats Directive and Birds Directive. However, there is growing evidence that restored saltmarshes, recreated through the return to tidal inundation of previously drained and defended low-lying coastal land, do not have the same species composition even after 100 years and while environmental enhancement has been achieved, there may be consequences for ecosystem functioning This study presents the findings of a comparative analysis of detailed sediment structure and hydrological functioning of equivalent natural and de-embanked saltmarsh sediments at Orplands Farm, Essex, UK. 3D x-ray CT scanning of triplicate undisturbed sediment cores recovered in 2013 have been used to derive detailed volumetric reconstructions of macropore structure and networks, and to infer differences in bulk microporosity between natural and de-embanked saltmarshes. These volumes have been further visualised for qualitative analysis of the main sediment components, and extraction of key macropore space parameters for quantified analysis including total porosity and connectivity, as well as structure, organisation and efficiency (tortuosity) of macropore networks. Although total porosity was significantly greater within the de-embanked saltmarsh sediments, pore networks in these samples were less organised and more tortuous, and were also inferred to have significantly lower micro-porosity than those of the natural saltmarsh. These datasets are applied to explain significant differences in the hydraulic behaviour and functioning observed between natural and de-embarked saltmarsh at Orplands. Piezometer wells and pressure transducers recorded fluctuations in water level at 15 minute intervals over a 4.5 month period (winter 2011-2012). Basic patterns for water level fluctuations in both the natural and de-embanked saltmarsh are similar and reflect tidal flooding. However, in the de

  10. Towards a better understanding of the interaction between bed roughness and flow hydraulics in small eroded channels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giménez, Rafael; Zubieta, Elena; Campo-Bescós, Miguel A.; Casalí, Javier

    2016-04-01

    Rills eroding cohesive materials are hydraulically different from rivers or large channels. Unlike rivers, rills are small, shallow flow stream with frequently a relatively steep slope gradient. Besides, rills evolve morphologically over much shorter timescales due to active bed erosion. This leads to a strong interaction between the channel flow and bed roughness. This interaction gives rise to a reconfiguration of the bed geometry generated by the important erosive action of the flow. This new shape is characterized by a typical alternance between concavities (pools) and more or less flat reaches (steps). The new rill geometry affects, in turn, the behaviour of the flow that is why we talk about interaction or feedback. In addition, the greatest energy dissipation occurs in the pools -mainly due to the action of hydraulic jumps- which, in turn, lead to an increase in the pool size. We hypothesize there is a regular spacing of step-pools units and that, both the frequency and the depth of the pools will be strongly conditioned by the discharge and the general rill slope. The determination of that periodicity (if any) would be an important contribution for concentrated flow erosion modelling of small channels. That is because the majority of erosion models are based on formulations which assume that a rill has a flat bed, only affected by micro-roughness. For instance, equations like Manning's - widely used in river and large channel hydraulics -, if a constant value of roughness is assumed, would be inappropriate in erosion rills since, as explained above, the roughness is not constant. The objectives of this work are then: (i) to investigate the geometry of erosion rills aiming at determining if there is a spatial arrangement of the macro roughness of their beds; and (ii) to establish (semi)-empirical models of prediction of this periodicity, mainly based on topographic parameters. Rills were generated in an agricultural field in a homogeneous hillslope (with no

  11. Exploring mechanisms of compaction in salt-marsh sediments using Common Era relative sea-level reconstructions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brain, Matthew J.; Kemp, Andrew C.; Hawkes, Andrea D.; Engelhart, Simon E.; Vane, Christopher H.; Cahill, Niamh; Hill, Troy D.; Donnelly, Jeffrey P.; Horton, Benjamin P.

    2017-07-01

    Salt-marsh sediments provide precise and near-continuous reconstructions of Common Era relative sea level (RSL). However, organic and low-density salt-marsh sediments are prone to compaction processes that cause post-depositional distortion of the stratigraphic column used to reconstruct RSL. We compared two RSL reconstructions from East River Marsh (Connecticut, USA) to assess the contribution of mechanical compression and biodegradation to compaction of salt-marsh sediments and their subsequent influence on RSL reconstructions. The first, existing reconstruction ('trench') was produced from a continuous sequence of basal salt-marsh sediment and is unaffected by compaction. The second, new reconstruction is from a compaction-susceptible core taken at the same location. We highlight that sediment compaction is the only feasible mechanism for explaining the observed differences in RSL reconstructed from the trench and core. Both reconstructions display long-term RSL rise of ∼1 mm/yr, followed by a ∼19th Century acceleration to ∼3 mm/yr. A statistically-significant difference between the records at ∼1100 to 1800 CE could not be explained by a compression-only geotechnical model. We suggest that the warmer and drier conditions of the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) resulted in an increase in sediment compressibility during this time period. We adapted the geotechnical model by reducing the compressive strength of MCA sediments to simulate this softening of sediments. 'Decompaction' of the core reconstruction with this modified model accounted for the difference between the two RSL reconstructions. Our results demonstrate that compression-only geotechnical models may be inadequate for estimating compaction and post-depositional lowering of susceptible organic salt-marsh sediments in some settings. This has important implications for our understanding of the drivers of sea-level change. Further, our results suggest that future climate changes may make salt

  12. Engineered channel controls limiting spawning habitat rehabilitation success on regulated gravel-bed rivers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Rocko A.; Pasternack, Gregory B.

    2008-05-01

    In efforts to rehabilitate regulated rivers for ecological benefits, the flow regime has been one of the primary focal points of management strategies. However, channel engineering can impact channel geometry such that hydraulic and geomorphic responses to flow reregulation do not yield the sought for benefits. To illustrate and assess the impacts of structural channel controls and flow reregulation on channel processes and fish habitat quality in multiple life stages, a highly detailed digital elevation model was collected and analyzed for a river reach right below a dam using a suite of hydrologic, hydraulic, geomorphic, and ecological methods. Results showed that, despite flow reregulation to produce a scaled-down natural hydrograph, anthropogenic boundary controls have severely altered geomorphic processes associated with geomorphic self-sustainability and instream habitat availability in the case study. Given the similarity of this stream to many others, we concluded that the potential utility of natural flow regime reinstatement in regulated gravel-bed rivers is conditional on concomitant channel rehabilitation.

  13. Upper Pleistocene turbidite sand beds and chaotic silt beds in the channelized, distal, outer-fan lobes of the Mississippi fan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, C.H.; Twichell, D.C.; Schwab, W.C.; Lee, H.J.; Kenyon, Neil H.

    1992-01-01

    Cores from a Mississippi outer-fan depositional lobe demonstrate that sublobes at the distal edge contain a complex local network of channelized-turbidite beds of graded sand and debris-flow beds of chaotic silt. Off-lobe basin plains lack siliciclastic coarse-grained beds. The basin-plain mud facies exhibit low acoustic backscatter on SeaMARC IA sidescan sonar images, whereas high acoustic backscatter characteristic of the lobe sand and silt facies. The depth of the first sand-silt layer correlates with relative backscatter intensity and stratigraphic age of the distal sublobes (i.e., shallowest sand = highest backscatter and youngest sublobe). The high proportion (>50%) of chaotic silt compared to graded sand in the distal, outer-fan sublobes may be related to the unstable, muddy, canyon-wall source areas of the extensive Mississippi delta-fed basin slope. A predominace of chaotic silt in cores or outcrops from outer-fan lobes thus may predict similar settings for ancient fans.

  14. Food availability and predation risk drive the distributional patterns of two pulmonate gastropods in a mangrove-saltmarsh transitional habitat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Yisheng; Zhang, Min; Lee, Shing Yip

    2017-09-01

    The pulmonate gastropods, Phallomedusa solida (Martens, 1878) and Ophicardelus ornatus (Férussac, 1821), exhibit characteristic distributional patterns at the upper intertidal zones in estuarine mangrove and saltmarsh habitats on the eastern Australian coast. Past studies suggested inundation condition, soil salinity, and percent of vegetation cover were responsible for these patterns. In this study, the role of environmental parameters, food availability, physical stress, and predation pressure in determining the distributional patterns of these gastropods was evaluated along transects spanning saltmarsh, mangrove, and the ecotone habitats. For both species, the maximum population abundance occurred in the upper saltmarsh and the ecotone between mangrove and saltmarsh at 361.0 and 358.0 ind.m -2 , respectively, which was four times that of the lower saltmarsh. Mangroves were evaluated as the optimal habitat for the pulmonates in terms of the environmental parameters moisture content and food availability. However, due to its longer inundation duration within each tidal cycle, use of the mangrove habitat by the pulmonates was impeded because of difficulties in oxygen acquisition under submerged conditions. Laboratory experiments revealed the oxygen intake of the pulmonates dropped abruptly to 4.3-9.0% of aerial rates when submerged. This result indicated that mangroves were not the optimal habitat for the pulmonates. Furthermore, the visiting frequency of predators (yellowfin bream Acanthopagrus australis and toadfishes, Tetraodontidae) was 1.3 times higher in the mangrove compared to those in the ecotone and upper saltmarsh habitats. Underwater video recording also suggested high mortality of these gastropods at 31.7-88.9% in mangrove and 0.80-0.98 times higher than that in saltmarsh, resulting from the predators preying in the mangrove habitat during high tides. Despite the abiotic factors facilitating the distribution of the pulmonates in the mangrove, the

  15. Ecotone analysis: assessing the impact of vehicle transit on saltmarsh crab population and ecosystem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trave, Claudia; Sheaves, Marcus

    2014-01-01

    The frequent transit of vehicles (recreational or not) through saltpans and saltmarsh fields has been recorded as one of the major causes of physical and ecological damage for these environments. While several studies have been carried out to assess the consequence of this anthropogenic activity on the different local plant species, little is known on its long-term impact on the faunal community. Invertebrates, such as crabs, provide several essential ecological services, and their presence and abundance are tightly connected to that of the saltmarsh plants. Decrease of vegetative cover due to vehicle transit is likely to cause alterations in the morphology and the composition of the saltmarsh ecosystem. In this study we evaluate presence and distribution of the main crustacean species in several impacted sites in Townsville area (Queensland, Australia), to determine possible correlation between vehicle tracks alterations and crab distribution, as well as investigate any possible habitat shift in the mid- and long-term. Results indicate that reduction of plant cover affects species composition and distribution, with different effects based on the unique characteristics of each crab species analysed, resulting in an overall alteration of the assemblage structure.

  16. Transport and storage of bed material in a gravel-bed channel during episodes of aggradation and degradation: a field and flume study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonnie Smith Pryor; Thomas Lisle; Diane Sutherland Montoya; Sue Hilton

    2011-01-01

    The dynamics of sediment transport capacity in gravel-bed rivers is critical to understanding the formation and preservation of fluvial landforms and formulating sediment-routing models in drainage systems. We examine transport-storage relations during cycles of aggradation and degradation by augmenting observations of three events of channel aggradation and...

  17. Scaling relationships between bed load volumes, transport distances, and stream power in steep mountain channels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, Johannes M.; Turowski, Jens M.; Rickenmann, Dieter; Hegglin, Ramon; Arrigo, Sabrina; Mao, Luca; Kirchner, James W.

    2014-03-01

    Bed load transport during storm events is both an agent of geomorphic change and a significant natural hazard in mountain regions. Thus, predicting bed load transport is a central challenge in fluvial geomorphology and natural hazard risk assessment. Bed load transport during storm events depends on the width and depth of bed scour, as well as the transport distances of individual sediment grains. We traced individual gravels in two steep mountain streams, the Erlenbach (Switzerland) and Rio Cordon (Italy), using magnetic and radio frequency identification tags, and measured their bed load transport rates using calibrated geophone bed load sensors in the Erlenbach and a bed load trap in the Rio Cordon. Tracer transport distances and bed load volumes exhibited approximate power law scaling with both the peak stream power and the cumulative stream energy of individual hydrologic events. Bed load volumes scaled much more steeply with peak stream power and cumulative stream energy than tracer transport distances did, and bed load volumes scaled as roughly the third power of transport distances. These observations imply that large bed load transport events become large primarily by scouring the bed deeper and wider, and only secondarily by transporting the mobilized sediment farther. Using the sediment continuity equation, we can estimate the mean effective thickness of the actively transported layer, averaged over the entire channel width and the duration of individual flow events. This active layer thickness also followed approximate power law scaling with peak stream power and cumulative stream energy and ranged up to 0.57 m in the Erlenbach, broadly consistent with independent measurements.

  18. Interplay between spatially explicit sediment sourcing, hierarchical river-network structure, and in-channel bed material sediment transport and storage dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Czuba, Jonathan A.; Foufoula-Georgiou, Efi; Gran, Karen B.; Belmont, Patrick; Wilcock, Peter R.

    2017-05-01

    Understanding how sediment moves along source to sink pathways through watersheds—from hillslopes to channels and in and out of floodplains—is a fundamental problem in geomorphology. We contribute to advancing this understanding by modeling the transport and in-channel storage dynamics of bed material sediment on a river network over a 600 year time period. Specifically, we present spatiotemporal changes in bed sediment thickness along an entire river network to elucidate how river networks organize and process sediment supply. We apply our model to sand transport in the agricultural Greater Blue Earth River Basin in Minnesota. By casting the arrival of sediment to links of the network as a Poisson process, we derive analytically (under supply-limited conditions) the time-averaged probability distribution function of bed sediment thickness for each link of the river network for any spatial distribution of inputs. Under transport-limited conditions, the analytical assumptions of the Poisson arrival process are violated (due to in-channel storage dynamics) where we find large fluctuations and periodicity in the time series of bed sediment thickness. The time series of bed sediment thickness is the result of dynamics on a network in propagating, altering, and amalgamating sediment inputs in sometimes unexpected ways. One key insight gleaned from the model is that there can be a small fraction of reaches with relatively low-transport capacity within a nonequilibrium river network acting as "bottlenecks" that control sediment to downstream reaches, whereby fluctuations in bed elevation can dissociate from signals in sediment supply.

  19. Development of autochthonous microbial consortia for enhanced phytoremediation of salt-marsh sediments contaminated with cadmium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Teixeira, Catarina; Almeida, C. Marisa R.; Nunes da Silva, Marta; Bordalo, Adriano A.; Mucha, Ana P.

    2014-01-01

    Microbial assisted phytoremediation is a promising, though yet poorly explored, new remediation technique. The aim of this study was to develop autochthonous microbial consortia resistant to cadmium that could enhance phytoremediation of salt-marsh sediments contaminated with this metal. The microbial consortia were selectively enriched from rhizosediments colonized by Juncus maritimus and Phragmites australis. The obtained consortia presented similar microbial abundance but a fairly different community structure, showing that the microbial community was a function of the sediment from which the consortia were enriched. The effect of the bioaugmentation with the developed consortia on cadmium uptake, and the microbial community structure associated to the different sediments were assessed using a microcosm experiment. Our results showed that the addition of the cadmium resistant microbial consortia increased J. maritimus metal phytostabilization capacity. On the other hand, in P. australis, microbial consortia amendment promoted metal phytoextraction. The addition of the consortia did not alter the bacterial structure present in the sediments at the end of the experiments. This study provides new evidences that the development of autochthonous microbial consortia for enhanced phytoremediation of salt-marsh sediments contaminated with cadmium might be a simple, efficient, and environmental friendly remediation procedure. Capsule abstract: Development of autochthonous microbial consortia resistant to cadmium that enhanced phytoremediation by salt-marsh plants, without a long term effect on sediment bacterial diversity. - Highlights: • Cd resistant microbial consortia were developed and applied to salt-marsh sediments. • In Phragmites australis the consortia amendment promoted metal phytoextraction. • The consortia addition increased Juncus maritimus phytostabilization capacity. • No long term changes on the rhizosediment bacterial structure were observed

  20. Development of autochthonous microbial consortia for enhanced phytoremediation of salt-marsh sediments contaminated with cadmium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Teixeira, Catarina [Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIIMAR/CIMAR), Universidade do Porto, Rua dos Bragas, 289, 4050-123 Porto (Portugal); Laboratório de Hidrobiologia e Ecologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Universidade do Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto (Portugal); Almeida, C. Marisa R.; Nunes da Silva, Marta [Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIIMAR/CIMAR), Universidade do Porto, Rua dos Bragas, 289, 4050-123 Porto (Portugal); Bordalo, Adriano A. [Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIIMAR/CIMAR), Universidade do Porto, Rua dos Bragas, 289, 4050-123 Porto (Portugal); Laboratório de Hidrobiologia e Ecologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Universidade do Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto (Portugal); Mucha, Ana P., E-mail: amucha@ciimar.up.pt [Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIIMAR/CIMAR), Universidade do Porto, Rua dos Bragas, 289, 4050-123 Porto (Portugal)

    2014-09-15

    Microbial assisted phytoremediation is a promising, though yet poorly explored, new remediation technique. The aim of this study was to develop autochthonous microbial consortia resistant to cadmium that could enhance phytoremediation of salt-marsh sediments contaminated with this metal. The microbial consortia were selectively enriched from rhizosediments colonized by Juncus maritimus and Phragmites australis. The obtained consortia presented similar microbial abundance but a fairly different community structure, showing that the microbial community was a function of the sediment from which the consortia were enriched. The effect of the bioaugmentation with the developed consortia on cadmium uptake, and the microbial community structure associated to the different sediments were assessed using a microcosm experiment. Our results showed that the addition of the cadmium resistant microbial consortia increased J. maritimus metal phytostabilization capacity. On the other hand, in P. australis, microbial consortia amendment promoted metal phytoextraction. The addition of the consortia did not alter the bacterial structure present in the sediments at the end of the experiments. This study provides new evidences that the development of autochthonous microbial consortia for enhanced phytoremediation of salt-marsh sediments contaminated with cadmium might be a simple, efficient, and environmental friendly remediation procedure. Capsule abstract: Development of autochthonous microbial consortia resistant to cadmium that enhanced phytoremediation by salt-marsh plants, without a long term effect on sediment bacterial diversity. - Highlights: • Cd resistant microbial consortia were developed and applied to salt-marsh sediments. • In Phragmites australis the consortia amendment promoted metal phytoextraction. • The consortia addition increased Juncus maritimus phytostabilization capacity. • No long term changes on the rhizosediment bacterial structure were observed.

  1. Mechanisms for accumulation and migration of technetium-99 in saltmarsh sediments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wigley, F.

    2000-06-01

    This thesis describes the development of analytical methods for both the bulk determination of 99 Tc, and determination of 99 Tc in sequential extracts from sediments. These methods have been used to collect data, which, along with trace and major element data have been used to interpret the mechanisms for 99 Tc input, migration and accumulation in saltmarshes. The inventory of 99 Tc stored in the Thornflatt Saltmarsh, Esk Estuary has also been determined. The routine determination of 99 Tc in bulk samples uses 99m Tc as a yield monitor. Samples are ignited stepwise to 550 deg. C and the 99 Tc is extracted using 8M nitric acid. Many contaminants are precipitated with Fe(OH) 3 and the Tc in the supernant is pre-concentrated and further purified using anion-exchange chromatography. Final separation of Tc from Ru is achieved by extraction of Tc into 5% TnOA in xylene from 2M sulphuric acid. The yield is determined by γ-spectrometric analysis of 99m Tc. Determination of 99 Tc is made by liquid scintillation counting. Typical recoveries are in the order of 70-95% and the method has a detection limit of 1.7 Bq/kg for a sample size of 10g. Determination of Tc in sequential extracts uses operationally defined procedures to extract: exchangeable Tc, reducible Tc and oxidisable Tc. An initial water wash is used to extract any occluded Tc and a final leach in 8 M nitric acid is used to dissolve any residual Tc. The isolation of 99 Tc uses TEVA resin for Extracts 1-4 and the decontamination procedure developed for bulk analysis for Extract 5. 99m Tc was used as a yield monitor, and determination of 99 Tc is by liquid scintillation counting. Limits of detection were dependent on the amount of 99m Tc tracer used but were found to be as low as 2.4 Bq/kg for a sample size of 2g. A study was made of the mechanisms responsible for the accumulation and migration of Tc in estuarine sediments using sediments collected from saltmarshes at Thornflatt, Carlaverock and the Ribble Estuary

  2. Anthropogenic ecological change and impacts on mosquito breeding and control strategies in salt-marshes, Northern Territory, Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacups, Susan; Warchot, Allan; Whelan, Peter

    2012-06-01

    Darwin, in the tropical north of Australia, is subject to high numbers of mosquitoes and several mosquito-borne diseases. Many of Darwin's residential areas were built in close proximity to tidally influenced swamps, where long-term storm-water run-off from nearby residences into these swamps has led to anthropogenic induced ecological change. When natural wet-dry cycles were disrupted, bare mud-flats and mangroves were transformed into perennial fresh to brackish-water reed swamps. Reed swamps provided year-round breeding habitat for many mosquito species, such that mosquito abundance was less predictable and seasonally dependent, but constant and often occurring in plague proportions. Drainage channels were constructed throughout the wetlands to reduce pooled water during dry-season months. This study assesses the impact of drainage interventions on vegetation and mosquito ecology in three salt-marshes in the Darwin area. Findings revealed a universal decline in dry-season mosquito abundance in each wetland system. However, some mosquito species increased in abundance during wet-season months. Due to the high expense and potentially detrimental environmental impacts of ecosystem and non-target species disturbance, large-scale modifications such as these are sparingly undertaken. However, our results indicate that some large scale environmental modification can assist the process of wetland restoration, as appears to be the case for these salt marsh systems. Drainage in all three systems has been restored to closer to their original salt-marsh ecosystems, while reducing mosquito abundances, thereby potentially lowering the risk of vector-borne disease transmission and mosquito pest biting problems.

  3. Florida's salt-marsh management issues: 1991-98.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlson, D B; O'Bryan, P D; Rey, J R

    1999-06-01

    During the 1990s, Florida has continued to make important strides in managing salt marshes for both mosquito control and natural resource enhancement. The political mechanism for this progress continues to be interagency cooperation through the Florida Coordinating Council on Mosquito Control and its Subcommittee on Managed Marshes (SOMM). Continuing management experience and research has helped refine the most environmentally acceptable source reduction methods, which typically are Rotational Impoundment Management or Open Marsh Water Management. The development of regional marsh management plans for salt marshes within the Indian River Lagoon by the SOMM has helped direct the implementation of the best management practices for these marshes. Controversy occasionally occurs concerning what management technique is most appropriate for individual marshes. The most common disagreement is over the benefits of maintaining an impoundment in an "open" vs. "closed" condition, with the "closed" condition, allowing for summer mosquito control flooding or winter waterfowl management. New federal initiatives influencing salt-marsh management have included the Indian River Lagoon-National Estuary Program and the Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program. A new Florida initiative is the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Eco-system Management Program with continuing involvement by the Surface Water Improvement and Management program. A developing mitigation banking program has the potential to benefit marsh management but mosquito control interests may suffer if not handled properly. Larvicides remain as an important salt-marsh integrated pest management tool with the greatest acreage being treated with temephos, followed by Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis and methoprene. However, over the past 14 years, use of biorational larvicides has increased greatly.

  4. Preliminary assessment of channel stability and bed-material transport in the Tillamook Bay tributaries and Nehalem River basin, northwestern Oregon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Krista L.; Keith, Mackenzie K.; O'Connor, Jim E.; Mangano, Joseph F.; Wallick, J. Rose

    2012-01-01

    This report summarizes a preliminary study of bed-material transport, vertical and lateral channel changes, and existing datasets for the Tillamook (drainage area 156 square kilometers [km2]), Trask (451 km2), Wilson (500 km2), Kilchis (169 km2), Miami (94 km2), and Nehalem (2,207 km2) Rivers along the northwestern Oregon coast. This study, conducted in coopera-tion with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Oregon Department of State Lands to inform permitting decisions regarding instream gravel mining, revealed that: * Study areas along the six rivers can be divided into reaches based on tidal influence and topography. The fluvial (nontidal or dominated by riverine processes) reaches vary in length (2.4-9.3 kilometer [km]), gradient (0.0011-0.0075 meter of elevation change per meter of channel length [m/m]), and bed-material composition (a mixture of alluvium and intermittent bedrock outcrops to predominately alluvium). In fluvial reaches, unit bar area (square meter of bar area per meter of channel length [m2/m]) as mapped from 2009 photographs ranged from 7.1 m2/m on the Tillamook River to 27.9 m2/m on the Miami River. * In tidal reaches, all six rivers flow over alluvial deposits, but have varying gradients (0.0001-0.0013 m/m) and lengths affected by tide (1.3-24.6 km). The Miami River has the steepest and shortest tidal reach and the Nehalem River has the flattest and longest tidal reach. Bars in the tidal reaches are generally composed of sand and mud. Unit bar area was greatest in the Tidal Nehalem Reach, where extensive mud flats flank the lower channel. * Background factors such as valley and channel confinement, basin geology, channel slope, and tidal extent control the spatial variation in the accumulation and texture of bed material. Presently, the Upper Fluvial Wilson and Miami Reaches and Fluvial Nehalem Reach have the greatest abundance of gravel bars, likely owing to local bed-material sources in combination with decreasing channel gradient and

  5. Characterization of the nest site preferences of Saltmarsh and Nelson's Sparrows, and hybrids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saltmarsh Sparrows (hereafter SALS) are named on the National Audubon Society’s current WatchList as a species of global conservation concern (National Audubon Society 2007). Anthropogenic climate change is perhaps the largest threat to SALS populations because sea level ri...

  6. Lateral and vertical channel movement and potential for bed-material movement on the Madison River downstream from Earthquake Lake, Montana

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chase, Katherine J.; McCarthy, Peter M.

    2012-01-01

    and to investigate the potential for bed material movement along the same reach. The purpose of this report is to present information about the lateral and vertical movement of the Madison River from 1970 to 2006 for a 1-mile reach downstream from Earthquake Lake and for Raynolds Pass Bridge, and to provide an analysis of the potential for bed-material movement so that MADTAC can evaluate the applicability of the previously determined threshold streamflow for initiation of damaging erosion. As part of this study channel cross sections originally surveyed by the USGS in 1971 were resurveyed in 2006. Incremental channel-movement distances were determined by comparing the stream centerlines from 14 aerial photographs taken between 1970 and 2006. Depths of channel incision and aggregation were determined by comparing the 2006 and 1971 cross-section and water-surface data. Particle sizes of bed and bank materials were measured in 2006 and 2008 using the pebble-count method and sieve analyses. A one-dimensional hydraulic-flow model (HEC-RAS) was used to calculate mean boundary-shear stresses for various streamflows; these calculated boundary-shear stresses were compared to calculated critical-shear stresses for the bed materials to determine the potential for bed-material movement. A comparison of lateral channel movement distances with annual peak streamflows shows that streamflows higher than the 3,500-ft3/s threshold were followed by lateral channel movement except from 1991 to 1992 and possibly from 1996 to 1997. However, it was not possible to discern whether the channel moved gradually or suddenly, or in response to one peak flow, to several peak flows, or to sustained flows. The channel moved between 2002 and 2005 even when streamflows were less than the threshold streamflow of 3,500 ft3/s. Comparisons of cross sections and aerial photographs show that the channel has moved laterally and incised and aggraded to varying degrees. The channel has developed meander bends

  7. Study of erosion processes in the Tinto salt-marshes with remote sensing images.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-01-01

    Both climatic factors and the sea wave energy are two important factors to study the tidal wetlands. One of the most important wetlands in the Southwest of the Iberian Peninsula is the Tinto salt-marshes, the third largest wetland in Andalusia after ...

  8. Comparison of Bottomless Lift Nets and Breder Traps for Sampling Salt-Marsh Nekton

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vegetated salt-marsh surfaces provide refuge, forage, and spawning habitat for estuarine nekton, yet are threatened by accelerating rates of sea-level rise in southern New England and elsewhere. Nekton responses to ongoing marsh surface changes need to be evaluated with effective...

  9. Wall roughness effects on flow and scouring in curved channels with gravel bed

    OpenAIRE

    Hersberger, Daniel S.

    2002-01-01

    Wall roughness effects on flow and scouring in curved channels with gravel bed In the narrow valleys in Alpine regions, rivers frequently flow across constructed zones, passing through villages and cities. Due to limited space, the protection from high floods often needs to be ensured by protection walls. During floods, these protection walls may be endangered by scour phenomena, especially if they are located in bends. In the past, the potential danger of underscoured structures was reduced ...

  10. Comparative analysis of Worldview-2 and Landsat 8 for coastal saltmarsh mapping accuracy assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rasel, Sikdar M. M.; Chang, Hsing-Chung; Diti, Israt Jahan; Ralph, Tim; Saintilan, Neil

    2016-05-01

    Coastal saltmarsh and their constituent components and processes are of an interest scientifically due to their ecological function and services. However, heterogeneity and seasonal dynamic of the coastal wetland system makes it challenging to map saltmarshes with remotely sensed data. This study selected four important saltmarsh species Pragmitis australis, Sporobolus virginicus, Ficiona nodosa and Schoeloplectus sp. as well as a Mangrove and Pine tree species, Avecinia and Casuarina sp respectively. High Spatial Resolution Worldview-2 data and Coarse Spatial resolution Landsat 8 imagery were selected in this study. Among the selected vegetation types some patches ware fragmented and close to the spatial resolution of Worldview-2 data while and some patch were larger than the 30 meter resolution of Landsat 8 data. This study aims to test the effectiveness of different classifier for the imagery with various spatial and spectral resolutions. Three different classification algorithm, Maximum Likelihood Classifier (MLC), Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) were tested and compared with their mapping accuracy of the results derived from both satellite imagery. For Worldview-2 data SVM was giving the higher overall accuracy (92.12%, kappa =0.90) followed by ANN (90.82%, Kappa 0.89) and MLC (90.55%, kappa = 0.88). For Landsat 8 data, MLC (82.04%) showed the highest classification accuracy comparing to SVM (77.31%) and ANN (75.23%). The producer accuracy of the classification results were also presented in the paper.

  11. Development of autochthonous microbial consortia for enhanced phytoremediation of salt-marsh sediments contaminated with cadmium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teixeira, Catarina; Almeida, C Marisa R; Nunes da Silva, Marta; Bordalo, Adriano A; Mucha, Ana P

    2014-09-15

    Microbial assisted phytoremediation is a promising, though yet poorly explored, new remediation technique. The aim of this study was to develop autochthonous microbial consortia resistant to cadmium that could enhance phytoremediation of salt-marsh sediments contaminated with this metal. The microbial consortia were selectively enriched from rhizosediments colonized by Juncus maritimus and Phragmites australis. The obtained consortia presented similar microbial abundance but a fairly different community structure, showing that the microbial community was a function of the sediment from which the consortia were enriched. The effect of the bioaugmentation with the developed consortia on cadmium uptake, and the microbial community structure associated to the different sediments were assessed using a microcosm experiment. Our results showed that the addition of the cadmium resistant microbial consortia increased J. maritimus metal phytostabilization capacity. On the other hand, in P. australis, microbial consortia amendment promoted metal phytoextraction. The addition of the consortia did not alter the bacterial structure present in the sediments at the end of the experiments. This study provides new evidences that the development of autochthonous microbial consortia for enhanced phytoremediation of salt-marsh sediments contaminated with cadmium might be a simple, efficient, and environmental friendly remediation procedure. Development of autochthonous microbial consortia resistant to cadmium that enhanced phytoremediation by salt-marsh plants, without a long term effect on sediment bacterial diversity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. The impact of herbivores on nitrogen mineralization rate: consequences for salt-marsh succession.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Wijnen, Harm J; van der Wal, René; Bakker, Jan P

    1999-02-01

    Soil net N-mineralization rate was measured along a successional gradient in salt-marsh sites that were grazed by vertebrate herbivores, and in 5-year-old exclosures from which the animals were excluded. Mineralization rate was significantly higher at ungrazed than at grazed sites. In the absence of grazing, mineralization rate increased over the course of succession, whereas it remained relatively low when sites were grazed. The largest differences in mineralization rate between grazed and ungrazed sites were found at late successional stages where grazing pressure was lowest. The amount of plant litter was significantly lower at grazed sites. In addition, the amount of litter and potential litter (non-woody, live shoots) was linearly related to net N-mineralization rate. This implies that herbivores reduced mineralization rate by preventing litter accumulation. Bulk density was higher at grazed salt-marsh sites than at ungrazed sites. This factor may also have contributed to the differences in net N-mineralization rate between grazed and ungrazed sites.

  13. The impact of herbivores on nitrogen mineralization rate : consequences for salt-marsh succession

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Wijnen, HJ; van der Wal, R; Bakker, JP

    Soil net N-mineralization rate was measured along a successional gradient in salt-marsh sites that were grazed by vertebrate herbivores, and in 5-year-old exclosures from which the animals were excluded. Mineralization rate was significantly higher at ungrazed than at grazed sites. In the absence of

  14. The impact of pre-restoration land-use and disturbance on sediment structure, hydrology and the sediment geochemical environment in restored saltmarshes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spencer, Kate L; Carr, Simon J; Diggens, Lucy M; Tempest, James A; Morris, Michelle A; Harvey, Gemma L

    2017-06-01

    Saltmarshes are being lost or degraded as a result of human activity resulting in loss of critical ecosystem services including the provision of wild species diversity, water quality regulation and flood regulation. To compensate, saltmarshes are being restored or re-created, usually driven by legislative requirements for increased habitat diversity, flood regulation and sustainable coastal defense. Yet, there is increasing evidence that restoration may not deliver anticipated ecosystem services; this is frequently attributed to poor drainage and sediment anoxia. However, physical sediment characteristics, hydrology and the sediment geochemical environment are rarely examined in restoration schemes, despite such factors being critical for plant succession. This study presents the novel integration of 3D-computed X-ray microtomography to quantify sediment structure and porosity, with water level and geochemical data to understand the impact of pre-restoration land use and disturbance on the structure and functioning of restored saltmarshes. The study combines a broad-scale investigation of physical sediment characteristics in nine de-embanked saltmarshes across SE England, with an intensive study at one site examining water levels, sediment structure and the sediment geochemical environment. De-embankment does not restore the hydrological regime, or the physical/chemical framework in the saltmarshes and evidence of disturbance includes a reduction in microporosity, pore connectivity and water storage capacity, a lack of connectivity between the sub-surface environment and overlying floodwaters, and impeded sub-surface water flow and drainage. This has significant consequences for the sediment geochemical environment. This disturbance is evident for at least two decades following restoration and is likely to be irreversible. It has important implications for plant establishment in particular, ecosystem services including flood regulation, nutrient cycling and wild

  15. Application of ELJ to create and maintain side channels in a dynamic gravel bed river

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crabbe, E.; Crowe Curran, J.; Ockelford, A.

    2017-12-01

    Braided and anastomosing rivers create and maintain a large amount of side channel habitat. Unfortunately, many rivers that were once multi-channel rivers have been constrained to single thread channels as a consequence of land use changes that occurred in the 19th and 20th centuries or earlier. An increasingly common management goal today is the re-creation of self-maintaining side and tributary habitat through as natural means as possible. This work examines the geomorphic history of one such channel and the success of recent rehabilitation efforts. Our case study comes from the South Fork Nooksack River in the Cascades Range in Washington State. The Nooksack River is a gravel and sand bed channel with a snowmelt dominated hydrograph. Engineered log jams (ELJ) have been employed to direct flow into side and chute channels with the larger goals of increasing overall channel complexity and salmon spawning opportunities. ELJs have been constructed on the channel since the 2000s, and the ELJs in the study reaches range in age up to 10 years. The size and design of individual jams within the reach vary, enabling a comparison between jam types. ELJs are evaluated for their ability to maintain gravel bar locations and open tributary channels through the snowmelt season over the reach scale. Additional goals of trapping wood onto the jams and existing bars, stabilizing channel banks, and allowing for the growth of bar vegetation are also examined.

  16. Methane and carbon dioxide fluxes from Limonium residues decomposition in saltmarsh soils: effects of tide regime

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elisa Pellegrini

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The flooding regime of saltmarshes strongly affects organic matter mineralisation, representing a unique situation where oxygen diffusion is either impeded by submersion or favoured by retreating water in regular cycles within the same day. Decomposition of Limonium vulgare Mill. residues in saltmarsh soils was evaluated measuring CO2 and CH4 emissions. Four different saltmarshes from the Grado Lagoon (Northern Adriatic Sea were investigated. Soils were characterised by a similar vegetation (Sarcocornietea class and similar high coverage of L. vulgare (70-75% but differed in redox potential, texture and organic carbon content. Hydromorphic conditions were reproduced in mesocosms, and soils were 20 incubated under fully aerobic, fully anaerobic and transient (6 hours cycles tidal states. Partially decomposed litter (leaves of L. vulgare was added and 22 decomposition processes were monitored through CO2 and CH4 emissions. Larger CO2 emissions were measured under aerobic conditions, in particular in soil samples with coarse texture. Fully anoxic and tidal regimes showed a similar behaviour. On the contrary, CH4 emissions were less dependent upon flooding, showing only slightly larger values under completely submerged conditions. Larger CH4 emissions have been obtained in fine textured soils. Soil organic matter content also influenced gas emissions: larger values corresponded to higher emissions of both CO2 and CH4.

  17. Numerical Simulation of Flow and Heat Transfer in Structured Packed Beds with Smooth or Dimpled Spheres at Low Channel to Particle Diameter Ratio

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shiyang Li

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Packed beds are widely used in catalytic reactors or nuclear reactors. Reducing the pressure drop and improving the heat transfer performance of a packed bed is a common research aim. The dimpled structure has a complex influence on the flow and heat transfer characteristics. In the present study, the flow and heat transfer characteristics in structured packed beds with smooth or dimpled spheres are numerically investigated, where two different low channel to particle diameter ratios (N = 1.00 and N = 1.15 are considered. The pressure drop and the Nusselt number are obtained. The results show that, for N = 1.00, compared with the structured packed bed with smooth spheres, the structured packed bed with dimpled spheres has a lower pressure drop and little higher Nusselt number at 1500 < ReH < 14,000, exhibiting an improved overall heat transfer performance. However, for N = 1.15, the structured packed bed with dimpled spheres shows a much higher pressure drop, which dominantly affects the overall heat transfer performance, causing it to be weaker. Comparing the different channel to particle diameter ratios, we find that different configurations can result in: (i completely different drag reduction effect; and (ii relatively less influence on heat transfer enhancement.

  18. Aspects of the uptake of radionuclides by sheep grazing on an estuarine saltmarsh

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Howard, B.J.; Lindley, D.K.

    1985-01-01

    The transfer of 137 Cs, 238 Pu, sup(239/240)Pu and 241 Am to sheep which graze a saltmarsh in the Esk estuary, 7 km south of the Sellafield reprocessing plant in west Cumbria (UK), has been estimated. The concentrations of gamma-emitting radionuclides and of 238 Pu, sup(239/240)Pu and 241 Am were measured in liver, lung, muscle, kidney and bone from saltmarsh ewes and lambs. 137 Cs concentrations in the soft tissues were similar in liver, lung and muscle but were consistently higher in kidney and much lower in bone. The highest concentration of the transuranics was found in liver. Transfer coefficients and concentration factors were calculated for both ewes and lambs. The concentration of 137 Cs in the tissues of 5-month old lambs was higher than in those of their mothers. Therefore, a higher transfer coefficient was obtained for lamb muscle (1.8 x 10 -1 d kg -1 ) than for ewe muscle (6.4 x 10 -2 d kg -1 ). Concentration factors were consistently higher for 137 Cs than for the transuranics. (author)

  19. The effect of vegetation height and biomass on the sediment budget of a European saltmarsh

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reef, Ruth; Schuerch, Mark; Christie, Elizabeth K.; Möller, Iris; Spencer, Tom

    2018-03-01

    Sediment retention in saltmarshes is often attributed to the presence of vegetation, which enhances accretion by slowing water flow, reduces erosion by attenuating wave energy and increases surface stability through the presence of organic matter. Saltmarsh vegetation morphology varies considerably on a range of spatial and temporal scales, but the effect of different above ground morphologies on sediment retention is not well characterised. Understanding the biophysical interaction between the canopy and sediment trapping in situ is important for improving numerical shoreline models. In a novel field flume study, we measured the effect of vegetation height and biomass on sediment trapping using a mass balance approach. Suspended sediment profilers were placed at both openings of a field flume built across-shore on the seaward boundary of an intertidal saltmarsh in the Dengie Peninsula, UK. Sequential removal of plant material from within the flume resulted in incremental loss of vegetation height and biomass. The difference between the concentration of suspended sediment measured at each profiler was used to determine the sediment budget within the flume. Deposition of material on the plant/soil surfaces within the flume occurred during flood tides, while ebb flow resulted in erosion (to a lesser degree) from the flume area, with a positive sediment budget of on average 6.5 g m-2 tide-1 with no significant relationship between sediment trapping efficiency and canopy morphology. Deposition (and erosion) rates were positively correlated to maximum inundation depth. Our results suggest that during periods of calm conditions, changes to canopy morphology do not result in significant changes in sediment budgets in marshes.

  20. Separation of Ground and Low Vegetation Signatures in LiDAR Measurements of Salt-Marsh Environments

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wang, C.; Menenti, M.; Stoll, M.P.; Feola, A.; Belluco, E.; Marani, M.

    2009-01-01

    Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) has been shown to have a great potential in the accurate characterization of forest systems; however, its application to salt-marsh environments is challenging because the characteristic short vegetation does not give rise to detectable differences between first

  1. Environmental protection stability of river bed and banks using convex, concave, and linear bed sills.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keshavarzi, Alireza; Noori, Lila Khaje

    2010-12-01

    River bed scourings are a major environmental problem for fish and aquatic habitat resources. In this study, to prevent river bed and banks from scouring, different types of bed sills including convex, concave and linear patterns were installed in a movable channel bed in a laboratory flume. The bed sills were tested with nine different arrangements and under different flow conditions. To find the most effective bed sill pattern, the scouring depth was measured downstream of the bed sill for a long experimental duration. The scour depth was measured at the middle and at the end of each experimental test for different ratios of the arch radius to the channel width [r/w]. The experimental results indicated that the convex pattern with r/w=0.35 produced minimum bed scouring depth at the center line whereas the concave pattern with r/w=0.23 produced the minimum scour depth at the wall banks. Therefore, the convex pattern was the most effective configuration for prevention of scouring at the center line of the river while the concave pattern was very effective to prevent scouring at the river banks. These findings can be suggested to be used in practical applications.

  2. Effects of bed-load movement on flow resistance over bed forms

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Abstract. The effect of bed-load transport on flow resistance of alluvial channels with undulated bed was experimentally investigated. The experiments were carried out in a tilting flume 250mm wide and 12·5m long with glass-sides of rectan- gular cross-section and artificial dune shaped floor that was made from Plexi-glass.

  3. Experimental study on evolution of bed structures of natural mountain rivers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huai-xiang Liu

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Bed structures in many mountain rivers provide additional resistance to the flow. A field experiment was conducted on debris flow deposits in the valley of the Jiangjiagou Ravine, a tributary of the Yangtze River in southwestern China, to study the evolution and distribution of bed structures and their relationship with environmental conditions. Water and sediment from the Jiangjiagou main stream were diverted into the experimental channel. Several hydrological schemes were adopted to scour the channel until equilibrium was reached. During this process the evolutions of bed structures and channel configuration were investigated. The results indicate that stronger bed structures mean greater stream power consumption, greater resistance, and greater slope in a certain section when rivers are in dynamic equilibrium. Thus, to some extent the longitudinal profiles of channels can be determined by the distribution of bed structures. In natural cases, the strength and evolution of bed structures are under the influence of environmental conditions such as discharge and bed-load transportation rate. That is, given the same conditions, the same bed structure distribution and longitudinal profile can be predicted.

  4. Spectrally based bathymetric mapping of a dynamic, sand‐bedded channel: Niobrara River, Nebraska, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dilbone, Elizabeth; Legleiter, Carl; Alexander, Jason S.; McElroy, Brandon

    2018-01-01

    Methods for spectrally based mapping of river bathymetry have been developed and tested in clear‐flowing, gravel‐bed channels, with limited application to turbid, sand‐bed rivers. This study used hyperspectral images and field surveys from the dynamic, sandy Niobrara River to evaluate three depth retrieval methods. The first regression‐based approach, optimal band ratio analysis (OBRA), paired in situ depth measurements with image pixel values to estimate depth. The second approach used ground‐based field spectra to calibrate an OBRA relationship. The third technique, image‐to‐depth quantile transformation (IDQT), estimated depth by linking the cumulative distribution function (CDF) of depth to the CDF of an image‐derived variable. OBRA yielded the lowest depth retrieval mean error (0.005 m) and highest observed versus predicted R2 (0.817). Although misalignment between field and image data did not compromise the performance of OBRA in this study, poor georeferencing could limit regression‐based approaches such as OBRA in dynamic, sand‐bedded rivers. Field spectroscopy‐based depth maps exhibited a mean error with a slight shallow bias (0.068 m) but provided reliable estimates for most of the study reach. IDQT had a strong deep bias but provided informative relative depth maps. Overprediction of depth by IDQT highlights the need for an unbiased sampling strategy to define the depth CDF. Although each of the techniques we tested demonstrated potential to provide accurate depth estimates in sand‐bed rivers, each method also was subject to certain constraints and limitations.

  5. Prediction of bed level variations in nonuniform sediment bed channel

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    B R Andharia

    2018-04-12

    Apr 12, 2018 ... A fully-coupled 1D mobile-bed model (CAR-. ICHAR) was introduced ...... for sediment trap, water level sensor, tail gate operated by lever arm at .... materials were brought back to upstream to feed the same through sediment ...

  6. Correlation between interstitial flow and pore structure in packed bed. 1st Report. Axial velocity measurement using MRI and visualization of axial channel flow; Juten sonai ryudo to kugeki kozo no sokan. 1. MRI ni yoru jikuhoko ryusoku bunpu no keisoku to jikiuhoko channel ryu no kashika

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ogawa, K; Yokouchi, Y; Hirai, S [Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo (Japan)

    2000-02-25

    Structure and velocity measurements using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been performed experimentally to obtain a correlation between pore structure and interstitial flow through the packed bed of 5 mm diameter in the tube of 36 mm ID. To measure axial velocity maps of water flow through the packed bed, the phase method of using the phase difference of water spin magnetization between flowing and stagnant fluids by applying magnetic fields with bipolar gradients was employed. The spatial resolution of the obtained map in 0.2 mm x 0.2 mm x 0.5 mm. It was made clear from the obtained axial velocity maps that channel flows with higher axial velocity were induced not only near the wall but also in the internal region of the packed bed. Furthermore, pore structure of the packed bed was characterized from multi-slice images by partitioning of void space and combining of each pore section along the axial direction to analyze the structure-flow correlation. It was found from image analysis that axial channels with long and straight void space existed in the pore structure, and that most of the channel flows with higher axial velocity were induced in the axial channels. The flow rate through an axial channel depends on the square of the averaged cross section of the axial channel. (author)

  7. Temporal and spatial variability in thalweg profiles of a gravel-bed river

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madej, Mary Ann

    1999-01-01

    This study used successive longitudinal thalweg profiles in gravel-bed rivers to monitor changes in bed topography following floods and associated large sediment inputs. Variations in channel bed elevations, distributions of residual water depths, percentage of channel length occupied by riffles, and a spatial autocorrelation coefficient (Moran's I) were used to quantify changes in morphological diversity and spatial structure in Redwood Creek basin, northwestern California. Bed topography in Redwood Creek and its major tributaries consists primarily of a series of pools and riffles. The size, frequency and spatial distribution of the pools and riffles have changed significantly during the past 20 years. Following large floods and high sediment input in Redwood Creek and its tributaries in 1975, variation in channel bed elevations was low and the percentage of the channel length occupied by riffles was high. Over the next 20 years, variation in bed elevations increased while the length of channel occupied by riffles decreased. An index [(standard deviation of residual water depth/bankfull depth) × 100] was developed to compare variations in bed elevation over a range of stream sizes, with a higher index being indicative of greater morphological diversity. Spatial autocorrelation in the bed elevation data was apparent at both fine and coarse scales in many of the thalweg profiles and the observed spatial pattern of bed elevations was found to be related to the dominant channel material and the time since disturbance. River reaches in which forced pools dominated, and in which large woody debris and bed particles could not be easily mobilized, exhibited a random distribution of bed elevations. In contrast, in reaches where alternate bars dominated, and both wood and gravel were readily transported, regularly spaced bed topography developed at a spacing that increased with time since disturbance. This pattern of regularly spaced bed features was reversed

  8. Interactions between the range expansion of saltmarsh vegetation and hydrodynamic regimes in the Yangtze Estuary, China

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zhu, Z.; Zhang, L.; Wang, N.; Schwarz, C.; Ysebaert, T.

    2012-01-01

    >Over the last 15 years, rapid invasion of large areas of the saltmarshes of Chongming Island, in the Yangtze Estuary, China by the exotic species Spartina alterniflora has occurred. Two types of advancing fronts are found: the S. alterniflora–mudflat (S–M front) and the S.

  9. Are all intertidal wetlands naturally created equal? Bottlenecks, thresholds and knowledge gaps to mangrove and saltmarsh ecosystems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friess, Daniel A.; Krauss, Ken W.; Horstman, Erik M.; Balke, Thorsten; Bouma, Tjeerd J.; Galli, Demis; Webb, Edward L.

    2011-01-01

    Intertidal wetlands such as saltmarshes and mangroves provide numerous important ecological functions, though they are in rapid and global decline. To better conserve and restore these wetland ecosystems, we need an understanding of the fundamental natural bottlenecks and thresholds to their establishment and long-term ecological maintenance. Despite inhabiting similar intertidal positions, the biological traits of these systems differ markedly in structure, phenology, life history, phylogeny and dispersal, suggesting large differences in biophysical interactions. By providing the first systematic comparison between saltmarshes and mangroves, we unravel how the interplay between species-specific life-history traits, biophysical interactions and biogeomorphological feedback processes determine where, when and what wetland can establish, the thresholds to long-term ecosystem stability, and constraints to genetic connectivity between intertidal wetland populations at the landscape level. To understand these process interactions, research into the constraints to wetland development, and biological adaptations to overcome these critical bottlenecks and thresholds requires a truly interdisciplinary approach.

  10. Model for boiling and dryout in particle beds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lipinski, R.J.

    1982-06-01

    Over the last ten years experiments and modeling of dryout in particle beds have produced over fifty papers. Considering only volume-heated beds, over 250 dryout measurements have been made, and are listed in this work. In addition, fifteen models to predict dryout have been produced and are discussed. A model is developed in this report for one-dimensional boiling and dryout in a porous medium. It is based on conservation laws for mass, momentum, and energy. The initial coupled differential equations are reduced to a single first-order differential equation with an algebraic equation for the upper boundary condition. The model includes the effects of both laminar and turbulent flow, two-phase friction, and capillary force. The boundary condition at the bed bottom includes the possibility of inflowing liquid and either an adiabatic or a bottom-cooled support structure. The top of the bed may be either channeled or subcooled. In the first case the channel length and the saturation at the base of the channels are predicted. In the latter case, a criterion for penetration of the subcooled zone by channels is obtained

  11. On the effect of cross sectional shape on incipient motion and deposition of sediments in fixed bed channels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Safari Mir-Jafar-Sadegh

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available The condition of incipient motion and deposition are of the essential issues for the study of sediment transport. This phenomenon is of great importance to hydraulic engineers for designing sewers, drainage, as well as other rigid boundary channels. This is a study carried out with the objectives of describing the effect of cross-sectional shape on incipient motion and deposition of particles in rigid boundary channels. In this research work, the experimental data given by Loveless (1992 and Mohammadi (2005 are used. On the basis of the critical velocity approach, a new incipient motion equation for a V-shaped bottom channel and incipient deposition of sediment particles equations for rigid boundary channels having circular, rectangular, and U-shaped cross sections are obtained. New equations were compared to the other incipient motion equations. The result shows that the cross-sectional shape is an important factor for defining the minimum velocity for no-deposit particles. This study also distinguishes incipient motion of particles from incipient deposition for particles. The results may be useful for designing fixed bed channels with a limited deposition condition.

  12. Bed-levelling experiments with suspended load

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Talmon, A.M.; De Graaff, J.

    1991-01-01

    Bed-levelling experiments are conducted in a straight laboratory channel. The experiments involve a significant fraction of suspended sediment transport. The purpose of the experiments is to provide data for modelling of the direction of sediment transport on a transverse sloping alluvial river bed,

  13. Seasonal dynamics of dissolved, particulate and microbial components of a tidal saltmarsh-dominated estuary under contrasting levels of freshwater discharge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bittar, Thais B.; Berger, Stella A.; Birsa, Laura M.; Walters, Tina L.; Thompson, Megan E.; Spencer, Robert G. M.; Mann, Elizabeth L.; Stubbins, Aron; Frischer, Marc E.; Brandes, Jay A.

    2016-12-01

    Tidal Spartina-dominated saltmarshes and estuaries on the Southeast US coast are global hotspots of productivity. In coastal Georgia, tidal amplitudes and saltmarsh productivity are the highest along the Southeast US coast. Coastal Georgia is characterized by a humid subtropical seasonal climate, and inter-annual variability in precipitation, and freshwater discharge. The 2012-2013 timeframe encompassed contrasting levels of discharge for the Savannah River, a major Georgia river, with a 4.3-fold greater discharge in summer 2013 relative to summer 2012. In situ measurements of temperature, salinity, precipitation and Secchi depth, and water samples were collected weekly at high tide throughout 2012 and 2013 from the Skidaway River Estuary, a tidal saltmarsh-dominated estuary in coastal Georgia influenced by Savannah River hydrology. The effects of elevated discharge on the seasonal trends of water column components were evaluated. The shift from low discharge (2012) to high discharge (2013) led to decreased salinity in summer 2013, but no significant increases in inorganic nutrient (NH4, NOx, SiO2 and PO4) concentrations. Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations decreased, and DIC stable isotopic signatures (δ13C-DIC values) were depleted in summer 2013 relative to summer 2012. In 2013 dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations, chromophoric and fluorescent dissolved organic matter (DOM: CDOM, FDOM) intensities, specific UV-absorbance (SUVA254) and relative humic-like fluorescence were all higher than in 2012, indicating that, as discharge increased in 2013, estuarine water became enriched in terrigenous DOM. Secchi depth and particulate organic carbon (POC) and nitrogen (PON) concentrations displayed clear seasonal patterns that were not significantly altered by discharge. However, δ13C-POC and δ15N-PON isotopic signatures indicated higher terrigenous contributions at elevated discharge. Discharge influenced cyanobacterial composition, but did not

  14. The role of changing climate in driving the shift from perennial grasses to annual succulents in a Mediterranean saltmarsh

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Strain, E.M.A.; van Belzen, J.; Comandini, P.; Wong, J.; Bouma, T.J.; Airoldi, L.

    2017-01-01

    Changing climate threatens the structure and function of saltmarshes, which are often severely degraded by other human perturbations. Along the Mediterranean coastline, increasing temperature and decreasing rainfall have been hypothesised to trigger habitat shifts from perennial grasses to annual

  15. Models for dryout in debris beds. Review and application to the analysis of PAHR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamakoshi, Yoshinori

    2000-03-01

    There are many models for dryout in debiris beds and various conditions under which these models are applicable. For a reliable analysis of post-accident heat removal (PAHR), it is important that characteristics and applicability of each model should be made clear. In this report, formulation of the models for dryout and applicability of them are studied through comparing with experimental data. A new model for dryout prediction is also discussed here. It is difficult to predict the dryout power especially for a relatively shallow bed using a conventional model for channeled beds. The new model, which is based on the one-dimensional model derived by Lipinski, has permeability of channels in the governing equation, and enables us to predict the dryout power for relatively shallow beds. The following conclusions are derived from comparing the predicted dryout power with experimental data. The model for series heat removal is applicable to a packed bed while the DEBRIS-MD underestimates the dryout power for it. Either the original model assuming channel formation on the top of the bed or the modified model is applicable to a relatively deep bed with channels. For a relatively shallow bed with channels, the dryout power predicted by the modified model agrees with the experimental data in comparison with other models. (author)

  16. Scaling of permeabilities and friction factors of homogeneously expanding gas-solids fluidized beds: Geldart’s A powders and magnetically stabilized beds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hristov Jordan Y.

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available The concept of a variable friction factor of fluid-driven de form able powder beds undergoing fluidization is discussed. The special problem discussed addresses the friction factor and bed permeability relationships of Geldart’s A powders and magnetically stabilized beds in axial fields. Governing equations and scaling relation ships are developed through three approaches (1 Minimization of the pressure drop with respect to the fluid velocity employing the Darcy-Forchheimer equation together with the Richardson-Zaki scaling law, (2 Minimization of the pres sure drop across an equivalent-channel replacing the actual packed beds by a straight pipe with bed-equivalent obstacle of a simple geometry, and (3 Entropy minimization method applied in cases of the Darcy-Forchheimer equation and the equivalent-channel model. Bed-to-surface heat transfer coefficients are commented in the context of the porosity/length scale relationships developed. Both the pressure drop curves developments and phase diagram de signs are illustrated by applications of the intersection of asymptotes technique to beds exhibiting certain degree of cohesion.

  17. Radionuclide transport in running waters, sensitivity analysis of bed-load, channel geometry and model discretisation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jonsson, Karin; Elert, Mark

    2006-08-01

    In this report, further investigations of the model concept for radionuclide transport in stream, developed in the SKB report TR-05-03 is presented. Especially three issues have been the focus of the model investigations. The first issue was to investigate the influence of assumed channel geometry on the simulation results. The second issue was to reconsider the applicability of the equation for the bed-load transport in the stream model, and finally the last issue was to investigate how the model discretisation will influence the simulation results. The simulations showed that there were relatively small differences in results when applying different cross-sections in the model. The inclusion of the exact shape of the cross-section in the model is therefore not crucial, however, if cross-sectional data exist, the overall shape of the cross-section should be used in the model formulation. This could e.g. be accomplished by using measured values of the stream width and depth in the middle of the stream and by assuming a triangular shape. The bed-load transport was in this study determined for different sediment characteristics which can be used as an order of magnitude estimation if no exact determinations of the bed-load are available. The difference in the calculated bed-load transport for the different materials was, however, found to be limited. The investigation of model discretisation showed that a fine model discretisation to account for numerical effects is probably not important for the performed simulations. However, it can be necessary for being able to account for different conditions along a stream. For example, the application of mean slopes instead of individual values in the different stream reaches can result in very different predicted concentrations

  18. Use of 198 Au, with surface labelling, in the study of solid transport by bed load in large natural channels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakahira, S.

    1987-01-01

    The present study aims to present a method of measuring the bed load transport using a radioisotope technique in large natural channels. This study describes the basic principles of radioisotope application in this field, emphasizing the use of 198 Au for surface labelling of a natural sediment. Moreover, it presents the theoretical aspects, critical analysis, recommendations and comments on the methodology proposed. (author)

  19. Bed Load Variability and Morphology of Gravel Bed Rivers Subject to Unsteady Flow: A Laboratory Investigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Redolfi, M.; Bertoldi, W.; Tubino, M.; Welber, M.

    2018-02-01

    Measurement and estimation of bed load transport in gravel bed rivers are highly affected by its temporal fluctuations. Such variability is primarily driven by the flow regime but is also associated with a variety of inherent channel processes, such as flow turbulence, grain entrainment, and bed forms migration. These internal and external controls often act at comparable time scales, and are therefore difficult to disentangle, thus hindering the study of bed load variability under unsteady flow regime. In this paper, we report on laboratory experiments performed in a large, mobile bed flume where typical hydromorphological conditions of gravel bed rivers were reproduced. Data from a large number of replicated runs, including triangular and square-wave hydrographs, were used to build a statistically sound description of sediment transport processes. We found that the inherent variability of bed load flux strongly depends on the sampling interval, and it is significantly higher in complex, wandering or braided channels. This variability can be filtered out by computing the mean response over the experimental replicates, which allows us to highlight two distinctive phenomena: (i) an overshooting (undershooting) response of the mean bed load flux to a sudden increase (decrease) of discharge, and (ii) a clockwise hysteresis in the sediment rating curve. We then provide an interpretation of these findings through a conceptual mathematical model, showing how both phenomena are associated with a lagging morphological adaptation to unsteady flow. Overall, this work provides basic information for evaluating, monitoring, and managing gravel transport in morphologically active rivers.

  20. CHANNEL EVOLUTION IN MODIFIED ALLUVIAL STREAMS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simon, Andrew; Hupp, Cliff R.

    1987-01-01

    This study (a) assesses the channel changes and network trends of bed level response after modifications between 1959 and 1972 of alluvial channels in western Tennessee and (b) develops a conceptual model of bank slope development to qualitatively assess bank stability and potential channel widening. A six-step, semiquantitative model of channel evolution in disturbed channels was developed by quantifying bed level trends and recognizing qualitative stages of bank slope development. Development of the bank profile is defined in terms of three dynamic and observable surfaces: (a) vertical face (70 to 90 degrees), (b) upper bank (25 to 50 degrees), and (c) slough line (20 to 25 degrees).

  1. IBRD sonar scour monitoring project : real-time river channel-bed monitoring at the Chariton and Mississippi Rivers in Missouri, 2007-09, final report, January 2010.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    Scour and depositional responses to hydrologic events have been important to the scientific community studying sediment transport as well as potential effects on bridges and other hydraulic structures within riverine systems. A river channel-bed moni...

  2. Is the Critical Shields Stress for Incipient Sediment Motion Dependent on Bed Slope in Natural Channels? No.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, C. B.; Jerolmack, D. J.

    2017-12-01

    Understanding when coarse sediment begins to move in a river is essential for linking rivers to the evolution of mountainous landscapes. Unfortunately, the threshold of surface particle motion is notoriously difficult to measure in the field. However, recent studies have shown that the threshold of surface motion is empirically correlated with channel slope, a property that is easy to measure and readily available from the literature. These studies have thoroughly examined the mechanistic underpinnings behind the observed correlation and produced suitably complex models. These models are difficult to implement for natural rivers using widely available data, and thus others have treated the empirical regression between slope and the threshold of motion as a predictive model. We note that none of the authors of the original studies exploring this correlation suggested their empirical regressions be used in a predictive fashion, nevertheless these regressions between slope and the threshold of motion have found their way into numerous recent studies engendering potentially spurious conclusions. We demonstrate that there are two significant problems with using these empirical equations for prediction: (1) the empirical regressions are based on a limited sampling of the phase space of bed-load rivers and (2) the empirical measurements of bankfull and critical shear stresses are paired. The upshot of these problems limits the empirical relations predictive capacity to field sites drawn from the same region of the bed-load river phase space and that the paired nature of the data introduces a spurious correlation when considering the ratio of bankfull to critical shear stress. Using a large compilation of bed-load river hydraulic geometry data, we demonstrate that the variation within independently measured values of the threshold of motion changes systematically with bankfull shields stress and not channel slope. Additionally, we highlight using several recent datasets

  3. Sediment sorting at a side channel bifurcation

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Denderen, Pepijn; Schielen, Ralph; Hulscher, Suzanne

    2017-04-01

    Side channels have been constructed to reduce the flood risk and to increase the ecological value of the river. In various Dutch side channels large aggradation in these channels occurred after construction. Measurements show that the grain size of the deposited sediment in the side channel is smaller than the grain size found on the bed of the main channel. This suggest that sorting occurs at the bifurcation of the side channel. The objective is to reproduce with a 2D morphological model the fining of the bed in the side channel and to study the effect of the sediment sorting on morphodynamic development of the side channel. We use a 2D Delft3D model with two sediment fractions. The first fraction corresponds with the grain size that can be found on the bed of the main channel and the second fraction corresponds with the grain size found in the side channel. With the numerical model we compute several side channel configurations in which we vary the length and the width of the side channel, and the curvature of the upstream channel. From these computations we can derive the equilibrium state and the time scale of the morphodynamic development of the side channel. Preliminary results show that even when a simple sediment transport relation is used, like Engelund & Hansen, more fine sediment enters the side channel than coarse sediment. This is as expected, and is probably related to the bed slope effects which are a function of the Shields parameter. It is expected that by adding a sill at the entrance of the side channel the slope effect increases. This might reduce the amount of coarse sediment which enters the side channel even more. It is unclear whether the model used is able to reproduce the effect of such a sill correctly as modelling a sill and reproducing the correct hydrodynamic and morphodynamic behaviour is not straightforward in a 2D model. Acknowledgements: This research is funded by STW, part of the Dutch Organization for Scientific Research under

  4. Characterization of mercury and its risk in Nelson's, Saltmarsh, and Seaside Sparrows.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Virginia L Winder

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Nelson's, Saltmarsh, and Seaside Sparrows (Ammodramus nelsoni, A. caudacutus, and A. maritimus, respectively depend on marsh and wetland habitats--ecosystems in which mercury (Hg bioavailability is notoriously high. The purpose of the present study was to address the potential impact of Hg on these species using first primary and breast feathers as non-destructive biomonitoring tools. METHODS AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Feathers were sampled from wintering sparrows in North Carolina salt marshes (2006-2010. Feather Hg data were used in three risk analysis components (1 Threshold Component--examined feather Hg with regard to published negative effects thresholds; (2 Hg Dynamics Component--examined Hg in sparrows captured multiple times; and (3 Capture Frequency and Survival Component--tested for links between Hg and return frequency and survival. Threshold Component analyses indicated that Hg concentrations in 42-77% of sampled individuals (breast feather n = 879; first primary feather n = 663 were within the range associated with decreased reproduction in other avian species. Hg Dynamics Component analyses demonstrated that Hg increased between first and second captures for Nelson's (n = 9 and Seaside Sparrows (n = 23. Capture Frequency and Survival Component analyses detected a negative relationship between Hg and capture frequency in Nelson's Sparrows (n = 315. However, MARK models detected no effect of Hg on apparent survival in any species. CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE: This study indicates that current Hg exposure places a considerable proportion of each population at risk. In particular, 52% of all sampled Saltmarsh Sparrows exhibited first primary feather Hg concentrations exceeding those associated with a >60% reduction in reproductive success in other species. This study reports evidence for net annual bioaccumulation, indicating an increased risk in older individuals. These data can be used to inform future population

  5. Characterization of mercury and its risk in Nelson's, Saltmarsh, and Seaside Sparrows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winder, Virginia L

    2012-01-01

    Nelson's, Saltmarsh, and Seaside Sparrows (Ammodramus nelsoni, A. caudacutus, and A. maritimus, respectively) depend on marsh and wetland habitats--ecosystems in which mercury (Hg) bioavailability is notoriously high. The purpose of the present study was to address the potential impact of Hg on these species using first primary and breast feathers as non-destructive biomonitoring tools. Feathers were sampled from wintering sparrows in North Carolina salt marshes (2006-2010). Feather Hg data were used in three risk analysis components (1) Threshold Component--examined feather Hg with regard to published negative effects thresholds; (2) Hg Dynamics Component--examined Hg in sparrows captured multiple times; and (3) Capture Frequency and Survival Component--tested for links between Hg and return frequency and survival. Threshold Component analyses indicated that Hg concentrations in 42-77% of sampled individuals (breast feather n = 879; first primary feather n = 663) were within the range associated with decreased reproduction in other avian species. Hg Dynamics Component analyses demonstrated that Hg increased between first and second captures for Nelson's (n = 9) and Seaside Sparrows (n = 23). Capture Frequency and Survival Component analyses detected a negative relationship between Hg and capture frequency in Nelson's Sparrows (n = 315). However, MARK models detected no effect of Hg on apparent survival in any species. This study indicates that current Hg exposure places a considerable proportion of each population at risk. In particular, 52% of all sampled Saltmarsh Sparrows exhibited first primary feather Hg concentrations exceeding those associated with a >60% reduction in reproductive success in other species. This study reports evidence for net annual bioaccumulation, indicating an increased risk in older individuals. These data can be used to inform future population assessments and management for these species.

  6. On luminescence bleaching of tidal channel sediments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fruergaard, Mikkel; Pejrup, Morten; Murray, Andrew S.

    2015-01-01

    We investigate the processes responsible for bleaching of the quartz OSL signal from tidal channel sediment. Tidal dynamics are expected to play an important role for complete bleaching of tidal sediments. However, no studies have examined the amount of reworking occurring in tidal channels...... and on tidal flats due to the mixing caused by currents and waves. We apply bed level data to evaluate the amount of vertical sediment reworking in modern tidal channels and at a tidal flat. Cycles of deposition and erosion are measured with a bed level sensor, and the results show that gross sedimentation...... was several times higher than net sedimentation. We propose that tidal channel sediment is bleached either on the tidal flat before it is transported to the tidal channels and incorporated in channel-fill successions or, alternatively, on the shallow intertidal part of the channel banks. Based...

  7. Mercury on national wildlife refuges as a threat to long-term viability of saltmarsh and Nelson’s sparrows in the face of climate induced sea level rise

    Data.gov (United States)

    Department of the Interior — Nelson’s and saltmarsh sparrows (Ammodramus nelsoni and A. caudacutus) have recently been recognized as separate species, and because of their limited distributions...

  8. Particle Bed Reactor scaling relationships

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Slovik, G.; Araj, K.; Horn, F.L.; Ludewig, H.; Benenati, R.

    1987-01-01

    Scaling relationships for Particle Bed Reactors (PBRs) are discussed. The particular applications are short duration systems, i.e., for propulsion or burst power. Particle Bed Reactors can use a wide selection of different moderators and reflectors and be designed for such a wide range of power and bed power densities. Additional design considerations include the effect of varying the number of fuel elements, outlet Mach number in hot gas channel, etc. All of these variables and options result in a wide range of reactor weights and performance. Extremely light weight reactors (approximately 1 kg/MW) are possible with the appropriate choice of moderator/reflector and power density. Such systems are very attractive for propulsion systems where parasitic weight has to be minimized

  9. Two-phase flow in beds of spherical particles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schulenberg, T.; Mueller, U.

    1984-02-01

    A refined model for two-phase flow in beds of uniform spherical particles is presented. It includes the influence of interfacial drag forces between liquid and gas, which are important in beds of coarse particles, and an incrase of porosity due to vapour channels or similiar irreversible bed disturbances, which occur in beds of fine particles. The model is based on the momentum equations for separated flow, which are closed with empirical relations for wall shear stress and interfacial drag. To improve this model it is applied to volumetrically heated beds on a adiabatic bottom, which are saturated and superimposed with a boiling liquid. In case of fine particles only an impermeable bottom is considered, whereas in case of coarse particles also beds on a permeable support are discussed. (orig.) [de

  10. Channel Bank Cohesion and the Maintenance of Suspension Rivers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunne, K. B. J.; Jerolmack, D. J.

    2017-12-01

    Gravel-bedded rivers organize their channel geometry and grain size such that transport is close to the threshold of motion at bankfull. Sand-bedded rivers, however, typically maintain bankfull fluid shear (or Shields) stresses far in excess of threshold; there is no widely accepted explanation for these "suspension rivers". We propose that all alluvial rivers are at the threshold of motion for their erosion-limiting material, i.e., the structural component of the river cross-section that is most difficult to mobilize. The entrainment threshold of gravel is large enough that bank cohesion has little influence on gravel-bed rivers. Sand, however, is the most easily entrained material; silt and clay can raise the entrainment threshold of sand by orders of magnitude. We examine a global dataset of river channel geometry and show that the shear stress range for sand-bedded channels is entirely within the range of entrainment thresholds for sand-mud mixtures - suggesting that rivers that suspend their sandy bed material are still threshold rivers in terms of bank material. We then present new findings from a New Jersey coastal-plain river examining if and how river-bank toe composition controls hydraulic geometry. We consider the toe because it is the foundation of the river bank, and its erosion leads to channel widening. Along a 20-km profile of the river we measure cross-section geometry, bed slope, and bed and bank composition, and we explore multiple methods of measuring the threshold shear stress of the the river-bank toe in-situ. As the composition of the river bed transitions from gravel to sand, we see preliminary evidence of a shift from bed-threshold to bank-threshold control on hydraulic geometry. We also observe that sub-bankfull flows are insufficient to erode (cohesive) bank materials, even though transport of sand is active at nearly all flows. Our findings highlight the importance of focusing on river-bank toe material, which in the studied stream is

  11. Siltation in the saltmarsh of the Dee Estuary derived from 137Cs analysis of shallow cores

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hutchinson, S.M.; Prandle, D.

    1994-01-01

    Shallow cores, 50-100 cm long, extracted at 28 locations in the saltmarsh of the Dee Estuary were analysed for 137 Cs content at 2-cm intervals. These depth profiles of 137 Cs were correlated against a 40-year record of 137 Cs discharges from the nuclear fuel reprocessing plant at Sellafield, some 130 km to the north. To allow for a non-uniform rate of deposition in the saltmarsh, a series of non-linear depth-time relationships was assumed for each core. The best fit of 137 Cs core profiles and 137 Cs discharge records then provided estimates of the most likely rate of deposition at each location. The resulting deposition rates are spatially coherent, lending confidence to these estimates. Over the last 20 years, net deposition ranged from 5 cm at the head of the estuary to 60 cm at the offshore edge closest to the sea. These deposition rates have decreased steadily over this 40-year period with net deposition over the last 20 years only half of the first 20 years. The depth-time relationships derived from this 137 Cs study permit corresponding studies of the magnetic properties in nine of these cores. Results showed a coherent pattern of dispersion away from a source at the head of the estuary. Both the location and depositional history inferred from these data are compatible with the operational history of a major steelworks. (author)

  12. The role of bed surface configuration on river response under increasing flows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferrer-Boix, Carles; Elgueta, María A.; Hassan, Marwan A.

    2017-04-01

    This research aims to explore how bed surface configuration influence channel evolution, vertical and downstream sediment sorting, and sediment transport in gravel bed streams under varying flows. While a significant body of research has been focused on channel evolution under constant flow regimes, few studies have focused on the impacts of flow variations in channel adjustments. Particularly, we are interested in examining the impact of the degree of bed surface coarsening and particle arrangement on channel adjustments and sediment transport rates. To this end, we conducted a set of experiments in a 0.55 m-wide, 5 m-long tilting flume. Flow discharge during the runs was initially held constant at 25 l/s for a period of time after which discharge was gradually increased at steps of certain duration. Flow rates during the rising limb of the hydrographs ranged from 26 l/s to 40 l/s. Initial bed slope was 0.04 m/m for all runs. Some of the experiments were conducted under no feed conditions while others were carried out with sediment supply, which ranged from 1 kg/h to 10 kg/h. The feed texture in these latter runs was identical to that of the original mixture (Dg = 5.65 mm and σg = 3.05). Bed slopes and surface configuration were obtained after varying times of conditioning under constant flow and no feed. Data acquisition included: 1) bed surface images covering the entire flume, 2) bed scans at 2 mm resolution of the whole flume and 3) real-time measurements of bedload transport (rate and texture) at the outlet of the flume. This set up allows us to obtain fractional particle mobility, i.e. how much bed area covered by a particular grain size changed at a given time and to link to sediment transport rates. Data gathered from this study 1) will contribute to better understanding of river dynamics under unsteady flow conditions (floods) and 2) will help us improve sediment transport predictions under such conditions.

  13. Thermal-hydraulic modeling of porous bed reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Araj, K.J.; Nourbakhsh, H.P.

    1987-01-01

    Optimum design of nuclear reactor cores requires an iterative approach between the thermal-hydraulic, neutronic, and operational analysis. This paper will concentrate on the thermal-hydraulic behavior of a hydrogen-cooled small particle bed reactor (PBR). The PBR core modeled here consists of a hexagonal array of fuel elements embedded in a moderator matrix. The fuel elements are annular packed beds of fuel particles held between two porous cylindrical frits. These particles, 500 to 600 μm in diameter, have a uranium carbide core, which is coated by two layers of graphite and an outer coating of zirconium carbide. Coolant flows, radially inward, from the cold frit through the packed bed and hot frit and axially out the channel, formed by the hot frit to a common plenum. A fast running one-dimensional lumped-parameter steady-state code (FTHP) was developed to evaluate the effects of design changes in fuel assembly and power distribution. Another objective for the code was to investigate various methods of coolant control to minimize hot channel effects and maximize outlet temperatures

  14. Morphological response of the saltmarsh habitats of the Guadiana estuary due to flow regulation and sea-level rise

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sampath, D. M. R.; Boski, T.

    2016-12-01

    In the context of rapid sea-level rise in the 21st century, the reduction of fluvial sediment supply due to the regulation of river discharge represents a major challenge for the management of estuarine ecosystems. Therefore, the present study aims to assess the cumulative impacts of the reduction of river discharge and projected sea-level rise on the morphological evolution of the Guadiana estuary during the 21st century. The assessment was based on a set of analytical solutions to simplified equations of tidal wave propagation in shallow waters and empirical knowledge of the system. As methods applied to estimate environmental flows do not take into consideration the fluvial discharge required to maintain saltmarsh habitats and the impact of sea-level rise, simulations were carried out for ten cases in terms of base river flow and sea-level rise so as to understand their sensitivity on the deepening of saltmarsh platforms. Results suggest saltmarsh habitats may not be affected severely in response to lower limit scenarios of sea-level rise and sedimentation. A similar behaviour can be expected even due to the upper limit scenarios until 2050, but with a significant submergence afterwards. In the case of the upper limit scenarios under scrutiny, there was a net erosion of sediment from the estuary. Multiplications of amplitudes of the base flow function by factors 1.5, 2, and 5 result in reduction of the estimated net eroded sediment volume by 25, 40, and 80%, respectively, with respect to the net eroded volume for observed river discharge. The results also indicate that defining the minimum environmental flow as a percentage of dry season flow (as done presently) should be updated to include the full spectrum of natural flows, incorporating temporal variability to better anticipate scenarios of sea-level rise during this century. As permanent submergence of intertidal habitats can be significant after 2050, due to the projected 79 cm rise of sea-level by the year

  15. Numerical Simulations of the Effects of a Tidal Turbine Array on Near-Bed Velocity and Local Bed Shear Stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Philip A. Gillibrand

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available We apply a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model to consider the potential effects of energy extraction by an array of tidal turbines on the ambient near-bed velocity field and local bed shear stress in a coastal channel with strong tidal currents. Local bed shear stress plays a key role in local sediment dynamics. The model solves the Reynold-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS equations on an unstructured mesh using mixed finite element and finite volume techniques. Tidal turbines are represented through an additional form drag in the momentum balance equation, with the thrust imparted and power generated by the turbines being velocity dependent with appropriate cut-in and cut-out velocities. Arrays of 1, 4 and 57 tidal turbines, each of 1.5 MW capacity, were simulated. Effects due to a single turbine and an array of four turbines were negligible. The main effect of the array of 57 turbines was to cause a shift in position of the jet through the tidal channel, as the flow was diverted around the tidal array. The net effect of this shift was to increase near-bed velocities and bed shear stress along the northern perimeter of the array by up to 0.8 m·s−1 and 5 Pa respectively. Within the array and directly downstream, near-bed velocities and bed shear stress were reduced by similar amounts. Changes of this magnitude have the potential to modify the known sand and shell banks in the region. Continued monitoring of the sediment distributions in the region will provide a valuable dataset on the impacts of tidal energy extraction on local sediment dynamics. Finally, the mean power generated per turbine is shown to decrease as the turbine array increased in size.

  16. Expanded-bed chromatography in primary protein purification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anspach, F B; Curbelo, D; Hartmann, R; Garke, G; Deckwer, W D

    1999-12-31

    Chromatography in stable expanded beds enables proteins to be recovered directly from cultivations of microorganisms or cells and preparations of disrupted cells, without the need for prior removal of suspended solids. The general performance of an expanded bed is comparable to a packed bed owing to reduced mixing of the adsorbent particles in the column. However, optimal operating conditions are more restricted than in a packed bed due to the dependence of bed expansion on the size and density of the adsorbent particles as well as the viscosity and density of the feedstock. The feedstock composition may become the most limiting restriction owing to interactions of adsorbent particles with cell surfaces, DNA and other substances, leading to their aggregation and consequently to bed instabilities and channeling. Despite these difficulties, expanded-bed chromatography has found widespread applications in the large scale purification of proteins from mammalian cell and microbial feedstocks in industrial bioprocessing. The basics and implementation of expanded-bed chromatography, its advantages as well as problems encountered in the use of this technique for the direct extraction of proteins from unclarified feedstocks are addressed.

  17. Statistical description of flume experiments on mixed-size bed-load transport and bed armoring processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, D.; Zhang, Y.

    2008-12-01

    The objective of this paper is to describe the statistical properties of experiments on non-uniform bed-load transport as well as the mechanism of bed armoring processes. Despite substantial effort made over the last two decades, the ability to compute the bed-load flux in a turbulent system remains poor. The major obstacles include the poor understanding of the formation of armor lays on bed surfaces. Such a layer is much flow-resistible than the underlying material and therefore significantly inhibits sediment transport from the reach. To study the problem, we conducted a flume study for mixed sand/gravel sediments. We observed that aggregated sediment blocks were the most common characters in armor layers - the largest sizes resist hydraulic forces, while the smaller sizes add interlocking support and prevent loss of fine material through gaps between the larger particles. Fractional transport rates with the existing of armor layers were measured with time by sediment trapping method at the end of flume. To address the intermittent and time-varying behavior of bed-load transport during bed armoring processes, we investigated the probability distribution of the fractional bed-load transport rates, and the underlying dynamic model derived from the continuous time random walk framework. Results indicate that it is critical to consider the impact of armor layers when a flow is sufficient to move some of the finer particles and yet insufficient to move all the larger particles on a channel bed.

  18. The vertical distribution of radionuclides in a Ribble Estuary saltmarsh: transport and deposition of radionuclides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, J.E.; McDonald, P.; Parker, A.; Rae, J.E.

    1999-01-01

    Routine discharges of low-level liquid radioactive waste by British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) at Sellafield and Springfields have resulted in enhanced levels of radionuclides in sediments of the Ribble Estuary, NW England, UK. Variations in radionuclide concentrations ( 137 Cs, 230 Th, and 239240 Pu) with depth in a mature saltmarsh core were analysed in order to investigate historical discharge trends and waste-dispersal mechanisms. Core samples from Longton/Hutton Marsh were analysed by gamma-spectrometry and α-spectrometry for radionuclides and by laser granulometry to establish grain-size variations with depth. Distinct subsurface maxima were present for 137 Cs and 239240 Pu with activities as high as 4500 Bq kg -1 for 137 Cs and 600 Bq kg -1 for 239240 Pu. Thorium-230 exhibited complex activity profiles with depth, specific activities ranging between 200 and 2400 Bq kg -1 . The vertical distributions of Sellafield-derived radionuclides ( 137 Cs and 239240 Pu) in mature saltmarsh deposits reflect the time-integrated discharge pattern from Sellafield, implying a transport mechanism that has involved the mixing of sediment labelled with radioactivity from recent discharges and sediment labelled from historical discharge events before deposition. A mechanism involving the transport of contaminated silt therefore seems to dominate. The vertical distribution of Springfields-derived 230 Th in the same areas reflects the annual gross-α discharge pattern from BNFL Springfields. In contrast to the Sellafield-derived radionuclides, a fairly rapid transport mechanism from source to sink is implied, with little or no time for mixing with radionuclides discharged years earlier. (Copyright (c) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

  19. Numerical modelling of river processes: flow and river bed deformation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tassi, P.A.

    2007-01-01

    The morphology of alluvial river channels is a consequence of complex interaction among a number of constituent physical processes, such as flow, sediment transport and river bed deformation. This is, an alluvial river channel is formed from its own sediment. From time to time, alluvial river

  20. Spatial adjustments of mountain channels to changes in the sediment supply regime

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elgueta, M. A.; Hassan, M. A.; von Flotow, C. M.

    2012-12-01

    Sediment supply is a key controlling factor in bed morphology and sediment mobility. Under a low supply regime, bed structuring develops and reduces sediment mobility. Under high supply, structuring is suppressed and the bed exhibits patchiness. This study examines the spatial response of a mountain stream channel to changes in the sediment supply regime. To achieve this goal, a flume experiment was conducted in the Mountain Channel Hydraulic Experimental Laboratory at the University of British Columbia. An 18 meter long, one meter wide flume, with a slope of three percent was used. Seven continuous runs were conducted. Each of them lasted 40 hours, under constant flow and different sediment supply regimes, which included no feed, constant feed and episodic supply. In each run, bed elevation, bed grain size distribution, flow resistance, sediment mobility and degree of armoring were determined. Flume results were compared to field data from a 600 meter channel reach that exhibits rapid, riffle-pool and step-pool morphology in UBC Malcolm Knapp Research Forest. The study gave the possibility to analyze in detail the spatial adjustment of a mountain channel to changes in the sediment supply regime, including episodic inputs.

  1. Enhancement of natural radioactivity in soils and salt-marshes surrounding a non-nuclear industrial complex

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bologon, J.P.; Garca-Tenorio, R.; Garca-Leon, M.

    1995-01-01

    The existence of a very high extension (about 1000 ha) of phosphogypsum piles, sited in the estuary formed by the mouths of the Tinto and Odiel rivers (SW Spain), produce a quite local, but unambiguous radioactive impact in the surrounding salt-marshes. In these piles the main by-product formed in the manufacture of phosphoric acid is stored. The radioactive impact is generated by the deposition and accumulation of radionuclides from the uranium series that previously had been mainly leached or dissolved from the piles by waters that temporally can cover or cross them. Other means of impact, especially through the atmosphere, have been evaluated as negligible or not detectable

  2. The Effect of Confluence Angle on the Flow Pattern at a Rectangular Open-Channel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F. Rooniyan

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Flow connection in channels is a phenomenon which frequently happens in rivers, water and drainage channels and urban sewage systems. The phenomenon appears to be more complex in rivers than in channels, especially at the y-junction bed joint that causes erosion and sedimentation at some areas resulting to morphological changes. Flow behavior at the channel junction area depends on variables such as channel geometry, discharge ratio, tributary width and y-junction connection angle of the channel, bed level changes at the bed joint, flow characteristic at the bed joint upstream and flow Froude number in different sections. In this research, fluent numerical model and junction angles of 30o, 45o & 60o are used to analyze and evaluate the effect of channel junction geometry on the flow pattern and the flow separation zone dimensions in different ratios of flow discharge (upstream channel discharge to total discharge of the flow. Results for two ratios of flow discharge are represented. Results are in agreement with earlier studies and it is shown that the change of the channel crossing angle affects the flow pattern in the main channel and also that the dimensions of the created separation zone in the main channel become larger when the crossing angle increases. This phenomenon can also be observed when the flow discharge ratio is lower. Analysis showed that the least dimension of the separation zone will be at the crossing angle of 45o .

  3. Assessing the Resilience of a Blue Carbon Store: Characterizing the Lateral Flux of DIC from an East Coast U.S. Saltmarsh using Δ14C and δ13C

    Science.gov (United States)

    Felgate, S. L.; Gonneea, M. E.; Kroeger, K. D.; Chu, S. N.; Wang, A. Z.

    2016-12-01

    Intertidal saltmarshes are highly productive coastal habitats and important blue carbon stores. They commonly exhibit high salinity, low oxygen environmental regimes which lend themselves towards reduced rates of microbial respiration, and the assimilation of atmospheric CO2 into plant biomass tends to outpace the rate at which that biomass is broken down. As a result, a relatively high proportion of CO2 entering the system can be expected to become incorporated into marsh sediment before it can be metabolised, potentially entering storage for thousands of years and providing a sizeable natural carbon sink. However, the rate at which these habitats are now being degraded is substantial and growing: the combined impacts of stressors such as increasing temperature and sea level rise are predicted to reduce global saltmarsh coverage by 30-40% by the end of the century, and many saltmarsh carbon stores can be expected to shift from net sinks to sources within the same time frame. Based on high resolution measurements and modelling in a northeastern U.S. saltmarsh, a recent study reported a marsh DIC export of 414g C m2 yr-1. This is more than twice that put forward in previous estimates, and is larger than the total uptake by plant biomass. This translates into one of the largest carbon fluxes to the coastal ocean found along the U.S. East Coast. Additionally it is possible that the marsh carbon budget is not in balance, with export exceeding carbon fixation rates. Here we characterise this carbon flux using Δ14C and δ13C data to age and source the exported dissolved carbon pools. Carbon isotope mixing models between surface (modern) and porewater (old) carbon sources are constrained by creek samples and porewaters from multiple depths and locations within the marsh. We determine the age of exported carbon to see if carbon stored over the lifetime of the marsh (c. 2000 years) continues to be respired, thereby evaluating the long term resilience of the carbon sink.

  4. Biogeomorphological effects of leaf accumulations in stepped-bed channels: Exploratory study, Moravskoslezské Beskydy Mountains, Czech Republic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Přibyla Zdeněk

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The stepped-bed system, with a step-like longitudinal profile, is typical morphology in steep headwater streams. These systems are created by a series of coarse sediments or instream wood (steps with supercritical flows interspaced with finer material (forming pools with subcritical flows. In the case of well-developed steps and pools, the resulting channel-reach morphology is referred to as “step-pool” morphology. In this study, we identify a previously undescribed type of step-pool formation, the “foliaged step-pool”, in the high-gradient Stoligy Stream of the Moravskoslezské Beskydy Mountains. The defining feature of this formation is the significant presence of leaves in the step structure. The geometry of the steps and pools was measured and the parameters that characterise the distribution, amount and function of leaves acting in these areas were defined. Statistical results showed differences between non-foliaged and foliaged step-pool formations, in which the latter showed a significant increase in storage level, influencing the channel’s hydrodynamics. Particle-size analyses demonstrated that foliaged step-pool formations had finer sediment in the pools, which indicates that there are differences in sediment transport processes between foliaged and non-foliaged formations. These results offer new insights into stepped-bed and step-pool morphology, providing directions for further research on small streams in deciduous forested regions.

  5. Transient core-debris bed heat-removal experiments and analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ginsberg, T.; Klein, J.; Klages, J.; Schwarz, C.E.; Chen, J.C.

    1982-08-01

    An experimental investigation is reported of the thermal interaction between superheated core debris and water during postulated light-water reactor degraded core accidents. Data are presented for the heat transfer characteristics of packed beds of 3 mm spheres which are cooled by overlying pools of water. Results of transient bed temperature and steam flow rate measurements are presented for bed heights in the range 218 mm-433 mm and initial particle bed temperatures between 530K and 972K. Results display a two-part sequential quench process. Initial frontal cooling leaves pockets or channels of unquenched spheres. Data suggest that heat transfer process is limited by a mechanism of countercurrent two-phase flow. An analytical model which combines a bed energy equation with either a quasisteady version of the Lipinski debris bed model or a critical heat flux model reasonably well predicts the characteristic features of the bed quench process. Implications with respect to reactor safety are discussed

  6. Influence of turbulence on bed load sediment transport

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sumer, B. Mutlu; Chua, L.; Cheng, N. S.

    2003-01-01

    This paper summarizes the results of an experimental study on the influence of an external turbulence field on the bedload sediment transport in an open channel. The external turbulence was generated by: (1) with a horizontal pipe placed halfway through the depth, h; (2) with a series of grids......-bed experiments and the ripple-covered-bed experiments. In the former case, the flow in the presence of the turbulence generator was adjusted so that the mean bed shear stress was the same as in the case without the turbulence generator in order to single out the effect of the external turbulence on the sediment...... correlated with the sediment transport rate. The sediment transport increases markedly with increasing turbulence level....

  7. Bed stability in unconfined gravel bed mountain streams: With implications for salmon spawning viability in future climates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jim McKean; Daniele Tonina

    2013-01-01

    Incubating eggs of autumn-spawning Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) could be at risk of midwinter high flows and substrate scour in a changing climate. A high-spatial-resolution multidimensional hydrodynamics model was used to assess the degree of scour risk in low-gradient unconfined gravel bed channels that are the favored environment for autumn-spawning...

  8. Thermal-hydraulic modeling of porous bed reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Araj, K.J.; Nourbakhsh, H.P.

    1987-01-01

    Optimum design of nuclear reactor core requires an iterative approach between the thermal-hydraulic, neutronic and operational analysis. This paper concentrates on the thermal-hydraulic behavior of a hydrogen cooled, small particle bed reactor (PBR). The PBR core, modeled here, consists of a hexagonal array of fuel elements embedded in a moderator matrix. The fuel elements are annular packed beds of fuel particles held between two porous cylindrical frits. These particles, 500 to 600 μm in diameter, have a uranium carbide core, which is coated by two layers of graphite and an outer coating of zirconium carbide. Coolant flow, radially inward, from the cold frit through the packed bed and hot frit and axially out the channel, formed by the hot frit, to a common plenum. 5 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs

  9. Dynamics and mechanics of bed-load tracer particles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. B. Phillips

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Understanding the mechanics of bed load at the flood scale is necessary to link hydrology to landscape evolution. Here we report on observations of the transport of coarse sediment tracer particles in a cobble-bedded alluvial river and a step-pool bedrock tributary, at the individual flood and multi-annual timescales. Tracer particle data for each survey are composed of measured displacement lengths for individual particles, and the number of tagged particles mobilized. For single floods we find that measured tracer particle displacement lengths are exponentially distributed; the number of mobile particles increases linearly with peak flood Shields stress, indicating partial bed load transport for all observed floods; and modal displacement distances scale linearly with excess shear velocity. These findings provide quantitative field support for a recently proposed modeling framework based on momentum conservation at the grain scale. Tracer displacement is weakly negatively correlated with particle size at the individual flood scale; however cumulative travel distance begins to show a stronger inverse relation to grain size when measured over many transport events. The observed spatial sorting of tracers approaches that of the river bed, and is consistent with size-selective deposition models and laboratory experiments. Tracer displacement data for the bedrock and alluvial channels collapse onto a single curve – despite more than an order of magnitude difference in channel slope – when variations of critical Shields stress and flow resistance between the two are accounted for. Results show how bed load dynamics may be predicted from a record of river stage, providing a direct link between climate and sediment transport.

  10. Thermal-hydraulic considerations for particle bed reactors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benenati, R.; Araj, K. J.; Horn, F.

    In the design of particle bed reactor (PBR) cores, consideration must be given to the gas coolant channels and their configuration. Neutronics analysis provides the relative volume fractions of the component materials, but these must be arranged in such a manner as to allow proper cooling of all components by the gas flow at relatively low pressure drops. The thermal hydraulic aspects of this problem are addressed. A description of the computer model used in the analysis of the steady state condition is also included. Blowdown tests on hot particle bed fuel elements were carried out and are described.

  11. First post-fire flush in a Mediterranean temporary stream: source ascription in bed sediments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Estrany Bertos, Joan; García-Comendador, Julián; Fortesa, Josep; Calsamiglia, Aleix; Garcias, Francesca

    2017-04-01

    First flushes can be of great importance for suspended-sediment transport in fluvial systems of drylands, being temporary streams a characteristic feature of Mediterranean basins. After a wildfire, storm flows may enhance runoff delivery to channels and then increasing the first-flush effect. 137Cs and 210Pbex were used as tracers for recognizing the first post-fire flush effect in the source ascription of bed sediments temporarily stored in a Mediterranean temporary stream severely affected by a wildfire. Thirty potential sediment source samples were collected along the main stem of a catchment located in Mallorca (Spain) during a field campaign developed some weeks after the wildfire. The sample collection was designed considering the wildfire affection, and also distinguishing between soil surface and channel bank. To quantify the relative source contribution to the bed sediment temporarily stored, five sediment samples -deposited during the first storm occurred three months after the wildfire- were collected into the bed stream of the main channel. The 137Cs and 210Pbex concentrations were measured by gamma spectrometry. Then, a linear mixing model was used to establish the relative contribution of each source type to the bed sediments discerning between the most upstream and the downstream parts of the catchment. Post-fire first-flush effect was generated by a torrential event with a suspended-sediment concentration peak ca. 33,618 mg L-1, although transmission losses under a very low runoff coefficient (1%) promoted sediment deposition. Significant differences were observed in fallout radionuclide concentrations between burned surface soil and channel bank samples (p 0.05). Source ascription in bed sediments in the middle stream shows that 67% was generated in burned hillslopes, reaching 75% in the downstream part because downstream propagation of the sediment derived from the burned area. Bed sediments were mostly generated in burned hillslopes because of

  12. Beyond the threshold for motion: river channel geometry and grain size reflect sediment supply

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pfeiffer, A.; Finnegan, N. J.; Willenbring, J. K.

    2016-12-01

    In many gravel-bedded rivers, floods that fill the ch­­annel banks create just enough shear stress to move the median-sized gravel particles on the bed surface (D50). Because this observation is common and is supported by theory, the coincidence of bankfull flow and the incipient motion of D50 has become a­­ commonly employed assumption. However, not all natural gravel channels actually conform to this simple relationship; some channels maintain bankfull stresses far in excess of the critical stress required to initiate sediment transport. We use a database of >300 gravel-bedded rivers and >600 10Be-derived erosion rates from across North America to explore the hypothesis that sediment supply drives the magnitude of bankfull shear stress relative to the critical stress required to mobilize the median bed surface grain size. We find that the ratio of bankfull to critical stress is significantly higher in West Coast river reaches (2.47, n= 84) than in river reaches in the rest of the continent (1.03, n = 245). This pattern parallels trends in erosion rates (and hence sediment supplies). Supporting our hypothesis, we find a significant correlation between upstream erosion rate and local τ*bf/τ*c at sites where this comparison is possible. Our analysis reveals a decrease in bed surface armoring with increasing τ*bf/τ*c, suggesting that channels accommodate changes in sediment supply through adjustments in bed surface grain size, as predicted through numerical modeling. Our findings demonstrate that sediment supply is encoded in the bankfull hydraulic geometry of gravel-bedded channels through its control on bed surface grain size.

  13. Relative roughness controls on incipient sediment motion in steep channels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prancevic, J.; Lamb, M. P.; Fuller, B. M.

    2012-12-01

    For over eight decades, researchers have noted an appreciable increase in the nondimensional shear stress (Shields number) at initiation of fluvial bedload transport with increasing bed slope. The precise cause of the trend, however, is obscured by the covariance of several factors with increased slope: a greater downstream component of the gravity acting on the grains and fluid, changes in bed morphology, increased grainsize relative to the channel width that may lead to grain bridging, and increased grainsize relative to flow depth (relative roughness) that may change flow hydraulics and particle buoyancy. Here, we report on ongoing laboratory experiments spanning a wide range of bed slopes (2% to 67%) designed to isolate these variables and determine the true cause of heightened critical Shields numbers on steep slopes. First, we eliminated bed morphology as a factor by using only planar beds. To investigate the effect of grain bridging, we used two different channel widths, representing width-to-grainsize ratios of 23:1 and 9:1. Finally, to separate the effects of slope from relative roughness, we compared incipient motion conditions for acrylic particles (submerged specific gravity of 0.15) to natural siliciclastic gravel (submerged specific gravity of 1.65). Different particle densities allowed us to explore incipient motion as a function of relative roughness, independent of channel slope, because lighter particles move at shallower flow depths than heavier ones of the same size. Results show that both materials exhibit a positive trend between bed slope and critical Shields number despite the existence of planar beds for all slopes. Furthermore, changing the grainsize-to-width ratio had a negligible effect on this trend. For all slopes, the critical Shields number for bedload transport was higher for the acrylic particles than for gravel, indicating that relative roughness has a strong control on incipient sediment motion independent of channel slope. These

  14. Nitrous oxide and methane fluxes vs. carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous burial in new intertidal and saltmarsh sediments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adams, C.A., E-mail: christopher.adams@uea.ac.uk; Andrews, J.E.; Jickells, T.

    2012-09-15

    Carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) burial rates were determined within natural saltmarsh (NSM) and 'managed realignment' (MR) sediments of the Blackwater estuary, UK. Methane (CH{sub 4}) and nitrous oxide (N{sub 2}O) fluxes were measured along with their ability to offset a portion of the C burial to give net C sequestration. C and N densities (C{rho} and N{rho}) of NSM sediments (0.022 and 0.0019 g cm{sup -3}) are comparable to other UK NSM sediments. Less vegetationally developed MR sediments have lower C{rho} and N{rho} (0.012 and 0.0011 g cm{sup -3}) while the more vegetationally developed sites possess higher C{rho} and N{rho} (0.023 and 0.0030 g cm{sup -3}) than NSM. Both NSM and MR areas were small CH{sub 4} (0.10-0.40 g m{sup -2} yr{sup -1}) and N{sub 2}O (0.03-0.37 g m{sup -2} yr{sup -1}) sources. Due to their large Global Warming Potentials, even these relatively small greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes reduced the net C sequestration within MR marshes by as much as 49%, but by only 2% from NSM. Potential MR areas within the Blackwater estuary (29.5 km{sup 2} saltmarsh and 23.7 km{sup 2} intertidal mudflat) could bury 5478 t C yr{sup -1} and 695.5 t N yr{sup -1}, with a further 476 t N yr{sup -1} denitrified. The saltmarsh MR would also sequester 139.4 t P yr{sup -1}. GHG fluxes would reduce the C burial benefit by 24% giving a C sequestration rate of 4174 t C yr{sup -1}. Similar areas within the Humber estuary (74.95 km{sup 2}) could bury 3597 t C yr{sup -1} and 180 t N yr{sup -1}, with a further 442 t N yr{sup -1} denitrified. GHG fluxes would reduce the C burial benefit by 31% giving a C sequestration rate of 2492 t C yr{sup -1}. Overall, MR sites provide sustainable coastal defence options with significant biogeochemical value and, despite being net sources of CH{sub 4} and N{sub 2}O, can sequester C and reduce estuarine nutrient loads. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We investigated C, N, P, CH{sub 4} and N{sub 2}O fluxes

  15. Saltmarsh creek bank stability: Biostabilisation and consolidation with depth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Y.; Thompson, C. E. L.; Collins, M. B.

    2012-03-01

    The stability of cohesive sediments of a saltmarsh in Southern England was measured in the field and the laboratory using a Cohesive Strength Meter (CSM) and a shear vane apparatus. Cores and sediment samples were collected from two tidal creek banks, covered by Atriplex portulacoides (Sea Purslane) and Juncus maritimus (Sea Rush), respectively. The objectives of the study were to examine the variation of sediment stability throughout banks with cantilevers present and investigate the influence of roots and downcore consolidation on bank stability. Data on erosion threshold and shear strength were interpreted with reference to bank depth, sediment properties and biological influences. The higher average erosion threshold was from the Sea Purslane bank whilst the Sea Rush bank showed higher average vane shear strength. The vertical variation in core sediment stability was mainly affected by roots and downcore consolidation with depth. The data obtained from the bank faces revealed that vertical variations in both erosion threshold and vane shear strength were affected primarily by roots and algae. A quantitative estimate of the relative contributions of roots and downcore consolidation to bank sediment stability was undertaken using the bank stability data and sediment density data. This showed that roots contributed more to the Sea Purslane bank stability than downcore consolidation, whilst downcore consolidation has more pronounced effects on the Sea Rush bank stability.

  16. Bedform migration in steep channels: from local avalanches to large scale changes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mettra, F.; Heyman, J.; Ancey, C.

    2013-12-01

    Many studies have emphasized the strength of bedload transport fluctuations in steep streams, especially at low and intermediate transport conditions (relative to the threshold of incipient motion). The origins of these fluctuations, which appear on a wide range of time scales, are still not well understood. In this study, we present the data obtained from a 2D idealized laboratory experiment with the objective of simultaneously recording the channel bed evolution and bedload transport rate at a high temporal resolution. A 3-m long by 8-cm wide transparent flume filled with well-sorted natural gravel (d50=6.5 mm) was used. An efficient technique using accelerometers has been developed to record the arrival time of every particle at the outlet of the flume for long experimental durations (up to a few days). In addition, bed elevation was monitored using cameras filming from the side of the channel, allowing the observation of global aggradation/degradation as well as bedform migration. The experimental parameters were the water discharge, the flume inclination (from 2° to 5°) and the constant feeding rate of sediments. Large-scale bed evolution showed successive aggradation and rapid degradation periods. Indeed, the measured global channel slope, i.e. mean slope over the flume length, fluctuated continuously within a range sometimes wider than 1° (experimental parameters were constant over the entire run). The analysis of these fluctuations provides evidence that steep channels behave like metastable systems, similarly to grain piles. The metastable effects increased for steeper channels and lower transport conditions. In this measurement campaign, we mainly observed upstream-migrating antidunes. For each run, various antidune heights and celerities were measured. On average, the mean antidune migration rate increased with decreasing channel slope and increasing sediment feeding rate. Relatively rare tall and fast-moving antidunes appeared more frequently at high

  17. The influence of saltmarsh restoration on sediment dynamics and the potential impact on carbon sequestration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Benjamin; Paterson, David

    2017-04-01

    Coastal wetland ecosystems can act as large-capacity carbon sinks, providing a valuable climate change mitigation function. Globally, saltmarshes are estimated to accumulate an average of 244.7g C m-2 yr-1 (Ouyang & Lee 2014). Saltmarsh areas have experienced rapid loss in the recent past of approximately 1-2% per year (Duarte et al. 2008). Efforts to restore these areas could result in additional carbon storage due to extended vegetation cover and altered burial due to changing sediment dynamics. The influence of restoration through transplantation on sediment dynamics within a small estuary on the east coast of Scotland was assessed. Restoration efforts have been implemented since the early 2000s providing examples of old established sites ("old", >10years), young recently planted sites ("young", percentage organic matter content of deposited material is significantly lower in mudflat and young areas (3.78 ± 0.59% and 3.66 ± 0.79% respectively) versus those of natural and old areas (12.08 ± 2.27% and 6.70 ± 1.30% respectively). This relationship suggests that older restored areas are potentially offering the most potential benefit in terms of carbon sequestration, due to higher rates of deposition from the potential load and higher percentage organic content of those deposits. Furthermore, measurements of sediment accretion rates over the same period show natural and old areas to be the most effective at retaining sediment, with average elevation changes of 6.99 ± 1.64mm and 6.56 ± 0.94mm respectively, in comparison to young areas, 4.44 ± 1.58mm, and mudflats, 1.51 ± 1.23mm. Factors influencing these differences could be attributed to type and density of vegetation present and elevation of each area (or immersion period). However, the data suggests restoration could play an important role, which once established, appears to facilitate efficient sediment deposition from potential sediment load and crucially the effective accumulation of organic rich

  18. Hybrid modelling of bed-discordant river confluences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franca, M. J.; Guillén-Ludeña, S.; Cheng, Z.; Cardoso, A. H.; Constantinescu, G.

    2016-12-01

    In fluvial networks, tributaries are the main providers of sediment and water to the main rivers. Furthermore, confluences are environmental hotspots since they provide ecological connectivity and flow and morphology diversity. Mountain confluences, in particular, are characterized by narrow and steep tributaries that provide important sediment load to the confluence, whereas the main channel supplies the dominant flow discharge. This results in a marked bed discordance between the tributary and main channel. This discordance has been observed to be a key feature that alters the dynamics of the confluence, when compared to concordant confluences. The processes of initiation and maintenance of the morphology of confluences is still unknown, and research linking morphodynamics and hydrodynamics of river confluences is required to understand this. Here, a hybrid approach combining laboratory experiments made in a live-bed model of a river confluence, with 3D numerical simulations using advanced turbulence models is presented. We use the laboratory experiments performed by Guillén-Ludeña et al. (2016) for a 70o channel confluence, which focused on sediment transport and morphology changes rather than on the structure of the flow. Highly eddy resolving simulations were performed for two extreme bathymetric conditions, at the start of the experiment and at equilibrium scour conditions. The first allows to understand the initiation mechanisms which will condition later the equilibrium morphology. The second allows to understand the hydrodynamics actions which keep the equilibrium morphology. The patterns of the mean flow, turbulence and dynamics of the large-scale coherent structures, show how the main sediment-entrainment mechanisms evolve during the scour process. The present results contribute to a better understanding of the interaction between bed morphology and flow dynamics at discordant mountain river confluences.

  19. Perennial-streamflow characteristics related to channel geometry and sediment in Missouri River basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osterkamp, W.R.; Hedman, E.R.

    1982-01-01

    Geometry, channel-sediment, and discharge data were collected and compiled from 252 streamflow-gaging stations in the Missouri River basin. The sites represent the complete ranges of hydrologic and geologic conditions found in the basin. The data were analyzed by computer to yield equations relating various discharge characteristics to variables of channel geometry and bed and bank material. The equations provide discharge as the dependent variable for the purpose of making estimates of discharge characteristics at ungaged sites. Results show that channel width is best related to variables of discharge, but that reduction of standard errors can be achieved by considering channel-sediment properties, channel gradient, and discharge variability. The channel-material variables do not exert uniform effects on width-discharge relations and, therefore, are considered as sediment-data groups, or stream types, rather than as terms in multiple power-function equations. Relative to streamflow, narrowest channels occur when streams of steady discharge transport sufficient silt and clay to form stable, cohesive banks but have a small tractive load of sand and coarser sizes. Stable channels also are associated with high channel gradients, which cause high channel roughness and bed and bank armouring by coarse particle sizes. The widest, most unstable channels are found with streams that apparently transport of large tractive load of sand sizes. The downstream rates of change of width with discharge reflect these trends, suggesting that a given bed-material load necessitates a minimum width over which the tractive material can be moved. (USGS)

  20. Sorting out river channel patterns

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kleinhans, M.G.

    2010-01-01

    Rivers self-organize their pattern/planform through feedbacks between bars, channels, floodplain and vegetation, which emerge as a result of the basic spatial sorting process of wash load sediment and bed sediment. The balance between floodplain formation and destruction determines the width and

  1. T-type Ca(2+) channels and Autoregulation of Local Blood Flow

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Lars Jørn; Nielsen, Morten Schak; Salomonsson, Max

    2017-01-01

    L-type voltage gated Ca(2+) channels are considered to be the primary source of calcium influx during the myogenic response. However, many vascular beds also express T-type voltage gated Ca(2+) channels. Recent studies suggest that these channels may also play a role in autoregulation. At low pre...

  2. Moisture diffusivity in structure of random fractal fiber bed

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhu, Fanglong, E-mail: zhufanglong_168@163.com [College of Textile, Zhongyuan University of Technology, Zhengzhou City (China); The Chinese People' s Armed Police Forces Academy, Langfan City (China); Zhou, Yu; Feng, Qianqian [College of Textile, Zhongyuan University of Technology, Zhengzhou City (China); Xia, Dehong [School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Science and Technology, Beijing (China)

    2013-11-08

    A theoretical expression related to effective moisture diffusivity to random fiber bed is derived by using fractal theory and considering both parallel and perpendicular channels to diffusion flow direction. In this Letter, macroporous structure of hydrophobic nonwoven material is investigated, and Knudsen diffusion and surface diffusion are neglected. The effective moisture diffusivity predicted by the present fractal model are compared with water vapor transfer rate (WVTR) experiment data and calculated values obtained from other theoretical models. This verifies the validity of the present fractal diffusivity of fibrous structural beds.

  3. Microplastic contamination of river beds significantly reduced by catchment-wide flooding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hurley, Rachel; Woodward, Jamie; Rothwell, James J.

    2018-04-01

    Microplastic contamination of the oceans is one of the world's most pressing environmental concerns. The terrestrial component of the global microplastic budget is not well understood because sources, stores and fluxes are poorly quantified. We report catchment-wide patterns of microplastic contamination, classified by type, size and density, in channel bed sediments at 40 sites across urban, suburban and rural river catchments in northwest England. Microplastic contamination was pervasive on all river channel beds. We found multiple urban contamination hotspots with a maximum microplastic concentration of approximately 517,000 particles m-2. After a period of severe flooding in winter 2015/16, all sites were resampled. Microplastic concentrations had fallen at 28 sites and 18 saw a decrease of one order of magnitude. The flooding exported approximately 70% of the microplastic load stored on these river beds (equivalent to 0.85 ± 0.27 tonnes or 43 ± 14 billion particles) and eradicated microbead contamination at 7 sites. We conclude that microplastic contamination is efficiently flushed from river catchments during flooding.

  4. Methodology for calculating shear stress in a meandering channel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kyung-Seop Sin; Christopher I. Thornton; Amanda L. Cox; Steven R. Abt

    2012-01-01

    Natural channels never stop changing their geomorphic characteristics. Natural alluvial streams are similar to living creatures because they generate water flow, develop point bars, alter bed profile, scour the bed, erode the bank, and cause other phenomena in the stream system. The geomorphic changes in a natural system lead to a wide array of research worldwide,...

  5. Bedform morphology of salmon spawning areas in a large gravel-bed river

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hanrahan, Timothy P.

    2007-05-01

    While the importance of river channel morphology to salmon spawning habitat is increasingly recognized, quantitative measures of the relationships between channel morphology and habitat use are lacking. Such quantitative measures are necessary as management and regulatory agencies within the Pacific Northwestern region of the USA, and elsewhere, seek to quantify potential spawning habitat and develop recovery goals for declining salmon populations. The objective of this study was to determine if fall Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) spawning areas in the Snake River, Idaho, USA, were correlated with specific bed form types at the pool-riffle scale. A bed form differencing technique was used to objectively quantify the longitudinal riverbed profile into four distinct pool-riffle units that were independent of discharge. The vertical location of thalweg points within these units was quantified with a riffle proximity index. Chinook salmon spawning areas were mapped and correlated with the pool-riffle units through the use of cross-tabulation tables. The results indicate that 84% of fall Chinook salmon spawning areas were correlated with riffles (Chi-square=152.1, df=3, p<0.001), with 53% of those areas located on the upstream side of riffle crests. The majority of Snake River fall Chinook salmon spawning occurred at a vertical location within 80% of the nearest riffle crest elevation. The analyses of bed form morphology will assist regional fish mangers in quantifying existing and potential fall Chinook salmon spawning habitat, and will provide a quantitative framework for evaluating general ecological implications of channel morphology in large gravel-bed rivers.

  6. A numerical model for the solution of the Shallow Water equations in composite channels with movable bed

    Science.gov (United States)

    minatti, L.

    2013-12-01

    A finite volume model solving the shallow water equations coupled with the sediments continuity equation in composite channels with irregular geometry is presented. The model is essentially 1D but can handle composite cross-sections in which bedload transport is considered to occur inside the main channel only. This assumption is coherent with the observed behavior of rivers on short time scales where main channel areas exhibit more relevant morphological variations than overbanks. Furthermore, such a model allows a more precise prediction of thalweg elevation and cross section shape variations than fully 1D models where bedload transport is considered to occur uniformly over the entire cross section. The coupling of the equations describing water and sediments dynamics results in a hyperbolic non-conservative system that cannot be solved numerically with the use of a conservative scheme. Therefore, a path-conservative scheme, based on the approach proposed by Pares and Castro (2004) has been devised in order to account for the coupling with the sediments continuity equation and for the concurrent presence of bottom elevation and breadth variations of the cross section. In order to correctly compute numerical fluxes related to bedload transport in main channel areas, a special treatment of the equations is employed in the model. The resulting scheme is well balanced and fully coupled and can accurately model abrupt time variations of flow and bedload transport conditions in wide rivers, characterized by the presence of overbank areas that are less active than the main channel. The accuracy of the model has been first tested in fixed bed conditions by solving problems with a known analytical solution: in these tests the model proved to be able to handle shocks and supercritical flow conditions properly(see Fig. 01). A practical application of the model to the Ombrone river, southern Tuscany (Italy) is shown. The river has shown relevant morphological changes during

  7. Modelling debris flows down general channels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. P. Pudasaini

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper is an extension of the single-phase cohesionless dry granular avalanche model over curved and twisted channels proposed by Pudasaini and Hutter (2003. It is a generalisation of the Savage and Hutter (1989, 1991 equations based on simple channel topography to a two-phase fluid-solid mixture of debris material. Important terms emerging from the correct treatment of the kinematic and dynamic boundary condition, and the variable basal topography are systematically taken into account. For vanishing fluid contribution and torsion-free channel topography our new model equations exactly degenerate to the previous Savage-Hutter model equations while such a degeneration was not possible by the Iverson and Denlinger (2001 model, which, in fact, also aimed to extend the Savage and Hutter model. The model equations of this paper have been rigorously derived; they include the effects of the curvature and torsion of the topography, generally for arbitrarily curved and twisted channels of variable channel width. The equations are put into a standard conservative form of partial differential equations. From these one can easily infer the importance and influence of the pore-fluid-pressure distribution in debris flow dynamics. The solid-phase is modelled by applying a Coulomb dry friction law whereas the fluid phase is assumed to be an incompressible Newtonian fluid. Input parameters of the equations are the internal and bed friction angles of the solid particles, the viscosity and volume fraction of the fluid, the total mixture density and the pore pressure distribution of the fluid at the bed. Given the bed topography and initial geometry and the initial velocity profile of the debris mixture, the model equations are able to describe the dynamics of the depth profile and bed parallel depth-averaged velocity distribution from the initial position to the final deposit. A shock capturing, total variation diminishing numerical scheme is implemented to

  8. Quantifying the Effects of Near-Bed Concentration on the Sediment Flux after the Operation of the Three Gorges Dam, Yangtze River

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li He

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The regime of sediment transport in the Jingjiang Reach has significantly changed from quasi-equilibrium to sub-saturation since the impoundment of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD, and vertical profiles of suspended sediment concentration (SSC have changed accordingly. Vertical profiles of SSC data measured at three hydrological stations in the Jingjiang Reach (Zhicheng, Shaishi, and Jianli, before and after the impoundment of TGD, were collected and analyzed. Analytic results indicate a remarkably large concentration in the near-bed zone (within 10% of water depth from the river-bed in a sub-saturated channel. The maximum measured concentration was up to 15 times the vertical average concentration, while the ratio in quasi-equilibrium channel was less than four times that. Concentrations normalized with reference concentration at the same height, and may decrease with increasing values of suspension index (settling velocity over shear velocity. In addition, concentration near the water surface may be larger than concentration in the near-bed region when the suspension index is smaller than 0.01. Sediment flux transported in the near-bed zone may be up to 35% of the total sediment flux in unsaturated flows. The relationship between deviations of estimating sediment flux when ignoring the near-bed concentration and discharge in flood season and non-flood season are different in unsaturated and quasi-equilibrium channels. Analysis indicates that, in the quasi-equilibrium channel, more attention should be paid to near-bed concentration during non-flood season, the same as measurements during flood season with larger discharge.

  9. Evolution of a sediment wave in an experimental channel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas E. Lisle; James E. Pizzuto; Hiroshi Ikeda; Fujiko Iseya; Yoshinori Kodama

    1997-01-01

    Abstract - The routing of bed material through channels is poorly understood. We approach the problem by observing and modeling the fate of a low-amplitude sediment wave of poorly sorted sand that we introduced into an experimental channel transporting sediment identical to that of the introduced wave. The wave essentially dispersed upstream and downstream without...

  10. Roughness coefficients for stream channels in Arizona

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aldridge, B.N.; Garrett, J.M.

    1973-01-01

    When water flows in an open channel, energy is lost through friction along the banks and bed of the channel and through turbulence within the channel. The amount of energy lost is governed by channel roughness, which is expressed in terms of a roughness coefficient. An evaluation of the roughness coefficient is necessary in many hydraulic computations that involve flow in an open channel. Owing to the lack of satisfactory quantitative procedure, the ability of evaluate roughness coefficients can be developed only through experience; however, a basic knowledge of the methods used to assign the coefficients and the factors affecting them will be a great help. One of the most commonly used equations in open-channel hydraulics is that of Manning. The Manning equation is       1.486

  11. Feedbacks among Floods, Pioneer Woody Vegetation, and Channel Change in Sand-Bed Rivers: Insights from Field Studies of Controlled Flood Releases and Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilcox, A. C.; Shafroth, P. B.; Lightbody, A.; Stella, J. C.; Bywater-Reyes, S.; Kiu, L.; Skorko, K.

    2012-04-01

    To investigate feedbacks between flow, geomorphic processes, and pioneer riparian vegetation in sand-bed rivers, we are combining field, hydraulic modeling, and laboratory simulations. Field studies have examined the response of woody riparian seedlings and channel morphology to prescribed dam-released floods that have been designed in part to maintain a native riparian woodland system on the Bill Williams River, Arizona, USA. Through monitoring of floods over a 7-year period, we have observed temporal and spatial variations in channel response. Floods have produced geomorphic and vegetation responses that varied with distance downstream of a dam, with scour and associated seedling mortality closer to the dam and aggradation and burial-induced mortality in a downstream reach with greater sediment supply. We also have observed that as vegetation grows beyond the seedling stage, its stabilizing effect on bars and its drag effect on flow progressively increases, such that floods of similar sizes but at different times may produce markedly different downstream responses as a function of vegetation characteristics. We also observed greater mortality among nonnative Tamarix spp. (tamarisk) seedlings than among native Salix gooddingii (Goodding's willow) seedlings, likely as a result of the greater first-year growth of willow relative to tamarisk. Combining field observations with modeling predictions of local hydraulics for the flood events we have studied is being used to draw linkages between hydraulics, channel change, and plant response at the patch and bar scale. In addition, mechanistic linkages are being examined using a field-scale laboratory stream channel, where seedlings of Tamarix spp. (tamarisk) and Populus fremontii (cottonwood) were planted and subjected to floods with varying sediment feed rate and plant configurations. The floods conveyed by our model channel were generally insufficient to scour the woody seedlings we planted, but changes in bar size and

  12. Trophic shift in young-of-the-year Mugilidae during salt-marsh colonization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lebreton, B; Richard, P; Guillou, G; Blanchard, G F

    2013-04-01

    This study investigated the trophic shift of young-of-the-year (YOY) thinlip grey mullet Liza ramada and golden grey mullet Liza aurata during their recruitment in a salt marsh located on the European Atlantic Ocean coast. Stable-isotope signatures (δ(13) C and δ(15) N) of the fishes followed a pattern, having enrichments in (13) C and (15) N with increasing fork length (LF ): δ(13) C in fishes  30 mm δ(13) C ranged from -15.8 to -12.7‰, closer to the level in salt-marsh food resources. Large differences between the δ(15) N values of mugilids and those of food sources (6·0‰ on average) showed that YOY are secondary consumers, similar to older individuals, when feeding in the salt marsh. YOY mugilids shift from browsing on pelagic prey to grazing on benthic resources from the salt marsh before reaching 30 mm LF. The results highlight the role of European salt marshes as nurseries for juvenile mugilids. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Fish Biology © 2013 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

  13. Measurement of turbulent flow in a narrow open channel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarkar Sankar

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents the experimental results of turbulent flow over hydraulically smooth and rough beds. Experiments were conducted in a rectangular flume under the aspect ratio b/h = 2 (b = width of the channel 0.5 m, and h = flow depth 0.25 m for both the bed conditions. For the hydraulically rough bed, the roughness was created by using 3/8″ commercially available angular crushed stone chips; whereas sand of a median diameter d50 = 1.9 mm was used as the bed material for hydraulically smooth bed. The three-dimensional velocity components were captured by using a Vectrino (an acoustic Doppler velocimeter. The study focuses mainly on the turbulent characteristics within the dip that were observed towards the sidewall (corner of the channel where the maximum velocity occurs below the free-surface. It was also observed that the nondimensional Reynolds shear stress changes its sign from positive to negative within the dip. The quadrant plots for the turbulent bursting shows that the signs of all the bursting events change within the dip. Below the dip, the probability of the occurrence of sweeps and ejections are more than that of inward and outward interactions. On the other hand, within the dip, the probability of the occurrence of the outward and inward interactions is more than that of sweeps and ejections.

  14. The Topographic Design of River Channels for Form-Process Linkages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Rocko A; Pasternack, Gregory B; Lin, Tin

    2016-04-01

    Scientists and engineers design river topography for a wide variety of uses, such as experimentation, site remediation, dam mitigation, flood management, and river restoration. A recent advancement has been the notion of topographical design to yield specific fluvial mechanisms in conjunction with natural or environmental flow releases. For example, the flow convergence routing mechanism, whereby shear stress and spatially convergent flow migrate or jump from the topographic high (riffle) to the low point (pool) from low to high discharge, is thought to be a key process able to maintain undular relief in gravel bedded rivers. This paper develops an approach to creating riffle-pool topography with a form-process linkage to the flow convergence routing mechanism using an adjustable, quasi equilibrium synthetic channel model. The link from form to process is made through conceptualizing form-process relationships for riffle-pool couplets into geomorphic covariance structures (GCSs) that are then quantitatively embedded in a synthetic channel model. Herein, GCSs were used to parameterize a geometric model to create five straight, synthetic river channels with varying combinations of bed and width undulations. Shear stress and flow direction predictions from 2D hydrodynamic modeling were used to determine if scenarios recreated aspects of the flow convergence routing mechanism. Results show that the creation of riffle-pool couplets that experience flow convergence in straight channels requires GCSs with covarying bed and width undulations in their topography as supported in the literature. This shows that GCSs are a useful way to translate conceptualizations of form-process linkages into quantitative models of channel form.

  15. Physiological and Biochemical Responses of Saltmarsh Plant Spartina alterniflora to Long-term Wave Exposure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, W.

    2017-12-01

    In recent years, ecosystem-based flood defence, i.e., eco-shoreline or living shoreline, that is more sustainable and cost-effective than conventional coastal engineering structures has been brought into large-scale practice. Numerous laboratory experiments have been performed to explore the wave-attenuation effects of saltmarsh plants that are widely used in eco-shoreline, and yet no study has ever been conducted on the physiological and biochemical responses of saltmarsh plants to long-term wave exposure, presumably due to the constraint that traditional wave generator fails to provide long-term stable wave conditions necessary for physiological experiments. In this study, a long-term shallow water wave environment simulator using crank-yoke mechanism was built in the laboratory to address this gap. Experiments using the wave simulator were conducted for 8 weeks in a greenhouse and the temperature was maintained at 24-30°C. 5‰ artificial sea water was filled in the test tank, and the water was changed every week. After being acclimatized, nine S. alterniflora individual plants (initial height 30 cm) were planted in each of the three streamlined cuboid containers (12cm×12cm×20cm), which were partially submerged in a test tank, and undertook horizontal sinusoidal motion imposed by the crank-yoke mechanism to mimic plants exposed to shallow water waves. The substrate filled in the containers were soils collected from the Yellow River Delta, so were the S. alterniflora plants. A realistic stem density of 400 stems/m2 was tested, which corresponded to a grid spacing of 5.0 cm. Shallow water waves with six wave heights (H: 0.041, 0.055, 0.069, 0.033, 0.044 and 0.056m), one plants submerged depth (0.1m) and two wave periods (2s and 3s) were simulated in the experiments. A no wave condition was also tested as control. Key physiological and biochemical parameters, such as stem length, peroxidase activity, catalase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, etc

  16. Characteristics of flow past a slender, emergent cylinder in shallow open channels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heidari, Mehdi; Balachandar, Ram; Roussinova, Vesselina; Barron, Ronald M.

    2017-06-01

    The complex wake created by an emergent cylinder with a large aspect ratio in a shallow open channel flow is studied experimentally using particle image velocimetry. The unique characteristics of the bed-mounted slender cylinder wake are analysed. Velocity fields, turbulence parameters, and wake development in shallow open channel flow are studied at two different Reynolds numbers and subcritical Froude numbers by carrying out measurements in different horizontal and vertical planes. In the mid-depth plane, velocity and turbulence statistics are independent of Reynolds number, while higher turbulence intensities and Reynolds shear stresses were observed in the near-bed plane for the low Reynolds number case. The narrower wake is observed in the near-bed plane due to the effect of the bed. Combined with stronger vertical velocity and turbulence intensities noted near the bed in the vertical midplane, this suggests increased activity of the vortex structures in the low Reynolds number case. Under shallow conditions, stronger disturbances of the free surface are observed for the case of high Reynolds and Froude numbers. The study also revisits the definition of the wake stability parameter and proposes a new definition which incorporates not only the bed friction but also the drag experienced by the cylinder.

  17. Contraction rate, flow modification and bed layering impact on scour at the elliptical guide banks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gjunsburgs, B.; Jaudzems, G.; Bizane, M.; Bulankina, V.

    2017-10-01

    Flow contraction by the bridge crossing structures, intakes, embankments, piers, abutments and guide banks leads to general scour and the local scour in the vicinity of the structures. Local scour is depending on flow, river bed and structures parameters and correct understanding of the impact of each parameter can reduce failure possibility of the structures. The paper explores hydraulic contraction, the discharge redistribution between channel and floodplain during the flood, local flow modification and river bed layering on depth, width and volume of scour hole near the elliptical guide banks on low-land rivers. Experiments in a flume, our method for scour calculation and computer modelling results confirm a considerable impact of the contraction rate of the flow, the discharge redistribution between channel and floodplain, the local velocity, backwater and river bed layering on the depth, width, and volume of scour hole in steady and unsteady flow, under clear water condition. With increase of the contraction rate of the flow, the discharge redistribution between channel and floodplain, the local velocity, backwater values, the scour depth increases. At the same contraction rate, but at a different Fr number, the scour depth is different: with increase in the Fr number, the local velocity, backwater, scour depth, width, and volume is increasing. Acceptance of the geometrical contraction of the flow, approach velocity and top sand layer of the river bed for scour depth calculation as accepted now, may be the reason of the structures failure and human life losses.

  18. Channel-morphology data for the Tongue River and selected tributaries, southeastern Montana, 2001-02

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chase, Katherine J.

    2004-01-01

    Coal-bed methane exploration and production have begun within the Tongue River watershed in southeastern Montana. The development of coal-bed methane requires production of large volumes of ground water, some of which may be discharged to streams, potentially increasing stream discharge and sediment load. Changes in stream discharge or sediment load may result in changes to channel morphology through changes in erosion and vegetation. These changes might be subtle and difficult to detect without baseline data that indicate stream-channel conditions before extensive coal-bed methane development began. In order to provide this baseline channel-morphology data, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, collected channel-morphology data in 2001-02 to document baseline conditions for several reaches along the Tongue River and selected tributaries. This report presents channel-morphology data for five sites on the mainstem Tongue River and four sites on its tributaries. Bankfull, water-surface, and thalweg elevations, channel sections, and streambed-particle sizes were measured along reaches near streamflow-gaging stations. At each site, the channel was classified using methods described by Rosgen. For six sites, bankfull discharge was determined from the stage- discharge relation at the gage for the stage corresponding to the bankfull elevation. For three sites, the step-backwater computer model HEC-RAS was used to estimate bankfull discharge. Recurrence intervals for the bankfull discharge also were estimated for eight of the nine sites. Channel-morphology data for each site are presented in maps, tables, graphs, and photographs.

  19. A numerical study of the complex flow structure in a compound meandering channel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moncho-Esteve, Ignacio J.; García-Villalba, Manuel; Muto, Yasu; Shiono, Koji; Palau-Salvador, Guillermo

    2018-06-01

    In this study, we report large eddy simulations of turbulent flow in a periodic compound meandering channel for three different depth conditions: one in-bank and two overbank conditions. The flow configuration corresponds to the experiments of Shiono and Muto (1998). The predicted mean streamwise velocities, mean secondary motions, velocity fluctuations, turbulent kinetic energy as well as mean flood flow angle to meandering channel are in good agreement with the experimental measurements. We have analyzed the flow structure as a function of the inundation level, with particular emphasis on the development of the secondary motions due to the interaction between the main channel and the floodplain flow. Bed shear stresses have been also estimated in the simulations. Floodplain flow has a significant impact on the flow structure leading to significantly different bed shear stress patterns within the main meandering channel. The implications of these results for natural compound meandering channels are also discussed.

  20. Biofilm Effect on Flow Structure over a Permeable Bed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kazemifar, F.; Blois, G.; Aybar, M.; Perez-Calleja, P.; Nerenberg, R.; Sinha, S.; Hardy, R. J.; Best, J.; Sambrook Smith, G.; Christensen, K. T.

    2017-12-01

    Biofilms constitute an important form of bacterial life in aquatic environments and are present at the fluid-solid interfaces in natural and industrial settings, such as water distribution systems and riverbeds among others. The permeable, heterogeneous, and deformable structure of biofilms can influence mass and momentum transport between the subsurface and freestream. However, this interaction is not fully understood, in part due to technical obstacles impeding quantitative experimental investigations. In this work, the effect of biofilm on flow structure over a permeable bed is studied. Experiments are conducted in a closed water channel equipped with an idealized two-dimensional permeable bed. Prior to conducting flow experiments, the models are placed within an independent recirculating reactor for biofilm growth. Once a targeted biofilm growth stage is achieved, the models are transferred to the water channel and subjected to transitional and turbulent flows. Long-distance microscopic particle image velocimetry measurements are performed to quantify the effect of biofilm on the turbulence structure of the free flow as well as the freestream-subsurface flow interaction.

  1. User's Guide for Mixed-Size Sediment Transport Model for Networks of One-Dimensional Open Channels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bennett, James P.

    2001-01-01

    This user's guide describes a mathematical model for predicting the transport of mixed sizes of sediment by flow in networks of one-dimensional open channels. The simulation package is useful for general sediment routing problems, prediction of erosion and deposition following dam removal, and scour in channels at road embankment crossings or other artificial structures. The model treats input hydrographs as stepwise steady-state, and the flow computation algorithm automatically switches between sub- and supercritical flow as dictated by channel geometry and discharge. A variety of boundary conditions including weirs and rating curves may be applied both external and internal to the flow network. The model may be used to compute flow around islands and through multiple openings in embankments, but the network must be 'simple' in the sense that the flow directions in all channels can be specified before simulation commences. The location and shape of channel banks are user specified, and all bedelevation changes take place between these banks and above a user-specified bedrock elevation. Computation of sediment-transport emphasizes the sand-size range (0.0625-2.0 millimeter) but the user may select any desired range of particle diameters including silt and finer (user may set the original bed-sediment composition of any number of layers of known thickness. The model computes the time evolution of total transport and the size composition of bed- and suspended-load sand through any cross section of interest. It also tracks bed -surface elevation and size composition. The model is written in the FORTRAN programming language for implementation on personal computers using the WINDOWS operating system and, along with certain graphical output display capability, is accessed from a graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI provides a framework for selecting input files and parameters of a number of components of the sediment-transport process. There are no restrictions in the

  2. Suspended-sediment loads, reservoir sediment trap efficiency, and upstream and downstream channel stability for Kanopolis and Tuttle Creek Lakes, Kansas, 2008-10

    Science.gov (United States)

    Juracek, Kyle E.

    2011-01-01

    Continuous streamflow and turbidity data collected from October 1, 2008, to September 30, 2010, at streamgage sites upstream and downstream from Kanopolis and Tuttle Creek Lakes, Kansas, were used to compute the total suspended-sediment load delivered to and released from each reservoir as well as the sediment trap efficiency for each reservoir. Ongoing sedimentation is decreasing the ability of the reservoirs to serve several purposes including flood control, water supply, and recreation. River channel stability upstream and downstream from the reservoirs was assessed using historical streamgage information. For Kanopolis Lake, the total 2-year inflow suspended-sediment load was computed to be 600 million pounds. Most of the suspended-sediment load was delivered during short-term, high-discharge periods. The total 2-year outflow suspended-sediment load was computed to be 31 million pounds. Sediment trap efficiency for the reservoir was estimated to be 95 percent. The mean annual suspended-sediment yield from the upstream basin was estimated to be 129,000 pounds per square mile per year. No pronounced changes in channel width were evident at five streamgage sites located upstream from the reservoir. At the Ellsworth streamgage site, located upstream from the reservoir, long-term channel-bed aggradation was followed by a period of stability. Current (2010) conditions at five streamgages located upstream from the reservoir were typified by channel-bed stability. At the Langley streamgage site, located immediately downstream from the reservoir, the channel bed degraded 6.15 feet from 1948 to 2010. For Tuttle Creek Lake, the total 2-year inflow suspended-sediment load was computed to be 13.3 billion pounds. Most of the suspended-sediment load was delivered during short-term, high-discharge periods. The total 2-year outflow suspended-sediment load was computed to be 327 million pounds. Sediment trap efficiency for the reservoir was estimated to be 98 percent. The mean

  3. Dividing Streamline Formation Channel Confluences by Physical Modeling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Minarni Nur Trilita

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Confluence channels are often found in open channel network system and is the most important element. The incoming flow from the branch channel to the main cause various forms and cause vortex flow. Phenomenon can cause erosion of the side wall of the channel, the bed channel scour and sedimentation in the downstream confluence channel. To control these problems needed research into the current width of the branch channel. The incoming flow from the branch channel to the main channel flow bounded by a line distributors (dividing streamline. In this paper, the wide dividing streamline observed in the laboratory using a physical model of two open channels, a square that formed an angle of 30º. Observations were made with a variety of flow coming from each channel. The results obtained in the laboratory observation that the width of dividing streamline flow is influenced by the discharge ratio between the channel branch with the main channel. While the results of a comparison with previous studies showing that the observation in the laboratory is smaller than the results of previous research.

  4. Slope failure of chalk channel margins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gale, A.; Anderskouv, Kresten; Surlyk, Finn

    2015-01-01

    provide evidence for recurring margin collapse of a long-lived Campanian channel. Compressionally deformed and thrust chalk hardgrounds are correlated to thicker, non-cemented chalk beds that form a broad, gentle anticline. These chalks represent a slump complex with a roll-over anticline of expanded, non......-cemented chalk in the head region and a culmination of condensed hardgrounds in the toe region. Observations strongly suggest that the slumping represents collapse of a channel margin. Farther northwards, the contemporaneous succession shows evidence of small-scale penecontemporaneous normal faulting towards...

  5. Sediment transport-storage relations for degrading, gravel bed channels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas E. Lisle; Michael Church

    2002-01-01

    In a drainage network,sediment is transferred through a series of channel/valley segments (natural sediment storage reservoirs) that are distinguished from their neighbors by their particular capacity to store and transport sediment. We propose that the sediment transport capacity of each reservoir is a unique positive function of storage volume, which influences...

  6. A trophic cascade triggers collapse of a salt-marsh ecosystem with intensive recreational fishing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Altieri, Andrew H; Bertness, Mark D; Coverdale, Tyler C; Herrmann, Nicholas C; Angelini, Christine

    2012-06-01

    Overexploitation of predators has been linked to the collapse of a growing number of shallow-water marine ecosystems. However, salt-marsh ecosystems are often viewed and managed as systems controlled by physical processes, despite recent evidence for herbivore-driven die-off of marsh vegetation. Here we use field observations, experiments, and historical records at 14 sites to examine whether the recently reported die-off of northwestern Atlantic salt marshes is associated with the cascading effects of predator dynamics and intensive recreational fishing activity. We found that the localized depletion of top predators at sites accessible to recreational anglers has triggered the proliferation of herbivorous crabs, which in turn results in runaway consumption of marsh vegetation. This suggests that overfishing may be a general mechanism underlying the consumer-driven die-off of salt marshes spreading throughout the western Atlantic. Our findings support the emerging realization that consumers play a dominant role in regulating marine plant communities and can lead to ecosystem collapse when their impacts are amplified by human activities, including recreational fishing.

  7. A Gradually Varied Approach to Model Turbidity Currents in Submarine Channels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bolla Pittaluga, M.; Frascati, A.; Falivene, O.

    2018-01-01

    We develop a one-dimensional model to describe the dynamics of turbidity current flowing in submarine channels. We consider the flow as a steady state polydisperse suspension accounting for water detrainment from the clear water-turbid interface, for spatial variations of the channel width and for water and sediment lateral overspill from the channel levees. Moreover, we account for sediment exchange with the bed extending the model to deal with situations where the current meets a nonerodible bed. Results show that when water detrainment is accounted for, the flow thickness becomes approximately constant proceeding downstream. Similarly, in the presence of channel levees, the flow tends to adjust to channel relief through the lateral loss of water and sediment. As more mud is spilled above the levees relative to sand, the flow becomes more sand rich proceeding downstream when lateral overspill is present. Velocity and flow thickness predicted by the model are then validated by showing good agreement with laboratory observations. Finally, the model is applied to the Monterey Canyon bathymetric data matching satisfactorily the December 2002 event field measurements and predicting a runout length consistent with observations.

  8. Investigation of flood routing by a dynamic wave model in trapezoidal channels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sulistyono, B. A.; Wiryanto, L. H.

    2017-08-01

    The problems of flood wave propagation, in bodies of waters, cause by intense rains or breaking of control structures, represent a great challenge in the mathematical modeling processes. This research concerns about the development and application of a mathematical model based on the Saint Venant's equations, to study the behavior of the propagation of a flood wave in trapezoidal channels. In these equations, the momentum equation transforms to partial differential equation which has two parameters related to cross-sectional area and discharge of the channel. These new formulas have been solved by using an explicit finite difference scheme. In computation procedure, after computing the discharge from the momentum equation, the cross-sectional area will be obtained from the continuity equation for a given point of channel. To evaluate the behavior of the control variables, several scenarios for the main channel as well as for flood waves are considered and different simulations are performed. The simulations demonstrate that for the same bed width, the peak discharge in trapezoidal channel smaller than in rectangular one at a specific distance along the channel length and so, that roughness coefficient and bed slope of the channel play a strong game on the behavior of the flood wave propagation.

  9. Can coarse surface layers in gravel-bedded rivers be mobilized by finer gravel bedload?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Venditti, J. G.; Dietrich, W. E.; Nelson, P. A.; Wydzga, M. A.; Fadde, J.; Sklar, L.

    2005-12-01

    In response to reductions in sediment supply, gravel-bed rivers undergo a coarsening of the sediments that comprise the river's bed and, over some longer time scale, a river's grade may also be reduced as sediments are depleted from upstream reaches. Coarse, degraded river reaches are commonly observed downstream of dams across the Western United States. Following dam closure, these riverbeds become immobile under the altered flow and sediment supply regimes, leading to a reduction in the available salmon spawning and rearing habitat. Gravel augmentation to these streams is now common practice. This augmentation is typically seen as resurfacing the static coarse bed. As an alternative, we propose that the addition of appropriately finer gravels to these channels may be capable of mobilizing an otherwise immobile coarse surface layer, creating the potential to release fine material trapped beneath the surface. A series of laboratory experiments are being undertaken to test this hypothesis in a 30 m long and 0.86 m wide gravel-bedded flume channel using a constant discharge and a unimodal bed sediment with a median grain size of 8 mm and no sand present. The channel width-to-depth ratio of ~4 suppresses the development of lateral topography and allows us to focus on grain-to-grain interactions. Experiments proceed by maintaining a constant sediment feed until an equilibrium grade and transport rate are established, starving the flume of sediment for at least 24 hours, and then adding narrowly graded gravel over a period of one to two hours at a rate that is ~4x the bedload rate observed prior to terminating the sediment supply. The bed prior to sediment addition has an armor median grain size that is typically twice that of the subsurface and feed size distribution. The volume and median grain size of the resulting pulses are varied. Pulses move downstream rapidly with well-defined fronts in the form of bedload sheets and cause peaks in the sediment flux

  10. Radioactive influence of some phosphogypsum piles located at the SW Spain in their surrounding soils and salt-marshes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bolivar, J. P.; Mosqueda, F.; Vaca, F.; Garcia-Tenorio, R.; Martinez-Sanchez, M. J.; Perez-Sirvent, C.; Martinez-Lopez, S.

    2012-04-01

    In the SW of Spain, just in the confluence of the mouths of the Tinto and Odiel River and in the vicinity of Huelva town, there is a big industrial complex which includes between others an industry devoted during more than 40 years to the production of phosphoric acid, by treating sedimentary phosphate rock by the so-called "wet acid method". As a by-product of the mentioned process it have been produced historically huge amounts of a compound called phosphogypsum, which composition is mostly di-hydrate calcium sulphate containing some of the impurities of heavy metals and natural radionuclides originally present in the raw material. Due to the lack of market for this by-product, it has been mostly piled over some salt-marshes located in the vicinity of the industry, on the bank of the Tinto River. About 100 million tons of phosphogypsum have been piled in an area covering more than 1000 hectares, constituting a clear environmental and radiological anomaly in the zone. The phosphogypsum piles set do not conform obviously a close system. They are interacting with the nearby environment mostly by leaching waters releases from the waters accumulated in them either for its previous use in transporting in suspension the PG from the factory or by rainfall. These waters leaks contain in solution enhanced amounts of heavy metals and radionuclides that can provoke the chemical and radioactive contamination in surroundings soil and salt-marshes areas. In this communication the radioactive influence by the phosphogypsum piles in the surrounding terrestrial environment is evaluated. This contamination is mostly due to radionuclides belonging to the uranium series, which are present originally in the raw material treated in the industry, and afterwards in the generated phosphogypsum, in enhanced amounts in relation to typical soils. In addition, the different dynamics and behavior of different radionuclides will be discussed and analyzed. The gained information in this study

  11. Alluvial cover controlling the width, slope and sinuosity of bedrock channels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turowski, Jens Martin

    2018-02-01

    Bedrock channel slope and width are important parameters for setting bedload transport capacity and for stream-profile inversion to obtain tectonics information. Channel width and slope development are closely related to the problem of bedrock channel sinuosity. It is therefore likely that observations on bedrock channel meandering yields insights into the development of channel width and slope. Active meandering occurs when the bedrock channel walls are eroded, which also drives channel widening. Further, for a given drop in elevation, the more sinuous a channel is, the lower is its channel bed slope in comparison to a straight channel. It can thus be expected that studies of bedrock channel meandering give insights into width and slope adjustment and vice versa. The mechanisms by which bedrock channels actively meander have been debated since the beginning of modern geomorphic research in the 19th century, but a final consensus has not been reached. It has long been argued that whether a bedrock channel meanders actively or not is determined by the availability of sediment relative to transport capacity, a notion that has also been demonstrated in laboratory experiments. Here, this idea is taken up by postulating that the rate of change of both width and sinuosity over time is dependent on bed cover only. Based on the physics of erosion by bedload impacts, a scaling argument is developed to link bedrock channel width, slope and sinuosity to sediment supply, discharge and erodibility. This simple model built on sediment-flux-driven bedrock erosion concepts yields the observed scaling relationships of channel width and slope with discharge and erosion rate. Further, it explains why sinuosity evolves to a steady-state value and predicts the observed relations between sinuosity, erodibility and storm frequency, as has been observed for meandering bedrock rivers on Pacific Arc islands.

  12. Alluvial cover controlling the width, slope and sinuosity of bedrock channels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. M. Turowski

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Bedrock channel slope and width are important parameters for setting bedload transport capacity and for stream-profile inversion to obtain tectonics information. Channel width and slope development are closely related to the problem of bedrock channel sinuosity. It is therefore likely that observations on bedrock channel meandering yields insights into the development of channel width and slope. Active meandering occurs when the bedrock channel walls are eroded, which also drives channel widening. Further, for a given drop in elevation, the more sinuous a channel is, the lower is its channel bed slope in comparison to a straight channel. It can thus be expected that studies of bedrock channel meandering give insights into width and slope adjustment and vice versa. The mechanisms by which bedrock channels actively meander have been debated since the beginning of modern geomorphic research in the 19th century, but a final consensus has not been reached. It has long been argued that whether a bedrock channel meanders actively or not is determined by the availability of sediment relative to transport capacity, a notion that has also been demonstrated in laboratory experiments. Here, this idea is taken up by postulating that the rate of change of both width and sinuosity over time is dependent on bed cover only. Based on the physics of erosion by bedload impacts, a scaling argument is developed to link bedrock channel width, slope and sinuosity to sediment supply, discharge and erodibility. This simple model built on sediment-flux-driven bedrock erosion concepts yields the observed scaling relationships of channel width and slope with discharge and erosion rate. Further, it explains why sinuosity evolves to a steady-state value and predicts the observed relations between sinuosity, erodibility and storm frequency, as has been observed for meandering bedrock rivers on Pacific Arc islands.

  13. Greenland Subglacial Drainage Evolution Regulated by Weakly Connected Regions of the Bed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffman, Matthew J.; Andrews, Lauren C.; Price, Stephen F.; Catania, Ginny A.; Neumann, Thomas A.; Luthi, Martin P.; Gulley, Jason; Ryser, Claudia; Hawley, Robert L.; Morriss, Blaine

    2016-01-01

    Penetration of surface meltwater to the bed of the Greenland Ice Sheet each summer causes an initial increase in ice speed due to elevated basal water pressure, followed by slowdown in late summer that continues into fall and winter. While this seasonal pattern is commonly explained by an evolution of the subglacial drainage system from an inefficient distributed to efficient channelized configuration, mounting evidence indicates that subglacial channels are unable to explain important aspects of hydrodynamic coupling in late summer and fall. Here we use numerical models of subglacial drainage and ice flow to show that limited, gradual leakage of water and lowering of water pressure in weakly connected regions of the bed can explain the dominant features in late and post melt season ice dynamics. These results suggest that a third weakly connected drainage component should be included in the conceptual model of subglacial hydrology.

  14. Recent adjustments to the long profile of Cooksville Creek, an urbanized bedrock channel in Mississauga, Ontario

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tinkler, Keith J.; Parish, John

    Cooksville Creek (33 km2) is based in weak Georgian Bay Formation shale and thin limestone and has been gradually urbanized by the City of Mississauga within the last thirty years. These conditions, together with a mean thalweg gradient of about 0.77%, have produced enhanced rates of channel bed erosion along much of the channel (the order of 2 centimetres per year), as revealed by installed engineering works, such as armour stone blocks and gabion baskets. Erosion rates below drop structures are up to an order of magnitude faster. A year-long monitoring program revealed that weathering of the shale bed by wetting and drying cycles was primarily responsible for fragmenting the shale to a size (a few centimetres on the long axis) which could be removed by frequent and moderate high flows with a magnitude much less than the Mean Annual Flood. Channel bed quarrying of shale and limestone slabs, and the transport of larger clasts and meter dimension armour stones toppled from channel structures, require flood flows with a recurrence interval of about the Mean Annual Flood. Such flows are characterized by critical or supercritical flow conditions along the thalweg, and with velocities typically in the range 4 to 6 meters per second, they are well able to quarry the bed, and transport clasts up to metre dimension in size.

  15. The thermal denigration in fluid-bed to make uranyl product

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ma Zhenrong; Cui Yulin; Zhu Changbing; Fan Chuanyong; Liu Yanfeng

    2010-01-01

    Nuclear fuel reprocessing plant used the thermal denigration to high concentration of uranyl nitrate solution in fluid-bed to make uranyl product. First the uranyl nitrate solution were concentrated in evaporator, into 300 gU/L, 600 gU/L, 750 gU/L and 1000 gU/L.When the fluid-bed was in good fluidity state at 320 degree C, the solution was sprayed all over the surface of the fine crystal seeds through the dual-channel air-blast nozzles to make new crystal seed and to make them grow up. The denigration reaction occurred when the internal temperature of the fluid-bed was kept at about 300 degree C by the outside and inside heat apparatus. The product were transported crossing the valve and spiral transfer to pack. The tail gas was purified and discharged. Through the fluid-bed's running, the variation discipline of temperature and the pressure, the effect curve of the quality of product accumulated to pressure drop were determined. At the same time, the gentrification temperature, the distributed heat and the transfer mode were tested. (authors)

  16. Using multiple bed load measurements: Toward the identification of bed dilation and contraction in gravel-bed rivers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marquis, G. A.; Roy, A. G.

    2012-02-01

    This study examines bed load transport processes in a small gravel-bed river (Béard Creek, Québec) using three complementary methods: bed elevation changes between successive floods, bed activity surveys using tags inserted into the bed, and bed load transport rates from bed load traps. The analysis of 20 flood events capable of mobilizing bed material led to the identification of divergent results among the methods. In particular, bed elevation changes were not consistent with the bed activity surveys. In many cases, bed elevation changes were significant (1 to 2 times the D50) even if the bed surface had not been activated during the flood, leading to the identification of processes of bed dilation and contraction that occurred over 10% to 40% of the bed surface. These dynamics of the river bed prevent accurate derivation of bed load transport rates from topographic changes, especially for low magnitude floods. This paper discusses the mechanisms that could explain the dilation and contraction of particles within the bed and their implications in fluvial dynamics. Bed contraction seems to be the result of the winnowing of the fine sediments under very low gravel transport. Bed dilation seems to occur on patches of the bed at the threshold of motion where various processes such as fine sediment infiltration lead to the maintenance of a larger sediment framework volume. Both processes are also influenced by flood history and the initial local bed state and in turn may have a significant impact on sediment transport and morphological changes in gravel-bed rivers.

  17. Fluid flow and heat transfer investigation of pebble bed reactors using mesh adaptive large-eddy simulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pavlidis, D.; Lathouwers, D.

    2011-01-01

    A computational fluid dynamics model with anisotropic mesh adaptivity is used to investigate coolant flow and heat transfer in pebble bed reactors. A novel method for implicitly incorporating solid boundaries based on multi-fluid flow modelling is adopted. The resulting model is able to resolve and simulate flow and heat transfer in randomly packed beds, regardless of the actual geometry, starting off with arbitrarily coarse meshes. The model is initially evaluated using an orderly stacked square channel of channel-height-to-particle diameter ratio of unity for a range of Reynolds numbers. The model is then applied to the face-centred cubical geometry. Coolant flow and heat transfer patterns are investigated. (author)

  18. Classification and sedimentary characteristics of lacustrine hyperpycnal channels: Triassic outcrops in the south Ordos Basin, central China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xian, Benzhong; Wang, Junhui; Gong, Chenglin; Yin, Yu; Chao, Chuzhi; Liu, Jianping; Zhang, Guodong; Yan, Qi

    2018-06-01

    Subaquatic channels are known as active conduits for the delivery of terrigenous sediments into related marine and lacustrine basins, as well as important targets for hydrocarbon exploration. Compared to submarine channels, lacustrine subaqueous channels created by hyperpycnal flows are understudied. Using well-exposed outcrops collected from three different locations in the southern Ordos Basin, central China, morphologies and architecture of a channelized hyperpycnal system were studied and classified. Six facies associations represent sedimentary processes from strong erosion by bedload dominated hyperpycnal flows, to transitional deposition jointly controlled by bedload and suspended-load dominated hyperpycnal flows, finally to deposition from suspended-load dominated hyperpycnal flows. On the basis of channel morphologies, infilling sediments and sedimentary processes, the documented channels can be classified into four main categories, which are erosional, bedload dominated, suspended-load dominated, and depositional channels. In very proximal and very distal locations, erosional channels and depositional channels serve as two end-members, while in middle areas, bedload-dominated channels and suspended-load dominated channels are transitional types. Erosional channels, as a response to strong erosion from bedload dominated hyperpycnal flows on upper slope, were mainly filled by mud interbedded with thin sand beds. As flow energy decreases, bedload dominated channels develop on middle slopes, which are characterized mainly by under- to balanced sediment infillings with cross-bedded sandstones and/or minor massive sandstones. Compared to bedload dominated channels, suspended-load dominated channels mainly develop in deeper water, and were filled mainly by massive or planar-laminated sandstones. Depositional channels, as a response to suspended-load dominated hyperpycnal flows in deep-water areas, are characterized by thin-medium bed classical turbidites with

  19. A self-regulating model of bedrock river channel geometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stark, C. P.

    2006-02-01

    The evolution of many mountain landscapes is controlled by the incision of bedrock river channels. While the rate of incision is set by channel shape through its mediation of flow, the channel shape is itself set by the history of bedrock erosion. This feedback between channel geometry and incision determines the speed of landscape response to tectonic or climatic forcing. Here, a model for the dynamics of bedrock channel shape is derived from geometric arguments, a normal flow approximation for channel flow, and a threshold bed shear stress assumption for bedrock abrasion. The model dynamics describe the competing effects of channel widening, tilting, bending, and variable flow depth. Transient solutions suggest that channels may take ~1-10 ky to adapt to changes in discharge, implying that channel disequilibrium is commonplace. If so, landscape evolution models will need to include bedrock channel dynamics if they are to probe the effects of climate change.

  20. Using a modified Lane’s relation in local bed scouring studies in aluvial bed

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marta Kiraga

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Numerous approaches to the local scour studies have been developed. The research aim was to verify modified Lane’s relation in scope of local scouring phenomenon basing on laboratory studies results. Original Lane’s relation [1955] is applicable in dynamic balance conditions in alluvial rivers context. Original form is not an equation, but a qualitative expression which cannot be directly used to estimate the influence of a change in one parameter on the magnitude of others. Modified version allows transforming it into equation for dynamic equilibrium conditions in steady flow assumption and gives a new opportunity to this principle application. Two physical models of laboratory channel with rectangular cross-sections and glass panels have been constructed, with totally or partially sandy bottom. Model I assumed non-continual sediment transport, because of model construction, i.e. the solid bottom transforms into sandy bottom in the intake part. Model II assumed water structure (the weir with four slots introducing into laboratory channel with solid bottom in its region, whereas the rest of channel was filled with sand above and below structure, i.e. continuity of sediment transport was assured. Results of research confirmed modified Lane’s relation usability in scope of local scouring phenomenon description in dynamic equilibrium conditions of alluvial sandy bed.

  1. Three-dimensional flow structure and patterns of bed shear stress in an evolving compound meander bend

    Science.gov (United States)

    Engel, Frank; Rhoads, Bruce L.

    2016-01-01

    Compound meander bends with multiple lobes of maximum curvature are common in actively evolving lowland rivers. Interaction among spatial patterns of mean flow, turbulence, bed morphology, bank failures and channel migration in compound bends is poorly understood. In this paper, acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) measurements of the three-dimensional (3D) flow velocities in a compound bend are examined to evaluate the influence of channel curvature and hydrologic variability on the structure of flow within the bend. Flow structure at various flow stages is related to changes in bed morphology over the study timeframe. Increases in local curvature within the upstream lobe of the bend reduce outer bank velocities at morphologically significant flows, creating a region that protects the bank from high momentum flow and high bed shear stresses. The dimensionless radius of curvature in the upstream lobe is one-third less than that of the downstream lobe, with average bank erosion rates less than half of the erosion rates for the downstream lobe. Higher bank erosion rates within the downstream lobe correspond to the shift in a core of high velocity and bed shear stresses toward the outer bank as flow moves through the two lobes. These erosion patterns provide a mechanism for continued migration of the downstream lobe in the near future. Bed material size distributions within the bend correspond to spatial patterns of bed shear stress magnitudes, indicating that bed material sorting within the bend is governed by bed shear stress. Results suggest that patterns of flow, sediment entrainment, and planform evolution in compound meander bends are more complex than in simple meander bends. Moreover, interactions among local influences on the flow, such as woody debris, local topographic steering, and locally high curvature, tend to cause compound bends to evolve toward increasing planform complexity over time rather than stable configurations.

  2. Bed net ownership in Kenya: the impact of 3.4 million free bed nets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vulule John

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In July and September 2006, 3.4 million long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets (LLINs were distributed free in a campaign targeting children 0-59 months old (CU5s in the 46 districts with malaria in Kenya. A survey was conducted one month after the distribution to evaluate who received campaign LLINs, who owned insecticide-treated bed nets and other bed nets received through other channels, and how these nets were being used. The feasibility of a distribution strategy aimed at a high-risk target group to meet bed net ownership and usage targets is evaluated. Methods A stratified, two-stage cluster survey sampled districts and enumeration areas with probability proportional to size. Handheld computers (PDAs with attached global positioning systems (GPS were used to develop the sampling frame, guide interviewers back to chosen households, and collect survey data. Results In targeted areas, 67.5% (95% CI: 64.6, 70.3% of all households with CU5s received campaign LLINs. Including previously owned nets, 74.4% (95% CI: 71.8, 77.0% of all households with CU5s had an ITN. Over half of CU5s (51.7%, 95% CI: 48.8, 54.7% slept under an ITN during the previous evening. Nearly forty percent (39.1% of all households received a campaign net, elevating overall household ownership of ITNs to 50.7% (95% CI: 48.4, 52.9%. Conclusions The campaign was successful in reaching the target population, families with CU5s, the risk group most vulnerable to malaria. Targeted distribution strategies will help Kenya approach indicator targets, but will need to be combined with other strategies to achieve desired population coverage levels.

  3. Operation of Packed-Bed Reactors Studied in Microgravity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Motil, Brian J.; Balakotaiah, Vemuri

    2004-01-01

    The operation of a packed bed reactor (PBR) involves gas and liquid flowing simultaneously through a fixed-bed of solid particles. Depending on the application, the particles can be various shapes and sizes but are generally designed to force the two fluid phases through a tortuous route of narrow channels connecting the interstitial space. The PBR is the most common type of reactor in industry because it provides for intimate contact and high rates of transport between the phases needed to sustain chemical or biological reactions. The packing may also serve as either a catalyst or as a support for growing biological material. Furthermore, this type of reactor is relatively compact and requires minimal power to operate. This makes it an excellent candidate for unit operations in support of long-duration human space activities.

  4. Lithologic and hydrologic controls of mixed alluvial-bedrock channels in flood-prone fluvial systems: bankfull and macrochannels in the Llano River watershed, central Texas, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heitmuller, Frank T.; Hudson, Paul F.; Asquith, William H.

    2015-01-01

    The rural and unregulated Llano River watershed located in central Texas, USA, has a highly variable flow regime and a wide range of instantaneous peak flows. Abrupt transitions in surface lithology exist along the main-stem channel course. Both of these characteristics afford an opportunity to examine hydrologic, lithologic, and sedimentary controls on downstream changes in channel morphology. Field surveys of channel topography and boundary composition are coupled with sediment analyses, hydraulic computations, flood-frequency analyses, and geographic information system mapping to discern controls on channel geometry (profile, pattern, and shape) and dimensions along the mixed alluvial-bedrock Llano River and key tributaries. Four categories of channel classification in a downstream direction include: (i) uppermost ephemeral reaches, (ii) straight or sinuous gravel-bed channels in Cretaceous carbonate sedimentary zones, (iii) straight or sinuous gravel-bed or bedrock channels in Paleozoic sedimentary zones, and (iv) straight, braided, or multithread mixed alluvial–bedrock channels with sandy beds in Precambrian igneous and metamorphic zones. Principal findings include: (i) a nearly linear channel profile attributed to resistant bedrock incision checkpoints; (ii) statistically significant correlations of both alluvial sinuosity and valley confinement to relatively high f (mean depth) hydraulic geometry values; (iii) relatively high b (width) hydraulic geometry values in partly confined settings with sinuous channels upstream from a prominent incision checkpoint; (iv) different functional flow categories including frequently occurring events (< 1.5-year return periods) that mobilize channel-bed material and less frequent events that determine bankfull channel (1.5- to 3-year return periods) and macrochannel (10- to 40-year return periods) dimensions; (v) macrochannels with high f values (most ≤ 0.45) that develop at sites with unit stream power values in excess

  5. Predicting the distribution of bed material accumulation using river network sediment budgets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilkinson, Scott N.; Prosser, Ian P.; Hughes, Andrew O.

    2006-10-01

    Assessing the spatial distribution of bed material accumulation in river networks is important for determining the impacts of erosion on downstream channel form and habitat and for planning erosion and sediment management. A model that constructs spatially distributed budgets of bed material sediment is developed to predict the locations of accumulation following land use change. For each link in the river network, GIS algorithms are used to predict bed material supply from gullies, river banks, and upstream tributaries and to compare total supply with transport capacity. The model is tested in the 29,000 km2 Murrumbidgee River catchment in southeast Australia. It correctly predicts the presence or absence of accumulation in 71% of river links, which is significantly better performance than previous models, which do not account for spatial variability in sediment supply and transport capacity. Representing transient sediment storage is important for predicting smaller accumulations. Bed material accumulation is predicted in 25% of the river network, indicating its importance as an environmental problem in Australia.

  6. Short-term effects of salinity reduction and drainage on salt-marsh biogeochemical cycling and Spartina (Cordgrass) production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Portnoy, J.W.; Valiela, I.

    1997-01-01

    To assess the biogeochemical effects of tidal restrictions on salt-marsh sulfur cycling and plant growth, cores of short-form Spartina alterniflora peat were desalinated and kept either waterlogged or drained in greenhouse microcosms. Changes in net Spartina production, and porewater and solid phase chemistry of treated cores were compared to natural conditions in the field collection site over a 21-mo period. Net production among treatments increased significantly in drained and waterlogged peat compared to field conditions during the first growing season. Constantly high sulfide in waterlogged cores accompanied reduced plant growth. Aeration invigorated growth in drained cores but led to oxidization of sulfide minerals and to lowered pH. During the second growing season, growth declined in the drained treatment, probably because of acidification and decreased dissolved inorganic nitrogen. Results are pertinent to the success of current wetland protection and restoration activities in the coastal zone.

  7. Source apportionment of Pb pollution in saltmarsh sediments from southwest England

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iurian, Andra-Rada; Millward, Geoffrey; Taylor, Alex; Marshall, William; Rodríguez, Javier; Gil Ibarguchi, José Ignacio; Blake, William H.

    2017-04-01

    The local availability of metal resources played a crucial role in Britain's development during the industrial revolution, but centuries of mining within Cornwall and Devon (UK) have left a legacy of contamination in river basin and estuary sediments. Improved knowledge of historical heavy metal sources, emissions and pathways will result in a better understanding of the contemporary pollution conditions and a better protection of the environment from legacy contaminants. Our study aims to trace historical sources of Pb pollution in the area of east Cornwall and west Devon, UK, using a multi proxy approach for contaminants stored in saltmarsh sediment columns from 3 systems characterized by different contamination patterns. Source apportionment investigations included the determination of Pb concentration and Pb isotopic composition (204Pb, 206Pb, 207Pb, and 208Pb) for selected down-core sediment samples, and for local ore and parent rock materials. General trends in pollutant loading (e.g. Pb) could be identified, with maximum inputs occurring in the middle of the 19th century and decreasing towards the present day, while an increase in the catchment disturbance was apparent for the last decades. The isotopic ratios of Pb further indicate that sediments with higher Pb content have a less radiogenic signature, these particular inputs being derived from Pb mining and smelting sources in the catchment area. Acknowledgements: Andra-Rada Iurian acknowledges the support of a Marie Curie Fellowship (H2020-MSCA-IF-2014, Grant Agreement number: 658863) within the Horizon 2020.

  8. Experimentally determined distribution of granular-flow characteristics in collisional bed load transport

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matoušek Václav

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available A series of laboratory experiments on turbulent open-channel two-phase flow in a form of intense bed load transport is reported. Measurements in a laboratory tilting flume included camera based imaging techniques to identify the structure of the flow at the local level. Obtained experimental distributions of two-phase flow related parameters - granular velocity, concentration, and temperature - across a collisional transport layer are discussed. The results are analysed together with additional measured quantities (discharges of mixture and grains, flow depth, bed slope etc. Our major goal is to evaluate the distribution of granular stresses across the transport layer with a special attention paid to the interface between the transport layer and the bed. Furthermore, comparisons are discussed between the experimental results and predictions produced by suitable kinetic-theory based models.

  9. Method and apparatus for adding and mixing second cohesive powders in a fluidized bed blender

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Larson, R.I.; Brassfield, H.C.; Adomitis, J.T.

    1981-01-01

    Injection and uniform dispersion of a second cohesive powdered ingredient or ingredients having hydrophobic, hydrophilic or hydroscopic properties into a fluidized bed of UO 2 powder is effected by impinging the second ingredient against a deflection plate 21 mounted within the fluidized bed. The apparatus also includes an eductor, a pressurised vortex mill 11 and a pneumatic conveying system. Before entering the fluidized bed, the second ingredient is entrained in a gas and conveyed under pressure to the vortex mill 11 where the particles of the second ingredient are propelled radially outwardly through channels 28 and collide against tungsten carbide impact, blocks 32 causing comminution of the particles. (author)

  10. Overview and evolution of the LeRC PMAD DC test bed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soeder, James F.; Frye, Robert J.

    1992-01-01

    Since the beginning of the Space Station Freedom Program (SSFP), the Lewis Research Center (LeRC) has been developed electrical power system test beds to support the overall design effort. Through this time, the SSFP has changed the design baseline numerous times, however, the test bed effort has endeavored to track these changes. Beginning in August 1989 with the baseline and an all DC system, a test bed was developed to support the design baseline. The LeRC power measurement and distribution (PMAD) DC test bed and the changes in the restructure are described. The changes included the size reduction of primary power channel and various power processing elements. A substantial reduction was also made in the amount of flight software with the subsequent migration of these functions to ground control centers. The impact of these changes on the design of the power hardware, the controller algorithms, the control software, and a description of their current status is presented. An overview of the testing using the test bed is described, which includes investigation of stability and source impedance, primary and secondary fault protection, and performance of a rotary utility transfer device. Finally, information is presented on the evolution of the test bed to support the verification and operational phases of the SSFP in light of these restructure scrubs.

  11. Drainage basins, channels, and flow characteristics of selected streams in central Pennsylvania

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brush, Lucien M.

    1961-01-01

    The hydraulic, basin, and geologic characteristics of 16 selected streams in central Pennsylvania were measured for the purpose of studying the relations among these general characteristics and their process of development. The basic parameters which were measured include bankfull width and depth, channel slope, bed material size and shape, length of stream from drainage divide, and size of drainage area. The kinds of bedrock over which the streams flow were noted. In these streams the bankfull channel is filled by flows approximating the 2.3-year flood. By measuring the breadth and mean depth of the channel, it was possible to compute the bankfull mean velocity for each of the 119 sampling stations. These data were then used to compute the downstream changes in hydraulic geometry of the streams studied. This method has been called an indirect computation of the hydraulic geometry. The results obtained by the indirect method are similar to those of the direct method of other workers. The basins were studied by examining the relations of drainage area, discharge, and length of stream from drainage divide. For the streams investigated, excellent correlations were found to exist between drainage area and the 2.3-year flood, as well as between length of stream from the basin divide and drainage area. From these correlations it is possible to predict the discharge for the 2.3-year flood at any arbitrary point along the length of the stream. The long, intermediate, and short axes of pebbles sampled from the bed of the stream were recorded to study both size and sphericity changes along individual streams and among the streams studied. No systematic downstream changes in sphericity were found. Particle size changes are erratic and show no consistent relation to channel slope. Particle size decreases downstream in many streams but remains constant or increases in others. Addition of material by tributaries is one factor affecting particle size and another is the parent

  12. 3D numerical model of the spherical particle saltation in a channel with a rough fixed bed

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Lukerchenko, Nikolay; Piatsevich, Siarhei; Chára, Zdeněk; Vlasák, Pavel

    2009-01-01

    Roč. 57, č. 2 (2009), s. 100-112 ISSN 0042-790X R&D Projects: GA ČR GA103/06/1487 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20600510 Keywords : 3D Saltation Model * Bed-Load Transport * Particle-Bed Collision * Particle Rotation * Particle Lateral Dispersion Subject RIV: BK - Fluid Dynamics Impact factor: 1.000, year: 2009

  13. Assessment of long-term channel changes in the Mekong River using remote sensing and a channel-evolution model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miyazawa, N.

    2011-12-01

    River-channel changes are a key factor affecting physical, ecological and management issues in the fluvial environment. In this study, long-term channel changes in the Mekong River were assessed using remote sensing and a channel-evolution model. A channel-evolution model for calculating long-term channel changes of a measndering river was developed using a previous fluid-dynamic model [Zolezzi and Seminara, 2001], and was applied in order to quantify channel changes of two meandering reaches in the Mekong River. Quite few attempts have been made so far to combine remote sensing observation of meandering planform change with the application of channel evolution models within relatively small-scale gravel-bed systems in humid temperate regions. The novel point of the present work is to link state-of-art meandering planform evolution model with observed morphological changes within large-scale sand-bed rivers with higher bank height in tropical monsoonal climate regions, which are the highly dynamic system, and assess the performance. Unstable extents of the reaches could be historically identified using remote-sensing technique. The instability caused i) bank erosion and accretion of meander bends and ii) movement or development of bars and changes in the flow around the bars. The remote sensing measurements indicate that maximum erosion occurred downstream of the maximum curvature of the river-center line in both reaches. The model simulations indicates that under the mean annual peak discharge the maximum of excess longitudinal velocity near the banks occurs downstream of the maximum curvature in both reaches. The channel migration coefficients of the reaches were calibrated by comparing remote-sensing measurements and model simulations. The diffrence in the migration coefficients between both reaches depends on the diffrence in bank height rather than the geotechnical properties of floodplain sediments. Possible eroded floodplain areas and accreted floodplain

  14. Influence of turbulent horseshoe vortex and associated bed shear stress on sediment transport in front of a cylinder

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Jinzhao; Qi, Meilan; Fuhrman, David R.

    2018-01-01

    -normal distribution for uniform channel-open flows. The comparisons of sediment transport rates where turbulent fluctuations in the bed shear stress are, or are not, taken into account show that the sediment transport rates calculated by the mean bed shear stress are under-predicted. Furthermore, a new sediment......This study concerns the flow and associated sediment transport in front of a cylinder in steady currents. The study comprises (i) flow characteristics induced by the turbulent horseshoe vortex (THV), (ii) bed shear stress within the THV region, and (iii) predicted sediment transport rates...

  15. Evolution of Fine-Grained Channel Margin Deposits behind Large Woody Debris in an Experimental Gravel-Bed Flume

    Science.gov (United States)

    ONeill, B.; Marks, S.; Skalak, K.; Puleo, J. A.; Wilcock, P. R.; Pizzuto, J. E.

    2014-12-01

    Fine grained channel margin (FGCM) deposits of the South River, Virginia sequester a substantial volume of fine-grained sediment behind large woody debris (LWD). FGCM deposits were created in a laboratory setting meant to simulate the South River environment using a recirculating flume (15m long by 0.6m wide) with a fixed gravel bed and adjustable slope (set to 0.0067) to determine how fine sediment is transported and deposited behind LWD. Two model LWD structures were placed 3.7 m apart on opposite sides of the flume. A wire mesh screen with attached wooden dowels simulated LWD with an upstream facing rootwad. Six experiments with three different discharge rates, each with low and high sediment concentrations, were run. Suspended sediment was very fine grained (median grain size of 3 phi) and well sorted (0.45 phi) sand. Upstream of the wood, water depths averaged about 0.08m, velocities averaged about 0.3 m/s, and Froude numbers averaged around 0.3. Downstream of the first LWD structure, velocities were reduced tenfold. Small amounts of sediment passed through the rootwad and fell out of suspension in the area of reduced flow behind LWD, but most of the sediment was carried around the LWD by the main flow and then behind the LWD by a recirculating eddy current. Upstream migrating dunes formed behind LWD due to recirculating flow, similar to reattachment bars documented in bedrock canyon rivers partially obstructed by debouching debris fans. These upstream migrating dunes began at the reattachment point and merged with deposits formed from sediment transported through the rootwad. Downstream migrating dunes formed along the channel margin behind the LWD, downstream of the reattachment point. FGCM deposits were about 3 m long, with average widths of about 0.8 m. Greater sediment concentration created thicker FGCM deposits, and higher flows eroded the sides of the deposits, reducing their widths.

  16. Tracing the contribution of debris flow-dominated channels to gravel-bed torrential river channel: implementing pit-tags in the upper Guil River (French Alps)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arnaud-Fassetta, Gilles; Lissak, Candide; Fort, Monique; Bétard, François; Carlier, Benoit; Cossart, Etienne; Madelin, Malika; Viel, Vincent; Charnay, Bérengère; Bletterie, Xavier

    2014-05-01

    Morel (20 pit-tags), Bouchouse (40 pit-tags), Peyronnelle (100 pit-tags). All pit-tags were installed high upstream enough in each catchment to avoid their loss and/or burying, and permit their monitoring over several years. The grain size (D50 = 30-220 cm) of the selected blocks reflects the average size of the bed load. Smaller blocks were discarded to avoid losing their track from the first event. The blocks were positioned according to two logics: (i) Longitudinally, we implemented every 20-30 m a series of nested blocks into the channel; (ii) Transversally, we selected blocks placed in low and high position to quantify the transport dynamics during events of low (torrential) and high (debris flow) magnitude. The sites were mapped at high resolution, and blocks were spotted thanks to fluorescent painting, GPS surveys and detailed photographs. We emplaced the pit-tags in September 2013, before expected avalanches and debris flows during winter and spring 2014. Pit-tags detection, Lidar and photogrammetric surveys are planned for early summer 2014, during which we expect quantifying movement, distance and sorting of blocks along the thalwegs during "ordinary" snowmelt runoff. We intend to continue this monitoring long enough to put observed current and future dynamics in relation to short-term climatic changes.

  17. A method for estimating spatially variable seepage and hydrualic conductivity in channels with very mild slopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shanafield, Margaret; Niswonger, Richard G.; Prudic, David E.; Pohll, Greg; Susfalk, Richard; Panday, Sorab

    2014-01-01

    Infiltration along ephemeral channels plays an important role in groundwater recharge in arid regions. A model is presented for estimating spatial variability of seepage due to streambed heterogeneity along channels based on measurements of streamflow-front velocities in initially dry channels. The diffusion-wave approximation to the Saint-Venant equations, coupled with Philip's equation for infiltration, is connected to the groundwater model MODFLOW and is calibrated by adjusting the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the channel bed. The model is applied to portions of two large water delivery canals, which serve as proxies for natural ephemeral streams. Estimated seepage rates compare well with previously published values. Possible sources of error stem from uncertainty in Manning's roughness coefficients, soil hydraulic properties and channel geometry. Model performance would be most improved through more frequent longitudinal estimates of channel geometry and thalweg elevation, and with measurements of stream stage over time to constrain wave timing and shape. This model is a potentially valuable tool for estimating spatial variability in longitudinal seepage along intermittent and ephemeral channels over a wide range of bed slopes and the influence of seepage rates on groundwater levels.

  18. EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON SEDIMENT DISTRIBUTION AT CHANNEL BIFURCATION

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    G.M. Tarekul ISLAM; M.R. KABIR; Ainun NISHAT

    2002-01-01

    This paper presents the experimental results on the distribution of sediments at channel bifurcation.The experiments have been conducted in a physical model of channel bifurcation. It consists of a straight main channel which bifurcates into two branch channels of different widths. The test rig is a mobile bed with fixed bank. Four different noses have been used to study the phenomenon. For each nose, three upstream discharges viz. 20 l/s, 30 l/s and 40 l/s have been employed. From the measured data, discharges and sediment transport ratios per unit width are calculated in the downstream branches.These data have been set to the general nodal point relation and a set of equations has been developed to describe the distribution of sediments to the downstream branches for different nose angles.

  19. Development and Evaluation of a Wide-Bed Former for Vegetable Cultivation in Controlled Tractor Traffic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dixit, Anoop; Khurana, Rohinish; Verma, Aseem; Singh, Arshdeep; Manes, G. S.

    2018-05-01

    India is the second largest producer of vegetables in the world. For vegetable cultivation, a good seed bed preparation is an important task which involves 6-10 different operations. To tackle the issue of multiple operations, a prototype of tractor operated wide bed former was developed and evaluated. The machine comprises of a rotary tiller and a bed forming setup. It forms bed of 1000 mm top width which is suitable as per the track width of an average sized tractor in India. The height of the beds formed is 130 mm whereas the top and bottom width of channel formed on both sides of the bed is 330 and 40 mm respectively at soil moisture content of 12.5-16% (db). The forward speed of 2.75 km/h was observed to be suitable for proper bed formation. The average fuel consumption of the machine was 5.9 l/h. The average bulk density of soil before and after the bed formation was 1.46 and 1.63 g/cc respectively. Field capacity of the machine was found to be 0.31 ha/h. The machine resulted in 93.8% labour saving and 80.4% saving in cost of bed preparation as compared to conventional farmer practice. Overall performance of wide-bed former was found to be satisfactory.

  20. Fluid flow and heat transfer investigation of pebble bed reactors using mesh-adaptive LES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pavlidis, Dimitrios; Lathouwers, Danny

    2013-01-01

    The very high temperature reactor is one of the designs currently being considered for nuclear power generation. One its variants is the pebble bed reactor in which the coolant passes through complex geometries (pores) at high Reynolds numbers. A computational fluid dynamics model with anisotropic mesh adaptivity is used to investigate coolant flow and heat transfer in such reactors. A novel method for implicitly incorporating solid boundaries based on multi-fluid flow modelling is adopted. The resulting model is able to resolve and simulate flow and heat transfer in randomly packed beds, regardless of the actual geometry, starting off with arbitrarily coarse meshes. The model is initially evaluated using an orderly stacked square channel of channel-height-to-particle diameter ratio of unity for a range of Reynolds numbers. The model is then applied to the face-centred cubical geometry. coolant flow and heat transfer patterns are investigated

  1. IN SEARCH OF IDEAL FORM- RATIO OF TRIANGULAR CHANNEL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. C. DAS

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available In Search of Ideal Form-Ratio of Triangular Channel. Cross-sectional form of a natural channel is a two dimensional variable which is thoroughly studied by scholars from different fields on natural sciences like hydrology, geology, geomorphology, etc. Average river channels tend to develop their channel-cross sectional form in a way to produce an approximate equilibrium between the channel and the water and sediment it transport. But how far it is deviated from the ideal cross-sectional form can only be determined by knowing the ideal form which was calculated by Hickin for rectangular channel. This ideal cross-sectional form of ‘maximum efficiency’ is virtually a theoretical one and attaining of which the river transports its water and load with least friction with its bed. ‘Ideal form ratio’ provides numerical tools for triangular channel to determine the degree of deviation of a cross-sectional form from that of an ideal one.

  2. Comparing particle-size distributions in modern and ancient sand-bed rivers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hajek, E. A.; Lynds, R. M.; Huzurbazar, S. V.

    2011-12-01

    Particle-size distributions yield valuable insight into processes controlling sediment supply, transport, and deposition in sedimentary systems. This is especially true in ancient deposits, where effects of changing boundary conditions and autogenic processes may be detected from deposited sediment. In order to improve interpretations in ancient deposits and constrain uncertainty associated with new methods for paleomorphodynamic reconstructions in ancient fluvial systems, we compare particle-size distributions in three active sand-bed rivers in central Nebraska (USA) to grain-size distributions from ancient sandy fluvial deposits. Within the modern rivers studied, particle-size distributions of active-layer, suspended-load, and slackwater deposits show consistent relationships despite some morphological and sediment-supply differences between the rivers. In particular, there is substantial and consistent overlap between bed-material and suspended-load distributions, and the coarsest material found in slackwater deposits is comparable to the coarse fraction of suspended-sediment samples. Proxy bed-load and slackwater-deposit samples from the Kayenta Formation (Lower Jurassic, Utah/Colorado, USA) show overlap similar to that seen in the modern rivers, suggesting that these deposits may be sampled for paleomorphodynamic reconstructions, including paleoslope estimation. We also compare grain-size distributions of channel, floodplain, and proximal-overbank deposits in the Willwood (Paleocene/Eocene, Bighorn Basin, Wyoming, USA), Wasatch (Paleocene/Eocene, Piceance Creek Basin, Colorado, USA), and Ferris (Cretaceous/Paleocene, Hanna Basin, Wyoming, USA) formations. Grain-size characteristics in these deposits reflect how suspended- and bed-load sediment is distributed across the floodplain during channel avulsion events. In order to constrain uncertainty inherent in such estimates, we evaluate uncertainty associated with sample collection, preparation, analytical

  3. Infant's bed climate and bedding in the Japanese home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakamura Ikeda, Rie; Fukai, Kiyoko; Okamoto Mizuno, Kazue

    2012-06-01

    to assess the bed climate of infants in their homes in Japan. descriptive, exploratory, non-experimental research design. the data were collected at the participants' homes under normal circumstances. nineteen healthy infants between the ages of two and five months. Their mothers, who joined a parenting class organised by a maternity clinic in Okayama, Japan, consented to participate in this study. we visited the infants' homes and interviewed their mothers concerning the types and use of bedding. The temperature and relative humidity of the bed climate at the back and foot of the bedding, and in the room were measured every minute for four consecutive days. Differences among the bed climates measured during three seasons (spring, summer, and autumn) were assessed by one-way analysis of variance. The bed temperature was higher for infants than for adults. No significant difference in temperature was noted among the three seasons. The bed temperature was about 36.0°C when waterproof sheets and futon mattresses for children or adult were used. The average relative humidity of the bed climate at the back was highest in summer, followed by that in spring and autumn; the differences were significant. The use of waterproof sheets and futon mattresses for children in summer increased the relative humidity to 80% or more. The use of infant beds, sunoko drainboards, and cotton futon mattresses in summer was effective in reducing the bed humidity. these results suggest that nurse-midwives should advise the parents on comfortable bed climates for their infants, as well as how to select and use bedding for them. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Sedgeunkedunk stream bed sediment particle diameter from 2007-08-15 to 2016-03-30 (NCEI Accession 0152487)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — We are collecting stream channel geometry and bed sediment grain size distribution data at Sedgeunkedunk stream to evaluate physical habitat changes associated with...

  5. A novel passive micromixer: lamination in a planar channel system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tofteberg, T.; Skolimowski, Maciej; Andreassen, E.

    2010-01-01

    A novel passive micromixer concept is presented. The working principle is to make a controlled 90 degrees rotation of a flow cross-section followed by a split into several channels; the now in each of these channels is rotated a further 90 degrees before a recombination doubles the interfacial area...... between the two fluids. This process is repeated until achieving the desired degree of mixing. The rotation of the flow field is obtained by patterning the channel bed with grooves. The effect of the mixers has been Studied using computational fluid mechanics and prototypes have been micromilled in poly...

  6. Absorber rod for nuclear reactors in a pebble bed of spherical operating elements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reinstein, D.; Gnutzmann, H.

    1978-01-01

    The claim refers to the constructional configuration of an absorber rod, whose and penetrating into the pebble bed has an opening to reduce the fracture rate, so that the operating elements can escape into a channel within the absorber rod. To suit this to the direction of movement of the elements a part of the end of the rod is flexibly connected to the hollow absorber rod via a joint. In this way the mechanical load of the element particles is reduced and simultaneously one achieves that much lower force is required to insert the absorber rod into the pebble bed. (UA) [de

  7. Mangrove microclimates alter seedling dynamics at the range edge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Devaney, John L; Lehmann, Michael; Feller, Ilka C; Parker, John D

    2017-10-01

    Recent climate warming has led to asynchronous species migrations, with major consequences for ecosystems worldwide. In woody communities, localized microclimates have the potential to create feedback mechanisms that can alter the rate of species range shifts attributed to macroclimate drivers alone. Mangrove encroachment into saltmarsh in many areas is driven by a reduction in freeze events, and this encroachment can further modify local climate, but the subsequent impacts on mangrove seedling dynamics are unknown. We monitored microclimate conditions beneath mangrove canopies and adjacent open saltmarsh at a freeze-sensitive mangrove-saltmarsh ecotone and assessed survival of experimentally transplanted mangrove seedlings. Mangrove canopies buffered night time cooling during the winter, leading to interspecific differences in freeze damage on mangrove seedlings. However, mangrove canopies also altered biotic interactions. Herbivore damage was higher under canopies, leading to greater mangrove seedling mortality beneath canopies relative to saltmarsh. While warming-induced expansion of mangroves can lead to positive microclimate feedbacks, simultaneous fluctuations in biotic drivers can also alter seedling dynamics. Thus, climate change can drive divergent feedback mechanisms through both abiotic and biotic channels, highlighting the importance of vegetation-microclimate interactions as important moderators of climate driven range shifts. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

  8. Lithologic and hydrologic controls of mixed alluvial-bedrock channels in flood-prone fluvial systems: bankfull and macrochannels in the Llano River watershed, central Texas, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heitmuller, Frank T.; Hudson, Paul F.; Asquith, William H.

    2015-01-01

    The rural and unregulated Llano River watershed located in central Texas, USA, has a highly variable flow regime and a wide range of instantaneous peak flows. Abrupt transitions in surface lithology exist along the main-stem channel course. Both of these characteristics afford an opportunity to examine hydrologic, lithologic, and sedimentary controls on downstream changes in channel morphology. Field surveys of channel topography and boundary composition are coupled with sediment analyses, hydraulic computations, flood-frequency analyses, and geographic information system mapping to discern controls on channel geometry (profile, pattern, and shape) and dimensions along the mixed alluvial-bedrock Llano River and key tributaries. Four categories of channel classification in a downstream direction include: (i) uppermost ephemeral reaches, (ii) straight or sinuous gravel-bed channels in Cretaceous carbonate sedimentary zones, (iii) straight or sinuous gravel-bed or bedrock channels in Paleozoic sedimentary zones, and (iv) straight, braided, or multithread mixed alluvial–bedrock channels with sandy beds in Precambrian igneous and metamorphic zones. Principal findings include: (i) a nearly linear channel profile attributed to resistant bedrock incision checkpoints; (ii) statistically significant correlations of both alluvial sinuosity and valley confinement to relatively high f (mean depth) hydraulic geometry values; (iii) relatively high b (width) hydraulic geometry values in partly confined settings with sinuous channels upstream from a prominent incision checkpoint; (iv) different functional flow categories including frequently occurring events (high f values (most ≤ 0.45) that develop at sites with unit stream power values in excess of 200 watts per square meter (W/m2); and (vi) downstream convergence of hydraulic geometry exponents for bankfull and macrochannels, explained by co-increases of flood magnitude and noncohesive sandy sediments that collectively

  9. Hydrodynamics and sediment transport in a meandering channel with a model axial-flow hydrokinetic turbine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hill, Craig; Kozarek, Jessica; Sotiropoulos, Fotis; Guala, Michele

    2016-02-01

    An investigation into the interactions between a model axial-flow hydrokinetic turbine (rotor diameter, dT = 0.15 m) and the complex hydrodynamics and sediment transport processes within a meandering channel was carried out in the Outdoor StreamLab research facility at the University of Minnesota St. Anthony Falls Laboratory. This field-scale meandering stream with bulk flow and sediment discharge control provided a location for high spatiotemporally resolved measurements of bed and water surface elevations around the model turbine. The device was installed within an asymmetric, erodible channel cross section under migrating bed form and fixed outer bank conditions. A comparative analysis between velocity and topographic measurements, with and without the turbine installed, highlights the local and nonlocal features of the turbine-induced scour and deposition patterns. In particular, it shows how the cross-section geometry changes, how the bed form characteristics are altered, and how the mean flow field is distorted both upstream and downstream of the turbine. We further compare and discuss how current energy conversion deployments in meander regions would result in different interactions between the turbine operation and the local and nonlocal bathymetry compared to straight channels.

  10. Scale-free channeling patterns near the onset of erosion of sheared granular beds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aussillous, Pascale; Zou, Zhenhai; Guazzelli, Élisabeth; Yan, Le; Wyart, Matthieu

    2016-10-18

    Erosion shapes our landscape and occurs when a sufficient shear stress is exerted by a fluid on a sedimented layer. What controls erosion at a microscopic level remains debated, especially near the threshold forcing where it stops. Here we study, experimentally, the collective dynamics of the moving particles, using a setup where the system spontaneously evolves toward the erosion onset. We find that the spatial organization of the erosion flux is heterogeneous in space and occurs along channels of local flux σ whose distribution displays scaling near threshold and follows [Formula: see text], where J is the mean erosion flux. Channels are strongly correlated in the direction of forcing but not in the transverse direction. We show that these results quantitatively agree with a model where the dynamics is governed by the competition of disorder (which channels mobile particles) and particle interactions (which reduces channeling). These observations support that, for laminar flows, erosion is a dynamical phase transition that shares similarity with the plastic depinning transition occurring in dirty superconductors. The methodology we introduce here could be applied to probe these systems as well.

  11. Scale-free channeling patterns near the onset of erosion of sheared granular beds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aussillous, Pascale; Zou, Zhenhai; Guazzelli, Élisabeth; Yan, Le; Wyart, Matthieu

    2016-10-01

    Erosion shapes our landscape and occurs when a sufficient shear stress is exerted by a fluid on a sedimented layer. What controls erosion at a microscopic level remains debated, especially near the threshold forcing where it stops. Here we study, experimentally, the collective dynamics of the moving particles, using a setup where the system spontaneously evolves toward the erosion onset. We find that the spatial organization of the erosion flux is heterogeneous in space and occurs along channels of local flux σ whose distribution displays scaling near threshold and follows P(σ)≈J/σ, where J is the mean erosion flux. Channels are strongly correlated in the direction of forcing but not in the transverse direction. We show that these results quantitatively agree with a model where the dynamics is governed by the competition of disorder (which channels mobile particles) and particle interactions (which reduces channeling). These observations support that, for laminar flows, erosion is a dynamical phase transition that shares similarity with the plastic depinning transition occurring in dirty superconductors. The methodology we introduce here could be applied to probe these systems as well.

  12. Bed Bugs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prevent, identify, and treat bed bug infestations using EPA’s step-by-step guides, based on IPM principles. Find pesticides approved for bed bug control, check out the information clearinghouse, and dispel bed bug myths.

  13. Secondary Channel Bifurcation Geometry: A Multi-dimensional Problem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaeuman, D.; Stewart, R. L.

    2017-12-01

    The construction of secondary channels (or side channels) is a popular strategy for increasing aquatic habitat complexity in managed rivers. Such channels, however, frequently experience aggradation that prevents surface water from entering the side channels near their bifurcation points during periods of relatively low discharge. This failure to maintain an uninterrupted surface water connection with the main channel can reduce the habitat value of side channels for fish species that prefer lotic conditions. Various factors have been proposed as potential controls on the fate of side channels, including water surface slope differences between the main and secondary channels, the presence of main channel secondary circulation, transverse bed slopes, and bifurcation angle. A quantitative assessment of more than 50 natural and constructed secondary channels in the Trinity River of northern California indicates that bifurcations can assume a variety of configurations that are formed by different processes and whose longevity is governed by different sets of factors. Moreover, factors such as bifurcation angle and water surface slope vary with discharge level and are continuously distributed in space, such that they must be viewed as a multi-dimensional field rather than a single-valued attribute that can be assigned to a particular bifurcation.

  14. Direct Numerical Simulation Sediment Transport in Horizontal Channel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uhlmann, M.

    2006-01-01

    We numerically simulate turbulent flow in a horizontal plane channel over a bed of mobile particles. All scales of fluid motion are resolved without modeling and the phase interface is accurately represented. Our results indicate a possible scenario for the onset of erosion through collective motion induced by buffer-layer streaks. (Author) 27 refs

  15. One-dimensional Analytical Modelling of Floating Seed Dispersal in Tidal Channels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, W.; Purnama, A.; Shao, D.; Cui, B.; Gao, W.

    2017-12-01

    Seed dispersal is a primary factor influencing plant community development, and thus plays a critical role in maintaining wetland ecosystem functioning. However, compared with fluvial seed dispersal of riparian plants, dispersal of saltmarsh plant seeds in tidal channels is much less studied due to its complex behavior, and relevant mathematical modelling is particularly lacking. In this study, we developed a one-dimensional advection-dispersion model to explore the patterns of tidal seed dispersal. Oscillatory tidal current and water depth were assumed to represent the tidal effects. An exponential decay coefficient λ was introduced to account for seed deposition and retention. Analytical solution in integral form was derived using Green's function and further evaluated using numerical integration. The developed model was applied to simulate Spartina densiflora seed dispersal in a tidal channel located at the Mad River Slough in North Humboldt Bay, California, USA, to demonstrate its practical applicability. Model predictions agree satisfactorily with field observation and simulation results from Delft3D numerical model. Sensitivity analyses were also conducted to evaluate the effects of varying calibrated parameters on model predictions. The range of the seed dispersion as well as the distribution of the seed concentration were further analyzed through statistical parameters such as centroid displacement and variance of the seed cloud together with seed concentration contours. Implications of the modelling results on tidal marsh restoration and protection, e.g., revegetation through seed addition, were also discussed through scenario analysis. The developed analytical model provides a useful tool for ecological management of tidal marshes.

  16. DEM-CFD simulation of purge gas flow in a solid breeder pebble bed

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Hao [School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027 (China); Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900 (China); Li, Zhenghong [Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900 (China); University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027 (China); Guo, Haibing [Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900 (China); Ye, Minyou [School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027 (China); Huang, Hongwen, E-mail: inpclane@sina.com [Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900 (China)

    2016-12-15

    Solid tritium breeding blanket applying pebble bed concept is promising for fusion reactors. Tritium bred in the pebble bed is purged out by inert gas. The flow characteristics of the purge gas are important for the tritium transport from the solid breeder materials. In this study, a randomly packed pebble bed was generated by Discrete Element Method (DEM) and verified by radial porosity distribution. The flow parameters of the purge gas in channels were solved by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method. The results show that the normalized velocity magnitudes have the same damped oscillating patterns with radial porosity distribution. Besides, the bypass flow near the wall cannot be ignored in this model, and it has a slight increase with inlet velocity. Furthermore, higher purging efficiency becomes with higher inlet velocity and especially higher in near wall region.

  17. Numerical modelling of channel processes and analysis of possible channel improvement measures on the Lena River near city Yakutsk

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krylenko, Inna; Belikov, Vitaly; Zavadskii, Aleksander; Borisova, Natalya; Golovlyov, Pavel; Rumyantsev, Alexey

    2017-04-01

    variants of channel improvement measures, including different dam constructions, river bed dredging, closing of some river branches were considered and included into modelling scenarios. Analyses of results of modelling has allowed to reveal, that more expensive big dams which are partitioning off a part the main channel are not so effective, because their construction lead to significant increasing of flow velocities and corresponding increasing in sediment transport. Local channel regulations measures (small dam at Ponomarev island near Yakutsk and bed dredging) can give some effect in a few years due to formation of the new line of the depths maximum near water intake structure and Yakutsk port. For improving of the navigation conditions near Ghatay port closing of the small channel branch Ghataiskaya can be effective.

  18. Acoustic signal propagation and measurement in natural stream channels for application to surrogate bed load measurements: Halfmoon Creek, Colorado

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monitoring sediment-generated noise using submerged hydrophones is a surrogate method for measuring bed load transport in streams with the potential for improving estimates of bed load transport through widespread, inexpensive monitoring. Understanding acoustic signal propagation in natural stream e...

  19. Bed agglomeration characteristics of palm shell and corncob combustion in fluidized bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chaivatamaset, Pawin; Sricharoon, Panchan; Tia, Suvit

    2011-01-01

    Bed particle agglomeration was studied experimentally in an atmospheric laboratory scale fluidized bed combustor using quartz sand as bed material. Palm shell and corncob were tested. The objectives of the study were (i) to describe the contributions of the biomass ash properties and the operating conditions on the bed agglomeration tendency in term of the bed defluidization time (t def ) and the extent of potassium accumulation in the bed (K/Bed) and (ii) to further elucidate the ash inorganic behaviors and the governing bed agglomeration mechanisms. Defluidization caused by the bed agglomeration was experienced in all experiments during combustion of these biomasses, as a consequence of the presence of potassium in biomass. The experimental results indicated that biomass ash characteristics were the significant influence on the bed agglomeration. The increasing bed temperature, bed particle size and static bed height and the decreasing fluidizing air velocity enhanced the bed agglomeration tendency. The SEM/EDS analyses on the agglomerates confirmed that the agglomeration was attributed to the formation of potassium silicate liquid enriched on the surface of quartz sand particles in conjunction with the high surface temperature of the burning biomass char particles. Thermodynamic examination based on the phase diagram analysis confirmed that the molten phase formation was responsible for the agglomeration. In this study, the high molten ash fraction resulting from the high potassium content in biomass promoted the agglomeration and thus defluidization. - Highlights: → Palm shell and corncob of Thailand are tested their bed agglomeration behaviors during fluidized bed combustion. → The increase of bed temperature, bed particle size and static bed height and the decrease of air velocity enhance bed agglomeration. → The formation of ash derived potassium silicate melts enriched on sand surface is the key process. → The collision between char and sand

  20. The characteristics of bed agglomeration during fluidized bed combustion of eucalyptus bark

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chaivatamaset, Pawin; Tia, Suvit

    2015-01-01

    The bed agglomeration behaviors were investigated experimentally when eucalyptus bark was burning tested in a laboratory scale fluidized bed reactor. The focuses of this work were the influences of operating conditions and bed materials on the bed agglomeration tendency and the elucidation in the behaviors of fuel inorganic elements and the governing mode of the agglomeration. It was found that the defluidization caused by the bed agglomeration was clearly detectable from the decrease in measured bed pressure. The growth of bed particle and accumulation of agglomerates during combustion provided the partial to complete defluidization. The defluidization was promoted by the increase of bed temperature and bed particle size, and the decrease of fluidizing air velocity. The SEM-EDS analyses revealed that the bed agglomeration was mainly attributed to the formation of potassium silicate compounds as liquid phase during the combustion. This was initiated by the chemical reaction between the bed particle and the released ash constituents. In this study, the inorganic migration from fuel particle to bed particle was likely dominated by the condensation/reaction. The thermodynamic examination by ternary phase diagram analysis corroborated that the liquid phase formation of the ash derived materials controlled the agglomeration. The alumina sand prevented the bed agglomeration since it was inactive in the formation of viscous molten substances during combustion at the observed temperatures. - Highlights: • The behaviors of bed agglomeration were studied during the fluidized bed combustion of eucalyptus bark. • The increase in bed temperature and sand size, and the decrease of air velocity promoted bed defluidization. • The formation of molten potassium silicate compounds conduced to the bed agglomeration. • Condensation/reaction was the dominant inorganic migration mechanism from fuel particle to bed particle. • The alumina sand prevented effectively the bed

  1. Historical storage budgets of organic carbon, nutrient and contaminant elements in saltmarsh sediments: Biogeochemical context for managed realignment, Humber Estuary, UK

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andrews, J.E.; Samways, G.; Shimmield, G.B.

    2008-01-01

    Biogeochemical data from Welwick marsh (Humber Estuary, UK), an actively accreting saltmarsh, provides a decadal-centennial-scale natural analogue for likely future biogeochemical storage effects of managed realignment sites accreting either intertidal muds or saltmarsh. Marsh topographic profiles and progradation history from aerial photographs were combined with 137 Cs and niobium contamination history to establish and verify chronology and sediment mass accumulation. These data, combined with down-core measurements of particulate organic carbon (C org ), organic nitrogen (N org ), particle reactive phosphorus and selected contaminant metal (Zn, Pb, Cu, As and Nb) contents were then used to calculate sediment and chemical storage terms and to quantify changes in these over time. These data are used to help predict likely future biogeochemical storage changes at managed realignment sites in the estuary. The net effect of returning some 26 km 2 of reclaimed land to intertidal environments now (about 25% of the maximum possible realignment storage identified for the estuary) could result in the storage of some 40,000 tonnes a -1 of sediment which would also bury about 800 tonnes a -1 of C org and 40 tonnes a -1 of N org . Particulate contaminant P burial would be around 25 tonnes a -1 along with ∼ 6 tonnes a -1 contaminant Zn, 3 tonnes a -1 contaminant Pb, and ∼ 1 tonnes a -1 contaminant As and Cu. The study also shows that reclamation activities in the outer estuary since the mid-1700s has prevented, in total, the deposition of about 10 million tonnes of sediment, along with 320,000 tonnes of C org and 16,000 tonnes of N org . The study provides a mid-1990s baseline against which future measurements at the site can determine changes in burial fluxes and improvement or deterioration in contaminant metal contents of the sediments. The data are directly relevant for local managed realignment sites but also broadly indicative for sites generally on the European

  2. High power density reactors based on direct cooled particle beds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Powell, J. R.; Horn, F. L.

    Reactors based on direct cooled High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (HTGR) type particle fuel are described. The small diameter particle fuel is packed between concentric porous cylinders to make annular fuel elements, with the inlet coolant gas flowing inwards. Hot exit gas flows out along the central channel of each element. Because of the very large heat transfer area in the packed beds, power densities in particle bed reactors (PBRs) are extremely high resulting in compact, lightweight systems. Coolant exit temperatures are high, because of the ceramic fuel temperature capabilities, and the reactors can be ramped to full power and temperature very rapidly. PBR systems can generate very high burst power levels using open cycle hydrogen coolant, or high continuous powers using closed cycle helium coolant. PBR technology is described and development requirements assessed.

  3. High power density reactors based on direct cooled particle beds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Powell, J.R.; Horn, F.L.

    1985-01-01

    Reactors based on direct cooled HTGR type particle fuel are described. The small diameter particle fuel is packed between concentric porous cylinders to make annular fuel elements, with the inlet coolant gas flowing inwards. Hot exit gas flows out long the central channel of each element. Because of the very large heat transfer area in the packed beds, power densities in particle bed reactors (PBR's) are extremely high resulting in compact, lightweight systems. Coolant exit temperatures are high, because of the ceramic fuel temperature capabilities, and the reactors can be ramped to full power and temperature very rapidly. PBR systems can generate very high burst power levels using open cycle hydrogen coolant, or high continuous powers using closed cycle helium coolant. PBR technology is described and development requirements assessed. 12 figs

  4. Understanding and modeling retention of mammalian cells in fluidized bed centrifuges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly, William; Rubin, Jonathan; Scully, Jennifer; Kamaraju, Hari; Wnukowski, Piotr; Bhatia, Ravinder

    2016-11-01

    Within the last decade, fully disposable centrifuge technologies, fluidized-bed centrifuges (FBC), have been introduced to the biologics industry. The FBC has found a niche in cell therapy where it is used to collect, concentrate, and then wash mammalian cell product while continuously discarding centrate. The goal of this research was to determine optimum FBC conditions for recovery of live cells, and to develop a mathematical model that can assist with process scaleup. Cell losses can occur during bed formation via flow channels within the bed. Experimental results with the kSep400 centrifuge indicate that, for a given volume processed: the bed height (a bed compactness indicator) is affected by RPM and flowrate, and dead cells are selectively removed during operation. To explain these results, two modeling approaches were used: (i) equating the centrifugal and inertial forces on the cells (i.e., a force balance model or FBM) and (ii) a two-phase computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to predict liquid flow patterns and cell retention in the bowl. Both models predicted bed height vs. time reasonably well, though the CFD model proved more accurate. The flow patterns predicted by CFD indicate a Coriolis-driven flow that enhances uniformity of cells in the bed and may lead to cell losses in the outflow over time. The CFD-predicted loss of viable cells and selective removal of the dead cells generally agreed with experimental trends, but did over-predict dead cell loss by up to 3-fold for some of the conditions. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 32:1520-1530, 2016. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

  5. Faciologic characterization of coal beds in the Cerquilho region, state of Sao Paulo, Brazil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagalli, J.T.; Consoni, J.O.C.

    1984-01-01

    Since 1981, NUCLEBRAS, researches the Tubarao group in the state of Sao Paulo, in order to evaluate the uraniferous potential of carbonaceous sediments in the Parana Basin. This work discusses geologic information concerning the Cerquilho area, where, the faciologic and structural characterization of the coal beds (or seams) were analyzed, and the main targets for uranium concentration were identified. Such study was performed through detailed field observations, imagery and aerial photograph interpretation as well as well logging analysis. Results suggested that the uraniferous anomalies are controlled by fluvial channels cutting the coal beds, with periglacial influence. (Author) [pt

  6. A Low-cost Multi-channel Analogue Signal Generator

    CERN Document Server

    Müller, F; The ATLAS collaboration; Shen, W; Stamen, R

    2009-01-01

    A scalable multi-channel analogue signal generator is presented. It uses a commercial low-cost graphics card with multiple outputs in a standard PC as signal source. Each color signal serves as independent channel to generate an analogue signal. A custom-built external PCB was developed to adjust the graphics card output voltage levels for a specific task, which needed differential signals. The system furthermore comprises a software package to program the signal shape. The signal generator was successfully used as independent test bed for the ATLAS Level-1 Trigger Pre-Processor, providing up to 16 analogue signals.

  7. Modeling the evolution of channel shape: Balancing computational efficiency with hydraulic fidelity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wobus, C.W.; Kean, J.W.; Tucker, G.E.; Anderson, R. Scott

    2008-01-01

    The cross-sectional shape of a natural river channel controls the capacity of the system to carry water off a landscape, to convey sediment derived from hillslopes, and to erode its bed and banks. Numerical models that describe the response of a landscape to changes in climate or tectonics therefore require formulations that can accommodate evolution of channel cross-sectional geometry. However, fully two-dimensional (2-D) flow models are too computationally expensive to implement in large-scale landscape evolution models, while available simple empirical relationships between width and discharge do not adequately capture the dynamics of channel adjustment. We have developed a simplified 2-D numerical model of channel evolution in a cohesive, detachment-limited substrate subject to steady, unidirectional flow. Erosion is assumed to be proportional to boundary shear stress, which is calculated using an approximation of the flow field in which log-velocity profiles are assumed to apply along vectors that are perpendicular to the local channel bed. Model predictions of the velocity structure, peak boundary shear stress, and equilibrium channel shape compare well with predictions of a more sophisticated but more computationally demanding ray-isovel model. For example, the mean velocities computed by the two models are consistent to within ???3%, and the predicted peak shear stress is consistent to within ???7%. Furthermore, the shear stress distributions predicted by our model compare favorably with available laboratory measurements for prescribed channel shapes. A modification to our simplified code in which the flow includes a high-velocity core allows the model to be extended to estimate shear stress distributions in channels with large width-to-depth ratios. Our model is efficient enough to incorporate into large-scale landscape evolution codes and can be used to examine how channels adjust both cross-sectional shape and slope in response to tectonic and climatic

  8. Assessing saltmarsh resilience to sea-level rise by examining sediment transport trends in the Great Marsh, MA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hughes, Z. J.; Georgiou, I. Y.; Gaweesh, A.; Hanegan, K.; FitzGerald, D.; Hein, C. J.

    2017-12-01

    Under accelerating sea-level rise (SLR), marshes are vulnerable to increased inundation, dependent on their ability to accrete vertically or expand into upland areas. Accretion is a function of organic and inorganic contributions from plant biomass and suspended sediment deposition, respectively. Along the east coast of the US, present rates of SLR are higher than they have been for over 1000 years and are expected to increase in the near future. To predict the resilience of saltmarshes, we urgently need improved understanding of spatial patterns of sediment transport and deposition within these systems. This study examines time-series of suspended sediment concentration and flow collected using ADCP-OBS units, deployed throughout the Great Marsh System. We compare the data to model results and observations of short and long term deposition throughout the system. Field observations show that tidal amplitude and phase vary throughout the Great Marsh. Tidal asymmetry increases inland from the estuary mouth, and the maximum phase lag is 2 hours. This effect is strongest during low slack tide; with a delay of only 30-45 minutes at high tide. Tidal velocities exhibit strong asymmetry, reflected in pulses of sediment movement. Sediment transport initiates at mid ebb, peaking 1.5-2.5 hours later, decreasing through low slack tide for 7-9 hours until high slack tide. The results have broad implications for the potential input of inorganic sediment to the marsh platform. Results from a validated Delft3D model reproduce field observations and expand spatial sediment transport trends. We experiment by releasing sediment in different parts of the estuary, mimicking marsh edge or tidal flat erosion, and tracking mud and sand transport trajectories. Sands remains proximal to the erosion site, whereas mud is more mobile and travels farther, reaching the inlet within days of erosion. Longer simulations suggest that despite higher mobility, muds remain mostly in the channels and

  9. Analysis of Prognosis of Lowland River Bed Erosion Based on Geotechnical Parameters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Smaga Agnieszka

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The river erosion is a complex process, the dynamics of which is very difficult to predict. Its intensity largely depends on hydraulic conditions of the river channel. However, it is also thought that natural resistance of the subsoil has a great influence on the scale of the erosion process. Predicting the effects of this process is extremely important in the case of constructing a piling structure (for example, artificial reservoirs. The partition of the river channel causes significant lowering of the river channel bed downstream the dam which threatens the stability of hydro technical and engineering (bridges buildings. To stop this unwanted phenomenon, stabilizing thresholds are built. However, random location of thresholds significantly reduces their effectiveness. Therefore, taking under consideration natural geotechnical conditions of the subsoil appears to be extremely important.

  10. Channel Morphology and Bed Sediment Characteristics Before and After Habitat Enhancement Activities in the Uridil Property, Platte River, Nebraska, Water Years 2005-2008

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kinzel, Paul J.

    2009-01-01

    Fluvial geomorphic data were collected by the United States Geological Survey from July 2005 to June 2008 (a time period within water years 2005 to 2008) to monitor the effects of habitat enhancement activities conducted in the Platte River Whooping Crane Maintenance Trust's Uridil Property, located along the Platte River, Nebraska. The activities involved the removal of vegetation and sand from the tops of high permanent islands and the placement of the sand into the active river channel. This strategy was intended to enhance habitat for migratory water birds by lowering the elevations of the high islands, thereby eliminating a visual obstruction for roosting birds. It was also thought that the bare sand on the lowered island surfaces could serve as potential habitat for nesting water birds. Lastly, the project supplied a local source of sediment to the river to test the hypothesis that this material could contribute to the formation of lower sandbars and potential nesting sites downstream. Topographic surveys on the islands and along river transects were used to quantify the volume of removed sand and track the storage and movement of the introduced sand downstream. Sediment samples were also collected to map the spatial distribution of river bed sediment sizes before and after the management activities. While the project lowered the elevation of high islands, observations of the sand addition indicated the relatively fine-grained sand that was placed in the active river channel was rapidly transported by the flowing water. Topographic measurements made 3 months after the sand addition along transects in the area of sediment addition showed net aggradation over measurements made in 2005. In the year following the sand addition, 2007, elevated river flows from local rain events generally were accompanied by net degradation along transects within the area of sediment addition. In the spring of 2008, a large magnitude flow event of approximately 360 cubic meters per

  11. Larkin Mill Dam bed sediment particle diameter from 2008-06-09 to 2016-03-30 (NCEI Accession 0152462)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — We are collecting stream channel geometry and bed sediment grain size distribution data at the Parker River to evaluate physical habitat changes associated with the...

  12. The Safety of Hospital Beds: Ingress, Egress, and In-Bed Mobility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morse, Janice M; Gervais, Pierre; Pooler, Charlotte; Merryweather, Andrew; Doig, Alexa K; Bloswick, Donald

    2015-01-01

    To explore the safety of the standard and the low hospital bed, we report on a microanalysis of 15 patients' ability to ingress, move about the bed, and egress. The 15 participants were purposefully selected with various disabilities. Bed conditions were randomized with side rails up or down and one low bed with side rails down. We explored the patients' use of the side rails, bed height, ability to lift their legs onto the mattress, and ability to turn, egress, and walk back to the chair. The standard bed was too high for some participants, both for ingress and egress. Side rails were used by most participants when entering, turning in bed, and exiting. We recommend that side rails be reconsidered as a means to facilitate in-bed movement, ingress, and egress. Furthermore, single deck height settings for all patients are not optimal. Low beds as a safety measure must be re-evaluated.

  13. Trpc2-deficient lactating mice exhibit altered brain and behavioral responses to bedding stimuli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasen, Nina S; Gammie, Stephen C

    2011-03-01

    The trpc2 gene encodes an ion channel involved in pheromonal detection and is found in the vomeronasal organ. In tprc2(-/-) knockout (KO) mice, maternal aggression (offspring protection) is impaired and brain Fos expression in females in response to a male are reduced. Here we examine in lactating wild-type (WT) and KO mice behavioral and brain responses to different olfactory/pheromonal cues. Consistent with previous studies, KO dams exhibited decreased maternal aggression and nest building, but we also identified deficits in nighttime nursing and increases in pup weight. When exposed to the bedding tests, WT dams typically ignored clean bedding, but buried male-soiled bedding from unfamiliar males. In contrast, KO dams buried both clean and soiled bedding. Differences in brain Fos expression were found between WT and KO mice in response to either no bedding, clean bedding, or soiled bedding. In the accessory olfactory bulb, a site of pheromonal signal processing, KO mice showed suppressed Fos activation in the anterior mitral layer relative to WT mice in response to clean and soiled bedding. However, in the medial and basolateral amygdala, KO mice showed a robust Fos response to bedding, suggesting that regions of the amygdala canonically associated with pheromonal sensing can be active in the brains of KO mice, despite compromised signaling from the vomeronasal organ. Together, these results provide further insights into the complex ways by which pheromonal signaling regulates the brain and behavior of the maternal female. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Gravel-bed river floodplains are the ecological nexus of glaciated mountain landscapes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hauer, F. Richard; Locke, Harvey; Dreitz, Victoria; Hebblewhite, Mark; Lowe, Winsor; Muhlfeld, Clint C.; Nelson, Cara; Proctor, Michael F.; Rood, Stewart B.

    2016-01-01

    Gravel-bed river floodplains in mountain landscapes disproportionately concentrate diverse habitats, nutrient cycling, productivity of biota, and species interactions. Although stream ecologists know that river channel and floodplain habitats used by aquatic organisms are maintained by hydrologic regimes that mobilize gravel-bed sediments, terrestrial ecologists have largely been unaware of the importance of floodplain structures and processes to the life requirements of a wide variety of species. We provide insight into gravel-bed rivers as the ecological nexus of glaciated mountain landscapes. We show why gravel-bed river floodplains are the primary arena where interactions take place among aquatic, avian, and terrestrial species from microbes to grizzly bears and provide essential connectivity as corridors for movement for both aquatic and terrestrial species. Paradoxically, gravel-bed river floodplains are also disproportionately unprotected where human developments are concentrated. Structural modifications to floodplains such as roads, railways, and housing and hydrologicaltering hydroelectric or water storage dams have severe impacts to floodplain habitat diversity and productivity, restrict local and regional connectivity, and reduce the resilience of both aquatic and terrestrial species, including adaptation to climate change. To be effective, conservation efforts in glaciated mountain landscapes intended to benefit the widest variety of organisms need a paradigm shift that has gravel-bed rivers and their floodplains as the central focus and that prioritizes the maintenance or restoration of the intact structure and processes of these critically important systems throughout their length and breadth.

  15. Incision of the Jezero Crater Outflow Channel by Fluvial Sediment Transport

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holo, S.; Kite, E. S.

    2017-12-01

    Jezero crater, the top candidate landing site for the Mars 2020 rover, once possessed a lake that over-spilled and eroded a large outflow channel into the Eastern rim. The Western deltaic sediments that would be the primary science target of the rover record a history of lake level, which is modulated by the inflow and outflow channels. While formative discharges for the Western delta exist ( 500 m3/s), little work has been done to see if these flows are the same responsible for outflow channel incision. Other models of the Jezero outflow channel incision assume that a single rapid flood (incision timescales of weeks), with unknown initial hydraulic head and no discharge into the lake (e.g. from the inflow channels or the subsurface), incised an open channel with discharge modulated by flow over a weir. We present an alternate model where, due to an instability at the threshold of sediment motion, the incision of the outflow channel occurs in concert with lake filling. In particular, we assume a simplified lake-channel-valley system geometry and that the channel is hydraulically connected to the filling/draining crater lake. Bed load sediment transport and water discharge through the channel are quantified using the Meyer-Peter and Mueller relation and Manning's law respectively. Mass is conserved for both water and sediment as the lake level rises/falls and the channel incises. This model does not resolve backwater effects or concavity in the alluvial system, but it does capture the non-linear feedbacks between lake draining, erosion rate, channel flow rate, and slope relaxation. We identify controls on incision of the outflow channel and estimate the time scale of outflow channel formation through a simple dynamical model. We find that the observed 300m of channel erosion can be reproduced in decades to centuries of progressive bed load as the delta forming flows fill the lake. This corresponds to time scales on the order of or smaller than the time scale

  16. Long-term and high resolution measurements of bed level changes in a temperate, microtidal coastal lagoon

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Thorbjørn J.; Pejrup, Morten; Nielsen, Allan Aasbjerg

    2006-01-01

    of a nearby tidal channel are presented. Short-term changes in bed level are one or two orders of magnitude larger than the annual net-deposition rate, which shows that the environment is highly dynamic with respect to erosion, transport and deposition of fine-grained sediment. Some seasonality in the bed...... deposition and erosion was observed. The time-series showed that some of the material eroded from the mudflat was not exported to the open sea, but instead temporarily deposited in a nearby shallow tidal channel and later returned to the mudflat during calmer weather conditions. These findings support...... previously published hypothesis and results of modelling studies. Based on the observed abundance of fine-grained sediment at the study sites and the high accretion rates generally found on fine-grained tidal flats in the Danish Wadden Sea area, it is argued that these fine-grained tidal flats...

  17. River banks and channel axis curvature: Effects on the longitudinal dispersion in alluvial rivers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lanzoni, Stefano; Ferdousi, Amena; Tambroni, Nicoletta

    2018-03-01

    The fate and transport of soluble contaminants released in natural streams are strongly dependent on the spatial variations of the flow field and of the bed topography. These variations are essentially related to the presence of the channel banks and to the planform configuration of the channel. Large velocity gradients arise near to the channel banks, where the flow depth decreases to zero. Moreover, single thread alluvial rivers are seldom straight, and usually exhibit meandering planforms and a bed topography that deviates from the plane configuration. Channel axis curvature and movable bed deformations drive secondary helical currents which enhance both cross sectional velocity gradients and transverse mixing, thus crucially influencing longitudinal dispersion. The present contribution sets up a rational framework which, assuming mild sloping banks and taking advantage of the weakly meandering character often exhibited by natural streams, leads to an analytical estimate of the contribution to longitudinal dispersion associated with spatial non-uniformities of the flow field. The resulting relationship stems from a physics-based modeling of the flow in natural rivers, and expresses the bend averaged longitudinal dispersion coefficient as a function of the relevant hydraulic and morphologic parameters. The treatment of the problem is river specific, since it relies on an explicit spatial description, although linearized, of the flow field that establishes in the investigated river. Comparison with field data available from tracer tests supports the robustness of the proposed framework, given also the complexity of the processes that affect dispersion dynamics in real streams.

  18. 7 CFR 2902.15 - Bedding, bed linens, and towels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... PROCUREMENT Designated Items § 2902.15 Bedding, bed linens, and towels. (a) Definition. (1) Bedding is that... minimum biobased content is 12 percent and shall be based on the amount of qualifying biobased carbon in..., and silk are not qualifying biobased feedstocks for the purpose of determining the biobased content of...

  19. Thermal-hydraulic calculation and analysis on helium cooled ceramic breeder pebble bed assembly for in-pile irradiation and in-situ tritium extraction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo Chunqiu; Xie Jiachun; Liu Xingmin

    2013-01-01

    In-pile irradiation and in-situ tritium extraction experiment is one of associated domestic research projects in ITER special program. According to the technical requirements of in-pile irradiation experiment of helium cooled ceramic breeder (ceramic) pebble bed assembly in a research reactor, the feasibility of the design for the in-pile irradiation and in-situ tritium extraction experiment of ceramic pebble bed assembly was evaluated. By conducting thermal-hydraulic design calculation with different in-pile irradiation channels, locations and structure parameters for ceramic pebble bed assembly, a reasonable design scheme of ceramic pebble bed assembly satisfying the design requirements for in-pile irradiation was obtained. (authors)

  20. Effects of stream discharge, alluvial depth and bar amplitude on hyporheic flow in pool-riffle channels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daniele Tonina; John M. Buffington

    2011-01-01

    Hyporheic flow results from the interaction between streamflow and channel morphology and is an important component of stream ecosystems because it enhances water and solute exchange between the river and its bed. Hyporheic flow in pool-riffle channels is particularly complex because of three-dimensional topography that spans a range of partially to fully submerged...

  1. Reed beds may facilitate transfer of tributyltin from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems through insect vectors in the Archipelago Sea, SW Finland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lilley, Thomas M; Meierjohann, Axel; Ruokolainen, Lasse; Peltonen, Jani; Vesterinen, Eero; Kronberg, Leif; Nikinmaa, Mikko

    2012-08-01

    Due to their adsorptive behavior, organotin compounds (OTCs), such as tributyltin (TBT), are accumulated in aquatic sediments. They resist biodegradation and, despite a ban in 2008, are a potential source for future exposure. Sediment OTCs have mostly been measured from sites of known high concentrations such as ports, shipping lanes, and marine dredging waste sites. The possible flow of OTCs from marine to terrestrial ecosystems, however, has not been studied. In the present study, the authors assessed whether sediments in common reed beds (Phragmites australis) accumulate TBT and whether chironomid (Diptera: Chironomidae) communities developing in reed-bed sediments act as vectors in the transfer of TBT from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems in the Airisto channel, Archipelago Sea. The authors also investigated whether distance from the only known source and depth and TBT concentration of the adjacent shipping lane affect reed-bed concentrations. Thirty-six sites along the Airisto channel were sampled at 2-km intervals with triplicate samples from reed beds and the adjacent shipping lane for sediment and seven reed-bed sites for chironomids, and these were analyzed with an solid phase extraction liquid chromatography tamdem mass spectrometry method. The closer to the source the sample site was, the higher the measured TBT concentrations were; and the deeper the shipping lane, the lower the concentration of TBT in reed-bed sediments. The chironomid TBT concentrations correlated with reed-bed sediment TBT concentrations and showed evidence of accumulation. Therefore, TBT may be transferred, through the food web, from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems relatively close to a source through ecosystem boundaries, such as common reed beds, which are areas of high insect biomass production in the Archipelago Sea. Copyright © 2012 SETAC.

  2. Evaluation of a clay-based acidic bedding conditioner for dairy cattle bedding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Proietto, R L; Hinckley, L S; Fox, L K; Andrew, S M

    2013-02-01

    This study investigated the effects of a clay-based acidic bedding conditioner on sawdust bedding pH, dry matter (DM), environmental pathogen counts, and environmental bacterial counts on teat ends of lactating dairy cows. Sixteen lactating Holstein cows were paired based on parity, days in milk, milk yield, and milk somatic cell count, and were negative for the presence of an intramammary pathogen. Within each pair, cows were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments with 3-wk periods in a crossover design. Treatment groups consisted of 9 freestalls per group bedded with either untreated sawdust or sawdust with a clay-based acidic bedding conditioner, added at 3- to 4-d intervals over each 21-d period. Bedding and teat ends were aseptically sampled on d 0, 1, 2, 7, 14, and 21 for determination of environmental bacterial counts. At the same time points, bedding was sampled for DM and pH determination. The bacteria identified in the bedding material were total gram-negative bacteria, Streptococcus spp., and coliform bacteria. The bacteria identified on the teat ends were Streptococcus spp., coliform bacteria, and Klebsiella spp. Teat end score, milk somatic cell count, and intramammary pathogen presence were measured weekly. Bedding and teat cleanliness, environmental high and low temperatures, and dew point data were collected daily. The bedding conditioner reduced the pH, but not the DM, of the sawdust bedding compared with untreated sawdust. Overall environmental bacterial counts in bedding were lower for treated sawdust. Total bacterial counts in bedding and on teat ends increased with time over both periods. Compared with untreated sawdust, the treated bedding had lower counts of total gram-negative bacteria and streptococci, but not coliform counts. Teat end bacterial counts were lower for cows bedded on treated sawdust for streptococci, coliforms, and Klebsiella spp. compared with cows bedded on untreated sawdust. The clay-based acidic bedding conditioner

  3. Hydrodynamic and Sediment Responses of Open Channels to Exposed Pipe Encasements.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J Q Mao

    Full Text Available The effects of exposed pipe encasements on the local variation of hydrodynamic and sediment conditions in a river channel are examined. Laboratory experiments are performed to assess the response of water level, flow regime and bed deformation to several representative types of concrete encasements. The experimental conditions considered are: three types of exposed pipe encasements exposed on the bed, including trapezoidal shape, circular-arc shape and polygonal shape, and three sets of discharges, including annual discharge, once-in-3-year flood, and once-in-50-year flood. Our experiments show that: (1 the amount of backwater definitely depends on the encasement geometric shape and the background discharge; (2 smaller discharges generally tend to induce local scour of river bed downstream of the encasement, and the order of sensitivity of bed deformation to the encasement geometric shape is trapezoidal > circular-arc > polygonal; (3 comparatively speaking, the polygonal encasement may be considered as a suitable protective structure for pipelines across alluvial rivers, with relatively modest effects on the local hydrodynamic conditions and bed stabilization.

  4. Hydrodynamic and Sediment Responses of Open Channels to Exposed Pipe Encasements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mao, J Q; Zhang, H Q; Dai, H C; Yuan, B H; Hu, T F

    2015-01-01

    The effects of exposed pipe encasements on the local variation of hydrodynamic and sediment conditions in a river channel are examined. Laboratory experiments are performed to assess the response of water level, flow regime and bed deformation to several representative types of concrete encasements. The experimental conditions considered are: three types of exposed pipe encasements exposed on the bed, including trapezoidal shape, circular-arc shape and polygonal shape, and three sets of discharges, including annual discharge, once-in-3-year flood, and once-in-50-year flood. Our experiments show that: (1) the amount of backwater definitely depends on the encasement geometric shape and the background discharge; (2) smaller discharges generally tend to induce local scour of river bed downstream of the encasement, and the order of sensitivity of bed deformation to the encasement geometric shape is trapezoidal > circular-arc > polygonal; (3) comparatively speaking, the polygonal encasement may be considered as a suitable protective structure for pipelines across alluvial rivers, with relatively modest effects on the local hydrodynamic conditions and bed stabilization.

  5. Bacterial community shift in the coastal Gulf of Mexico salt-marsh sediment microcosm in vitro following exposure to the Mississippi Canyon Block 252 oil (MC252)

    KAUST Repository

    Koo, Hyunmin; Mojib, Nazia; Huang, Jonathan P.; Donahoe, Rona J.; Bej, Asim K.

    2014-01-01

    In this study, we examined the responses by the indigenous bacterial communities in salt-marsh sediment microcosms in vitro following treatment with Mississippi Canyon Block 252 oil (MC252). Microcosms were constructed of sediment and seawater collected from Bayou La Batre located in coastal Alabama on the Gulf of Mexico. We used an amplicon pyrosequencing approach on microcosm sediment metagenome targeting the V3–V5 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Overall, we identified a shift in the bacterial community in three distinct groups. The first group was the early responders (orders Pseudomonadales and Oceanospirillales within class Gammaproteobacteria), which increased their relative abundance within 2 weeks and were maintained 3 weeks after oil treatment. The second group was identified as early, but transient responders (order Rhodobacterales within class Alphaproteobacteria; class Epsilonproteobacteria), which increased their population by 2 weeks, but returned to the basal level 3 weeks after oil treatment. The third group was the late responders (order Clostridiales within phylum Firmicutes; order Methylococcales within class Gammaproteobacteria; and phylum Tenericutes), which only increased 3 weeks after oil treatment. Furthermore, we identified oil-sensitive bacterial taxa (order Chromatiales within class Gammaproteobacteria; order Syntrophobacterales within class Deltaproteobacteria), which decreased in their population after 2 weeks of oil treatment. Detection of alkane (alkB), catechol (C2,3DO) and biphenyl (bph) biodegradation genes by PCR, particularly in oil-treated sediment metacommunity DNA, delineates proliferation of the hydrocarbon degrading bacterial community. Overall, the indigenous bacterial communities in our salt-marsh sediment in vitro microcosm study responded rapidly and shifted towards members of the taxonomic groups that are capable of surviving in an MC252 oil-contaminated environment.

  6. Bacterial community shift in the coastal Gulf of Mexico salt-marsh sediment microcosm in vitro following exposure to the Mississippi Canyon Block 252 oil (MC252)

    KAUST Repository

    Koo, Hyunmin

    2014-07-10

    In this study, we examined the responses by the indigenous bacterial communities in salt-marsh sediment microcosms in vitro following treatment with Mississippi Canyon Block 252 oil (MC252). Microcosms were constructed of sediment and seawater collected from Bayou La Batre located in coastal Alabama on the Gulf of Mexico. We used an amplicon pyrosequencing approach on microcosm sediment metagenome targeting the V3–V5 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Overall, we identified a shift in the bacterial community in three distinct groups. The first group was the early responders (orders Pseudomonadales and Oceanospirillales within class Gammaproteobacteria), which increased their relative abundance within 2 weeks and were maintained 3 weeks after oil treatment. The second group was identified as early, but transient responders (order Rhodobacterales within class Alphaproteobacteria; class Epsilonproteobacteria), which increased their population by 2 weeks, but returned to the basal level 3 weeks after oil treatment. The third group was the late responders (order Clostridiales within phylum Firmicutes; order Methylococcales within class Gammaproteobacteria; and phylum Tenericutes), which only increased 3 weeks after oil treatment. Furthermore, we identified oil-sensitive bacterial taxa (order Chromatiales within class Gammaproteobacteria; order Syntrophobacterales within class Deltaproteobacteria), which decreased in their population after 2 weeks of oil treatment. Detection of alkane (alkB), catechol (C2,3DO) and biphenyl (bph) biodegradation genes by PCR, particularly in oil-treated sediment metacommunity DNA, delineates proliferation of the hydrocarbon degrading bacterial community. Overall, the indigenous bacterial communities in our salt-marsh sediment in vitro microcosm study responded rapidly and shifted towards members of the taxonomic groups that are capable of surviving in an MC252 oil-contaminated environment.

  7. Computational investigation of hydrokinetic turbine arrays in an open channel using an actuator disk-LES model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Seokkoo; Yang, Xiaolei; Sotiropoulos, Fotis

    2012-11-01

    While a considerable amount of work has focused on studying the effects and performance of wind farms, very little is known about the performance of hydrokinetic turbine arrays in open channels. Unlike large wind farms, where the vertical fluxes of momentum and energy from the atmospheric boundary layer comprise the main transport mechanisms, the presence of free surface in hydrokinetic turbine arrays inhibits vertical transport. To explore this fundamental difference between wind and hydrokinetic turbine arrays, we carry out LES with the actuator disk model to systematically investigate various layouts of hydrokinetic turbine arrays mounted on the bed of a straight open channel with fully-developed turbulent flow fed at the channel inlet. Mean flow quantities and turbulence statistics within and downstream of the arrays will be analyzed and the effect of the turbine arrays as means for increasing the effective roughness of the channel bed will be extensively discussed. This work was supported by Initiative for Renewable Energy & the Environment (IREE) (Grant No. RO-0004-12), and computational resources were provided by Minnesota Supercomputing Institute.

  8. The impact of benthic fauna on fluvial bed load transport: Challenges of upscaling laboratory experiments to river and landscape scales.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rice, S. P.

    2012-04-01

    The impact on sediment transport processes and channel morphology of several relatively large, iconic animals including beaver and salmon is increasingly well understood. However, many other aquatic fauna are important zoogeomorphic agents and ecosystem engineers. These somewhat overlooked "Cinderella" species include benthic aquatic insect larvae, freshwater crustaceans and many species of fish. Despite relatively modest individual effects, the ubiquity, abundance and cumulative impact of these organisms makes them a potentially significant agency, with as yet undiscovered and unquantified impacts on channel morphology and sediment fluxes. Their actions (digging, foraging, moving, burrowing), constructions and secretions modify bed sediment characteristics (grain size distribution, interlock, imbrication, protrusion), alter bed topography (thence hydraulic roughness) and contribute to biogenic restraints on grain movement. In turn, they can affect the distribution of surface particle entrainment thresholds and bed shear stresses, with implications for bed load transport. Flume experiments have measured some of these impacts and provided direct observations of the mechanisms involved, but many of the most interesting research questions pertain to the impact of these animals at reach, catchment and even landscape scales: Not least, what is the impact of small aquatic animals on bed load flux and yield? This presentation will consider some of the challenges involved in answering this question; that is, of scaling up experimental understanding of how aquatic animals affect bed load transport processes to river scales. Pertinent themes include: (1) the potential impacts of experimental arrangements on the behaviours and activities that affect hydraulic or geomorphological processes; (2) field coincidence of the spatial and temporal distributions of (a) the animals and their behaviours with (b) the physical conditions (substrates, flows) under which those animals are

  9. In-situ Geotechnical Characterization of Wetland Channel Cross Sections in Coastal Louisiana Using a Portable Free-fall Penetrometer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bilici, C.; Stark, N.; Ghose Hajra, M.

    2016-02-01

    Broader comprehension of sediment dynamics in wetland channels is essential to protect and restore wetland areas in a sustainable manner. This study focused on a wetland channel located west of Lake Borgne in coastal Louisiana. In-situ tests were performed using a portable free fall penetrometer (PFFP), targeting the characterization of wetland channel sediment characteristics and dynamics. Data were collected at 102 locations along 3 cross-channel transects. Results indicated distinct variations in sediment properties across the channel. Sediments located centrally in the channel were soft and exhibited a similar sediment strength along the channel (0.75 - 3.5 kPa at 20 cm below channel bed surface; 4 - 10 kPa at 100 cm). The sediment strength near the channel banks increased up to 20 kPa at 20 cm below channel bed, while sediment samples did not indicate a significant variation in sediment type. Thus, surficial sediments located at the center of channel appeared less consolidated than at the channel banks. This likely resulted from erosion removing looser sediments due to differences in channel flow patterns or wake waves from boat activity. Furthermore, the thickness of a loose sediment top layer varied for the opposing banks of transects. This may be related to local changes in channel shape. Particularly in meandering parts of the channels, loose sediment layers were limited up to a thickness of 5 cm at the outer bank of individual meanders, while it reached a thickness of 15 cm at the inner bank. This matched the expectations of erosion at the outer banks and deposition on the inner banks. At some locations, asymmetric sediment layers on opposing banks of channel transects were likely related to local channel tributaries. These tributaries may act as a sediment sink or source affecting sedimentation in the investigated channel.

  10. Numerical Simulation of Missouri River Bed Evolution Downstream of Gavins Point Dam

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sulaiman, Z. A.; Blum, M. D.; Lephart, G.; Viparelli, E.

    2016-12-01

    The Missouri River originates in the Rocky Mountains in western Montana and joins the Mississippi River near Saint Louis, Missouri. In the 1900s dam construction and river engineering works, such as river alignment, narrowing and bank protections were performed in the Missouri River basin to control the flood flows, ensure navigation and use the water for agricultural, industrial and municipal needs, for the production of hydroelectric power generation and for recreation. These projects altered the flow and the sediment transport regimes in the river and the exchange of sediment between the river and the adjoining floodplain. Here we focus on the long term effect of dam construction and channel narrowing on the 1200 km long reach of the Missouri River between Gavins Point Dam, Nebraska and South Dakota, and the confluence with the Mississippi River. Field observations show that two downstream migrating waves of channel bed degradation formed in this reach in response to the changes in flow regime, sediment load and channel geometry. We implemented a one dimensional morphodynamic model for large, low slope sand bed rivers, we validated the model at field scale by comparing the numerical results with the available field data and we use the model to 1) predict the magnitude and the migration rate of the waves of degradation at engineering time scales ( 150 years into the future), 2) quantify the changes in the sand load delivered to the Mississippi River, where field observations at Thebes, i.e. downstream of Saint Louis, suggest a decline in the mean annual sand load in the past 50 years, and 3) identify the role of the main tributaries - Little Sioux River, Platte River and Kansas River - on the wave migration speed and the annual sand load in the Missouri River main channel.

  11. Modelling the flooding capacity of a Polish Carpathian river: A comparison of constrained and free channel conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Czech, Wiktoria; Radecki-Pawlik, Artur; Wyżga, Bartłomiej; Hajdukiewicz, Hanna

    2016-11-01

    The gravel-bed Biała River, Polish Carpathians, was heavily affected by channelization and channel incision in the twentieth century. Not only were these impacts detrimental to the ecological state of the river, but they also adversely modified the conditions of floodwater retention and flood wave passage. Therefore, a few years ago an erodible corridor was delimited in two sections of the Biała to enable restoration of the river. In these sections, short, channelized reaches located in the vicinity of bridges alternate with longer, unmanaged channel reaches, which either avoided channelization or in which the channel has widened after the channelization scheme ceased to be maintained. Effects of these alternating channel morphologies on the conditions for flood flows were investigated in a study of 10 pairs of neighbouring river cross sections with constrained and freely developed morphology. Discharges of particular recurrence intervals were determined for each cross section using an empirical formula. The morphology of the cross sections together with data about channel slope and roughness of particular parts of the cross sections were used as input data to the hydraulic modelling performed with the one-dimensional steady-flow HEC-RAS software. The results indicated that freely developed cross sections, usually with multithread morphology, are typified by significantly lower water depth but larger width and cross-sectional flow area at particular discharges than single-thread, channelized cross sections. They also exhibit significantly lower average flow velocity, unit stream power, and bed shear stress. The pattern of differences in the hydraulic parameters of flood flows apparent between the two types of river cross sections varies with the discharges of different frequency, and the contrasts in hydraulic parameters between unmanaged and channelized cross sections are most pronounced at low-frequency, high-magnitude floods. However, because of the deep

  12. Channel planform evolution: Spatial and temporal aspect

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rusnák, M.; Frandofer, M.; Lehotský, M.

    2012-04-01

    The recent period is characterized by impacts of climate change. Increasing magnitude and frequency of flood events results in morphological and morphodynamical changes of river channels. It is a challenge for the fluvial geomorphology to highlight the morphological response to these events, because the knowledge of the morphological-sedimentological attributes of the river channel is the first step in pursue of a comprehensive knowledge of the riverine landscape and impact on its sustainable management. Research of the spatial variability of landforms and the regime of processes creates an appropriate knowledge base for other sciences interested in the riverine as well as terrestrial systems. The contribution deals with the morphological changes of the channel pattern of the River Topľa (115 km in total length, 1506 km2 of catchment area, average annual discharge 8.08 m3.s-1 in mouth). The 72.5 km long segment has been studied (Strahler ord. 4-7). It represents a transient from the mountain cobble-bed to the basin fine gravel-bed river. The Topľa is a less regulated and laterally partly confined river in northeastern Slovakia, with flysch geology. Three time horizons of the remote sensing imagery (1987, 2002 and 2009) have been analyzed using the GIS, with the reference time horizon of 1987. The analysis consists of identification and delimitation of an active channel bank line and the delimitation of the channel bars in the mentioned series of imageries. The active channel width, area of channel bars, lateral channel shift and area stricken by bank erosion were studied via overlaying layers. The last attribute showed a significant increase: during the 1987-2002 period the area of 32.6 ha was eroded, whereas during the following period (2002-2009) of frequent and intensive floods up to 70.0 ha was eroded. Likewise, the maximum channel shift was 260 m and 443 m in 1987-2002 and in 2002-2009 respectively. The key results are not only the values of these parameters

  13. Sedgeunkedunk Stream channel geometry from 2007-08-15 to 2016-03-30 (NCEI Accession 0152486)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — We are collecting stream channel geometry and bed sediment grain size distribution data at Sedgeunkedunk stream to evaluate physical habitat changes associated with...

  14. Phosphorus transport and retention in a channel draining an urban, tropical catchment with informal settlements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nyenje, P. M.; Meijer, L. M. G.; Foppen, J. W.; Kulabako, R.; Uhlenbrook, S.

    2014-03-01

    Urban catchments in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are increasingly becoming a major source of phosphorus (P) to downstream ecosystems. This is primarily due to large inputs of untreated wastewater to urban drainage channels, especially in informal settlements (or slums). However, the processes governing the fate of P in these catchments are largely unknown. In this study, these processes are investigated. During high runoff events and a period of base flow, we collected hourly water samples (over 24 h) from a primary channel draining a 28 km2 slum-dominated catchment in Kampala, Uganda, and from a tertiary channel draining one of the contributing slum areas (0.54 km2). The samples were analysed for orthophosphate (PO4-P), particulate P (PP), total P (TP), suspended solids (SS) and hydrochemistry. We also collected channel bed and suspended sediments to determine their geo-available metals, sorption characteristics and the dominant phosphorus forms. Our results showed that the catchment exported high fluxes of P (0.3 kg km2 d-1 for PO4-P and 0.95 for TP), which were several orders of magnitude higher than values normally reported in literature. A large proportion of P exported was particulate (56% of TP) and we inferred that most of it was retained along the channel bed. The retained sediment P was predominantly inorganic (> 63% of total sediment P) and consisted of mostly Ca and Fe-bound P, which were present in almost equal proportions. Ca-bound sediment P was attributed to the adsorption of P to calcite because surface water was near saturation with respect to calcite in all the events sampled. Fe-bound sediment P was attributed to the adsorption of P to iron oxides in suspended sediment during runoff events given that surface water was undersaturated with respect to iron phosphates. We also found that the bed sediments were P-saturated and showed a tendency to release P by mineralisation and desorption. During rain events, there was a flushing of PP which we

  15. Photographic guidance for selecting flow resistance coefficients in high-gradient channels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steven E. Yochum; Francesco Comiti; Ellen Wohl; Gabrielle C. L. David; Luca Mao

    2014-01-01

    Photographic guidance is presented to assist with the estimation of Manning’s n and Darcy-Weisbach f in high-gradient plane-bed, step-pool, and cascade channels. Reaches both with and without instream wood are included. These coefficients are necessary for the estimation of reachaverage velocity, energy loss, and...

  16. A Non-Equilibrium Sediment Transport Model for Coastal Inlets and Navigation Channels

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    combined, and therefore, there is one less partial differential equation to be solved. The short-term channel infilling and migration in two laboratory...oscillatory sheet flow: Experiments and bed load modeling. Coastal Engineering, 46(1), 61-87. Exner, F. M. 1925. Uber die Wechselwirkung zwischen

  17. Channel Formation in Physical Experiments: Examples from Deep and Shallow Water Clastic Sedimentary Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoyal, D. C.; Sheets, B. A.

    2005-12-01

    The degree to which experimental sedimentary systems form channels has an important bearing on their applicability as analogs of large-scale natural systems, where channels and their associated landforms are ubiquitous. The internal geometry and properties (e.g., grain size, vertical succession and stacking) of many depositional landforms can be directly linked to the processes of channel initiation and evolution. Unfortunately, strong self-channelization, a prerequisite for certain natural phenomena (e.g. mouth lobe development, meandering, etc.), has been difficult to reproduce at laboratory scales. In shallow-water experiments (sub-aerial), although weak channelization develops relatively easily, as is commonly observed in gutters after a rain storm, strong channelization with well-developed banks has proved difficult to model. In deep water experiments the challenge is even greater. Despite considerable research effort experimental conditions for deep water channel initiation have only recently been identified. Experiments on the requisite conditions for channelization in shallow and deep water have been ongoing at the ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company (EMURC) for several years. By primarily manipulating the cohesiveness of the sediment supply we have developed models of distributive systems with well-defined channels in shallow water, reminiscent of fine grained river-dominated deltas like the Mississippi. In deep water we have developed models that demonstrate strong channelization and associated lobe behavior in a distributive setting, by scaling up an approach developed by another group using salt-water flows and low-density plastic sediment. The experiments highlight a number of important controls on experimental channel formation, including: (1) bed strength or cohesiveness; (2) bedform development; and (3) Reynolds number. Among these controls bed forms disrupt the channel forming instability, reducing the energy available for channelization. The

  18. Modeling of river bed deformation composed of frozen sediments with increasing environmental temperature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. I. Debolskaya

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper is devoted to investigation of the influence of river flow and of the temperature rise on the deformation of the coastal slopes composed of permafrost with the inclusion of ice layer. The method of investigation is the laboratory and mathematical modeling. The laboratory experiments have shown that an increase in water and air temperature changes in a laboratory analogue of permafrost causes deformation of the channel even without wave action, i.e. at steady-state flow and non-erosive water flow velocity. The previously developed model of the bed deformation was improved to account for long-term changes of soil structure with increasing temperature. The three-dimensional mathematical model of coastal slopes thermoerosion of the rivers flowing in permafrost regions, and its verification was based on the results of laboratory experiments conducted in the hydraulic tray. Analysis of the results of mathematical and laboratory modeling showed that bed deformation of the rivers flowing in the permafrost zone, significantly different from the deformation of channels composed of soils not susceptible to the influence of the phase transition «water-ice», and can occur even under the non-erosive velocity of the water flow.

  19. Flow Convergence Caused by a Salinity Minimum in a Tidal Channel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John C. Warner

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available Residence times of dissolved substances and sedimentation rates in tidal channels are affected by residual (tidally averaged circulation patterns. One influence on these circulation patterns is the longitudinal density gradient. In most estuaries the longitudinal density gradient typically maintains a constant direction. However, a junction of tidal channels can create a local reversal (change in sign of the density gradient. This can occur due to a difference in the phase of tidal currents in each channel. In San Francisco Bay, the phasing of the currents at the junction of Mare Island Strait and Carquinez Strait produces a local salinity minimum in Mare Island Strait. At the location of a local salinity minimum the longitudinal density gradient reverses direction. This paper presents four numerical models that were used to investigate the circulation caused by the salinity minimum: (1 A simple one-dimensional (1D finite difference model demonstrates that a local salinity minimum is advected into Mare Island Strait from the junction with Carquinez Strait during flood tide. (2 A three-dimensional (3D hydrodynamic finite element model is used to compute the tidally averaged circulation in a channel that contains a salinity minimum (a change in the sign of the longitudinal density gradient and compares that to a channel that contains a longitudinal density gradient in a constant direction. The tidally averaged circulation produced by the salinity minimum is characterized by converging flow at the bed and diverging flow at the surface, whereas the circulation produced by the constant direction gradient is characterized by converging flow at the bed and downstream surface currents. These velocity fields are used to drive both a particle tracking and a sediment transport model. (3 A particle tracking model demonstrates a 30 percent increase in the residence time of neutrally buoyant particles transported through the salinity minimum, as compared to

  20. An Analysis of Responses to Defibrotide in the Pulmonary Vascular Bed of the Cat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaye, Alan D; Skonieczny, Brendan D; Kaye, Aaron J; Harris, Zoey I; Luk, Eric J

    2016-01-01

    Defibrotide is a polydisperse mixture of single-stranded oligonucleotides with many pharmacologic properties and multiple actions on the vascular endothelium. Responses to defibrotide and other vasodepressor agents were evaluated in the pulmonary vascular bed of the cat under conditions of controlled pulmonary blood flow and constant left atrial pressure. Lobar arterial pressure was increased to a high steady level with the thromboxane A2 analog U-46619. Under increased-tone conditions, defibrotide caused dose-dependent decreases in lobar arterial pressure without altering systemic arterial and left atrial pressures. Responses to defibrotide were significantly attenuated after the administration of the cyclooxygenase inhibitor sodium meclofenamate. Responses to defibrotide were also significantly attenuated after the administration of both the adenosine 1 and 2 receptor antagonists 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dimethylxanthine and 8-(3-chlorostyryl)caffeine. Responses to defibrotide were not altered after the administration of the vascular selective adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium channel blocker U-37883A, or after the administration of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-N-(1-iminoethyl)-ornithine. These data show that defibrotide has significant vasodepressor activity in the pulmonary vascular bed of the cat. They also suggest that pulmonary vasodilator responses to defibrotide are partially dependent on both the activation of the cyclooxygenase enzyme and adenosine 1 and 2 receptor pathways and independent of the activation of adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium channels or the synthesis of nitric oxide in the pulmonary vascular bed of the cat.

  1. Steam Generator Group Project. Task 6. Channel head decontamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Allen, R.P.; Clark, R.L.; Reece, W.D.

    1984-08-01

    The Steam Generator Group Project utilizes a retired-from-service pressurized-water-reactor steam generator as a test bed and source of specimens for research. An important preparatory step to primary side research activities was reduction of the radiation field in the steam generator channel head. This task report describes the channel head decontamination activities. Though not a programmatic research objective it was judged beneficial to explore the use of dilute reagent chemical decontamination techniques. These techniques presented potential for reduced personnel exposure and reduced secondary radwaste generation, over currently used abrasive blasting techniques. Two techniques with extensive laboratory research and vendors prepared to offer commercial application were tested, one on either side of the channel head. As indicated in the report, both techniques accomplished similar decontamination objectives. Neither technique damaged the generator channel head or tubing materials, as applied. This report provides details of the decontamination operations. Application system and operating conditions are described

  2. Predictive techniques for river channel evolution and maintenance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, J.M.

    1996-01-01

    Predicting changes in alluvial channel morphology associated with anthropogenic and natural changes in flow and/or sediment supply is a critical part of the management of riverine systems. Over the past few years, advances in the understanding of the physics of sediment transport in conjunction with rapidly increasing capabilities in computational fluid dynamics have yielded now approaches to problems in river mechanics. Techniques appropriate for length scales ranging from reaches to bars and bedforms are described here. Examples of the use of these computational approaches are discussed for three cases: (1) the design of diversion scenarios that maintain channel morphology in steep cobble-bedded channels in Colorado, (2) determination of channel maintenance flows for the preservation of channel islands in the Snake River in Idaho, and (3) prediction of the temporal evolution of deposits in lateral separation zones for future assessment of the impacts of various dam release scenarios on lateral separation deposits in the Colorado River in Grand Canyon. With continued development of their scientific and technical components, the methodologies described here can provide powerful tools for the management of river environments in the future.

  3. The Spatial Distribution of Bed Sediment on Fluvial System: A Mini Review of the Aceh Meandering River

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Irham

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Dynamic interactions of hydrological and geomorphological processes in the fluvial system result in accumulated deposit on the bed because the capacity to carry sediment has been exceeded. The bed load of the Aceh fluvial system is primarily generated by mechanical weathering resulting in boulders, pebbles, and sand, which roll or bounce along the river bed forming temporary deposits as bars on the insides of meander bends, as a result of a loss of transport energy in the system. This dynamic controls the style and range of deposits in the Aceh River. This study focuses on the spatial distribution of bed-load transport of the Aceh River. Understanding the spatial distribution of deposits facilitates the reconstruction of the changes in controlling factors during accumulation of deposits. One of the methods can be done by sieve analysis of sediment, where the method illuminates the distribution of sediment changes associated with channel morphology under different flow regimes. Hence, the purpose of this mini review is to investigate how the sediment along the river meander spatially dispersed. The results demonstrate that channel deposits in the Aceh River are formed from four different type of materials: pebble deposited along upstream left bank; sand located on the upstream, downstream, and along meander belts; and silt and clay located along the cut bank of meander bends. Because of different depositional pattern, the distribution of the sediment along the river can be used as a surrogate to identify bank stability, as well as to predict critical geometry for meander bend initiation

  4. Velocity-based analysis of sediment incipient deposition in rigid boundary open channels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aksoy, Hafzullah; Safari, Mir Jafar Sadegh; Unal, Necati Erdem; Mohammadi, Mirali

    2017-11-01

    Drainage systems must be designed in a way to minimize undesired problems such as decrease in hydraulic capacity of the channel, blockage and transport of pollutants due to deposition of sediment. Channel design considering self-cleansing criteria are used to solve the sedimentation problem. Incipient deposition is one of the non-deposition self-cleansing design criteria that can be used as a conservative method for channel design. Experimental studies have been carried out in five different cross-section channels, namely trapezoidal, rectangular, circular, U-shape and V-bottom. Experiments were performed in a tilting flume using four different sizes of sands as sediment in nine different channel bed slopes. Two well-known methods, namely the Novak & Nalluri and Yang methods are considered for the analysis of sediment motion. Equations developed using experimental data are found to be in agreement with the literature. It is concluded that the design velocity depends on the shape of the channel cross-section. Rectangular and V-bottom channels need lower and higher incipient deposition velocities, respectively, in comparison with other channels.

  5. Bed-material entrainment and associated transportation infrastructure problems in streams of the Edwards Plateau, central Texas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heitmuller, Franklin T.; Asquith, William H.

    2008-01-01

    The Texas Department of Transportation commonly builds and maintains low-water crossings (LWCs) over streams in the Edwards Plateau in Central Texas. LWCs are low-height structures, typically constructed of concrete and asphalt, that provide acceptable passage over seasonal rivers or streams with relatively low normal-depth flow. They are designed to accommodate flow by roadway overtopping during high-flow events. The streams of the Edwards Plateau are characterized by cobble- and gravel-sized bed material and highly variable flow regimes. Low base flows that occur most of the time occasionally are interrupted by severe floods. The floods entrain and transport substantial loads of bed material in the stream channels. As a result, LWCs over streams in the Edwards Plateau are bombarded and abraded by bed material during floods and periodically must be maintained or even replaced.

  6. Groundwater Discharge along a Channelized Coastal Plain Stream

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    LaSage, Danita M [Ky Dept for natural resources, Div of Mine Permits; Sexton, Joshua L [JL Sexton and Son; Mukherjee, Abhijit [Univ of Tx, Jackson School of Geosciences, Bur of Econ. Geology; Fryar, Alan E [Univ of KY, Dept of Earth and Geoligical Sciences; Greb, Stephen F [Univ of KY, KY Geological Survey

    2015-10-01

    In the Coastal Plain of the southeastern USA, streams have commonly been artificially channelized for flood control and agricultural drainage. However, groundwater discharge along such streams has received relatively little attention. Using a combination of stream- and spring-flow measurements, spring temperature measurements, temperature profiling along the stream-bed, and geologic mapping, we delineated zones of diffuse and focused discharge along Little Bayou Creek, a channelized, first-order perennial stream in western Kentucky. Seasonal variability in groundwater discharge mimics hydraulic-head fluctuations in a nearby monitoring well and spring-discharge fluctuations elsewhere in the region, and is likely to reflect seasonal variability in recharge. Diffuse discharge occurs where the stream is incised into the semi-confined regional gravel aquifer, which is comprised of the Mounds Gravel. Focused discharge occurs upstream where the channel appears to have intersected preferential pathways within the confining unit. Seasonal fluctuations in discharge from individual springs are repressed where piping results in bank collapse. Thereby, focused discharge can contribute to the morphological evolution of the stream channel.

  7. Sedimentary processes and architecture of Upper Cretaceous deep-sea channel deposits: a case from the Skole Nappe, Polish Outer Carpathians

    Science.gov (United States)

    Łapcik, Piotr

    2018-02-01

    Deep-sea channels are one of the architectonic elements, forming the main conduits for sand and gravel material in the turbidite depositional systems. Deep-sea channel facies are mostly represented by stacking of thick-bedded massive sandstones with abundant coarse-grained material, ripped-up clasts, amalgamation and large scale erosional structures. The Manasterz Quarry of the Ropianka Formation (Upper Cretaceous, Skole Nappe, Carpathians) contains a succession of at least 31 m of thick-bedded high-density turbidites alternated with clast-rich sandy debrites, which are interpreted as axial deposits of a deep-sea channel. The section studied includes 5 or 6 storeys with debrite basal lag deposits covered by amalgamated turbidite fills. The thickness of particular storeys varies from 2.5 to 13 m. Vertical stacking of similar facies through the whole thickness of the section suggest a hierarchically higher channel-fill or a channel complex set, with an aggradation rate higher than its lateral migration. Such channel axis facies cannot aggrade without simultaneous aggradation of levee confinement, which was distinguished in an associated section located to the NW from the Manasterz Quarry. Lateral offset of channel axis facies into channel margin or channel levee facies is estimated at less than 800 m. The Manasterz Quarry section represents mostly the filling and amalgamation stage of channel formation. The described channel architectural elements of the Ropianka Formation are located within the so-called Łańcut Channel Zone, which was previously thought to be Oligocene but may have been present already in the Late Cretaceous.

  8. Inception of supraglacial channelization under turbulent flow conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mantelli, E.; Camporeale, C.; Ridolfi, L.

    2013-12-01

    Glacier surfaces exhibit an amazing variety of meltwater-induced morphologies, ranging from small scale ripples and dunes on the bed of supraglacial channels to meandering patterns, till to large scale drainage networks. Even though the structure and geometry of these morphologies play a key role in the glacier melting processes, the physical-based modeling of such spatial patterns have attracted less attention than englacial and subglacial channels. In order to partially fill this gap, our work concerns the large scale channelization occurring on the ice slopes and focuses on the role of turbulence on the wavelength selection processes during the channelization inception. In a recent study[1], two of us showed that the morphological instability induced by a laminar film flowing over an ice bed is characterized by transversal length scales of order of centimeters. Being these scales much smaller than the spacing observed in the channelization of supraglacial drainage networks (that are of order of meters) and considering that the water films flowing on glaciers can exhibit Reynolds numbers larger than 104, we investigated the role of turbulence in the inception of channelization. The flow-field is modeled by means of two-dimensional shallow water equations, where Reynolds stresses are also considered. In the depth-averaged heat balance equation an incoming heat flux from air is assumed and forced convection heat exchange with the wall is taken into account, in addition to convection and diffusion in the liquid. The temperature profile in the ice is finally coupled to the liquid through Stefan equation. We then perform a linear stability analysis and, under the assumption of small Stefan number, we solve the differential eigenvalue problem analytically. As main outcome of such an analysis, the morphological instability of the ice-water interface is detected and investigated in a wide range of the independent parameters: longitudinal and transversal wavenumbers

  9. Management bedding : vrijloopstal met composterende bedding van houtsnippers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boer, de H.C.; Wiersma, M.; Galama, P.J.; Szanto, G.L.

    2015-01-01

    In de vrijloopstal liggen de koeien meestal op een organische bedding en scheiden daar mest (feces en urine) uit. Om de bedding voldoende droog en schoon te houden wordt er regelmatig nieuw strooisel aangevoerd en wordt de toplaag bewerkt. Op basis van onderzoek- en praktijkervaringen tot nu toe

  10. Larkin Mill Dam channel geometry from 2008-06-09 to 2010-06-16 (NCEI Accession 0152472)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — We are collecting stream channel geometry and bed sediment grain size distribution data at the Parker River to evaluate physical habitat changes associated with the...

  11. Joint Channel Assignment and Routing in Multiradio Multichannel Wireless Mesh Networks: Design Considerations and Approaches

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Omar M. Zakaria

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Multiradio wireless mesh network is a promising architecture that improves the network capacity by exploiting multiple radio channels concurrently. Channel assignment and routing are underlying challenges in multiradio architectures since both determine the traffic distribution over links and channels. The interdependency between channel assignments and routing promotes toward the joint solutions for efficient configurations. This paper presents an in-depth review of the joint approaches of channel assignment and routing in multiradio wireless mesh networks. First, the key design issues, modeling, and approaches are identified and discussed. Second, existing algorithms for joint channel assignment and routing are presented and classified based on the channel assignment types. Furthermore, the set of reconfiguration algorithms to adapt the network traffic dynamics is also discussed. Finally, the paper presents some multiradio practical implementations and test-beds and points out the future research directions.

  12. The natural channel of Brandywine Creek, Pennsylvania

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolman, M.G.

    1955-01-01

    This study of the channel of Brandy wine Creek, Pennsylvania, consists of three parts. The first is an analysis of the changes which take place in the width, depth, velocity, slope of the water surface, suspended load, and roughness factor with changing discharge below the bankfull stage at each of several widely separated cross sections of the channel. Expressed as functions of the discharge, it is found that the variables behave systematically. In every section studied, as the discharge increases, the velocity increases to about the 0.6 power, depth to the 0.4, and load to the 2.0 power of the discharge. The roughness decreases to the 0.2 power of the discharge. The relative magnitudes and the direction of these variations are similar to those which have been observed in other rivers in the United States, primarily in the West. Some modifications of the hypotheses applicable to the western rivers are probably required because on Brandywine Creek the difference between the materials on the bed and in the banks is considerably greater than it is on most of the western rivers studied. In the second part of the paper the progressive changes of the same variables in the downstream direction with increasing discharge at a given frequency are described. Despite the disorderly appearance of the stream, it is found that the variables display a progressive, orderly change in the downstream direction when traced from the headwater tributaries through the trunk stream of Brandywine Creek. At a given frequency of flow, width increases with discharge to about the 0.5 power. Depth increases downstream somewhat less rapidly, while the slope and roughness both decrease in the downstream direction. Despite a decrease in the size of the material on the bed, both the mean velocity and the mean bed velocity increase downstream. The rates of change of these variables are in close accord with the changes observed on rivers flowing in alluvium and in stable irrigation canals. These

  13. Instability of shallow open channel flow with lateral velocity gradients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lima, A C; Izumi, N, E-mail: adriano@eng.hokudai.ac.jp, E-mail: nizumi@eng.hokudai.ac.jp [River and Watershed Engineering Laboratory, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-8628 (Japan)

    2011-12-22

    The turbulent flow in a wide rectangular open channel partially covered with vegetation is studied using linear stability analysis. In the base state normal flow condition, the water depth is constant and the transverse velocity vanishes, while there is a lateral gradient in the streamwise velocity with an inflexion point at the boundary between the vegetated zone and the main channel. The Reynolds stress is expressed by introducing the eddy viscosity, which is obtained from assuming a logarithmic distribution of the velocity near the bed. Perturbation expansions are introduced to the streamwise and transverse velocities, as well as to the water depth. The system of governing equations was solved in order to determine the maximum growth rate of the perturbations as a function of parameters which describe physical characteristics of the channel and the flow.

  14. Functional and pharmacological consequences of the distribution of voltage-gated calcium channels in the renal blood vessels

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, P B L

    2013-01-01

    Calcium channel blockers are widely used to treat hypertension because they inhibit voltage-gated calcium channels that mediate transmembrane calcium influx in, for example, vascular smooth muscle and cardiomyocytes. The calcium channel family consists of several subfamilies, of which the L......-type is usually associated with vascular contractility. However, the L-, T- and P-/Q-types of calcium channels are present in the renal vasculature and are differentially involved in controlling vascular contractility, thereby contributing to regulation of kidney function and blood pressure. In the preglomerular...... vascular bed, all the three channel families are present. However, the T-type channel is the only channel in cortical efferent arterioles which is in contrast to the juxtamedullary efferent arteriole, and that leads to diverse functional effects of L- and T-type channel inhibition. Furthermore...

  15. Effect of bed particles to combustion of gases in fluidized bed

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Raiko, R.; Wallen, V.; Etelaeaho, R.; Correia, S. [Tampere Univ. of Technology (Finland). Energy and Process Engineering

    1997-10-01

    The objective of this project was to obtain experimental data on effects of sand particles to the combustion of gases. The effect of the surface area of the particles was tested using different sized particles. The fluidized bed reactor used in these experiments was a stainless-steel tube with an internal diameter of 42 mm surrounded by an electric heater. The test rig was built in the Laboratory of Energy and Process Engineering at Tampere University of Technology. In order to elucidate the possible changes of particle surface, microscopic and porosimetric studies were conducted with both fresh bed particles and used bed particles. These measurements indicate that carbon monoxide significantly reacts with oxygen in the particulate or emulsion phase of a fluidized bed, if the residence time is long enough. The reaction rate depends mainly on temperature, air coefficient, residence time and particle size of the solids. It seems that the combustion enhances if the average particle size increases. Whether this is caused by increased free path length or reduced specific surface area of the bed is yet unknown. The first might be more probable cause because the majority of reactions often took place in the freeboard right above the bed. It was clear that the bed hindered proper combustion in several cases. (orig.)

  16. Bed retained products in swept fixed bed (SFB) coal hydropyrolysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mastral, A.M.; Perez-Surio, M.J. [CSIC, Zaragosa (Spain). Inst. de Carboquimica

    1997-12-31

    The hydropyrolysis of a low rank coal in a swept fixed bed (SFB) reactor is carried out by fixing the hydrogen pressure (40 kg/cm{sup 2}), the hydrogen flow (2 l/min) and the residence time (10 min) at increasing temperatures (400 C, 500 C and 600 C) and coal bed heights (h, 1.5h, 2h, 2.5h and 3h). It is shown that the percentages of tars and char directly depend on the coal bed height and that there is not only a quantitative dependence, but also the height of the coal bed is very important and plays a relevant role on the nature of the conversion products. (orig.)

  17. The Effects of Dams on Downstream Channel Characteristics in Pennsylvania and Maryland: Assessing the Potential Consequences of Dam Removal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skalak, K. J.; Pizzuto, J. E.; Jenkins, P.

    2003-12-01

    The potential downstream effects of dam removal were assessed on fifteen sites of varying dam size and characteristics in Pennsylvania and Maryland. The dams ranged in size from a 30 cm high fish weir to a water supply dam 57 m high. Stream order ranged from 1 to 4. The dams are located in watersheds with varying degrees of human disturbance and urbanization. The dams are also operated differently, with significant consequences for hydraulic residence time and downstream flow variability. Most streams were alluvial, but 6 of the reaches were clearly bedrock channels. We hypothesize that the channel upstream, which is unaffected by the dam, will provide an accurate model for the channel downstream of the dam long after dam removal. Therefore, reaches upstream and downstream of the dam were compared to determine the effects of the dam as well as the condition of the stream that will ultimately develop decades after dam removal. Surprisingly, the dams had no consistent influence on channel morphology. However, the percentage of sand is significantly lower downstream than upstream: the mean % sand downstream is 11.47%, while the mean % sand upstream is 21.39%. The coarser fractions of the bed, as represented by the 84th percentile grain diameter, are unaffected by the presence of the dam. These results imply that decades after dam removal, the percentage of sand on the bed will increase, but the coarse fraction of the bed will remain relatively unchanged.

  18. In-bed accountability of tritium in production scale metal hydride storage beds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klein, J.E.

    1995-01-01

    An ''in-bed accountability'' (IBA) flowing gas calorimetric measurement method has been developed and implemented to eliminate the need to remove tritium from production scale metal hydride storage beds for inventory measurement purposes. Six-point tritium IBA calibration curves have been completed for two, 390 gram tritium metal hydride storage beds. The calibration curves for the two tritium beds are similar to those obtained from the ''cold'' test program. Tritium inventory errors at the 95 percent confidence level ranged from ± 7.3 to 8.6 grams for the cold test results compared to ± 4.2 to 7.5 grams obtained for the two tritium calibrated beds

  19. Thermal Analysis of Fluidized Bed and Fixed Bed Latent Heat Thermal Storage System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beemkumar, N.; Karthikeyan, A.; Shiva Keshava Reddy, Kota; Rajesh, Kona; Anderson, A.

    2017-05-01

    Thermal energy storage technology is essential because its stores available energy at low cost. Objective of the work is to store the thermal energy in a most efficient method. This work is deal with thermal analysis of fluidized bed and fixed bed latent heat thermal storage (LHTS) system with different encapsulation materials (aluminium, brass and copper). D-Mannitol has been used as phase change material (PCM). Encapsulation material which is in orbicular shape with 4 inch diameter and 2 mm thickness orbicular shaped product is used. Therminol-66 is used as a heat transfer fluid (HTF). Arrangement of encapsulation material is done in two ways namely fluidized bed and fixed bed thermal storage system. Comparison was made between the performance of fixed bed and fluidized bed with different encapsulation material. It is observed that from the economical point of view aluminium in fluidized bed LHTS System has highest efficiency than copper and brass. The thermal energy storage system can be analyzed with fixed bed by varying mass flow rate of oil paves a way to find effective heat energy transfer.

  20. Bed care for patients in palliative settings: considering risks to caregivers and bed surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fragala, Guy

    2015-02-01

    Ensuring patients are comfortable in bed is key to effective palliative care, but when moving and positioning patients in bed, health professionals face an occupational risk of injury. The turning and positioning (TAP) system is a new method of moving patients in bed, that evidence has shown to reduce the risk of injury to caregivers. Providing the correct bed surface is another aspect of bed care essential to the comfort of the palliative patient, and to aid wound prevention and treatment. It is important to take a patient-centred approach when considering the most appropriate bed surface patients. This article provides an overview and discussion of these two aspects of bed care for palliative patients.

  1. Fluid bed porosity equation for an inverse fluidized bed bioreactor with particles growing biofilm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Campos-Diaz, K. E.; Limas-Ballesteros, R.

    2009-01-01

    Fluid Bed Bioreactor performance is strongly affected by bed void fraction or bed porosity fluctuations. Particle size enlargement due to biofilm growth is an important factor that is involved in these variations and until now there are no mathematical equations that consider biofilm growth. In this work a mathematical equation is proposed to calculate bed void fraction in an inverse fluid bed bioreactor. (Author)

  2. The Devil is in the Details: Using X-Ray Computed Tomography to Develop Accurate 3D Grain Characteristics and Bed Structure Metrics for Gravel Bed Rivers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voepel, H.; Hodge, R. A.; Leyland, J.; Sear, D. A.; Ahmed, S. I.

    2014-12-01

    Uncertainty for bedload estimates in gravel bed rivers is largely driven by our inability to characterize the arrangement and orientation of the sediment grains within the bed. The characteristics of the surface structure are produced by the water working of grains, which leads to structural differences in bedforms through differential patterns of grain sorting, packing, imbrication, mortaring and degree of bed armoring. Until recently the technical and logistical difficulties of characterizing the arrangement of sediment in 3D have prohibited a full understanding of how grains interact with stream flow and the feedback mechanisms that exist. Micro-focus X-ray CT has been used for non-destructive 3D imaging of grains within a series of intact sections of river bed taken from key morphological units (see Figure 1). Volume, center of mass, points of contact, protrusion and spatial orientation of individual surface grains are derived from these 3D images, which in turn, facilitates estimates of 3D static force properties at the grain-scale such as pivoting angles, buoyancy and gravity forces, and grain exposure. By aggregating representative samples of grain-scale properties of localized interacting sediment into overall metrics, we can compare and contrast bed stability at a macro-scale with respect to stream bed morphology. Understanding differences in bed stability through representative metrics derived at the grain-scale will ultimately lead to improved bedload estimates with reduced uncertainty and increased understanding of interactions between grain-scale properties on channel morphology. Figure 1. CT-Scans of a water worked gravel-filled pot. a. 3D rendered scan showing the outer mesh, and b. the same pot with the mesh removed. c. vertical change in porosity of the gravels sampled in 5mm volumes. Values are typical of those measured in the field and lab. d. 2-D slices through the gravels at 20% depth from surface (porosity = 0.35), and e. 75% depth from

  3. Pebble-bed reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lohnert, G.; Mueller-Frank, U.; Heil, J.

    1976-01-01

    A pebble-bed nuclear reactor of large power rating comprises a container having a funnel-shaped bottom forming a pebble run-out having a centrally positioned outlet. A bed of downwardly-flowing substantially spherical nuclear fuel pebbles is positioned in the container and forms a reactive nuclear core maintained by feeding unused pebbles to the bed's top surface while used or burned-out pebbles run out and discharge through the outlet. A substantially conical body with its apex pointing upwardly and its periphery spaced from the periphery of the container spreads the bottom of the bed outwardly to provide an annular flow down the funnel-shaped bottom forming the runout, to the discharge outlet. This provides a largely constant downward velocity of the spheres throughout the diameter of the bed throughout a substantial portion of the down travel, so that all spheres reach about the same burned-out condition when they leave the core, after a single pass through the core area

  4. The Safety of Hospital Beds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gervais, Pierre; Pooler, Charlotte; Merryweather, Andrew; Doig, Alexa K.; Bloswick, Donald

    2015-01-01

    To explore the safety of the standard and the low hospital bed, we report on a microanalysis of 15 patients’ ability to ingress, move about the bed, and egress. The 15 participants were purposefully selected with various disabilities. Bed conditions were randomized with side rails up or down and one low bed with side rails down. We explored the patients’ use of the side rails, bed height, ability to lift their legs onto the mattress, and ability to turn, egress, and walk back to the chair. The standard bed was too high for some participants, both for ingress and egress. Side rails were used by most participants when entering, turning in bed, and exiting. We recommend that side rails be reconsidered as a means to facilitate in-bed movement, ingress, and egress. Furthermore, single deck height settings for all patients are not optimal. Low beds as a safety measure must be re-evaluated. PMID:28462302

  5. Fluid-bed combustion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hunt, G.; Schoebotham, N.

    1981-02-01

    In Energy Equipment Company's two-stage fluidized bed system, partial combustion in a fluidized bed is followed by burn-off of the generated gases above the bed. The system can be retrofitted to existing boilers, and can burn small, high ash coal efficiently. It has advantages when used as a hot gas generator for process drying. Tests on a boiler at a Cadbury Schweppes plant are reported.

  6. PIT-tagged particle study of bed mobility in a Maine salmon river impacted by logging activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, D. M.; Fixler, S. A.; Roberts, K. E.; McKenna, M.; Marshall, A. E.; Koenig, S.

    2017-12-01

    Presenting an interim report on a study on the Narraguagus River in Maine, which utilizes laser total stations cross-sectional surveys and tracking of passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags embedded in glass spheres to document changes in channel-bed characteristics associated with large wood (LW) additions and natural spawning activities. In 2016, work was initiated to monitor changes in bed elevation and sediment mobility with the addition of LW to the Narraguagus River as part of a restoration effort. Ten cross-sections, spaced 5-m apart, were established and surveyed with a laser total station in each of three different study reaches. The study sites include a control reach, a section with anticipated spawning activities and a site with ongoing LW placement. A grid of 200 glass spheres embedded with PIT tags, with twenty alternating 25-mm and 40-mm size particles equally spaced along each of the ten transects, were placed to serve as point sensors to detect sediment mobilization within each reach. In 2017, the site was revisited to determine if differences in PIT-tagged tracer particle mobilization reflect locations were LW was added and places where Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) construct spawning redds. The positions of PIT-tagged tracer particles was recorded, but particles were not disturbed or uncovered to permit study of potential reworking of buried tracer particles the following year. Full tracer particle recovery will be determined in 2018 to determine if depths of tracer burial and changes in bed elevation vary among places near redds, LW and main channel locations. The data will be used to determine if salmon redds are preferentially located in either places with greater evidence of sediment reworking or alternatively in stable areas? The study will help determine the degree of bed disruption associated with spawning activities and whether LW placement encourages similar sediment mobilization processes.

  7. Topographical change caused by moderate and small floods in a gravel bed ephemeral river - a depth-averaged morphodynamic simulation approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lotsari, Eliisa S.; Calle, Mikel; Benito, Gerardo; Kukko, Antero; Kaartinen, Harri; Hyyppä, Juha; Hyyppä, Hannu; Alho, Petteri

    2018-03-01

    In ephemeral rivers, channel morphology represents a snapshot at the end of a succession of geomorphic changes caused by floods. In most cases, the channel shape and bedform migration during different phases of a flood hydrograph cannot be identified from field evidence. This paper analyses the timing of riverbed erosion and deposition of a gravel bed ephemeral river channel (Rambla de la Viuda, Spain) during consecutive and moderate- (March 2013) and low-magnitude (May 2013) discharge events, by applying a morphodynamic model (Delft3D) calibrated with pre- and post-event surveys by RTK-GPS points and mobile laser scanning. The study reach is mainly depositional and all bedload sediment supplied from adjacent upstream areas is trapped in the study segment forming gravel lobes. Therefore, estimates of total bedload sediment mass balance can be obtained from pre- and post-field survey for each flood event. The spatially varying grain size data and transport equations were the most important factors for model calibration, in addition to flow discharge. The channel acted as a braided channel during the lower flows of the two discharge events, but when bars were submerged in the high discharges of May 2013, the high fluid forces followed a meandering river planform. The model results showed that erosion and deposition were in total greater during the long-lasting receding phase than during the rising phase of the flood hydrographs. In the case of the moderate-magnitude discharge event, deposition and erosion peaks were predicted to occur at the beginning of the hydrograph, whereas deposition dominated throughout the event. Conversely, the low-magnitude discharge event only experienced the peak of channel changes after the discharge peak. Thus, both type of discharge events highlight the importance of receding phase for this type of gravel bed ephemeral river channel.

  8. Flow instability tests for a particle bed reactor nuclear thermal rocket fuel element

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lawrence, Timothy J.

    1993-05-01

    Recent analyses have focused on the flow stability characteristics of a particle bed reactor (PBR). These laminar flow instabilities may exist in reactors with parallel paths and are caused by the heating of the gas at low Reynolds numbers. This phenomena can be described as follows: several parallel channels are connected at the plenum regions and are stabilized by some inlet temperature and pressure; a perturbation in one channel causes the temperature to rise and increases the gas viscosity and reduces the gas density; the pressure drop is fixed by the plenum regions, therefore, the mass flow rate in the channel would decrease; the decrease in flow reduces the ability to remove the energy added and the temperature increases; and finally, this process could continue until the fuel element fails. Several analyses based on different methods have derived similar curves to show that these instabilities may exist at low Reynolds numbers and high phi's ((Tfinal Tinitial)/Tinitial). These analyses need to be experimentally verified.

  9. Bed-level adjustments in the Arno River, central Italy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rinaldi, Massimo; Simon, Andrew

    1998-02-01

    Two distinct phases of bed-level adjustment over the last 150 years are identified for the principal alluvial reaches of the Arno River (Upper Valdarno and Lower Valdarno). The planimetric configuration of the river in these reaches is the result of a series of hydraulic works (canalization, rectification, artificial cut-offs, etc.) carried out particularly between the 18th and the 19th centuries. Subsequently, a series of interventions at basin level (construction of weirs, variations in land use), intense instream gravel-mining after World War II, and the construction of two dams on the Arno River, caused widespread degradation of the streambed. Since about 1900, total lowering of the channel bed is typically between 2 and 4 m in the Upper Valdarno Reach and between 5 and 8 m in some areas of the Lower Valdarno Reach. Bed-level adjustments with time are analyzed for a large number of cross-sections and described by an exponential-decay function. This analysis identified the existence of two main phases of lowering: the first, triggered at the end of the past century; the second, triggered in the interval 1945-1960 and characterized by more intense degradation of the streambed. The first phase derived from changes in land-use and land-management practices. The second phase is the result of the superimposition of two factors: intense instream mining of gravel, and the construction of the Levane and La Penna dams.

  10. Experimental and Computational Study of Multiphase Flow Hydrodynamics in 2D Trickle Bed Reactors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nadeem, H.; Ben Salem, I.; Kurnia, J. C.; Rabbani, S.; Shamim, T.; Sassi, M.

    2014-12-01

    Trickle bed reactors are largely used in the refining processes. Co-current heavy oil and hydrogen gas flow downward on catalytic particle bed. Fine particles in the heavy oil and/or soot formed by the exothermic catalytic reactions deposit on the bed and clog the flow channels. This work is funded by the refining company of Abu Dhabi and aims at mitigating pressure buildup due to fine deposition in the TBR. In this work, we focus on meso-scale experimental and computational investigations of the interplay between flow regimes and the various parameters that affect them. A 2D experimental apparatus has been built to investigate the flow regimes with an average pore diameter close to the values encountered in trickle beds. A parametric study is done for the development of flow regimes and the transition between them when the geometry and arrangement of the particles within the porous medium are varied. Liquid and gas flow velocities have also been varied to capture the different flow regimes. Real time images of the multiphase flow are captured using a high speed camera, which were then used to characterize the transition between the different flow regimes. A diffused light source was used behind the 2D Trickle Bed Reactor to enhance visualizations. Experimental data shows very good agreement with the published literature. The computational study focuses on the hydrodynamics of multiphase flow and to identify the flow regime developed inside TBRs using the ANSYS Fluent Software package. Multiphase flow inside TBRs is investigated using the "discrete particle" approach together with Volume of Fluid (VoF) multiphase flow modeling. The effect of the bed particle diameter, spacing, and arrangement are presented that may be used to provide guidelines for designing trickle bed reactors.

  11. Slow sedimentary processes on-a-chip: experiments on porous flow effects on granular bed creep

    Science.gov (United States)

    Houssais, M.; Maldarelli, C.; Shattuck, M.; Morris, J. F.

    2017-12-01

    Steep soils dynamics is hard to catch. they exhibit very slow granular creep most of the time, and sometimes, mostly under or after rain, turn into a landslide, a very fast avalanche flow.The conditions of transition from soil creep to avalanching remains a lot non-understood, and Safe Factor law (empirical criteria, function of rain intensity and duration). On another side, in marine fast deposition environments, compaction drives vertical porous flow, which makes bed shear resistance change, and form over time bed size patterns (pipes, dishes) or mechanical heterogeneities.Capturing how the slow creep dynamics depends on the porous flow would allow for much more accurate landscape evolution modeling.We present here preliminary results of an experimental investigation of one the major triggering condition for soils destabilization: rain infiltration, and more generally porous flow through a tilted granular bed. In a quasi-2D microfluidics channel, a flat sediment bed made of spherical particles is prepared, in fully submerged condition. It is thereafter tilted (at slope under critical slope of avalanching) and simultaneously put under vertical weak porous flow (well under the critical flow of liquefaction regarding positive pressure gradients). The two control parameters are varied, and local particles concentration and motion are measured. Interestingly, although staying in the sub-critical creeping regime, we observe an acceleration of the bed deformation downward, as the porous flow and the bed slope are increased, until the criteria for avalanching is reached. Those results appear to present similitudes with the case of tilted dry sediment bed under controlled vibrations. Consequently it opens the discussion about a potential universal model of landslides triggering due to frequent seismological and rainstorm events.

  12. Apparatus for controlling fluidized beds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rehmat, A.G.; Patel, J.G.

    1987-05-12

    An apparatus and process are disclosed for control and maintenance of fluidized beds under non-steady state conditions. An ash removal conduit is provided for removing solid particulates from a fluidized bed separate from an ash discharge conduit in the lower portion of the grate supporting such a bed. The apparatus and process of this invention is particularly suitable for use in ash agglomerating fluidized beds and provides control of the fluidized bed before ash agglomeration is initiated and during upset conditions resulting in stable, sinter-free fluidized bed maintenance. 2 figs.

  13. The dynamics of coherent flow structures within a submerged permeable bed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blois, G.; Best, J.; Sambrook Smith, G.; Hardy, R. J.; Lead, J.

    2009-12-01

    The existence of complex 3D coherent vortical structures in turbulent boundary layers has been widely reported from experimental observations (Adrian et al., 2007, Christensen and Adrian, 2001) and investigations of natural open channel flows (e.g. Kostaschuk and Church, 1993; Best, 2005). The interaction between these flow structures and the solid boundary that is responsible for their generation is also receiving increasing attention due to the central role played by turbulence in governing erosion-deposition processes. Yet, for the majority of studies, the bed roughness has been represented using rough impermeable surfaces. While not inherently acknowledged, most research in this area is thus only strictly applicable to those natural river beds composed either of bedrock or clay, or that have armoured, impermeable, surfaces. Recently, many researchers have noted the need to account for the role of bed permeability in order to accurately reproduce the true nature of flow over permeable gravel-bed rivers. For these cases, the near-bed flow is inherently and mutually linked to the interstitial-flow occurring in the porous solid matrix. This interaction is established through turbulence mechanisms occurring across the interface that may be important for influencing the incipient motion of cohesionless sediment. However, the nature of this turbulence and the formation of coherent structures within such permeable beds remain substantially unresolved due to the technical challenges of collecting direct data in this region. In this paper, we detail the existence and dynamic nature of coherent vortical structures within the individual pore spaces of a permeable bed submerged by a free stream flow. Laboratory experiments are reported in which a permeable flume bed was constructed using spheres packed in an offset cubic arrangement. We applied a high resolution E-PIV (Endoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry) approach in order to fully resolve the instantaneous structure of

  14. Aggradation of Leveed Channels and Their Flood Plains in Arroyo Bottoms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vincent, K. R.

    2005-12-01

    Many arroyos that formed by incision more than a century ago in the southwestern United States are currently filling with sediment. This reversal of processes is important because it causes changes in riparian ecology, erosion hazards, ground water recharge, and sediment supply to downstream. Along the Rio Puerco and Chaco Wash in New Mexico, we examined the geometry and facies of channel and floodplain stratigraphy exposed in trenches, used high-resolution dating of the sedimentary beds, and used photographs and other historical evidence to investigate the processes of aggradation in naturally leveed channels within arroyos. Prior to the onset of aggradation, the streambeds were composed of sand and had low relief, and arroyo walls retreated rapidly due to stream undermining. Aggradation began with the formation of sand levees at the margins of the streambeds, followed by formation of newer levees increasingly closer to the thalweg. These levees coincide with rows of woody shrubs (tamarisk and willow), plants that germinated in moist sand along the high-water marks of moderate flows, and survived because subsequent periods lacked flows large enough to remove them. Flow entering a row of woody shrubs decelerates, promoting deposition of suspended sand. Stream flows in this setting are always turbid but do not have the rheology of debris flows. The rows of shrubs probably are a requirement for initial formation of sand levees on low relief streambeds in this setting. As new levees formed closer to the thalweg the channel effectively narrowed, and smaller discharges overtopped the levees adjacent to the channel. Those closer levees accumulated sand most rapidly, leaving the suspended sand concentration depleted by the time water reached more distant ones. All levees aggraded vertically. As the main channel narrowed it acquired a roughly trapezoidal-shape (Top Width/Depth ~ 9 to 5) with banks inclined close to the angle of repose. In addition, sediment deposited on

  15. The influence of channel bed disturbance on benthic Chlorophyll a: A high resolution perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katz, Scott B.; Segura, Catalina; Warren, Dana R.

    2018-03-01

    This study explores how spatial dynamics and frequency of bed mobility events in a headwater stream affect the spatial and temporal variability in stream benthic algal abundance and ultimately the resilience of benthic algae to stream scouring events of different magnitudes. We characterized spatial variability in sediment transport for nine separate flow events (0.1-1.7 of bankfull flow), coupling high resolution (level categories defined based on the relative movement of the median grain size on 14 occasions. However, low disturbance locations were not always associated with higher Chl-a. The algal Chl-a biomass at any given time was a function of the stage of algal recovery following a high flow event and the magnitude of the disturbance itself - impacting algal loss during the event. Resistance of the algal communities to bed disturbance and resilience to recovery following a flow event varied spatially. Areas with low shear stress were less susceptible to scour during moderate disturbance events but were slower to recover when scour occurred. In contrast, high shear stress areas responded rapidly to flood events with rapid declines, but also recovered more quickly and appeared to have high potential for maximum accrual within our study reach. Ultimately, timing along with the inverse relationship between resiliency and disturbance frequency highlights the complexity of these processes and the importance of studying the interactions between geomorphic and ecological processes with high resolution across spatial and temporal scales.

  16. Experimental study of flow field characteristics on bed configurations in the pebble bed reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jia, Xinlong; Gui, Nan; Yang, Xingtuan; Tu, Jiyuan; Jia, Haijun; Jiang, Shengyao

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • PTV study of flow fields of pebble bed reactor with different configurations are carried out. • Some criteria are proposed to quantify vertical velocity field and flow uniformity. • The effect of different pebble bed configurations is also compared by the proposed criteria. • The displacement thickness is used analogically to analyze flow field characteristics. • The effect of mass flow variation in the stagnated region of the funnel flow is measured. - Abstract: The flow field characteristics are of fundamental importance in the design work of the pebble bed high temperature gas cooled reactor (HTGR). The different effects of bed configurations on the flow characteristics of pebble bed are studied through the PTV (Particle Tracking Velocimetry) experiment. Some criteria, e.g. flow uniformity (σ) and mass flow level (α), are proposed to estimate vertical velocity field and compare the bed configurations. The distribution of the Δθ (angle difference between the individual particle velocity and the velocity vector sum of all particles) is also used to estimate the resultant motion consistency level. Moreover, for each bed configuration, the thickness of displacement is analyzed to measure the effect of the funnel flow zone based on the boundary layer theory. Detailed information shows the quantified characteristics of bed configuration effects on flow uniformity and other characteristics; and the sequence of levels of each estimation criterion is obtained for all bed configurations. In addition, a good design of the pebble bed configuration is suggested and these estimation criteria can be also applied and adopted in testing other geometry designs of pebble bed.

  17. Bed diameter effects and incipient slugging in gas fluidized beds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Agarwal, P.K.

    1986-01-01

    The coalescence and growth of bubble swarms formed at the distributor of a fluidized bed gives rise to lateral as well as vertical distributions of bubble properties. However, existing models employ average bubble properties obtained largely from semi-empirical considerations. In a recent Paper, the author developed a bubble growth model based on a population balance approach. Analytical expressions were derived for the bubble characteristic distributions and averages. However, the model, developed for unconstrained growth, did not take into account the effect of the bed diameter and the possibility of slugging. In this Paper, the model is extended to take these aspects into account. A slugging criterion is also developed which is expected to be valid for the regime where incipient slugging depends on the bed height as well as the region where bed height does not significantly affect minimum slugging conditions

  18. Local description of the energy transfer process in a packed bed heat exchanger

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Costa, M.L.M.; Sampaio, R.; Gama, R.M.S. da.

    1990-01-01

    The energy transfer process in a packed-bed heat exchanger, in counter0flow arrangement is considered. The phenomenon is described through a Continuum Theory of Mixtures approach, in which fluid and solid (porous matrix) are regarded as continuous constituents possessing, each one, its own temperature and velocity fields. The heat 'exchangers consists of two channels, separated by an impermeable wall without thermal resistence, in which there exists a saturated flow. Some particular cases are simulated. (author)

  19. Beaver dams and channel sediment dynamics on Odell Creek, Centennial Valley, Montana, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levine, Rebekah; Meyer, Grant A.

    2014-01-01

    Beaver dams in streams are generally considered to increase bed elevation through in-channel sediment storage, thus, reintroductions of beaver are increasingly employed as a restoration tool to repair incised stream channels. Here we consider hydrologic and geomorphic characteristics of the study stream in relation to in-channel sediment storage promoted by beaver dams. We also document the persistence of sediment in the channel following breaching of dams. Nine reaches, containing 46 cross-sections, were investigated on Odell Creek at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Montana. Odell Creek has a snowmelt-dominated hydrograph and peak flows between 2 and 10 m3 s- 1. Odell Creek flows down a fluvial fan with a decreasing gradient (0.018-0.004), but is confined between terraces along most of its length, and displays a mostly single-thread, variably sinuous channel. The study reaches represent the overall downstream decrease in gradient and sediment size, and include three stages of beaver damming: (1) active; (2) built and breached in the last decade; and (3) undammed. In-channel sediment characteristics and storage were investigated using pebble counts, fine-sediment depth measurements, sediment mapping and surveys of dam breaches. Upstream of dams, deposition of fine (≤ 2 mm) sediment is promoted by reduced water surface slope, shear stress and velocity, with volumes ranging from 48 to 182 m3. High flows, however, can readily transport suspended sediment over active dams. Variations in bed-sediment texture and channel morphology associated with active dams create substantial discontinuities in downstream trends and add to overall channel heterogeneity. Observations of abandoned dam sites and dam breaches revealed that most sediment stored above beaver dams is quickly evacuated following a breach. Nonetheless, dam remnants trap some sediment, promote meandering and facilitate floodplain development. Persistence of beaver dam sediment

  20. Effect of bed configuration on pebble flow uniformity and stagnation in the pebble bed reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gui, Nan; Yang, Xingtuan; Tu, Jiyuan; Jiang, Shengyao

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Pebble flow uniformity and stagnation characteristics are very important for HTR-PM. • Arc- and brachistochrone-shaped configuration effects are studied by DEM simulation. • Best bed configurations with uniform flow and no stagnated pebbles are suggested. • Detailed quantified characteristics of bed configuration effects are shown for explanation. - Abstract: Pebble flow uniformity and stagnation characteristics are very important for the design of pebble bed high temperature gas-cooled reactor. Pebble flows inside some specifically designed contraction configurations of pebble bed are studied by discrete element method. The results show the characteristics of stagnation rates, recycling rates, radial distribution of pebble velocity and residence time. It is demonstrated clearly that the bed with a brachistochrone-shaped configuration achieves optimum levels of flow uniformity and recycling rate concentration, and almost no pebbles are stagnated in the bed. Moreover, the optimum choice among the arc-shaped bed configurations is demonstrated too. Detailed information shows the quantified characteristics of bed configuration effects on flow uniformity. In addition, a good design of the pebble bed configuration is suggested

  1. Visualization of bed material movement in a simulated fluidized bed heat exchanger by neutron radiography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Umekawa, Hisashi; Ozawa, Mamoru; Takenaka, Nobuyuki; Matsubayashi, Masahito

    1999-01-01

    The bulk movement of fluidized bed material was visualized by neutron radiography by introducing tracers into the bed materials. The simulated fluidized bed consisted of aluminum plates, and the bed material was sand of 99.7% SiO 2 (mean diameter: 0.218 mm, density: 2555 kg/m 3 ). Both materials were almost transparent to neutrons. Then the sand was colored by the contamination of the sand coated by CdSO 4 . Tracer particles of about 2 mm diameter were made by the B 4 C, bonded by the vinyl resin. The tracer was about ten times as large as the particle of fluidized bed material, but the traceability was enough to observe the bed-material bulk movement owing to the large effective viscosity of the fluidized bed. The visualized images indicated that the bubbles and/or wakes were important mechanism of the behavior of the fluidized bed movement

  2. Method and apparatus for a combination moving bed thermal treatment reactor and moving bed filter

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Badger, Phillip C.; Dunn, Jr., Kenneth J.

    2015-09-01

    A moving bed gasification/thermal treatment reactor includes a geometry in which moving bed reactor particles serve as both a moving bed filter and a heat carrier to provide thermal energy for thermal treatment reactions, such that the moving bed filter and the heat carrier are one and the same to remove solid particulates or droplets generated by thermal treatment processes or injected into the moving bed filter from other sources.

  3. Topographical change caused by moderate and small floods in a gravel bed ephemeral river – a depth-averaged morphodynamic simulation approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. S. Lotsari

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available In ephemeral rivers, channel morphology represents a snapshot at the end of a succession of geomorphic changes caused by floods. In most cases, the channel shape and bedform migration during different phases of a flood hydrograph cannot be identified from field evidence. This paper analyses the timing of riverbed erosion and deposition of a gravel bed ephemeral river channel (Rambla de la Viuda, Spain during consecutive and moderate- (March 2013 and low-magnitude (May 2013 discharge events, by applying a morphodynamic model (Delft3D calibrated with pre- and post-event surveys by RTK-GPS points and mobile laser scanning. The study reach is mainly depositional and all bedload sediment supplied from adjacent upstream areas is trapped in the study segment forming gravel lobes. Therefore, estimates of total bedload sediment mass balance can be obtained from pre- and post-field survey for each flood event. The spatially varying grain size data and transport equations were the most important factors for model calibration, in addition to flow discharge. The channel acted as a braided channel during the lower flows of the two discharge events, but when bars were submerged in the high discharges of May 2013, the high fluid forces followed a meandering river planform. The model results showed that erosion and deposition were in total greater during the long-lasting receding phase than during the rising phase of the flood hydrographs. In the case of the moderate-magnitude discharge event, deposition and erosion peaks were predicted to occur at the beginning of the hydrograph, whereas deposition dominated throughout the event. Conversely, the low-magnitude discharge event only experienced the peak of channel changes after the discharge peak. Thus, both type of discharge events highlight the importance of receding phase for this type of gravel bed ephemeral river channel.

  4. Fluidised bed combustion system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McKenzie, E.C.

    1976-01-01

    Fluidized bed combustion systems that facilitates the maintenance of the depth of the bed are described. A discharge pipe projects upwardly into the bed so that bed material can flow into its upper end and escape downwardly. The end of the pipe is surrounded by an enclosure and air is discharged into the enclosure so that material will enter the pipe from within the enclosure and have been cooled in the enclosure by the air discharged into it. The walls of the enclosure may themselves be cooled

  5. WTP Pretreatment Facility Potential Design Deficiencies--Sliding Bed and Sliding Bed Erosion Assessment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hansen, E. K. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

    2015-05-06

    This assessment is based on readily available literature and discusses both Newtonian and non-Newtonian slurries with respect to sliding beds and erosion due to sliding beds. This report does not quantify the size of the sliding beds or erosion rates due to sliding beds, but only assesses if they could be present. This assessment addresses process pipelines in the Pretreatment (PT) facility and the high level waste (HLW) transfer lines leaving the PT facility to the HLW vitrification facility concentrate receipt vessel.

  6. WTP Pretreatment Facility Potential Design Deficiencies--Sliding Bed and Sliding Bed Erosion Assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hansen, E. K.

    2015-01-01

    This assessment is based on readily available literature and discusses both Newtonian and non-Newtonian slurries with respect to sliding beds and erosion due to sliding beds. This report does not quantify the size of the sliding beds or erosion rates due to sliding beds, but only assesses if they could be present. This assessment addresses process pipelines in the Pretreatment (PT) facility and the high level waste (HLW) transfer lines leaving the PT facility to the HLW vitrification facility concentrate receipt vessel.

  7. Bacillus cereus in free-stall bedding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magnusson, M; Svensson, B; Kolstrup, C; Christiansson, A

    2007-12-01

    To increase the understanding of how different factors affect the bacterial growth in deep sawdust beds for dairy cattle, the microbiological status of Bacillus cereus and coliforms in deep sawdust-bedded free stalls was investigated over two 14-d periods on one farm. High counts of B. cereus and coliforms were found in the entire beds. On average, 4.1 log(10) B. cereus spores, 5.5 log(10) B. cereus, and 6.7 log(10) coliforms per gram of bedding could be found in the upper layers of the sawdust likely to be in contact with the cows' udders. The highest counts of B. cereus spores, B. cereus, and coliforms were found in the bedding before fresh bedding was added, and the lowest immediately afterwards. Different factors of importance for the growth of B. cereus in the bedding material were explored in laboratory tests. These were found to be the type of bedding, pH, and the type and availability of nutrients. Alternative bedding material such as peat and mixtures of peat and sawdust inhibited the bacterial growth of B. cereus. The extent of growth of B. cereus in the sawdust was increased in a dose-dependent manner by the availability of feces. Urine added to different bedding material raised the pH and also led to bacterial growth of B. cereus in the peat. In sawdust, a dry matter content greater than 70% was needed to lower the water activity to 0.95, which is needed to inhibit the growth of B. cereus. In an attempt to reduce the bacterial growth of B. cereus and coliforms in deep sawdust beds on the farm, the effect of giving bedding daily or a full replacement of the beds was studied. The spore count of B. cereus in the back part of the free stalls before fresh bedding was added was 0.9 log units lower in stalls given daily bedding than in stalls given bedding twice weekly. No effect on coliform counts was found. Replacement of the entire sawdust bedding had an effect for a short period, but by 1 to 2 mo after replacement, the counts of B. cereus spores in the

  8. Astronomical cycle origin of bedded chert: A middle Triassic bedded chert sequence, Inuyama, Japan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ikeda, Masayuki; Tada, Ryuji; Sakuma, Hironobu

    2010-09-01

    Astronomical forcing is one of the main drivers of climate change, and astronomical cyclicity recorded in sediments provides a clue to understand the dynamics of the global climate system. Bedded cherts consist of rhythmic alternations of chert and shale beds. Although previous studies have hypothesized that the origin of bedded chert is related to astronomical cycles (e.g. Fischer, 1976; Hori et al., 1993), conclusive proof remains elusive. To explore this possibility, we established a continuous, high-resolution lithostratigraphy of middle Triassic bedded chert in Central Japan. The average duration of each chert-shale couplet is 20 kyr, similar to that of the precession cycle. Spectral analysis of a bed number series of thickness variations in chert beds was performed assuming that each chert-shale couplet represents a 20-kyr precession cycle. The results reveal cycles involving approximately 200, 20, 5, and 2-3 beds, corresponding to periodicities of approximately 4000, 400, 100, and 40-60 kyr, respectively. By further assuming that the 20-bed cycle represents a 405-kyr eccentricity cycle of constant and stable periodicity, we converted the bed number series to a time series. Spectral analysis of the time series revealed distinct periodicities of 3600, 117, 97, and 38 kyr, in addition to 405 kyr. Besides 3600 kyr, these periodicities agree well with the 120, 95, and 37 kyr periodicities for eccentricity cycles and the obliquity cycle during the Triassic. Moreover, we detected amplitude modulation of the approximately 100-kyr cycle of thickness variations in chert beds with a 405-kyr periodicity, which may correspond to amplitude modulation of 100-kyr climatic precession cycle with the 405-kyr periodicity. The approximately 3600-kyr periodicity described above and 1800-kyr periodicity manifested as the amplitude modulation of the 405-kyr cycle are correlated to present-day long-term eccentricity cycles of 2400 and 4800 kyr evolved by chaotic behavior of solar

  9. The Grain-size Patchiness of Braided Gravel-Bed Streams - example of the Urumqi River (northeast Tian Shan, China)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guerit, L.; Barrier, L.; Narteau, C.; Métivier, F.; Liu, Y.; Lajeunesse, E.; Gayer, E.; Meunier, P.; Malverti, L.; Ye, B.

    2014-02-01

    In gravel-bed rivers, sediments are often sorted into patches of different grain-sizes, but in braided streams, the link between this sorting and the channel morpho-sedimentary elements is still unclear. In this study, the size of the bed sediment in the shallow braided gravel-bed Urumqi River is characterized by surface-count and volumetric sampling methods. Three morpho-sedimentary elements are identified in the active threads of the river: chutes at flow constrictions, which pass downstream to anabranches and bars at flow expansions. The surface and surface-layer grain-size distributions of these three elements show that they correspond to only two kinds of grain-size patches: (1) coarse-grained chutes, coarser than the bulk river bed, and (2) finer-grained anabranches and bars, consistent with the bulk river bed. In cross-section, the chute patches are composed of one coarse-grained top layer, which can be interpreted as a local armour layer overlying finer deposits. In contrast, the grain size of the bar-anabranch patches is finer and much more homogeneous in depth than the chute patches. Those patches, which are features of lateral and vertical sorting associated to the transport dynamics that build braided patterns, may be typical of active threads in shallow gravel-bed rivers and should be considered in future works on sorting processes and their geomorphologic and stratigraphic results.

  10. Application of CaO-Based Bed Material for Dual Fluidized Bed Steam Biomass Gasification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koppatz, S.; Pfeifer, C.; Kreuzeder, A.; Soukup, G.; Hofbauer, H.

    Gasification of biomass is a suitable option for decentralized energy supply based on renewable sources in the range of up to 50 MW fuel input. The paper presents the dual fluidized bed (DFB) steam gasification process, which is applied to generate high quality and nitrogen-free product gas. Essential part of the DFB process is the bed material used in the fluidized reactors, which has significant impact on the product gas quality. By the use of catalytically active bed materials the performance of the overall process is increased, since the bed material favors reactions of the steam gasification. In particular, tar reforming reactions are favored. Within the paper, the pilot plant based on the DFB process with 100kW fuel input at Vienna University of Technology, Austria is presented. Actual investigations with focus on CaO-based bed materials (limestone) as well as with natural olivine as bed material were carried out at the pilot plant. The application of CaO-based bed material shows mainly decreased tar content in the product gas in contrast to experiments with olivine as bed material. The paper presents the results of steam gasification experiments with limestone and olivine, whereby the product gas composition as well as the tar content and the tar composition are outlined.

  11. Biodegradation of phenolic waste liquors in stirred-tank, packed-bed, and fluidized-bed bioreactors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Holladay, D W; Hancher, G W; Chilcote, D D; Scott, C D

    1978-11-01

    The biological degradation of phenolic scrub liquors similar to those that arise in coal conversion processes was studied for symbiotic bacterial populations contained in a continuously stirred tank bioreactor, a three-phase packed-bed bioreactor, and a three-phase, fluidized-bed bioreactor. The conversions of phenol compounds were comparable in the three-phase, packed-bed bioreactor and the continuously stirred tank bioreactor; however, the packed-bed bioreactor degradation rates were as much as twice those in the continuously stirred tank bioreactor, and packed-bed bioreactor retention times were as low as one- tenth those of the continuously stirred tank bioreactors (minimum time was 12 hours).

  12. Bed and bed-site reuse by western lowland gorillas (Gorilla g. gorilla) in Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, Gabon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iwata, Yuji; Ando, Chieko

    2007-01-01

    In this paper we describe bed (nest) and bed-site reuse by western lowland gorillas (Gorilla g. gorilla) in Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, south-eastern Gabon. During an eight-month study 44 bed sites and 506 beds were found. Among these, 38.6% of bed sites and 4.1% of beds were reused. We analyzed the monthly frequency of bed-site reuse in relation to rainfall, fruit abundance, and fruit consumption by the gorillas. The different frequency of bed-site reuse in the rainy and dry seasons was not significant. More bed-site reuse was observed during the fruiting season than during the non-fruiting season. Results from fecal analysis suggested that gorillas ate more fruit in the fruiting season than in the non-fruiting season. The frugivorous diet of western gorillas may possibly cause gorillas to stay in some areas and, consequently, reuse their bed sites. Reuse of bed sites by gorillas suggests their frequent return to an area where preferred fruit is readily available. A higher percentage of arboreal beds may also affect bed-site reuse, because of the shortage of bed material.

  13. Historical Channel Adjustment and Estimates of Selected Hydraulic Values in the Lower Sabine River and Lower Brazos River Basins, Texas and Louisiana

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heitmuller, Franklin T.; Greene, Lauren E.

    2009-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Texas Water Development Board, evaluated historical channel adjustment and estimated selected hydraulic values at U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations in the lower Sabine River Basin in Texas and Louisiana and lower Brazos River Basin in Texas to support geomorphic assessments of the Texas Instream Flow Program. Channel attributes including cross-section geometry, slope, and planform change were evaluated to learn how each river's morphology changed over the years in response to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Historical and contemporary cross-sectional channel geometries at several gaging stations on each river were compared, planform changes were assessed, and hydraulic values were estimated including mean flow velocity, bed shear stress, Froude numbers, and hydraulic depth. The primary sources of historical channel morphology information were U.S. Geological Survey hard-copy discharge-measurement field notes. Additional analyses were done using computations of selected flow hydraulics, comparisons of historical and contemporary aerial photographs, comparisons of historical and contemporary ground photographs, evaluations of how frequently stage-discharge rating curves were updated, reviews of stage-discharge relations for field measurements, and considerations of bridge and reservoir construction activities. Based on historical cross sections at three gaging stations downstream from Toledo Bend Reservoir, the lower Sabine River is relatively stable, but is subject to substantial temporary scour-and-fill processes during floods. Exceptions to this characterization of relative stability include an episode of channel aggradation at the Sabine River near Bon Wier, Texas, during the 1930s, and about 2 to 3 feet of channel incision at the Sabine River near Burkeville, Texas, since the late 1950s. The Brazos River, at gaging stations downstream from Waco, Texas, has adjusted to a combination of

  14. Summary of Bed-Sediment Measurements Along the Platte River, Nebraska, 1931-2009

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kinzel, P.J.; Runge, J.T.

    2010-01-01

    Rivers are conduits for water and sediment supplied from upstream sources. The sizes of the sediments that a river bed consists of typically decrease in a downstream direction because of natural sorting. However, other factors can affect the caliber of bed sediment including changes in upstream water-resource development, land use, and climate that alter the watershed yield of water or sediment. Bed sediments provide both a geologic and stratigraphic record of past fluvial processes and quantification of current sediment transport relations. The objective of this fact sheet is to describe and compare longitudinal measurements of bed-sediment sizes made along the Platte River, Nebraska from 1931 to 2009. The Platte River begins at the junction of the North Platte and South Platte Rivers near North Platte, Nebr. and flows east for approximately 500 kilometers before joining the Missouri River at Plattsmouth, Nebr. The confluence of the Loup River with the Platte River serves to divide the middle (or central) Platte River (the Platte River upstream from the confluence with the Loup River) and lower Platte River (the Platte River downstream from the confluence with Loup River). The Platte River provides water for a variety of needs including: irrigation, infiltration to public water-supply wells, power generation, recreation, and wildlife habitat. The Platte River Basin includes habitat for four federally listed species including the whooping crane (Grus americana), interior least tern (Sterna antillarum), piping plover (Charadrius melodus), and pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus). A habitat recovery program for the federally listed species in the Platte River was initiated in 2007. One strategy identified by the recovery program to manage and enhance habitat is the manipulation of streamflow. Understanding the longitudinal and temporal changes in the size gradation of the bed sediment will help to explain the effects of past flow regimes and anticipated

  15. Heat transfer study of a submerged reactor channel under boil-off condition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mukhopadhyay, Deb [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai (India). Reactor Safety Div.; Sahoo, P.K. [Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee (India). Dept. of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering; Ghosh, A.K. [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai (India). Health, Safety and Environment Group

    2012-12-15

    Experiments have been carried out to study the heatup behavior of a single segmented reactor channel for Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor under submerged, partially submerged and exposed conditions. This situation may arise from a severe accident scenario of Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors where full or segmented reactor channels are likely to be disassembled and form a submerged debris bed. An assembly of electrical heater rod, simulating fuel bundle and channel components like Pressure Tube and Calandria Tube constitutes the segmented reactor channel. Heatup of this assembly is observed with respect to different water levels ranging from full submergence to totally exposed and power levels of 6-8 kW, typical to decay power level. It has been observed from the set of experiment that fuel bundle local dry out followed by heatup does not happen till the bundle is partially submerged. Temperature excursion of the bundle is evident when the bundle is exposed to steam-air environment. (orig.)

  16. Understanding system disturbance and ecosystem services in restored saltmarshes: Integrating physical and biogeochemical processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spencer, K. L.; Harvey, G. L.

    2012-06-01

    Coastal saltmarsh ecosystems occupy only a small percentage of Earth's land surface, yet contribute a wide range of ecosystem services that have significant global economic and societal value. These environments currently face significant challenges associated with climate change, sea level rise, development and water quality deterioration and are consequently the focus of a range of management schemes. Increasingly, soft engineering techniques such as managed realignment (MR) are being employed to restore and recreate these environments, driven primarily by the need for habitat (re)creation and sustainable coastal flood defence. Such restoration schemes also have the potential to provide additional ecosystem services including climate regulation and waste processing. However, these sites have frequently been physically impacted by their previous land use and there is a lack of understanding of how this 'disturbance' impacts the delivery of ecosystem services or of the complex linkages between ecological, physical and biogeochemical processes in restored systems. Through the exploration of current data this paper determines that hydrological, geomorphological and hydrodynamic functioning of restored sites may be significantly impaired with respects to natural 'undisturbed' systems and that links between morphology, sediment structure, hydrology and solute transfer are poorly understood. This has consequences for the delivery of seeds, the provision of abiotic conditions suitable for plant growth, the development of microhabitats and the cycling of nutrients/contaminants and may impact the delivery of ecosystem services including biodiversity, climate regulation and waste processing. This calls for a change in our approach to research in these environments with a need for integrated, interdisciplinary studies over a range of spatial and temporal scales incorporating both intensive and extensive research design.

  17. The effect of vibration on bed voidage behaviors in fluidized beds with large particles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Jin

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available The effects of vibration parameters, operating conditions and material properties on bed voidage were investigated using an optical fiber probe approach in a vibrating fluidized bed with a diameter of 148 mm. Variables studied included frequency (0-282 s-1, amplitude (0 mm-1 mm, bed height (0.1 m-0.4 m as well as four kinds of particles (belonging to Geldart's B and D groups. The axial and radial voidage distribution with vibration is compared with that without vibration, which shows vibration can aid in the fluidization behaviors of particles. For a larger vibration amplitude, the vibration seriously affects bed voidage. The vibration energy can damp out for particle layers with increasing the bed height. According to analysis of experimental data, an empirical correlation for predicting bed voidage, giving good agreement with the experimental data and a deviation within ±15%, was proposed.

  18. Can we predict the response of large sand bed rivers to changes in flow and sediment supply? The case of the Missouri River.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viparelli, E.; Blum, M. D.

    2015-12-01

    In the past century engineering projects and changes in land use significantly modified the hydrology and the sediment supply of large sand bed rivers all over the world. Field studies documented the river responses to the imposed changes, which can be summarized as adjustments in channel geometry, slope, and/or characteristics of the bed material. Further, one-, two- and three-dimensional river morphodynamic models were used to predict the fluvial system response to the imposed changes at time scales ranging from few months up to several decades. Notwithstading this previous research effort, the spatial and temporal scales of river adjustment, as well as quantitative predictions of the river responses, are still a matter of debate due to the difficulties associated with the interpretation of limited field datasets and with the large scale sediment transport modeling. Here we present the preliminary results of a study of the Missouri River response to the construction of dams, i.e. reduction in flood flow and sediment supply. In particular, we first compare the numerical results of a one-dimensional model of river morphodynamics for large, low slope sand bed rivers with field data to validate the model. The validated model is then used to constrain the spatial and temporal scales of the river adjustment, i.e. bed degradation in the Missouri River case. In other words, our numerical work focuses on how the magnitude and speed of the wave of channel bed degradation changes in time and space for the Missouri River case and how these scales change for different values of the ratio between pre- and pos-dam flow rates, and pre- and post-dam sediment loads.

  19. Measurements of the purge helium pressure drop across pebble beds packed with lithium orthosilicate and glass pebbles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abou-Sena, Ali, E-mail: ali.abou-sena@kit.edu; Arbeiter, Frederik; Boccaccini, Lorenzo V.; Schlindwein, Georg

    2014-10-15

    Highlights: • The objective is to measure the purge helium pressure drop across various HCPB-relevant pebble beds packed with lithium orthosilicate and glass pebbles. • The purge helium pressure drop significantly increases with decreasing the pebbles diameter from one run to another. • At the same superficial velocity, the pressure drop is directly proportional to the helium inlet pressure. • The Ergun's equation can successfully model the purge helium pressure drop for the HCPB-relevant pebble beds. • The measured values of the purge helium pressure drop for the lithium orthosilicate pebble bed will support the design of the purge gas system for the HCPB breeder units. - Abstract: The lithium orthosilicate pebble beds of the Helium Cooled Pebble Bed (HCPB) blanket are purged by helium to transport the produced tritium to the tritium extraction system. The pressure drop of the purge helium has a direct impact on the required pumping power and is a limiting factor for the purge mass flow. Therefore, the objective of this study is to measure the helium pressure drop across various HCPB-relevant pebble beds packed with lithium orthosilicate and glass pebbles. The pebble bed was formed by packing the pebbles into a stainless steel cylinder (ID = 30 mm and L = 120 mm); then it was integrated into a gas loop that has four variable-speed side-channel compressors to regulate the helium mass flow. The static pressure was measured at two locations (100 mm apart) along the pebble bed and at inlet and outlet of the pebble bed. The results demonstrated that: (i) the pressure drop significantly increases with decreasing the pebbles diameter, (ii) for the same superficial velocity, the pressure drop is directly proportional to the inlet pressure, and (iii) predictions of Ergun's equation agree well with the experimental results. The measured pressure drop for the lithium orthosilicate pebble bed will support the design of the purge gas system for the HCPB.

  20. Loading and Unloading Weaned Pigs: Effects of Bedding Types, Ramp Angle, and Bedding Moisture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arlene Garcia

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The use of non-slip surfaces during loading and unloading of weaned pigs plays an important role in animal welfare and economics of the pork industry. Currently, the guidelines available only suggest the use of ramps below 20° to load and unload pigs. Three ramp angles (0°, 10° or 20°, five bedding materials (nothing, sand, feed, wood shavings or wheat straw hay, two moistures (dry or wet bedding; >50% moisture over two seasons (>23.9 °C summer, <23.9 °C winter were assessed for slips/falls/vocalizations (n = 6,000 pig observations. “Score” was calculated by the sum of slips, falls, and vocalizations. With the exception of using feed as a bedding, all beddings provided some protection against elevated slips, falls, and vocalizations (P < 0.01. Providing bedding reduced (P < 0.05 scores regardless of whether the bedding was dry or wet. Scores increased as the slope increased (P < 0.01. Provision of bedding, other than feed, at slopes greater than zero, decreased slips, falls and vocalizations. The total time it took to load and unload pigs was

  1. Experimental studies on the coolability of packed beds. Flooding of hot dry packed beds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leininger, S.; Kulenovic, R.; Laurien, E.

    2013-01-01

    In case of a severe accident in a nuclear power plant meltdown of the reactor core can occur and form a packed bed in the lower plenum of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) after solidification due to contact with water. The removal of after-heat and the long-term coolability is of essential interest. The efficient injection of cooling water into the packed bed has to be assured without endangering the structural integrity of the reactor pressure vessel. The experiments performed aimed to study the dry-out and the quenching (flooding) of hot dry packed beds. Two different inflow variants, bottom- and top-flooding including the variation of the starting temperature of the packed bed and the injection rate were studied. In case of bottom flooding the quenching time increases with increasing packed bed temperature and decreasing injection rate. In case of top flooding the flow pattern is more complex, in a first phase the water flows preferentially toward the RPV wall, the flow paths conduct the water downwards. The flow resistance of the packed bed increases with increasing bed temperatures. The quenching temperatures increase significantly above average.

  2. Effects of Surface and Subsurface Bed Material Composition on Gravel Transport and Flow Competence Relations—Possibilities for Prediction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bunte, K.; Abt, S. R.; Swingle, K. W.; Cenderelli, D. A.; Gaeuman, D. A.

    2014-12-01

    Bedload transport and flow competence relations are difficult to predict in coarse-bedded steep streams where widely differing sediment supply, bed stability, and complex flow hydraulics greatly affect amounts and sizes of transported gravel particles. This study explains how properties of bed material surface and subsurface size distributions are directly related to gravel transport and may be used for prediction of gravel transport and flow competence relations. Gravel transport, flow competence, and bed material size were measured in step-pool and plane-bed streams. Power functions were fitted to gravel transport QB=aQb and flow competence Dmax=cQd relations; Q is water discharge. Frequency distributions of surface FDsurf and subsurface FDsub bed material were likewise described by power functions FDsurf=hD j and FDsub=kDm fitted over six 0.5-phi size classes within 4 to 22.4 mm. Those gravel sizes are typically mobile even in moderate floods. Study results show that steeper subsurface bed material size distributions lead to steeper gravel transport and flow competence relations, whereas larger amounts of sediment contained in those 6 size bedmaterial classes (larger h and k) flatten the relations. Similarly, steeper surface size distributions decrease the coefficients of the gravel transport and flow competence relations, whereas larger amounts of sediment within the six bed material classes increase the intercepts of gravel transport and flow competence relations. Those relations are likely causative in streams where bedload stems almost entirely from the channel bed as opposed to direct (unworked) contributions from hillslopes and tributaries. The exponent of the subsurface bed material distribution m predicted the gravel transport exponent b with r2 near 0.7 and flow competence exponent d with r2 near 0.5. The intercept of bed surface distributions h increased the intercept a of gravel transport and c of the flow competence relations with r2 near 0.6.

  3. A 2D hydrodynamic-sedimentological model for gravel bed rivers. Part II, Case study: the Brenta River in Italy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gabriel Kaless

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available A 2D depth average model has been used to simulate water and sediment flow in the Brenta River so as to interpret channel changes and to assess model predictive capabilities. The Brenta River is a gravel bed river located in Northern Italy. The study reach is 1400 long and has a mean slope of 0.0056. High resolution digital terrain models has been produced combining laser imaging detection and ranging data with colour bathymetry techniques. Extensive field sedimentological surveys have been also carried out for surface and subsurface material. The data were loaded in the model and the passage of a high intense flood (R.I. > 9 years was simulated. The model was run under the hypothesis of a substantial equilibrium between sediment input and transport capacity. In this way, the model results were considered as a reference condition, and the potential trend of the reach was assessed. Low-frequency floods (R.I. » 1.5 years are expected to produce negligible changes in the channel while high floods may focalize erosion on banks instead than on channel bed. Furthermore, the model predicts well the location of erosion and siltation areas and the results promote its application to other reaches of the Brenta River in order to assess their stability and medium-term evolution.

  4. The effect of bed non-uniformities and porosity of particles on dryout in boiling particle beds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Macbeth, R.V.; Mogford, D.J.; Willshire, S.J.

    1988-03-01

    This report relates to an on-going experimental programme concerned with the coolability of beds of reactor core debris or rubble immersed in a liquid coolant, as might occur in an accident situation. The objectives are to develop experimental techniques, improve the understanding of bed cooling mechanisms, determine dry-out limitations of various bed configurations and particle shapes and sizes and devise ways of improving bed coolability. The report concentrates on a recently discovered effect on bed coolability of particle porosity, such as exists in fragmented UO 2 fuel pellets. It is shown that porosity can lower bed dry-out powers by a factor of 4 or 5. A mechanism which explains the effect is presented. The report also gives results of bed non-uniformities obtained by mixing glass particles with the dielectrically heated 'ferrite' particles used in the experiments. (author)

  5. Laboratorial studies on the seepage impact in open-channel flow turbulence

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Herrera Granados, Oscar; Kostecki, Stanislaw, E-mail: Oscar.Herrera-Granados@pwr.wroc.pi [Institute of Geotechnics and Hydro-engineering (I-10), Wroclaw University of Technology. Plac Grunwaldzki 9 D-2 p.112. 50-377 Wroclaw (Poland)

    2011-12-22

    In natural streams, the interaction between water in motion and movable beds derives in transport of material. This is a fact that causes several problems for river regulation, above all in streams which were heavily modified by human interferences. Therefore, to find solutions or at least to alleviate the negative effects that sediment transport can bring with is a topic to be researched. The impact of seepage on river sedimentation processes and open-channel flow is important for environmental issues but it is commonly neglected by water specialists. The present contribution presents the output of a series of experimental works where the influence of seepage on the open channel turbulence is analyzed at the laboratory scale. Even though that the magnitude of the groundwater flow is significantly smaller than the magnitude of the open channel flow; the output of the experiments demonstrates that seepage not only modifies the water-sediment interaction as demonstrated Herrera Granados (2008; 2010); but also is affecting the velocity field and turbulence dynamics of the open-channel flow.

  6. Laboratorial studies on the seepage impact in open-channel flow turbulence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herrera Granados, Oscar; Kostecki, Stanislaw

    2011-01-01

    In natural streams, the interaction between water in motion and movable beds derives in transport of material. This is a fact that causes several problems for river regulation, above all in streams which were heavily modified by human interferences. Therefore, to find solutions or at least to alleviate the negative effects that sediment transport can bring with is a topic to be researched. The impact of seepage on river sedimentation processes and open-channel flow is important for environmental issues but it is commonly neglected by water specialists. The present contribution presents the output of a series of experimental works where the influence of seepage on the open channel turbulence is analyzed at the laboratory scale. Even though that the magnitude of the groundwater flow is significantly smaller than the magnitude of the open channel flow; the output of the experiments demonstrates that seepage not only modifies the water-sediment interaction as demonstrated Herrera Granados (2008; 2010); but also is affecting the velocity field and turbulence dynamics of the open-channel flow.

  7. Ladinian skonca beds of the Idrija Ore Deposit (W Slovenia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jože Čar

    2013-12-01

    part of sequence C has a carbonate structure (subsequence C1 and the top part has a siliceous structure (subsequence C2, the rocks cannot be distinguished from one another by their appearance. All are strongly bituminous and shaly. Sequence C is comprised of grey to black bituminous dolomite and quartz sandstone rich in pyrite and marcasite, dolomite or quartz siltstone, and shaly claystone with coal inclusions. The sequence of C rocks ends with clayey-lythic quartz sandstone containing remains of the brachiopod Discina. These are followed by various pyroclastic rocks of sequence D. The Skonca beds and the rich bedded cinnabar ores have various sedimentary structures which accurately define the events and environments of their origin. Except for the erosion channels, which are filled with dolomite gravel, there are no other presedimentary structures in the Skonca beds (subsequence C1. However, the beds are rich in synsedimentary physical forms, particularly various stratifications, laminations and various forms of graded bedding. Among the postsedimentary structures, mention should be made of the abundant sinking and slump structures. In some places, bioturbation and the replacement of organic particles with pyrite can be observed. The Skonca beds were deposited in a spatially complex, marsh-lacustrine-lagoonal environment. The rocks of sequence A and partly also of sequence B were formed in an alkaline, oxygen-rich environment, and the lithological units of subsequence C1 in a reductive environment. The rapid transitions among rocks indicate strictly limited and slow lateral inflows of fresh water into the marshy environment overgrown with low vegetation. The rocks in subsequence C2 prove that the freshwater marsh was flooded with sea water. Deposited in the shallow, closed lagoon overgrown with low vegetation were various bituminous shales, mudstones and sandstones filled with numerous radiolarians and needles of siliceous sponges and coal intercalations. The

  8. Biodegradation of the herbicide Diuron in a packed bed channel and a double biobarrier with distribution of oxygenated liquid by airlift devices: influence of oxygen limitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castañón-González, J Humberto; Galíndez-Mayer, Juvencio; Ruiz-Ordaz, Nora; Rocha-Martínez, Lizeth; Peña-Partida, José Carlos; Marrón-Montiel, Erick; Santoyo-Tepole, Fortunata

    2016-01-25

    From agricultural soils, where the herbicide Diuron has been frequently applied, a microbial community capable of degrading Diuron and 3,4-dichloroaniline was obtained. The volumetric rates and degradation efficiencies of Diuron and 3,4-DCA were evaluated in two distinct biofilm reactors, which differ in their operating conditions. One is a horizontal fixed bed reactor; plug-flow operated (PF-PBC) with severe limitation of oxygen. In this reactor, the air was supplied to an equalizer reservoir at the start of the PF-PBC reactor. The other is a compartmentalized aerobic biobarrier with internal recirculation of liquid aerated through airlift devices (ALB), continuously or intermittently operated. Both reactors were inoculated with a microbial community capable of degrading Diuron, isolated from a sugarcane field. In the oxygen-limited PF-PBC reactor, 3,4-DCA accumulation was detected, mainly in the middle zone of the packed channel. On the contrary, in the fully aerobic ALB reactor, minimal accumulation of catabolic byproducts was detected, and high Diuron removal efficiencies and removal rates were obtained when it was continuously operated in steady-state conditions. Additionally, the influence of oxygen limitation on the kinetic behavior of the PF-PBC reactor was determined, and a method to estimate the local removal rates of Diuron RV,CD along the plug-flow channel is described. It was observed that the local values of the instantaneous removal rate of Diuron dCD/dt are high in the aerobic region of the PF-PBC reactor; but, suddenly decay in the reactor zones limited by dissolved oxygen. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Bed Bug Infestations and Control Practices in China: Implications for Fighting the Global Bed Bug Resurgence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Changlu Wang

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available The bed bug resurgence in North America, Europe, and Australia has elicited interest in investigating the causes of the widespread and increasing infestations and in developing more effective control strategies. In order to extend global perspectives on bed bug management, we reviewed bed bug literature in China by searching five Chinese language electronic databases. We also conducted telephone interviews of 68 pest control firms in two cities during March 2011. In addition, we conducted telephone interviews to 68 pest control companies within two cities in March 2011. Two species of bed bugs (Cimex lectularius L. and Cimex hemipterus (F. are known to occur in China. These were common urban pests before the early1980s. Nationwide “Four-Pest Elimination” campaigns (bed bugs being one of the targeted pests were implemented in China from 1960 to the early 1980s. These campaigns succeeded in the elimination of bed bug infestations in most communities. Commonly used bed bug control methods included applications of hot water, sealing of bed bug harborages, physical removal, and applications of residual insecticides (mainly organophosphate sprays or dusts. Although international and domestic travel has increased rapidly in China over the past decade (2000–2010, there have only been sporadic new infestations reported in recent years. During 1999–2009, all documented bed bug infestations were found in group living facilities (military dormitories, worker dormitories, and prisons, hotels, or trains. One city (Shenzhen city near Hong Kong experienced significantly higher number of bed bug infestations. This city is characterized by a high concentration of migratory factory workers. Current bed bug control practices include educating residents, washing, reducing clutter, putting items under the hot sun in summer, and applying insecticides (pyrethroids or organophosphates. There have not been any studies or reports on bed bug insecticide

  10. Precise mapping of annual river bed changes based on airborne laser bathymetry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mandlburger, Gottfried; Wieser, Martin; Pfeifer, Norbert; Pfennigbauer, Martin; Steinbacher, Frank; Aufleger, Markus

    2014-05-01

    Airborne Laser Bathymtery (ALB) is a method for capturing relatively shallow water bodies from the air using a pulsed green laser (wavelength=532nm). While this technique was first used for mapping coastal waters only, recent progress in sensor technology has opened the field to apply ALB to running inland waters. Especially for alpine rivers the precise mapping of the channel topography is a challenging task as the flow velocities are often high and the area is difficult and/or dangerous to access by boat or by feet. Traditional mapping techniques like tachymetry or echo sounding fail in such situations while ALB provides, both, high spot position accuracy in the cm range and high spatial resolution in the dm range. Furthermore, state-of-the-art ALB systems allow simultaneous mapping of the river bed and the riparian area and, therefore, represent a comprehensive and efficient technology for mapping the entire floodplain area. The maximum penetration depth depends on, both, water turbidity and bottom reflectivity. Consequently, ALB provides the highest accuracy and resolution over bright gravel rivers with relatively clear water. We demonstrate the capability of ALB for precise mapping of river bed changes based on three flight campaigns in April, May and October 2013 at the River Pielach (Lower Austria) carried out with Riegl's VQ-820-G topo-bathymetric laser scanner. Operated at a flight height of 600m above ground with a pulse repetition rate of 510kHz (effective measurement rate 200kHz) this yielded a mean point spacing within the river bed of 20cm (i.e. point density: 25 points/m2). The positioning accuracy of the river bed points is approx. 2-5cm and depends on the overall ranging precision (20mm), the quality of the water surface model (derived from the ALB point cloud), and the signal intensity (decreasing with water depth). All in all, the obtained point cloud allowed the derivation of a dense grid model of the channel topography (0.25m cell size) for all

  11. Agglomeration of bed material: Influence on efficiency of biofuel fluidized bed boiler

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryabov Georgy A.

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available The successful design and operation of a fluidized bed combustor requires the ability to control and mitigate ash-related problems. The main ash-related problem of biomass filing boiler is agglomeration. The fluidized bed boiler with steam capacity of 66 t/h (4 MPa, 440 °C was started up at the Arkhangelsk Paper-Pi dp-Plant in 2001. This boiler was manufactured by the Russian companies "Energosofin" and "Belenergomash" and installed instead of the existing boiler with mechanical grate. Some constructional elements and steam drum of existing boiler remained unchanged. The primary air fan was installed past the common air fan, which supply part of the air into 24 secondary airports. First operating period shows that the bed material is expanded and then operator should increase the primary air rate, and the boiler efficiency dramatically decreases. Tills paper presents some results of our investigations of fuel, bed and fly ash chemical compositions and other characteristics. Special experiments were carried out to optimize the bed drain flow rate. The influence of secondly air supply improvement on mixing with the main flow and boiler efficiency are given.

  12. Seaweed beds support more juvenile reef fish than seagrass beds in a south-western Atlantic tropical seascape

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eggertsen, L.; Ferreira, C. E. L.; Fontoura, L.; Kautsky, N.; Gullström, M.; Berkström, C.

    2017-09-01

    Seascape connectivity is regarded essential for healthy reef fish communities in tropical shallow systems. A number of reef fish species use separate adult and nursery habitats, and hence contribute to nutrient and energy transfer between habitats. Seagrass beds and mangroves often constitute important nursery habitats, with high structural complexity and protection from predation. Here, we investigated if reef fish assemblages in the tropical south-western Atlantic demonstrate ontogenetic habitat connectivity and identify possible nurseries on three reef systems along the eastern Brazilian coast. Fish were surveyed in fore reef, back reef, Halodule wrightii seagrass beds and seaweed beds. Seagrass beds contained lower abundances and species richness of fish than expected, while Sargassum-dominated seaweed beds contained significantly more juveniles than all other habitats (average juvenile fish densities: 32.6 per 40 m2 in Sargassum beds, 11.2 per 40 m2 in back reef, 10.1 per 40 m2 in fore reef, and 5.04 per 40 m2 in seagrass beds), including several species that are found in the reef habitats as adults. Species that in other regions worldwide (e.g. the Caribbean) utilise seagrass beds as nursery habitats were here instead observed in Sargassum beds or back reef habitats. Coral cover was not correlated to adult fish distribution patterns; instead, type of turf was an important variable. Connectivity, and thus pathways of nutrient transfer, seems to function differently in east Brazil compared to many tropical regions. Sargassum-dominated beds might be more important as nurseries for a larger number of fish species than seagrass beds. Due to the low abundance of structurally complex seagrass beds we suggest that seaweed beds might influence adult reef fish abundances, being essential for several keystone species of reef fish in the tropical south-western Atlantic.

  13. Investigation of heat transfer in bed and freeboard of fluidized bed combustors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mitor, V.V.; Matsnev, V.V.; Sorokin, A.P.

    1986-01-01

    Experimental results for heat transfer between immersed bundles of bare tubes and fluidized beds are reported. The experimental results are obtained on industrial boilers with a bed area from 2,5 to 4 m/sup 2/ under conditions of long term operation. The bed temperature range has been 1073 0 K-1233 0 K, gas velocity between 1,8-4,5 m/s, mean particle size from 1,5 mm to 6,0 mm, freeboard furnace height of 2,3 and 5 m. The obtained data are compared with experimental results from literature

  14. Influence of Meander Confinement on Hydro-Morphodynamics of a Cohesive Meandering Channel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Parna Parsapour-Moghaddam

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Despite several decades of intensive study of the morphological changes in meandering rivers, less attention has been paid to confined meanders. This paper studies the hydro-morphodynamics of two adjacent sub-reaches of a meandering creek, located in the City of Ottawa, Canada. Both of these sub-reaches are meandering channels with cohesive bed and banks, but one is confined by a railway embankment. Field reconnaissance revealed distinct differences in the morphological characteristics of the sub-reaches. To further study this, channel migration and morphological changes of the channel banks along each of these sub-reaches were analyzed by comparing the historical aerial photography (2004, 2014, light detection and ranging (LIDAR data (2006, bathymetric data obtained from a total station survey (2014, and field examination. Moreover, two different spatially intensive acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP surveys were conducted in the study area to find the linkage between the hydrodynamics and morphological changes in the two different sub-reaches. The unconfined sub-reach is shown to have a typical channel migration pattern with deposition on the inner bank and erosion on the outer bank of the meander bend. The confined sub-reach, on the other hand, experienced greater bank instabilities than the unconfined sub-reach. The average rate of bank retreat was 0.2 m/year in the confined sub-reach whereas it was lower (0.08 m/year in the unconfined sampling reach. In the confined sub-reach, an irregular meandering pattern occurred by the evolution of a concave-bank bench, which was caused by reverse flow eddies. The sinuosity of the confined sub-reach decreased from 1.55 to 1.49 in the 10-year study period. The results of the present study demonstrate the physical mechanisms by which meander confinement can change the meandering pattern and morphological characteristics of a cohesive clay bed creek.

  15. Dam Breach Release of Non-Cohesive Sediments: Channel Response and Recovery Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collins, M. J.; Boardman, G.; Banks, W.; Andrews, M.; Conlon, M.; Dillow, J. J. A.; Gellis, A.; Lowe, S.; McClain, S.; Miller, A. J.; Snyder, N. P.; Wilcock, P. R.

    2014-12-01

    Dam removals featuring unchecked releases of non-cohesive sediments are excellent opportunities to learn more about stream channel response to abrupt increases in bed material supply that can occur deliberately or by natural processes like landslides and volcanic eruptions. Understanding channel response to sediment pulses, including response rates, is essential because human uses of river channels and floodplains are impacted by these events as are aquatic habitats. We had the opportunity to study a dam removal site at the Simkins Dam in Maryland, USA, that shares many important geophysical attributes of another well-studied dam removal in the humid northeast United States [Merrimack Village Dam, New Hampshire; Pearson et al., 2011]. The watershed sizes are the same order of magnitude (102 km2), and at both sites relatively low head dams were removed (~ 3-4 m) and ~60,000 m3 of dominantly sand-sized sediments discharged to low-gradient reaches immediately downstream. Analyzing four years of repeat morphometry and bed sediment grain size surveys at the Simkins site on the Patapsco River, as well as continuous discharge and suspended sediment gaging data, we clearly document a two-phase response in the upstream reach as described by Pearson et al. [2011] for their New Hampshire site and noted at other dam removals [e.g., Major et al., 2012]. In the early phase, approximately 50% of the impounded sediment mass was eroded rapidly over a period of about three months when flows were very modest (Figure 1). After incision to base level and channel widening in the former impoundment, a second phase began when further erosion depended on floods large enough to access impounded sediments more distant from the newly-formed channel. We also found important differences in the upstream responses at the Maryland and New Hampshire sites that appear to be related to valley type (non-glaciated versus glaciated, respectively). Response variances immediately downstream between the

  16. Instream wood in a steep headwater channel: geomorphic significance of large and small wood

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galia, Tomáš; Šilhán, Karel; Ruiz-Villanueva, Virginia; Tichavský, Radek

    2016-04-01

    Besides the well-known significance of large wood (LW), also small woody pieces (SW; here defined as pieces with dimensions at least 0.5 m length and 0.05 m diameter), can play an important role in steep narrow headwaters. We inventoried instream wood in the 0.4 km long Mazák headwater channel, Moravskoslezské Beskydy Mts, Czech Republic (2pieces were European beeches (Fagus sylvatica L.); only two pieces were Norway spruces (Picea abies (L.) Karst.). First results showed an increase in the number of LWs in channel-reaches confined by the steepest adjacent hillslopes (especially at 0.15-0.20 km). Increasing downstream amount of SW most likely reflected transport processes in the stream, and the later deposition of SWs on the lowest channel gradients. Also LWs and SWs in the downstream channel-reaches were more decayed than wood presented in the upper reaches. The orientation of instream wood was connected with its length and stability, and LWs longer than 5 m were usually attached to adjacent hillslopes. Pieces longer than 2 m, which were unattached or were somehow stabilized in the channel bed, had often orientation of 0° or 337°. LWs were mostly unattached in the upstream channel-reaches, while often stabilized by adjacent hillslopes in the middle part. At 0.05-0.10 km, there were also many logs stabilized by bed sediments. By contrast, SWs were mostly unattached in the whole longitudinal profile. We observed higher % of influenced channel width by SWs than LWs. Also, SWs were usually entirely located in the channel, which was significantly different when compared to LWs. Nine small steps (step height ~0.5 m) were created by instream wood; six of them were formed by SWs. Dendrogeomorphic cross dating supported the observed decay status for LW/SW within the longitudinal profile: at the lowest channel gradients with wider higher active channels, the potential for storage of instream wood increased. In these downstream reaches we observed older LW and SW, with

  17. Unravelling the relative contribution of bed and suspended sediment load on a large alluvial river

    Science.gov (United States)

    Darby, S. E.; Hackney, C. R.; Parsons, D. R.; Leyland, J.; Aalto, R. E.; Nicholas, A. P.; Best, J.

    2017-12-01

    The world's largest rivers transport 19 billion tonnes of sediment to the coastal zone annually, often supporting large deltas that rely on this sediment load to maintain their elevation in the face of rising sea level, and to sustain high levels of agricultural productivity and biodiversity. However, the majority of estimates of sediment delivery to coastal regions pertain solely to the suspended fraction of the sediment load, with the bedload fraction often being neglected due to the difficulty in estimating bedload flux and the assumption that bedload contributes a minor (management plans, improved estimates of all fractions of the sediment load are essential. Recent advances in non-intrusive, high-resolution, technology have begun to enable more accurate estimates of bedload transport rates. However, the characterisation of the holistic sediment transport regime of large alluvial rivers is still lacking. Here, we develop a sediment transport rating curve, combining both suspended- and bed- load sediment fractions, for the Lower Mekong River. We define suspended sediment rating curves using the inversion of acoustic return data from a series of acoustic Doppler current profiler surveys conducted through the Lower Mekong River in Cambodia, and into the bifurcating channels of the Mekong delta in Vietnam. Additionally, we detail estimates of bed-load sediment transport determined using repeat multibeam echo sounder surveys of the channel bed. By combining estimates of both fractions of the sediment load, we show the spatial and temporal contribution of bedload to the total sediment load of the Mekong and refine estimates of sediment transport to the Mekong delta. Our results indicate that the time-averaged suspended load transport rates for the Mekong River are 87 MT/yr, whilst bedload transport forms c. management within this highly threatened river basin.

  18. Improved lignin pyrolysis for phenolics production in a bubbling bed reactor--Effect of bed materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Dongbing; Briens, Cedric; Berruti, Franco

    2015-01-01

    Lignin pyrolysis was studied in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor equipped with a fractional condensation train, using nitrogen as the fluidization gas. The effect of different bed materials (silica sand, lignin char, activated lignin char, birch bark char, and foamed glass beads) on bio-oil yield and quality was investigated for a pyrolysis temperature of 550 °C. Results how that a bed of activated lignin char is preferable to the commonly used silica sand: pyrolysis of Kraft lignin with a bed of activated lignin char not only provides a pure char product, but also a higher dry bio-oil yield (with a relative increase of 43%), lower pyrolytic water production, and better bio-oil quality. The bio-oil obtained from Kraft lignin pyrolysis with a bed of activated lignin char has a lower average molecular weight, less tar, more phenolics, and less acidity than when sand is used as bed material. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Effects of large floods on channel width: recent insights from Italian rivers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scorpio, Vittoria; Righini, Margherita; Amponsah, William; Crema, Stefano; Ciccarese, Giuseppe; Nardi, Laura; Zoccatelli, Davide; Borga, Marco; Cavalli, Marco; Comiti, Francesco; Corsini, Alessandro; Marchi, Lorenzo; Rinaldi, Massimo; Surian, Nicola

    2017-04-01

    Variations of channel morphology occurring during large flood events (recurrence interval > 50-100 years.) are very often the cause of damages to buildings and infrastructures, as well as of casualties. However, our knowledge of such processes remains poor, as is our capability to predict them. Post-event campaigns documenting channel changes and linking them to hydrological and morphological factors thus bear an enormous value for both the scientific community and river management agencies. We present the results of an analysis on the geomorphic response associated to 4 large floods that occurred between October 2011 and September 2015, affecting several catchments in Northern Italy (Magra-Vara, Trebbia, Nure rivers) and Sardinia (Posada and Mannu di Bitti rivers), characterized by different climatic, lithological and geomorphological settings. The analysis considered more than 400 channel reaches characterized by a drainage area ranging from 39 to 1,100 km2 and featuring a wide range of lateral confinement, mostly within the partly- and unconfined conditions. The approach to flood analysis encompassed: (i) hydrological and hydraulic analysis; (ii) analysis of sediment delivery by landslides to the channel network; (iii) GIS-based and field assessment of morphological channel modifications. For the Nure River flood event (September 2015) a quantitative assessment on average bed level variations was also carried out. Return period for maximum hourly rainfall intensities and peak water discharges exceeded in all basins 100 yr, in some cases even 300 yr. Very high unit peak discharges were estimated, reaching 8.8 m3 s-1km-2 in the Nure River (205 km2) and up to 30 m3 s-1km-2in few Magra River tributaries (5-10 km2). Notable channel widening (post-flood width / pre-flood width > 1.1) occurred in 83% of studied reaches, and it was found more relevant in the channels with narrower initial width, i.e. along the relatively steep tributaries. For these tributaries, the

  20. Uranium bed oxidation vacuum process system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McLeland, H.L.

    1977-01-01

    Deuterium and tritium gases are occluded in uranium powder for release into neutron generator tubes. The uranium powder is contained in stainless steel bottles, termed ''beds.'' If these beds become damaged, the gases must be removed and the uranium oxidized in order not to be flammable before shipment to ERDA disposal grounds. This paper describes the system and methods designed for the controlled degassing and oxidation process. The system utilizes sputter-ion, cryo-sorption and bellows pumps for removing the gases from the heated source bed. Removing the tritium gas is complicated by the shielding effect of helium-3, a byproduct of tritium decay. This effect is minimized by incremental pressure changes, or ''batch'' processing. To prevent runaway exothermic reaction, oxidation of the uranium bed is also done incrementally, or by ''batch'' processing, rather than by continuous flow. The paper discusses in detail the helium-3 shielding effect, leak checks that must be made during processing, bed oxidation, degree of gas depletion, purity of gases sorbed from beds, radioactivity of beds, bed disposal and system renovation

  1. Practice Hospital Bed Safety

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Home For Consumers Consumer Updates Practice Hospital Bed Safety Share Tweet Linkedin Pin it More sharing options ... It depends on the complexity of the bed." Safety Tips CDRH offers the following safety tips for ...

  2. Particle fuel bed tests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horn, F.L.; Powell, J.R.; Savino, J.M.

    1985-01-01

    Gas-cooled reactors, using packed beds of small diameter coated fuel particles have been proposed for compact, high-power systems. The particulate fuel used in the tests was 800 microns in diameter, consisting of a thoria kernel coated with 200 microns of pyrocarbon. Typically, the bed of fuel particles was contained in a ceramic cylinder with porous metallic frits at each end. A dc voltage was applied to the metallic frits and the resulting electric current heated the bed. Heat was removed by passing coolant (helium or hydrogen) through the bed. Candidate frit materials, rhenium, nickel, zirconium carbide, and zirconium oxide were unaffected, while tungsten and tungsten-rhenium lost weight and strength. Zirconium-carbide particles were tested at 2000 K in H 2 for 12 hours with no visible reaction or weight loss

  3. Sediment–flow interactions at channel confluences: A flume study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tonghuan Liu

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Sediment transport and bed morphology at channel confluences with different confluence angles and discharge ratios are analyzed through a series of flume experiments. Bed topography and sediment transport rate are measured and results are compared among different conditions. Sediment transport is intermittent and pulsating as the tributary flow mixes with the mainstream, and the sediment transport rate goes up with the increase in discharge ratio and confluence angle. With no sediment supplied from upstream of the flume, a central scour hole will form along the shear plane and develop toward the right bank, and the depth of the central scour hole increases as the confluence angle and discharge ratio increase. With heavy upstream sediment supplement, deposition will happen in the separation zone and upstream of the confluence area because of the tributary. And the deposition height is related to the discharge ratio and confluence angle. Results indicate the significant impact of confluence geometry, sediment, and flow factors on fluvial processes.

  4. Chaotic hydrodynamics of fluidized beds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Van der Stappen, M.L.M. [Unit Process and Systems Engineering, Advanced Manufacturing Technology Group, Unilever Research Laboratorium, Vlaardingen (Netherlands)

    1996-12-31

    The major goals of this thesis are: (1) to develop and evaluate an analysis method based on techniques from non-linear chaos theory to characterize the nonlinear hydrodynamics of gas-solids fluidized beds quantitatively; and (2) to determine the dependence of the chaotic invariants on the operating conditions and investigate how the chaos analysis method can be profitably applied to improve scale-up and design of gas-solids fluidized bed reactors. Chaos theory is introduced in chapter 2 with emphasis on analysis techniques for (experimental) time series, known from literature at the start of this work (1990-1991). In chapter 3, the testing of existing and newly developed techniques on both model and fluidized bed data is described. This leads to the development of the chaos analysis method to analyze measured pressure fluctuations time series of a fluidized bed. Following, in chapter 4, this method is tested and all choices for the parameters are evaluated. The influence of the experimental parameters and external disturbances on the measurements and analysis results is discussed and quantified. The result is a chaos measurement and analysis protocol, which is further used in this work. In chapter 5, the applications to fluidized beds are discussed. It is shown that the entropy is a good measure for the characterization of the dynamical behavior of gas-solids bubbling/slugging fluidized beds. Entropy is applied to characterize the influence of the operating conditions, to assess regime transitions and to analyze dimensionless similar beds of different scale. Quantitative design correlations that relate entropy to the operating parameters (including the bed diameter) are described. Finally, it is discussed how the results of this work might be used in scaling up the chaotic dynamics of fluidized beds. The overall conclusions and outlook from this work are presented in chapter 6. 182 refs.

  5. Comparison of packed bed and fluidized bed membrane reactors for methane reforming

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gallucci, F.; van Sint Annaland, M.; Kuipers, J.A.M.

    2009-01-01

    In this work the performance of different membrane reactor concepts, both fluidized bed and packed bed membrane reactors, have been compared for the reforming of methane for the production of ultra-pure hydrogen. Using detailed theoretical models, the required membrane area to reach a given

  6. Staged fluidized-bed combustion and filter system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mei, J.S.; Halow, J.S.

    1994-01-01

    A staged fluidized-bed combustion and filter system are described for substantially reducing the quantity of waste through the complete combustion into ash-type solids and gaseous products. The device has two fluidized-bed portions, the first primarily as a combustor/pyrolyzer bed, and the second as a combustor/filter bed. The two portions each have internal baffles to define stages so that material moving therein as fluidized beds travel in an extended route through those stages. Fluidization and movement is achieved by the introduction of gases into each stage through a directional nozzle. Gases produced in the combustor/pyrolyzer bed are permitted to travel into corresponding stages of the combustor/filter bed through screen filters that permit gas flow but inhibit solids flow. Any catalyst used in the combustor/filter bed is recycled. The two beds share a common wall to minimize total volume of the system. A slightly modified embodiment can be used for hot gas desulfurization and sorbent regeneration. Either side-by-side rectangular beds or concentric beds can be used. The system is particularly suited to the processing of radioactive and chemically hazardous waste. 10 figures

  7. A Vertical Channel Model of Molecular Communication based on Alcohol Molecules

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pengfei Lu

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The study of Molecular Communication(MC is more and more prevalence, and channel model of MC plays an important role in the MC System. Since different propagation environment and modulation techniques produce different channel model, most of the research about MC are in horizontal direction,but in nature the communications between nano machines are in short range and some of the information transportation are in the vertical direction, such as transpiration of plants, biological pump in ocean, and blood transportation from heart to brain. Therefore, this paper we propose a vertical channel model which nano-machines communicate with each other in the vertical direction based on pure diffusion. We rst propose a vertical molecular communication model, we mainly considered the gravity as the factor, though the channel model is also affected by other main factors, such as the ow of the medium, the distance between the transmitter and the receiver, the delay or sensitivity of the transmitter and the receiver. Secondly, we set up a test-bed for this vertical channel model, in order to verify the difference between the theory result and the experiment data. At last, we use the data we get from the experiment and the non-linear least squares method to get the parameters to make our channel model more accurate.

  8. 3D Lagrangian Model of Particle Saltation in an Open Channel Flow with Emphasis on Particle-Particle Collisions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreno, P. A.; Bombardelli, F. A.

    2012-12-01

    Particles laying motionless at the bed of rivers, lakes and estuaries can be put into motion when the shear stress exerted by the flow on the particles exceeds the critical shear stress. When these particles start their motion they can either remain suspended by long periods of time (suspended load) or move close to the bed (bed load). Particles are transported as bed load in three different modes: Sliding, rolling and saltation. Saltation is usually described as the bouncing motion of sediment particles in a layer a few particle diameters thick. The amount of particles and the bed-load mode in which they move depend on the particle size and density, and the flow intensity, usually quantified by the shear velocity. The bottom shear stress in natural streams will most likely be large enough to set saltation as the most important bed-load transport mechanism among all three modes. Thus, studying the saltation process is crucial for the overall understanding of bed-load transport. Particularly, numerical simulations of this process have been providing important insight regarding the relative importance of the physical mechanisms involved in it. Several processes occur when particles are saltating near the bed: i) Particles collide with the bed, ii) they "fly" between collisions with the bed, as a result of their interaction with the fluid flow, iii) and they collide among themselves. These processes can be simulated using a three-dimensional Eulerian-Lagrangian model. In order to mimic these processes we have experimented with an averaged turbulent flow field represented by the logarithmic law of the wall, and with a more involved approach in which a computed turbulent velocity field for a flat plate was used as a surrogate of the three-dimensional turbulent conditions present close to stream beds. Since flat-plate and open-channel boundary layers are essentially different, a dynamic similarity analysis was performed showing that the highly-resolved three

  9. Bed Bugs and Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bed bugs have long been a pest – feeding on blood, causing itchy bites and generally irritating their human hosts. They are successful hitchhikers, and can move from an infested site to furniture, bedding, baggage, boxes, and clothing.

  10. Calculation of local bed to wall heat transfer in a fluidized-bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kilkis, B.I.

    1987-01-01

    Surface to bed heat transfer in a fluidized-bed largely depends upon its local and global hydrodynamical behavior including particle velocity, particle trajectory, gas velocity, and void fraction. In this study, a computer program was developed in order to calculate the local bed to wall heat transfer, by accounting for the local and global instantaneous hydrodynamics of the bed. This is accomplished by utilizing the CHEMFLUB computer program. This information at a given location is interpreted so that the most appropriate heat transfer model is utilized for each time increment. These instantaneous heat transfer coefficient for the given location. Repeating the procedure for different locations, a space average heat transfer coefficient is also calculated. This report briefly summarizes the various heat transfer models employed and gives sample computer results reporting the case study for Mickley - Trilling's experimental set-up. Comparisons with available experimental data and correlations are also provided in order to compare and evaluate the computer results

  11. Channel changes following headwater reforestation: The Ganaraska river, Ontario, Canada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buttle, J.M.

    1995-01-01

    Reforestation of headwater slopes of the Ganaraska River basin in southern Ontario following World War II has resulted in decreased peak flows and has likely reduced sediment yields. Changes in channel morphology produced by these modifications to the hydrologic regime were examined for a 6.7 km section of river in the context of Schumm's (1977) qualitative model of channel response to reforestation. Flood channel width (measured from air photographs) has decreased since 1928, while cross-sectional measurements during stream gauging in the study section revealed a decrease in the channel's width/depth ratio between 1960 and 1975. Both of these trends agree with Schumm's model. Changes in channel planform were dominated by downstream translation of meander bends and by meander cutoffs. The model predicted an increase in channel sinuosity in response to decreased peak flows and bed-material yield from the basin. However, sinuosity for the entire river section decreased significantly between 1928 and 1988, and only one reach experienced an increase in sinuosity following reforestation. A possible explanation for the model's failure to describe temporal changes in the Ganaraska's sinuosity involves a negative feedback whereby the increased sinuosity produced by decreased flow and sediment yield enhances potential for ice jams and meander cutoffs, which in turn reduce sinuosity. This limited test of Schumm's model suggests that caution be used when applying the model and its variants to reconstructions of basin palaeohydrology, and predictions of channel response to anthropogenic and natural changes to the hydrologic regime. 31 refs, 11 figs, 1 tab

  12. Scaling of Sediment Dynamics in a Reach-Scale Laboratory Model of a Sand-Bed Stream with Riparian Vegetation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorrick, S.; Rodriguez, J. F.

    2011-12-01

    A movable bed physical model was designed in a laboratory flume to simulate both bed and suspended load transport in a mildly sinuous sand-bed stream. Model simulations investigated the impact of different vegetation arrangements along the outer bank to evaluate rehabilitation options. Preserving similitude in the 1:16 laboratory model was very important. In this presentation the scaling approach, as well as the successes and challenges of the strategy are outlined. Firstly a near-bankfull flow event was chosen for laboratory simulation. In nature, bankfull events at the field site deposit new in-channel features but cause only small amounts of bank erosion. Thus the fixed banks in the model were not a drastic simplification. Next, and as in other studies, the flow velocity and turbulence measurements were collected in separate fixed bed experiments. The scaling of flow in these experiments was simply maintained by matching the Froude number and roughness levels. The subsequent movable bed experiments were then conducted under similar hydrodynamic conditions. In nature, the sand-bed stream is fairly typical; in high flows most sediment transport occurs in suspension and migrating dunes cover the bed. To achieve similar dynamics in the model equivalent values of the dimensionless bed shear stress and the particle Reynolds number were important. Close values of the two dimensionless numbers were achieved with lightweight sediments (R=0.3) including coal and apricot pips with a particle size distribution similar to that of the field site. Overall the moveable bed experiments were able to replicate the dominant sediment dynamics present in the stream during a bankfull flow and yielded relevant information for the analysis of the effects of riparian vegetation. There was a potential conflict in the strategy, in that grain roughness was exaggerated with respect to nature. The advantage of this strategy is that although grain roughness is exaggerated, the similarity of

  13. Literature review for Texas Department of Transportation Research Project 0-4695: Guidance for design in areas of extreme bed-load mobility, Edwards Plateau, Texas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heitmuller, Franklin T.; Asquith, William H.; Fang, Xing; Thompson, David B.; Wang, Keh-Han

    2005-01-01

    A review of the literature addressing sediment transport in gravel-bed river systems and structures designed to control bed-load mobility is provided as part of Texas Department of Transportation research project 0–4695: Guidance for Design in Areas of Extreme Bed-Load Mobility. The study area comprises the western half of the Edwards Plateau in central Texas. Three primary foci of the literature review are journal articles, edited volumes, and government publications. Major themes within the body of literature include deterministic sediment transport theory and equations, development of methods to measure and analyze fluvial sediment, applications and development of theory in natural channels and flume experiments, and recommendations for river management and structural design. The literature review provides an outline and foundation for the research project to characterize extreme bed-load mobility in rivers and streams across the study area. The literature review also provides a basis upon which potential modifications to low-water stream-crossing design in the study area can be made.

  14. Protecting Your Home from Bed Bugs

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... your home: Inspect the luggage rack in your hotel room for bed bugs. Check secondhand furniture, beds, ... with Bed Bug Problems Discover. Accessibility EPA Administrator Budget & Performance Contracting Grants January 19, 2017 Web Snapshot ...

  15. Fine sediment transport into the hyperturbid lower Ems River : The role of channel deepening and sediment-induced drag reduction

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Maren, D.S.; Winterwerp, J.C.; Vroom, J.

    2015-01-01

    Deepening of estuarine tidal channels often leads to tidal amplification and increasing fine sediment import. Increasing fine sediment import, in turn, may lower the hydraulic drag (due to a smoother muddy bed and/or sediment-induced damping of turbulence), and therefore, further strengthen tidal

  16. Sediment mobility and bed armoring in the St Clair River: insights from hydrodynamic modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xiaofeng; Parker, Gary; Czuba, Jonathan A.; Oberg, Kevin; Mier, Jose M.; Best, James L.; Parsons, Daniel R.; Ashmore, Peter; Krishnappan, Bommanna G.; Garcia, Marcelo H.

    2012-01-01

    The lake levels in Lake Michigan-Huron have recently fallen to near historical lows, as has the elevation difference between Lake Michigan-Huron compared to Lake Erie. This decline in lake levels has the potential to cause detrimental impacts on the lake ecosystems, together with social and economic impacts on communities in the entire Great Lakes region. Results from past work suggest that morphological changes in the St Clair River, which is the only natural outlet for Lake Michigan-Huron, could be an appreciable factor in the recent trends of lake level decline. A key research question is whether bed erosion within the river has caused an increase in water conveyance, therefore, contributed to the falling lake level. In this paper, a numerical modeling approach with field data is used to investigate the possibility of sediment movement in the St Clair River and assess the likelihood of morphological change under the current flow regime. A two-dimensional numerical model was used to study flow structure, bed shear stress, and sediment mobility/armoring over a range of flow discharges. Boundary conditions for the numerical model were provided by detailed field measurements that included high-resolution bathymetry and three-dimensional flow velocities. The results indicate that, without considering other effects, under the current range of flow conditions, the shear stresses produced by the river flow are too low to transport most of the coarse bed sediment within the reach and are too low to cause substantial bed erosion or bed scour. However, the detailed maps of the bed show mobile bedforms in the upper St Clair River that are indicative of sediment transport. Relatively high shear stresses near a constriction at the upstream end of the river and at channel bends could cause local scour and deposition. Ship-induced propeller wake erosion also is a likely cause of sediment movement in the entire reach. Other factors that may promote sediment movement, such as ice

  17. The Effectiveness, Costs and Coastal Protection Benefits of Natural and Nature-Based Defences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narayan, Siddharth; Beck, Michael W; Reguero, Borja G; Losada, Iñigo J; van Wesenbeeck, Bregje; Pontee, Nigel; Sanchirico, James N; Ingram, Jane Carter; Lange, Glenn-Marie; Burks-Copes, Kelly A

    2016-01-01

    There is great interest in the restoration and conservation of coastal habitats for protection from flooding and erosion. This is evidenced by the growing number of analyses and reviews of the effectiveness of habitats as natural defences and increasing funding world-wide for nature-based defences-i.e. restoration projects aimed at coastal protection; yet, there is no synthetic information on what kinds of projects are effective and cost effective for this purpose. This paper addresses two issues critical for designing restoration projects for coastal protection: (i) a synthesis of the costs and benefits of projects designed for coastal protection (nature-based defences) and (ii) analyses of the effectiveness of coastal habitats (natural defences) in reducing wave heights and the biophysical parameters that influence this effectiveness. We (i) analyse data from sixty-nine field measurements in coastal habitats globally and examine measures of effectiveness of mangroves, salt-marshes, coral reefs and seagrass/kelp beds for wave height reduction; (ii) synthesise the costs and coastal protection benefits of fifty-two nature-based defence projects and; (iii) estimate the benefits of each restoration project by combining information on restoration costs with data from nearby field measurements. The analyses of field measurements show that coastal habitats have significant potential for reducing wave heights that varies by habitat and site. In general, coral reefs and salt-marshes have the highest overall potential. Habitat effectiveness is influenced by: a) the ratios of wave height-to-water depth and habitat width-to-wavelength in coral reefs; and b) the ratio of vegetation height-to-water depth in salt-marshes. The comparison of costs of nature-based defence projects and engineering structures show that salt-marshes and mangroves can be two to five times cheaper than a submerged breakwater for wave heights up to half a metre and, within their limits, become more cost

  18. The Effectiveness, Costs and Coastal Protection Benefits of Natural and Nature-Based Defences.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Siddharth Narayan

    Full Text Available There is great interest in the restoration and conservation of coastal habitats for protection from flooding and erosion. This is evidenced by the growing number of analyses and reviews of the effectiveness of habitats as natural defences and increasing funding world-wide for nature-based defences-i.e. restoration projects aimed at coastal protection; yet, there is no synthetic information on what kinds of projects are effective and cost effective for this purpose. This paper addresses two issues critical for designing restoration projects for coastal protection: (i a synthesis of the costs and benefits of projects designed for coastal protection (nature-based defences and (ii analyses of the effectiveness of coastal habitats (natural defences in reducing wave heights and the biophysical parameters that influence this effectiveness. We (i analyse data from sixty-nine field measurements in coastal habitats globally and examine measures of effectiveness of mangroves, salt-marshes, coral reefs and seagrass/kelp beds for wave height reduction; (ii synthesise the costs and coastal protection benefits of fifty-two nature-based defence projects and; (iii estimate the benefits of each restoration project by combining information on restoration costs with data from nearby field measurements. The analyses of field measurements show that coastal habitats have significant potential for reducing wave heights that varies by habitat and site. In general, coral reefs and salt-marshes have the highest overall potential. Habitat effectiveness is influenced by: a the ratios of wave height-to-water depth and habitat width-to-wavelength in coral reefs; and b the ratio of vegetation height-to-water depth in salt-marshes. The comparison of costs of nature-based defence projects and engineering structures show that salt-marshes and mangroves can be two to five times cheaper than a submerged breakwater for wave heights up to half a metre and, within their limits, become

  19. An Apparatus for Bed Material Sediment Extraction From Coarse River Beds in Large Alluvial Rivers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singer, M. B.; Adam, H.; Cooper, J.; Cepello, S.

    2005-12-01

    Grain size distributions of bed material sediment in large alluvial rivers are required in applications ranging from habitat mapping, calibration of sediment transport models, high resolution sediment routing, and testing of existing theories of longitudinal and cross steam sediment sorting. However, characterizing bed material sediment from coarse river beds is hampered by difficulties in sediment extraction, a challenge that is generally circumvented via pebble counts on point bars, even though it is unclear whether the bulk grain size distribution of bed sediments is well represented by pebble counts on bars. We have developed and tested a boat-based sampling apparatus and methodology for extracting bulk sediment from a wide range of riverbed materials. It involves the use of a 0.4 x 0.4 x 0.2 meter stainless steel toothed sampler, called the Cooper Scooper, which is deployed from and dragged downstream by the weight of a jet boat. The design is based on that of a river anchor such that a rotating center bar connected to a rope line in the boat aligns the sampler in the downstream direction, the teeth penetrate the bed surface, and the sampler digs into the bed. The sampler is fitted with lead weights to keep it from tipping over. The force of the sampler `biting' into the bed can be felt on the rope line held by a person in the boat at which point they let out slack. The boat then motors to the spot above the embedded sampler, which is hoisted to the water surface via a system of pulleys. The Cooper Scooper is then clipped into a winch and boom assembly by which it is brought aboard. This apparatus improves upon commonly used clamshell dredge samplers, which are unable to penetrate coarse or mixed bed surfaces. The Cooper Scooper, by contrast, extracts statistically representative bed material sediment samples of up to 30 kilograms. Not surprisingly, the sampler does not perform well in very coarse or armored beds (e.g. where surface material size is on the

  20. Apparatus and process for controlling fluidized beds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rehmat, Amirali G.; Patel, Jitendra G.

    1985-10-01

    An apparatus and process for control and maintenance of fluidized beds under non-steady state conditions. An ash removal conduit is provided for removing solid particulates from a fluidized bed separate from an ash discharge conduit in the lower portion of the grate supporting such a bed. The apparatus and process of this invention is particularly suitable for use in ash agglomerating fluidized beds and provides control of the fluidized bed before ash agglomeration is initiated and during upset conditions resulting in stable, sinter-free fluidized bed maintenance.

  1. Fingerprinting of bed sediment in the Tay Estuary, Scotland: an environmental magnetism approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. A. Jenkins

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available Sediment fingerprinting is commonly used for sediment provenance studies in lakes, rivers and reservoirs and on hillslopes and floodplains. This investigation explores the mixing of terrestrial and marine-derived sediment in the Tay Estuary, Scotland, using mineral magnetic attributes for fingerprinting. Samples representative of the estuary sediments and of four sources (end-members were subjected to a suite of magnetic susceptibility and remanence measurements. Sediment samples from the beds of the Rivers Tay and Earn represented fluvial inputs while samples from the Angus and Fife coasts represented marine input. Multivariate discriminant and factor analysis showed that the sources could be separated on the basis of six magnetic parameters in a simple multivariate unmixing model to identify source contributions to estuarine bed sediments. Multi-domain magnetite signatures, characteristic of unweathered bedrock, dominate the magnetic measurements. Overall contributions of 3% from the River Earn, 17% from the River Tay, 29% from the Angus coast and 51% from the Fife coast source end-members, demonstrated the present-day regime of marine sediment derivation in the Tay Estuary. However, this conceals considerable spatial variability both along-estuary and in terms of sub-environments, with small-scale variations in sediment provenance reflecting local morphology, particularly areas of channel convergence. Keywords: bed sediment, environmental magnetism, fingerprinting, Tay Estuary, Scotland

  2. Helium-cooled pebble bed test blanket module alternative design and fabrication routes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lux, M.

    2007-01-01

    According to first results of the recently started European DEMO study, a new blanket integration philosophy was developed applying so-called multi-module segments. These consist of a number of blanket modules flexibly mounted onto a common vertical manifold structure that can be used for replacing all modules in one segment at one time through vertical remote-handling ports. This principle gives new freedom in the design choices applied to the blanket modules itself. Based on the alternative design options considered for DEMO also the ITER test blanket module was newly analyzed. As a result of these activities it was decided to keep the major principles of the reference design like stiffening grid, breeder unit concept and perpendicular arrangement of pebble beds related to the First Wall because of the very positive results of thermo-mechanical and neutronics studies. The present paper gives an overview on possible further design optimization and alternative fabrication routes. One of the most significant improvements in terms of the hydraulic performance of the Helium cooled reactor can be reached with a new First Wall concept. That concept is based on an internal heat transfer enhancement technique and allows drastically reducing the flow velocity in the FW cooling channels. Small ribs perpendicular to the flow direction (transverse-rib roughness) are arranged on the inner surface of the First Wall cooling channels at the plasma side. In the breeder units cooling plates which are mostly parallel but bent into U-shape at the plasma-side are considered. In this design all flow channels are parallel and straight with the flow entering on one side of the parallel plate sections and exiting on the other side. The ceramic pebble beds are embedded between two pairs of such type of cooling plates. Different modifications could possibly be combined, whereby the most relevant discussed in this paper are (i) rib-cooled First Wall channels, (ii) U-bent cooling plates for

  3. Fluidized bed boiler feed system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Brian C.

    1981-01-01

    A fluidized bed boiler feed system for the combustion of pulverized coal. Coal is first screened to separate large from small particles. Large particles of coal are fed directly to the top of the fluidized bed while fine particles are first mixed with recycled char, preheated, and then fed into the interior of the fluidized bed to promote char burnout and to avoid elutriation and carryover.

  4. Bursting Events in Pressure Flushing with Expanding Bottom Outlet Channel within Dam Reservoir

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    soheila Tofighi

    2017-01-01

    each experiment, the bed level of scouring was measured using laser meters, and the volume of flushing cone was calculated by Surfer software. For investigation of turbulence parameters, the measurement of flow velocity in 0.5cm from the bed of flushing cone in the central axis of the outlet channel in the flow rate of 3 liters per second and water level of 47.5cm for three expansion sizes of the outlet channel (10, 20, and 30cm was performed. The flow velocity measurement was done using an Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter. This device is capable of measuring instantaneous velocity in three directions. Results and Discussion: The results indicated that the relative amount of bottom outlet channel expansion for 0.5, 1 and 1.5 times height of the sediments in the reservoir, leads to increase in flushing cone length for an average of 48, 83 and 113% and flushing cone volume for the average amount of 50, 74 and 96% compared to the case when the outlet channel is not developed. Also the analysis of the turbulence parameters showed that in the nearest axis to the inlet of the bottom outlet channel in which the maximum depth of flushing cone, the occurrence probability of sweep and ejection are maximum and impact angle of moment force due to these events is minimized. However the dominant event here is ejected which was also observed in laboratory experiments the particles were transferred into the channel as suspended load. By increasing the distance from the inlet opening of the channel the occurrence probability of sweep and ejection are decreased and impact angle of moment force due to these events is increased, but again, these two events are the dominant events in this regions and sweep is more important than ejection, that the observations also verify the particles transferred as bed load in these region. Ultimately, it comes to a region where the probabilities of all four events are the same and where the sediment flushing cone reaches the primary sedimentation level that

  5. Fluidized bed incinerator development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ziegler, D.L.; Johnson, A.J.

    1976-01-01

    A fluidized bed incinerator is being developed for burning rad contaminated solid and liquid waste materials. In situ neutralization of acid gases by the bed material, catalytic afterburning, and gas filtration are used to produce a clean flue gas without the use of aqueous scrubbing

  6. Petrology and geochemistry of samples from bed-contact zones in Tunnel Bed 5, U12g-Tunnel, Nevada Test Site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Connolly, J.R.; Keil, K.; Mansker, W.L.; Allen, C.C.; Husler, J.; Lowy, R.; Fortney, D.R.; Lappin, A.R.

    1984-10-01

    This report summarizes the detailed geologic characterization of samples of bed-contact zones and surrounding nonwelded bedded tuffs, both within Tunnel Bed 5, that are exposed in the G-Tunnel complex beneath Rainier Mesa on the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Original planning studies treated the bed-contact zones in Tunnel Bed 5 as simple planar surfaces of relatively high permeability. Detailed characterization, however, indicates that these zones have a finite thickness, are depositional in origin, vary considerably over short vertical and horizontal distances, and are internally complex. Fluid flow in a sequence of nonwelded zeolitized ash-flow or bedded tuffs and thin intervening reworked zones appears to be a porous-medium phenomenon, regardless of the presence of layering. There are no consistent differences in either bulk composition or detailed mineralogy between bedded tuffs and bed-contact zones in Tunnel Bed 5. Although the original bulk composition of Tunnel Bed 5 was probably peralkaline, extensive zeolitization has resulted in a present peraluminous bulk composition of both bedded tuffs and bed-contact zones. The major zeolite present, clinoptilolite, is intermediate (Ca:K:Na = 26:35:39) and effectively uniform in composition. This composition is similar to that of clinoptilolite from the tuffaceous beds of Calico Hills above the static water level in hole USW G-1, but somewhat different from that reported for zeolites from below the static water level in USW G-2. Tunnel Bed 5 also contains abundant hydrous manganese oxides. The similarity in composition of the clinoptilolites from Tunnel Bed 5 and those above the static water level at Yucca Mountain indicates that many of the results of nuclide-migration experiments in Tunnel Bed 5 would be transferrable to zeolitized nonwelded tuffs above the static water level at Yucca Mountain

  7. Theoretical comparison of packed bed and fluidized bed membrane reactors for methane reforming

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gallucci, F.; van Sint Annaland, M.; Kuipers, J.A.M.

    2010-01-01

    In this theoretical work the performance of different membrane reactor concepts, both fluidized bed and packed bed membrane reactors, has been compared for ultra-pure hydrogen production via methane reforming. Using detailed theoretical models, the required membrane area to reach a given conversion

  8. Channel Evolution Following Avulsion: an Example from the Yellow River Delta

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, S.

    2017-12-01

    Long-term field observation of morphological adjustments of rivers following avulsions is lacked when studying the evolution of avulsive channel on deltas. Avulsion at the Yellow River Delta (YRD) is frequent with average lifespan of channels of only about a decade. The Qing-shui-gou channel, the recent lobe on the YRD, provides a rare opportunity for investigating channel evolution following artificial avulsion. The reasons for its longer lifespan also needs investigation of the channel evolution. In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the geomorphic adjustment of the channel based on filed survey data during 1976-2014. The evolution of the channel was impacted by anthropogenic activities, including artificial avulsion at the downstream channel reaches in 1996, alteration of runoff and sediment load through Water and Sediment Regulation Scheme (WSRS), construction of levees and dikes. Analysis on channel geometry showed that avulsions in 1976 and in 1996 both caused short-term (1 2 years) erosion at the upstream channel reaches. Following the avulsion in 1976, massive aggradation occurred at the channel reaches at the downstream of the avulsion point. A single-thread channel gradually formed, widened and enlarged as channel bed under-cut on the deposition material. As delta extended seaward and the longitudinal slope decreased with time, aggradation occurred and an alluvial ridge formed. The ratio of lateral slope to the longitudinal slope (i.e. gradient advantage) and the relative super-elevation of the channel were calculated to estimate the possibility of avulsion at the channel in the late 1990. Results showed that the slope ratio was greater than 20 locally and super-elevation near its critical value for avulsion. The fact, that natural avulsion did not occurred despite of high values of gradient advantage and super elevation, may indicate that they are not sufficient conditions for avulsion at highly human-controlled rivers, where channel boundaries are

  9. Co-evolution of Riparian Vegetation and Channel Dynamics in an Aggrading Braided River System, Mount Pinatubo, Philippines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gran, K. B.; Michal, T.

    2014-12-01

    Increased bank stability by riparian vegetation in braided rivers can decrease bed reworking rates and focus the flow. The magnitude of influence and resulting channel morphology are functions of vegetation strength vs. channel dynamics, a concept encapsulated in a dimensionless ratio between timescales for vegetation growth and channel reworking known as T*. We investigate this relationship in an aggrading braided river at Mount Pinatubo, Philippines, and compare results to numerical and physical models. Gradual reductions in post-eruption sediment loads have reduced bed reworking rates, allowing vegetation to persist year-round and impact channel dynamics on the Pasig-Potrero and Sacobia Rivers. From 2009-2011, we collected data detailing vegetation extent, type, density, and root strength. Incorporating these data into RipRoot and BSTEM models shows cohesion due to roots increased from zero in unvegetated conditions to >10.2 kPa in densely-growing grasses. Field-based parameters were incorporated into a cellular model comparing vegetation growth and sediment mobility effects on braided channel dynamics. The model shows that both low sediment mobility and high vegetation strength lead to less active systems, reflecting trends observed in the field. An estimated T* between 0.8 - 2.3 for the Pasig-Potrero River suggests channels were mobile enough to maintain the braidplain width clear of vegetation and even experience slight gains in area through annual removal of existing vegetation. However, persistent vegetation focused flow and thus aggradation over the unvegetated fraction of braidplain, leading to an aggradational imbalance and transition to a more avulsive state. While physical models predict continued narrowing of the active braidplain as T* declines, the future trajectory of channel-vegetation interactions at Pinatubo as sedimentation rates decline appears more complicated due to strong seasonal variability in precipitation and sediment loads. By 2011

  10. Effects of aggradation and degradation on riffle-pool morphology in natural gravel channels, northwestern California

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas E. Lisle

    1982-01-01

    After the flood of December 1964, 12 gaging sections in northern California widened as much as 100% and aggraded as much as 4 m, and then degraded to stable levels during a period of 5 years or more. As channels aggraded, bed material became finer, and low to moderate flow through gaging sections in pools became shallower, faster, and steeper. Comparisons of...

  11. Flow through a very porous obstacle in a shallow channel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Creed, M J; Draper, S; Nishino, T; Borthwick, A G L

    2017-04-01

    A theoretical model, informed by numerical simulations based on the shallow water equations, is developed to predict the flow passing through and around a uniform porous obstacle in a shallow channel, where background friction is important. This problem is relevant to a number of practical situations, including flow through aquatic vegetation, the performance of arrays of turbines in tidal channels and hydrodynamic forces on offshore structures. To demonstrate this relevance, the theoretical model is used to (i) reinterpret core flow velocities in existing laboratory-based data for an array of emergent cylinders in shallow water emulating aquatic vegetation and (ii) reassess the optimum arrangement of tidal turbines to generate power in a tidal channel. Comparison with laboratory-based data indicates a maximum obstacle resistance (or minimum porosity) for which the present theoretical model is valid. When the obstacle resistance is above this threshold the shallow water equations do not provide an adequate representation of the flow, and the theoretical model over-predicts the core flow passing through the obstacle. The second application of the model confirms that natural bed resistance increases the power extraction potential for a partial tidal fence in a shallow channel and alters the optimum arrangement of turbines within the fence.

  12. Fluid-bed process for SYNROC production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ackerman, F.J.; Grens, J.Z.; Ryerson, F.J.; Hoenig, C.L.; Bazan, F.; Peters, P.E.; Smith, R.; Campbell, J.H.

    1983-01-01

    SYNROC is a titanate-based ceramic waste developed for the immobilization of high-level nuclear reactor waste. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has investigated a fluid-bed technique for the large-scale production of SYNROC precursor powders. Making SYNROC in a fluid bed permits slurry drying, calcination and reduction-oxidation reactions to be carried out in a single unit. We present the results of SYNROC fluid-bed studies from two fluid-bed units 10 cm in diameter: an internally heated fluid-bed unit developed by Exxon Idaho and an externally heated unit constructed at LLNL. Bed operation over a range of temperatures, feed rates, fluidizing rates, and redox conditions indicate that SYNROC powders of a high density and a uniform particle size can be produced. These powders facilitate the densification step and yield dense ceramics (greater than 95% theoretical density) with well-developed phases and low leaching rates

  13. Turbulence characteristics of flow in an open channel with temporally varying mobile bedforms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hanmaiahgari Prashanth Reddy

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Turbulence of flow over mobile bedforms in natural open channels is not yet clearly understood. An attempt is made in this paper to determine the effect of naturally formed mobile bedforms on velocities, turbulent intensities and turbulent stresses. Instantaneous velocities are measured using a two-dimensional particle image velocimetry (PIV to evaluate the turbulence structure of free surface flow over a fixed (immobile bed, a weakly mobile bed and a temporally varying mobile bed with different stages of bedform development. This paper documents the vertical distribution of velocity, turbulence intensities, Reynolds shear stress and higher-order moments including skewness and turbulent diffusion factors. Analysis of the velocity distributions shows a substantial decrease of velocity near the bed with increasing bedform mobility due to increased friction. A modified logarithmic law with a reduced von Kármán constant and increased velocity shift is proposed for the case of the mobile bedforms. A significant increase in the Reynolds shear stress is observed in the mobile bedforms experiments accompanied by changes over the entire flow depth compared to an immobile bed. The skewness factor distribution was found to be different in the case of the flow over the mobile bedforms. All higher-order turbulence descriptors are found to be significantly affected by the formation of temporally varying and non-equilibrium mobile bedforms. Quadrant analysis indicates that sweep and outward events are found to be dominant in strongly mobile bedforms and govern the bedform mobility.

  14. Clinical evaluation of an automated turning bed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melland, H I; Langemo, D; Hanson, D; Olson, B; Hunter, S

    1999-01-01

    The purposes of this study were to assess client comfort and sleep quality, client physiologic response (skin and respiratory status), the effect on the need for caregiver assistance, and cost when using an automated turning bed. Nonexperimental, evaluative study. Twenty-four adult home or long-term care resident subjects who had a degenerative disease, spinal cord injury, stroke, cerebral palsy, or back surgery. Each subject agreed to use the automated turning bed for four weeks. Researchers completed a demographic survey and skin assessment, and assessed each subject for pressure ulcer risk and for the need of assistance of a care giver for turning before and after the four weeks of using the turning bed. Subjects rated the turning bed in terms of comfort and sleep quality. Subjects rated the turning bed as more comfortable than their own bed and expressed satisfaction at the pain relief attained when on the turning bed. While using the turning bed, there was a significant improvement in sleep quality. No skin breakdown or deterioration in respiratory status occurred. Fewer subjects required the assistance of a caregiver for turning when on the turning bed. This automated turning bed shows great promise in meeting a need for patients with limited mobility whether they are homebound or in a residential community. Future studies that further investigate use of the turning bed for postoperative back patients while still in the acute care setting are indicated. Replicative studies with a larger sample size are also indicated.

  15. Flowing equation gradually varied in rectangles channels on depth curve; Ecuacion del flujo gradualmente variado en canales rectangulares de fondo curvo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sotelo-Avila, G.; Gallegos-Silva, J. [Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico, D.F. (Mexico)

    2002-03-01

    The study of channel flow usually have its basis in the hydrostatic distribution of pressure and the rectilinear flow hypotheses. It is from this hypothesis that the main flow equations are obtained. However, this is not applicable to a vertically curved flow that is present in a curved bed channel. This kind of channel is used to join two different slopes or in ski jumps. This kind of flow presents several changes from the rectilinear flow as in the velocity and pressure distributions and even in the energy loses. The authors of this article propose an equation of gradually varied flow for vertically-curved bed rectangular channels that adds a coefficient to modify the velocity in the calculus of the local friction gradient. With these results is possible now to analyze flow profiles in vertically-curved bed channels where before were used the methods for straight channels and therefore, increase accuracy. [Spanish] Las hipotesis del movimiento rectilineo y de distribucion hidrostatica de la presion son ciertamente las mas importantes en la hidraulica de canales, y de ellas se derivan los principales modelos de flujo que usualmente emplean. Sin embargo, no es valido aplicar la misma hipotesis y metodos de analisis al flujo curvilineo, que ocurre cuando el canal adopta curvaturas verticales en el fondo, las cuales inducen cambios importantes en la distribucion de la velocidad, presion y hasta en la perdida d energia. Tal es el caso de canales que contienen curvas verticales para unir tramos de distintas pendientes y producir el cambio en la direccion del flujo en cubetas deflectoras y vertedores en tunel. Los autores de este articulo proponen una ecuacion de flujo gradualmente variado en canales rectangulares de fondo curvo, esta es de gran utilidad en la determinacion del perfil del flujo con dichas caracteristicas, donde se plantea la adicion de un factor de amplificacion de la velocidad en el calculo del gradiente local de friccion, para tomar en cuenta el

  16. Predicting fractional bed load transport rates: Application of the Wilcock‐Crowe equations to a regulated gravel bed river

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaeuman, David; Andrews, E.D.; Krause, Andreas; Smith, Wes

    2009-01-01

    Bed load samples from four locations in the Trinity River of northern California are analyzed to evaluate the performance of the Wilcock‐Crowe bed load transport equations for predicting fractional bed load transport rates. Bed surface particles become smaller and the fraction of sand on the bed increases with distance downstream from Lewiston Dam. The dimensionless reference shear stress for the mean bed particle size (τ*rm) is largest near the dam, but varies relatively little between the more downstream locations. The relation between τ*rm and the reference shear stresses for other size fractions is constant across all locations. Total bed load transport rates predicted with the Wilcock‐Crowe equations are within a factor of 2 of sampled transport rates for 68% of all samples. The Wilcock‐Crowe equations nonetheless consistently under‐predict the transport of particles larger than 128 mm, frequently by more than an order of magnitude. Accurate prediction of the transport rates of the largest particles is important for models in which the evolution of the surface grain size distribution determines subsequent bed load transport rates. Values of τ*rm estimated from bed load samples are up to 50% larger than those predicted with the Wilcock‐Crowe equations, and sampled bed load transport approximates equal mobility across a wider range of grain sizes than is implied by the equations. Modifications to the Wilcock‐Crowe equation for determining τ*rm and the hiding function used to scale τ*rm to other grain size fractions are proposed to achieve the best fit to observed bed load transport in the Trinity River.

  17. Gravity-driven, dry granular flows over a loose bed in stationary and homogeneous conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meninno, Sabrina; Armanini, Aronne; Larcher, Michele

    2018-02-01

    Flows involving solid particulates have been widely studied in recent years, but their dynamics are still a complex issue to model because they strongly depend on the interaction with the boundary conditions. We report on laboratory investigations regarding homogeneous and steady flows of identical particles over a loose bed in a rectangular channel. Accurate measurements were carried out through imaging techniques to estimate profiles of the mean velocity, solid concentration, and granular temperature for a large set of flow rates and widths. Vertical and transversal structures observed in the flow change as interparticle interactions become more collisional, and they depend on the bottom over which the flow develops. The lateral confinement has a remarkable effect on the flow, especially for narrow channels compared with the grain size, and a hydraulic analogy is able to show how the walls influence the mechanisms of friction and energy dissipation.

  18. DNA profiling of trace DNA recovered from bedding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petricevic, Susan F; Bright, Jo-Anne; Cockerton, Sarah L

    2006-05-25

    Trace DNA is often detected on handled items and worn clothing examined in forensic laboratories. In this study, the potential transfer of trace DNA to bedding by normal contact, when an individual sleeps in a bed, is examined. Volunteers slept one night on a new, lower bed sheet in their own bed and one night in a bed foreign to them. Samples from the sheets were collected and analysed by DNA profiling. The results indicate that the DNA profile of an individual can be obtained from bedding after one night of sleeping in a bed. The DNA profile of the owner of the bed could also be detected in the foreign bed experiments. Since mixed DNA profiles can be obtained from trace DNA on bedding, caution should be exercised when drawing conclusions from DNA profiling results obtained from such samples. This transfer may have important repercussions in sexual assault investigations.

  19. Utility of Recycled Bedding for Laboratory Rodents

    OpenAIRE

    Miyamoto, Toru; Li, Zhixia; Kibushi, Tomomi; Okano, Shinya; Yamasaki, Nakamichi; Kasai, Noriyuki

    2009-01-01

    Animal facilities generate a large amount of used bedding containing excrement as medical waste. We developed a recycling system for used bedding that involves soft hydrothermal processing. In this study, we examined the effects of bedding type on growth, hematologic and serum biochemical values, and organ weights of female and male mice reared on either recycled or fresh bedding from 3 to 33 wk of age. Neither growth nor physiology differed between mice housed on recycled bedding compared wi...

  20. Computer simulations of channel meandering and the formation of point bars: Linking channel dynamics to the preserved stratigraphy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, T.; Covault, J. A.; Pyrcz, M.; Sullivan, M.

    2012-12-01

    Meandering rivers are probably one of the most recognizable geomorphic features on earth. As they meander across alluvial and delta plains, channels migrate laterally and develop point bars, splays, levees and other geomorphic and sedimentary features that compose substantial portions of the fill within many sedimentary basins. These basins can include hydrocarbon producing fields. Therefore, a good understanding of the processes of meandering channels and their associated deposits is critical for exploiting these reservoirs in the subsurface. In the past couple of decades, significant progress has been made in our understanding of the morphodynamics of channel meandering. Basic fluid dynamics and sediment transport (Ikeda and Parker, 1981; Howard, 1992) has shown that many characteristic features of meandering rivers, such as the meandering wavelength, growth rate and downstream migration rate, can be predicted quantitatively. As a result, a number of variations and improvement of the theory have emerged (e.g., Blondeaux and Seminara, 1985; Parker and Andrews, 1985, 1986; and Sun et al., 2001a, b).The main improvements include the recognition of so called "bar-bend" interactions, where the development of bars on the channel bed and their interactions with the channel bend is recognized as a primary cause for meandering channels to develop greater complexity than the classic goose-neck meander bend shapes, such as compound bend. Recently, Sun and others have shown that the spatial patterns of width variations in meandering channels can be explained by an extrinsic periodic flow variations coupled with the intrinsic bend instability dynamics. In contrast to the significant improvement of our understanding of channel meandering, little work has been done to link the geomorphic features of meandering channels to the geometry and heterogeneity of the deposits they form and ultimately preserves. A computer simulation model based on the work of Sun and others (1996, 2001

  1. Bed-To-Wall Heat Transfer in a Supercritical Circulating Fluidised Bed Boiler

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Błaszczuk Artur

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this work is to find a correlation for heat transfer to walls in a 1296 t/h supercritical circulating fluidised bed (CFB boiler. The effect of bed-to-wall heat transfer coefficient in a long active heat transfer surface was discussed, excluding the radiation component. Experiments for four different unit loads (i.e. 100% MCR, 80% MCR, 60% MCR and 40% MCR were conducted at a constant excess air ratio and high level of bed pressure (ca. 6 kPa in each test run. The empirical correlation of the heat transfer coefficient in a large-scale CFB boiler was mainly determined by two key operating parameters, suspension density and bed temperature. Furthermore, data processing was used in order to develop empirical correlation ranges between 3.05 to 5.35 m·s-1 for gas superficial velocity, 0.25 to 0.51 for the ratio of the secondary to the primary air, 1028 to 1137K for bed temperature inside the furnace chamber of a commercial CFB boiler, and 1.20 to 553 kg·m-3 for suspension density. The suspension density was specified on the base of pressure measurements inside the boiler’s combustion chamber using pressure sensors. Pressure measurements were collected at the measuring ports situated on the front wall of the combustion chamber. The obtained correlation of the heat transfer coefficient is in agreement with the data obtained from typical industrial CFB boilers.

  2. River channel morphology and hydraulics properties due to introduction of plant basket hydraulic structures for river channel management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kałuża, Tomasz; Radecki-Pawlik, Artur; Plesiński, Karol; Walczak, Natalia; Szoszkiewicz, Krzysztof; Radecki-Pawlik, Bartosz

    2016-04-01

    In the present time integrated water management is directly connected with management and direct works in river channels themselves which are taking into account morphological processes in rivers and improve flow conditions. Our work focused on the hydraulic and hydrodynamic consequences upon the introduction of the concept of the improvement of the hydromorphological conditions of the Flinta River in a given reach following river channel management concept. Based on a comprehensive study of the hydromorphological state of the river, four sections were selected where restoration measures can efficiently improve river habitat conditions in the river. For each section a set of technical and biological measures were proposed and implemented in practice. One of the proposed solutions was to construct plant basket hydraulic structures (PBHS) within the river channel, which are essentially plant barriers working as sediment traps, changing river channel morphology and are in line with concepts of Water Framework Directive. These relatively small structures work as crested weirs and unquestionably change the channel morphology. Along our work we show the results of three-year long (2013-2015) systematic measurements that provided information on the morphological consequences of introducing such structures into a river channel. Our main conclusions are as follows: 1. Plant basket hydraulic structures cause changes in hydrodynamic conditions and result in sediment accumulation and the formation of river backwaters upstream and downstream the obstacle; 2. The introduced plant basket hydraulic structures cause plant debris accumulation which influences the hydrodynamic flow conditions; 3. The installation of plant basket hydraulic structures on the river bed changes flow pattern as well as flow hydrodynamic conditions causing river braiding process; 4. The erosion rate below the plant basket hydraulic structures is due to the hydraulic work conditions of the PBHS and its

  3. Use of bed nets and factors that influence bed net use among Jinuo Ethnic Minority in southern China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Jian-wei; Liao, Yuan-mei; Liu, Hui; Nie, Ren-hua; Havumaki, Joshua

    2014-01-01

    Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) are an integral part of vector control recommendations for malaria elimination in China. This study investigated the extent to which bed nets were used and which factors influence bed net use among Jinuo Ethnic Minority in China-Myanmar-Laos border areas. This study combined a quantitative household questionnaire survey and qualitative semi-structured in-depth interviews (SDI). Questionnaires were administered to 352 heads of households. SDIs were given to 20 key informants. The bed net to person ratio was 1∶2.1 (i.e., nearly one net for every two people), however only 169 (48.0%) households owned at least one net and 623 (47.2%) residents slept under bed nets the prior night. The percentages of residents who regularly slept under nets (RSUN) and slept under nets the prior night (SUNPN) were similar (48.0% vs. 47.2%, P>0.05), however the percentage correct use of nets (CUN) was significantly lower (34.5%, Pcash income per person (ACIP) was an independent factor that influenced bed net use (PHigh bed net availability does not necessarily mean higher coverage or bed net use. Household income, house type and knowledge of the ability of bed nets to prevent malaria are all independent factors that influence bed net use among Jinuo Ethnic Minority.

  4. Numerical calculation of wall-to-bed heat transfer coefficients in gas-fluidized beds

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kuipers, J.A.M.; Prins, W.; van Swaaij, W.P.M.

    1992-01-01

    A computer model for a hot gas-fluidized bed has been developed. The theoretical description is based on a two-fluid model (TFM) approach in which both phases are considered to be continuous and fully interpenetrating. Local wall-to-bed heat-transfer coefficients have been calculated by the

  5. Bed morphology, flow structure, and sediment transport at the outlet of Lake Huron and in the upper St. Clair River

    Science.gov (United States)

    Czuba, J.A.; Best, J.L.; Oberg, K.A.; Parsons, D.R.; Jackson, P.R.; Garcia, M.H.; Ashmore, P.

    2011-01-01

    An integrated multibeam echo sounder and acoustic Doppler current profiler field survey was conducted in July 2008 to investigate the morphodynamics of the St. Clair River at the outlet of Lake Huron. The principal morphological features of the upper St. Clair River included flow-transverse bedforms that appear weakly mobile, erosive bedforms in cohesive muds, thin non-cohesive veneers of weakly mobile sediment that cover an underlying cohesive (till or glacio-lacustrine) surface, and vegetation that covers the bed. The flow was characterized by acceleration as the banks constrict from Lake Huron into the St. Clair River, an approximately 1500-m long region of flow separation downstream from the Blue Water Bridge, and secondary flow connected to: i) channel curvature; ii) forcing of the flow by local bed topography, and iii) flow wakes in the lee side of ship wrecks. Nearshore, sand-sized, sediment from Lake Huron was capable of being transported into, and principally along, the banks of the upper St. Clair River by the measured flow. A comparison of bathymetric surveys conducted in 2007 and 2008 identifies that the gravel bed does undergo slow downstream movement, but that this movement does not appear to be generated by the mean flow, and could possibly be caused by ship-propeller-induced turbulence. The study results suggest that the measured mean flow and dredging within the channel have not produced major scour of the upper St. Clair River and that the recent fall in the level of Lake Huron is unlikely to have been caused by these mechanisms. ?? 2011.

  6. Upstream effects of dams on alluvial channels: state-of-the-art and future challenges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liro, Maciej

    2017-04-01

    More than 50,000 large dams (with the height above 15 m) operate all over the world and, thus, they significantly disturb water and sediment transport in river systems. These disturbances are recognized as one of the most important factors shaping river morphology in the Anthropocene. Downstream effects of dams have been well documented in numerous case studies and supported by predictions from existing models. In contrast, little is known on the upstream effects of dams on alluvial channels. This review highlights the lack of studies on sedimentological, hydromorphological and biogeomorphological adjustments of alluvial rivers in the base-level raised zones of backwater upstream of dam reservoirs where water level fluctuations occur. Up to date, it has been documented that backwater effects may facilitate fine and coarse sediment deposition, increase groundwater level, provide higher and more frequent channel and floodplain inundation and lead to significant morphological changes. But there have been no studies quantifying short- and long-term consequences of these disturbances for the hydromorphological and biogeomorphological feedbacks that control development of alluvial channels. Some recent studies carried out on gravel-bed and fine-grained bed rivers show that the above mentioned disturbances facilitate vegetation expansion on exposed channel sediments and floodplain influencing river morphology, which suggests that backwater area of alluvial rivers may be treated as the hotspot of bio-geomorphological changes in a fluvial system. To set the stage for future research on upstream effects of dams, this work presents the existing state-of-art and proposes some hypotheses which may be tested in future studies. This study was carried out within the scope of the Research Project 2015/19/N/ST10/01526 financed by the National Science Centre of Poland

  7. Submarine flow discharge changes as a way to explain incission-overspilling and other cycles in submarine channel sequences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milana, J. P.; Kneller, B.; Dykstra, M.

    2009-04-01

    Many studies mainly made in subsurface slopes systems using 3D seismics supported by drill data, suggest that these environments behave cyclically, with the geological time at proximal and intermediate positions in the slope, divided in times in which erosion and elaboration of deep channels prevail and thus bypass of the sediment towards lower areas, and epochs in which accumulation prevails occurring by the development of depositional leveés and eventual widening of the channel system with some over spilling possible. To understand which are the ruling mechanisms of these cycles we study in detail the depositional processes that occur at the Rosario Fm (Baja Ca, Mexico), one of the best exposed canyon and channel-levee systems. We centered this study in the gravel fractions of the system assuming that they would indicate the transport modes of the most energetic flows. After analyzing both the bed structure and facies, and the particular conglomerate fabric at certain types of large-scale bed structures, we concluded that conglomerate deposition was by simple traction mechanisms, quite comparable to what occurs at some highly concentrated and fast fluvial streams. The main difference to fluvial hyperconcentrated tractive flows lies on bedform types and scales, as bed architecture might be at one order of scale larger than fluvial systems. Most of these conglomerates can thus be explained as deposited by known bedload mechanisms, without the need to call for hypothetical mechanisms as traction-carpet freezing, sweep fallout, etc. The bedload dominated flows responsible for gravel transport produced the bed structures due to migration of three main bedforms at different balances of erosion/accumulation. These three bedforms are gravel waves, a subcritical bedform comparable to gravel dunes, capable to produce very large-scale through cross stratification at a linguoid bedform crest type reach and large-scale (2-3 m thick) sets of gravel planar cross

  8. The distribution and remobilisation of plutonium and americium in estuaries of the eastern Irish Sea: a review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toole, J.

    1993-01-01

    The plutonium and americium components in the authorised discharges from BNFL Sellafield are rapidly removed from Irish Sea seawater onto the particulate phase. These actinides tend to be concentrated in fine sediment deposits on the Irish Sea bed and in estuaries where fine sediment accumulates. This paper focuses on these estuarine areas and brings together the available data on the levels and distributions of Pu and Am within the estuarine sediments. The results from field and laboratory experiments which have been undertaken in order to determine the degree of Pu and Am remobilisation, and the mechanism responsible, are also reviewed. These sediment-associated actinides may undergo both chemical and physical remobilisation, leading to increased dissolved concentrations in low-salinity waters and to apparent losses from the estuary on the sediment phase under certain conditions. Saltmarsh sediments are demonstrated to be the most important reservoirs for Pu and Am. The radiological significance of the levels of Pu and Am found in these and in other sediments is summarised, by comparison with GDLs. The appropriateness of GDLs for assessing the radiological significance of Pu and Am in these saltmarsh sediments is discussed. A more site-specific assessment methodology is recommended. (author)

  9. VA National Bed Control System

    Data.gov (United States)

    Department of Veterans Affairs — The VA National Bed Control System records the levels of operating, unavailable and authorized beds at each VAMC, and it tracks requests for changes in these levels....

  10. Performance evaluation of multi-channel wireless mesh networks with embedded systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lam, Jun Huy; Lee, Sang-Gon; Tan, Whye Kit

    2012-01-01

    Many commercial wireless mesh network (WMN) products are available in the marketplace with their own proprietary standards, but interoperability among the different vendors is not possible. Open source communities have their own WMN implementation in accordance with the IEEE 802.11s draft standard, Linux open80211s project and FreeBSD WMN implementation. While some studies have focused on the test bed of WMNs based on the open80211s project, none are based on the FreeBSD. In this paper, we built an embedded system using the FreeBSD WMN implementation that utilizes two channels and evaluated its performance. This implementation allows the legacy system to connect to the WMN independent of the type of platform and distributes the load between the two non-overlapping channels. One channel is used for the backhaul connection and the other one is used to connect to the stations to wireless mesh network. By using the power efficient 802.11 technology, this device can also be used as a gateway for the wireless sensor network (WSN).

  11. Tritium measurement technique using ''in-bed'' calorimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klein, J.E.; Mallory, M.K.; Nobile, A. Jr.

    1991-01-01

    One of the new technologies that has been introduced to the Savannah River Site (SRS) is the production scale use of metal hydride technology to store, pump, and compress hydrogen isotopes. For tritium stored in metal hydride storage beds, a unique relationship does not exist between the amount of tritium in the bed and the pressure-volume-temperature properties of the hydride material. Determining the amount of tritium in a hydride bed after desorbing the contents of the bed to a tank and performing pressure, volume, temperature, and composition (PVTC) measurements is not practical due to long desorption/absorption times and the inability to remove tritium ''heels'' from the metal hydride materials under normal processing conditions. To eliminate the need to remove tritium from hydride storage beds for measurement purposes, and ''in-bed'' tritium calorimetric measurement technique has been developed. The steady-state temperature rise of a gas stream flowing through a jacketed metal hydride storage bed is measured and correlated with power input to electric heaters used to simulate the radiolytic power generated by the decay of tritium to 3 He. Temperature rise results for prototype metal hydride storage beds and the effects of using different gases in the bed are shown. Linear regression results shows that for 95% confidence intervals, temperature rise measurements can be obtained in 14 hours and have an accuracy of ±1.6% of a tritium filled hydride storage bed

  12. Morphological characteristics of overdeepenings in high-mountain glacier beds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haeberli, Wilfried; Cochachin, Alejo; Fischer, Urs; Giráldez, Claudia; Linsbauer, Andreas; Salazar, Cesar

    2014-05-01

    the parameters surface area, length, width, depth, volume, forward/adverse slope and their statistical interrelations are determined with their corresponding uncertainty ranges. For sample (b) basal shear stress (as used in the model), thermal ice types, glacier size/type, relation to flow characteristics (position along flow, confined-unconfined, confluence-diffluence-channel-forefield) are also included. As a principal problem thereby remains the unsolved question of when exactly the overdeepenings had formed (present-day conditions, Holocene maximum stages, ice ages?). Some results nevertheless remain safe. The most striking phenomenon is the high variability of geometries observed with modelled as well as measured forms: small features can, for instance, be deep and large features shallow. Overdeepenings can form under conditions of low to high basal shear stresses at cirque, confluence, channel and terminus positions. Rather than the exact size, locations and general parameter values of overdeepenings from different model runs appear to be robust and comparable. Only weak correlations seem to exist between the investigated geometrical parameters; rather uncertain indications are found of an optimal elongation for maximum depths. Inclinations of adverse slopes do not differ significantly from those of forward slopes and are in most cases far higher than limiting values for floatation within the overdeepenings. Lakes, which fill exposed overdeepenings, can be dammed by huge (lateral/terminal) moraines or may form in polished rock beds but have comparable spreads of geometrical characteristics in both cases.

  13. Equilibrium modeling of gasification: Gibbs free energy minimization approach and its application to spouted bed and spout-fluid bed gasifiers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jarungthammachote, S.; Dutta, A.

    2008-01-01

    Spouted beds have been found in many applications, one of which is gasification. In this paper, the gasification processes of conventional and modified spouted bed gasifiers were considered. The conventional spouted bed is a central jet spouted bed, while the modified spouted beds are circular split spouted bed and spout-fluid bed. The Gibbs free energy minimization method was used to predict the composition of the producer gas. The major six components, CO, CO 2 , CH 4 , H 2 O, H 2 and N 2 , were determined in the mixture of the producer gas. The results showed that the carbon conversion in the gasification process plays an important role in the model. A modified model was developed by considering the carbon conversion in the constraint equations and in the energy balance calculation. The results from the modified model showed improvements. The higher heating values (HHV) were also calculated and compared with the ones from experiments. The agreements of the calculated and experimental values of HHV, especially in the case of the circular split spouted bed and the spout-fluid bed were observed

  14. Adult Bed-Wetting: A Concern?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adult bed-wetting: A concern? My 24-year-old husband has started to wet the bed at ... of Privacy Practices Notice of Nondiscrimination Manage Cookies Advertising Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit organization ...

  15. Getting Rid of Bed Bugs

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Directory Planning, Budget and Results Jobs and Internships Headquarters Offices Regional Offices Labs and Research Centers Bed ... to be careful in how you select a company. Related Information Collaborative Strategy on Bed Bugs - highlights ...

  16. EPA-Registered Bed Bug Products

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... rest or hide in hampers, bed frames, even furniture); Failing to treat adjacent areas where bed bugs ... to work (some pesticides, such as desiccators or growth regulators, may be very effective but take some ...

  17. Control of the Bed Temperature of a Circulating Fluidized Bed Boiler by using Particle Swarm Optimization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    AYGUN, H.

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Circulating fluidized bed boilers are increasingly used in the power generation due to their higher combustion efficiency and lower pollutant emissions. Such boilers require an effective control of the bed temperature, because it influences the boiler combustion efficiency and the rate of harmful emissions. A Particle-Swarm-Optimization-Proportional-Integrative-Derivative (PSO-PID controller for the bed temperature of a circulating fluidized bed boiler is presented. In order to prove the capability of the proposed controller, its performances are compared at different boiler loads with those of a Fuzzy Logic (FL controller. The simulation results demonstrate some advantages of the proposed controller.

  18. Morphodynamics structures induced by variations of the channel width

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duro, Gonzalo; Crosato, Alessandra; Tassi, Pablo

    2014-05-01

    In alluvial channels, forcing effects, such as a longitudinally varying width, can induce the formation of steady bars (Olesen, 1984). The type of bars that form, such as alternate, central or multiple, will mainly depend on the local flow width-to-depth ratio and on upstream conditions (Struiksma et al., 1985). The effects on bar formation of varying the channel width received attention only recently and investigations, based on flume experiments and mathematical modelling, are mostly restricted to small longitudinal sinusoidal variations of the channel width (e.g. Repetto et al., 2002; Wu and Yeh, 2005, Zolezzi et al., 2012; Frascati and Lanzoni, 2013). In this work, we analyze the variations in equilibrium bed topography in a longitudinal width-varying channel with characteristic scales of the Waal River (The Netherlands) using two different 2D depth-averaged morphodynamic models, one based on the Delft3D code and one on Telemac-Mascaret system. In particular, we explore the effects of changing the wavelength of sinusoidal width variations in a straight channel, focusing on the effects of the spatial lag between bar formation and forcing that is observed in numerical models and laboratory experiments (e.g. Crosato et al, 2011). We extend the investigations to finite width variations in which longitudinal changes of the width-to-depth ratio are such that they may affect the type of bars that become unstable (alternate, central or multiple bars). Numerical results are qualitatively validated with field observations and the resulting morphodynamic pattern is compared with the physics-based predictor of river bar modes by Crosato and Mosselman (2009). The numerical models are finally used to analyse the experimental conditions of Wu and Yeh (2005). The study should be seen as merely exploratory. The aim is to investigate possible approaches for future research aiming at assessing the effects of artificial river widening and narrowing to control bar formation in

  19. Fluidization quality analyzer for fluidized beds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daw, C.S.; Hawk, J.A.

    1995-07-25

    A control loop and fluidization quality analyzer for a fluidized bed utilizes time varying pressure drop measurements. A fast-response pressure transducer measures the overall bed pressure drop, or over some segment of the bed, and the pressure drop signal is processed to produce an output voltage which changes with the degree of fluidization turbulence. 9 figs.

  20. Fluidised bed heat exchangers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elliott, D.E.; Healey, E.M.; Roberts, A.G.

    1974-01-01

    Problems that have arisen during the initial stages of development of fluidised bed boilers in which heat transfer surfaces are immersed in fluidised solids are discussed. The very high heat transfer coefficients that are obtained under these conditions can be exploited to reduce the total heat transfer surface to a fraction of that in normal boilers. However, with the high heat flux levels involved, tube stressing becomes more important and it is advantageous to use smaller diameter tubes. One of the initial problems was that the pumping power absorbed by the fluidised bed appeared to be high. The relative influence of the fluidising velocity (and the corresponding bed area), tube diameter, tube spacing, heat transfer coefficient and bed temperature on pumping power and overall cost was determined. This showed the importance of close tube packing and research was undertaken to see if this would adversely affect the heat transfer coefficient. Pressure operation also reduces the pumping power. Fouling and corrosion tests in beds burning coal suggest that higher temperatures could be reached reliably and cost studies show that, provided the better refractory metals are used, the cost of achieving higher temperatures is not unduly high. It now remains to demonstrate at large scale that the proposed systems are viable and that the methods incorporated to overcome start up and part lead running problems are satisfactory. The promising role of these heat transfer techniques in other applications is briefly discussed

  1. Vistula River bed erosion processes and their influence on Warsaw’s flood safety

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Magnuszewski

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Large cities have historically been well protected against floods as a function of their importance to society. In Warsaw, Poland, located on a narrow passage of the Vistula River valley, urban flood disasters were not unusual. Beginning at the end of the 19th century, the construction of river embankment and training works caused the narrowing of the flood passage path in the downtown reach of the river. The process of bed erosion lowered the elevation of the river bed by 205 cm over the 20th century, and the consequences of bed lowering are reflected by the rating curve change. Conditions of the flood passage have been analysed by the CCHE2D hydrodynamic model both in retro-modelling and scenario simulation modelling. The high water mark of the 1844 flood and iterative calculations in retro-modelling made possible estimation of the discharge, Q = 8250 m3 s−1. This highest observed historical flood in a natural river has been compared to recent conditions of the Vistula River in Warsaw by scenario modelling. The result shows dramatic changes in water surface elevation, velocities, and shear stress. The vertical velocity in the proximity of Port Praski gauge at km 513 can reach 3.5 m s−1, a very high value for a lowland river. The average flow conveyance is improving due to channel erosion but also declining in the case of extreme floods due to high resistance from vegetation on the flood plains.

  2. Solid fuel feed system for a fluidized bed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Brian C.

    1982-01-01

    A fluidized bed for the combustion of coal, with limestone, is replenished with crushed coal from a system discharging the coal laterally from a station below the surface level of the bed. A compartment, or feed box, is mounted at one side of the bed and its interior separated from the bed by a weir plate beneath which the coal flows laterally into the bed while bed material is received into the compartment above the plate to maintain a predetermined minimum level of material in the compartment.

  3. Combustion of peanut shells in a cone-shaped bubbling fluidized-bed combustor using alumina as the bed material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arromdee, Porametr; Kuprianov, Vladimir I.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► We propose burning of peanut shells in a conical fluidized bed using alumina sand. ► We examine hydrodynamic, combustion and emission characteristics of the reactor. ► High, over 99%, combustion efficiency is achievable. ► Emissions of CO and NO from the combustor meet the national emission limits. ► Composition of the bed material undergoes significant changes during the combustion. -- Abstract: This paper reports experimental studies on burning peanut shells in the conical fluidized-bed combustor using alumina sand as the fluidizing agent. Prior to combustion tests, hydrodynamic regimes and characteristics of a conical alumina–biomass bed were investigated under cold-state conditions for variable percentage of peanut shells in the mixture and static bed height. With selected particle sizes (300–500 μm) and static bed height (30 cm), alumina ensured bubbling fluidization regime of the bed at operating conditions specified for firing biomass. Combustion tests were performed at 60 kg/h and 45 kg/h fuel feed rates, while ranging excess air from 20% to 80% at a fixed combustor load. Temperature and gas concentrations (O 2 , CO, C x H y as CH 4 , and NO) were measured along radial and axial directions inside the reactor as well as at stack in order to characterize combustion and emission performance of the combustor for the ranges of operating conditions. For firing 60 kg/h peanut shells, excess air of 40% can be selected as an appropriate value ensuring high, about 99%, combustion efficiency and rather low emissions of CO and NO: 520 ppm and 125 ppm, respectively (both on a dry basis and at 6% O 2 ). With reducing combustor load, the combustion efficiency and emission characteristics were improved to a little extent. No evidence of bed agglomeration was found during 30-h combustion tests on this conical fluidized-bed combustor using alumina sand as the bed material. However, the timescale effect on the composition of the bed material was

  4. Groundwater controls on river channel pattern

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bätz, Nico; Colombini, Pauline; Cherubini, Paolo; Lane, Stuart N.

    2017-04-01

    Braided rivers are characterized by high rates of morphological change. However, despite the potential for frequent disturbance, vegetated patches may develop within this system and influence long-term channel dynamics and channel patterns through the "engineering effects" of vegetation. The stabilizing effect of developing vegetation on morphological change has been widely shown by flume experiments and (historic) aerial pictures analysis. Thus, there is a balance between disturbance and stabilization, mediated through vegetation, that may determine the long-term geomorphic and biogeomorphic evolution of the river. It follows that with a change in disturbance frequency relative to the rate of vegetation establishment, a systematic geomorphological shift could occur. Research has addressed how changes in disturbance frequency affect river channel pattern, but has rarely addressed the way in which the stabilizing effects of biogeomorphic succession interact with disturbance frequency to maintain a river in a more dynamic or a less dynamic state. Here, we quantify how the interplay between groundwater access, disturbance frequency and vegetation succession, drive changes in channel pattern. We studied this complex interplay on a transitional gravel-bed river system (braided, wandering, meandering) close to Geneva (Switzerland) - the Allondon River. Dendroecological analysis demonstrate that vegetation growth is driven by groundwater access. Groundwater access conditions the rate of vegetation stabilization at the sub-reach scale and, due to a reduction in flood-related disturbance frequency over the last 50 years, drives a change in channel pattern. Where groundwater is shallower, vegetation encroachment rates were high and as flood-related disturbance decreased, the river has shifted towards a meandering state. Where groundwater was deeper, vegetation growth was limited by water-access and thus vegetation encroachment rates were low. Even though there was a

  5. A Numerical Study of Non-hydrostatic Shallow Flows in Open Channels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zerihun, Yebegaeshet T.

    2017-06-01

    The flow field of many practical open channel flow problems, e.g. flow over natural bed forms or hydraulic structures, is characterised by curved streamlines that result in a non-hydrostatic pressure distribution. The essential vertical details of such a flow field need to be accounted for, so as to be able to treat the complex transition between hydrostatic and non-hydrostatic flow regimes. Apparently, the shallow-water equations, which assume a mild longitudinal slope and negligible vertical acceleration, are inappropriate to analyse these types of problems. Besides, most of the current Boussinesq-type models do not consider the effects of turbulence. A novel approach, stemming from the vertical integration of the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations, is applied herein to develop a non-hydrostatic model which includes terms accounting for the effective stresses arising from the turbulent characteristics of the flow. The feasibility of the proposed model is examined by simulating flow situations that involve non-hydrostatic pressure and/or nonuniform velocity distributions. The computational results for free-surface and bed pressure profiles exhibit good correlations with experimental data, demonstrating that the present model is capable of simulating the salient features of free-surface flows over sharply-curved overflow structures and rigid-bed dunes.

  6. Coolability of volumetrically heated particle beds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rashid, Muhammad

    2017-03-22

    In case of a severe nuclear reactor accident, with loss of coolant, a particle bed may be formed from the fragmentation of the molten core in the residual water at different stages of the accident. To avoid further propagation of the accident and maintain the integrity of the reactor pressure vessel, the decay heat of the particle bed must be removed. To better understand the various thermo-hydraulic processes within such heat-generating particle beds, the existing DEBRIS test facility at IKE has been modified to be able to perform novel boiling, dryout and quenching experiments. The essential experimental data includes the pressure gradients measured by 8 differential pressure transducers along the bed height as a function of liquid and vapour superficial velocities, the determination of local dryout heat fluxes for different system pressures as well as the local temperature distribution measured by a set of 51 thermocouples installed inside the particle bed. The experiments were carried out for two different particle beds: a polydispersed particle bed which consisted of stainless steel balls (2 mm, 3 mm and 6 mm diameters) and an irregular particle bed which consisted of a mixture of steel balls (3 mm and 6 mm) and irregularly shaped Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} particles. Additionally, all experiments were carried out for different flow conditions, such as the reference case of passive 1D top-flooding, 1D bottom flooding (driven by external pumps and different downcomer configurations) and 2D top-/bottom-/lateral flooding with a perforated downcomer. In this work, it has been observed that for both particle beds with downcomer configurations an open downcomer leads to the best coolability (dryout heat flux = 1560 kW/m{sup 2}, polydispersed particle bed, psys = 1 bar) of the particle bed, mainly due to bottom-flow with enhanced natural convection. It has also been shown that a potential lateral flow via a perforation of the downcomer does not bring any further improvements

  7. Coolability of volumetrically heated particle beds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rashid, Muhammad

    2017-01-01

    In case of a severe nuclear reactor accident, with loss of coolant, a particle bed may be formed from the fragmentation of the molten core in the residual water at different stages of the accident. To avoid further propagation of the accident and maintain the integrity of the reactor pressure vessel, the decay heat of the particle bed must be removed. To better understand the various thermo-hydraulic processes within such heat-generating particle beds, the existing DEBRIS test facility at IKE has been modified to be able to perform novel boiling, dryout and quenching experiments. The essential experimental data includes the pressure gradients measured by 8 differential pressure transducers along the bed height as a function of liquid and vapour superficial velocities, the determination of local dryout heat fluxes for different system pressures as well as the local temperature distribution measured by a set of 51 thermocouples installed inside the particle bed. The experiments were carried out for two different particle beds: a polydispersed particle bed which consisted of stainless steel balls (2 mm, 3 mm and 6 mm diameters) and an irregular particle bed which consisted of a mixture of steel balls (3 mm and 6 mm) and irregularly shaped Al 2 O 3 particles. Additionally, all experiments were carried out for different flow conditions, such as the reference case of passive 1D top-flooding, 1D bottom flooding (driven by external pumps and different downcomer configurations) and 2D top-/bottom-/lateral flooding with a perforated downcomer. In this work, it has been observed that for both particle beds with downcomer configurations an open downcomer leads to the best coolability (dryout heat flux = 1560 kW/m 2 , polydispersed particle bed, psys = 1 bar) of the particle bed, mainly due to bottom-flow with enhanced natural convection. It has also been shown that a potential lateral flow via a perforation of the downcomer does not bring any further improvements in

  8. Flow characteristics of counter-current flow in debris bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abe, Yutaka; Adachi, Hiromichi

    2004-01-01

    In the course of a severe accident, a damaged core would form a debris bed consisting of once-molten and fragmented fuel elements. It is necessary to evaluate the dryout heat flux for the judgment of the coolability of the debris bed during the severe accident. The dryout phenomena in the debris bed is dominated by the counter-current flow limitation (CCFL) in the debris bed. In this study, air-water counter-current flow behavior in the debris bed is experimentally investigated with glass particles simulating the debris beds. In this experiment, falling water flow rate and axial pressure distributions were experimentally measured. As the results, it is clarified that falling water flow rate becomes larger with the debris bed height and the pressure gradient in the upper region of the debris bed is different from that in the lower region of the debris bed. These results indicate that the dominant region for CCFL in the debris bed is identified near the top of the debris bed. Analytical results with annular flow model indicates that interfacial shear stress in the upper region of the debris bed is larger than that in the lower region of the debris bed. (author)

  9. Fluidized-bed nuclear reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grimmett, E.S.; Kunze, J.F.

    1975-01-01

    A reactor vessel containing a fluidized-bed region of particulate material including both a neutron-moderating and a fertile substance is described. A gas flow including fissile material passes through the vessel at a sufficient rate to fluidize the particulate material and at a sufficient density to support a thermal fission reaction within the fluidized-bed region. The high-temperature portion of a heat transfer system is located within the fluidized-bed region of the reactor vessel in direct contact with the fluidized particles. Heat released by fission is thereby transferred at an enhanced rate to a coolant circulating within the heat transfer system. Fission products are continuously removed from the gas flow and supplemental fissile material added during the reactor operation. (U.S.)

  10. Sediment Dynamics Affecting the Threatened Santa Ana Sucker in the Highly-modified Santa Ana River and Inset Channel, Southern California, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minear, J. T.; Wright, S. A.

    2015-12-01

    In this study, we investigate the sediment dynamics of the low-flow channel of the Santa Ana River that is formed by wastewater discharges and contains some of the last remaining habitat of the Santa Ana Sucker (Catostomus santaanae). The Santa Ana River is a highly-modified river draining the San Bernardino Mountains and Inland Empire metropolitan area east of Los Angeles. Home to over 4 million people, the watershed provides habitat for the federally-threatened Santa Ana Sucker, which presently reside within the mainstem Santa Ana River in a reach supported by year-round constant discharges from water treatment plants. The nearly constant low-flow wastewater discharges and infrequent runoff events create a small, approximately 8 m wide, inset channel within the approximately 300 m wide mainstem channel that is typically dry except for large flood flows. The sediment dynamics within the inset channel are characterized by constantly evolving bed substrate and sediment transport rates, and occasional channel avulsions. The sediment dynamics have large influence on the Sucker, which rely on coarse-substrate (gravel and cobble) for their food production. In WY 2013 through the present, we investigated the sediment dynamics of the inset channel using repeat bathymetric and substrate surveys, bedload sampling, and discharge measurements. We found two distinct phases of the inset channel behavior: 1. 'Reset' flows, where sediment-laden mainstem discharges from upstream runoff events result in sand deposition in the inset channel or avulse the inset channel onto previously dry riverbed; and 2. 'Winnowing' flows, whereby the sand within the inset channel is removed by clear-water low flows from the wastewater treatment plant discharges. Thus, in contrast to many regulated rivers where high flows are required to flush fine sediments from the bed (for example, downstream from dams), in the Santa Ana River the low flows from wastewater treatment plants serve as the flushing

  11. Bed-material entrainment potential, Roaring Fork River at Basalt, Colorado

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elliott, John G.

    2002-01-01

    The Roaring Fork River at Basalt, Colorado, has a frequently mobile streambed composed of gravel, cobbles, and boulders. Recent urban and highway development on the flood plain, earlier attempts to realign and confine the channel, and flow obstructions such as bridge openings and piers have altered the hydrology, hydraulics, sediment transport, and sediment deposition areas of the Roaring Fork. Entrainment and deposition of coarse sediment on the streambed and in large alluvial bars have reduced the flood-conveying capacity of the river. Previous engineering studies have identified flood-prone areas and hazards related to inundation and high streamflow velocity, but those studies have not evaluated the potential response of the channel to discharges that entrain the coarse streambed. This study builds upon the results of earlier flood studies and identifies some potential areas of concern associated with bed-material entrainment. Cross-section surveys and simulated water-surface elevations from a previously run HEC?RAS model were used to calculate the boundary shear stress on the mean streambed, in the thalweg, and on the tops of adjacent alluvial bars for four reference streamflows. Sediment-size characteristics were determined for surficial material on the streambed, on large alluvial bars, and on a streambank. The median particle size (d50) for the streambed samples was 165 millimeters and for the alluvial bars and bank samples was 107 millimeters. Shear stresses generated by the 10-, 50-, and 100-year floods, and by a more common flow that just inundated most of the alluvial bars in the study reach were calculated at 14 of the cross sections used in the Roaring Fork River HEC?RAS model. The Shields equation was used with a Shields parameter of 0.030 to estimate the critical shear stress for entrainment of the median sediment particle size on the mean streambed, in the thalweg, and on adjacent alluvial bar surfaces at the 14 cross sections. Sediment

  12. 2D numerical model of particle-bed collision in fluid-particle flows over bed

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Lukerchenko, Nikolay; Chára, Zdeněk; Vlasák, Pavel

    2006-01-01

    Roč. 44, č. 1 (2006), s. 70-78 ISSN 0022-1686 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA2060201 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20600510 Keywords : saltation * particle-bed collision * collision angle * bed roughness Subject RIV: BK - Fluid Dynamics Impact factor: 0.527, year: 2006

  13. Fluidized-bed reactors processes and operating conditions

    CERN Document Server

    Yates, John G

    2016-01-01

    The fluidized-bed reactor is the centerpiece of industrial fluidization processes. This book focuses on the design and operation of fluidized beds in many different industrial processes, emphasizing the rationale for choosing fluidized beds for each particular process. The book starts with a brief history of fluidization from its inception in the 1940’s. The authors present both the fluid dynamics of gas-solid fluidized beds and the extensive experimental studies of operating systems and they set them in the context of operating processes that use fluid-bed reactors. Chemical engineering students and postdocs as well as practicing engineers will find great interest in this book.

  14. Effect of various drying bed on thermodynamic characteristics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Motevali

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available In this study thermodynamic parameter and energy consumption in drying of two plant dill and mint in three bed drying including fix, semi fix and fluid with using a hot air drying was investigated. Experimental was conducted in three bed drying including fix, semi fix and fluid and four levels temperature (30, 40, 50 and 60 °C. Maximum energy consumption in dill drying at 40 °C and fluid bed to be 16.41 MJ and minimum energy consumption at 30 °C and fix bed to be 2.77 MJ. Also minimum energy consumption in mint drying at 60 °C and fix bed to be 3.64 MJ and maximum energy consumption at 40 °C and fluid bed to be 28.65 MJ. The highest energy, drying and thermal efficiency for both mint and dill was achieved at 60 °C on the fixed bed, whereas the lowest efficiency was at 40 °C and on the fluidized bed. Also the highest power and specific heat consumption for both mint and dill was achieved at 40 °C on the fluid bed, whereas the lowest efficiency was at 30 °C and on the fluidized bed.

  15. Fluidized bed dry dense medium coal beneficiation

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    North, Brian C

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available medium beneficiation using a fluidized bed was investigated. Bed materials of sand, magnetite and ilmenite were used in a laboratory sized cylindrical fluidized bed. The materials were individually tested, as were mixes of sand and heavy minerals. Coal...

  16. Effectiveness of Bed Bug Pesticides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Before EPA allows a bed bug claim on a label, the product must be supported by data showing it will kill bed bugs when applied according to the label. Also consider factors such as extent of infestation, site preparation, and insect life stages.

  17. Torsion testing of bed joints

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Klavs Feilberg; Pedersen, Carsten Mørk

    2008-01-01

    This paper describes a simple test method for determining the torsion strength of a single bed joint between two bricks and presents results from testing using this test method. The setup for the torsion test is well defined, require minimal preparation of the test specimen and the test can...... be carried out directly in a normal testing machine. The torsion strength is believed to be the most important parameter in out-of-plane resistance of masonry walls subjected to bending about an axis perpendicular to the bed joints. The paper also contains a few test results from bending of small walls about...... an axis perpendicular to the bed joints, which indicate the close connection between these results and results from torsion tests. These characteristics make the torsion strength well suited to act as substitute parameter for the bending strength of masonry about an axis perpendicular to the bed joints....

  18. Larkin Mill Dam Oblique photography of measured channel cross-sections from left and right bank monuments from 2008-06-09 to 2010-036-16 (NCEI Accession 0152485)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — We are collecting stream channel geometry and bed sediment grain size distribution data at the Parker River to evaluate physical habitat changes associated with the...

  19. A low tritium hydride bed inventory estimation technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Klein, J.E.; Shanahan, K.L.; Baker, R.A. [Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC (United States); Foster, P.J. [Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, Aiken, SC (United States)

    2015-03-15

    Low tritium hydride beds were developed and deployed into tritium service in Savannah River Site. Process beds to be used for low concentration tritium gas were not fitted with instrumentation to perform the steady-state, flowing gas calorimetric inventory measurement method. Low tritium beds contain less than the detection limit of the IBA (In-Bed Accountability) technique used for tritium inventory. This paper describes two techniques for estimating tritium content and uncertainty for low tritium content beds to be used in the facility's physical inventory (PI). PI are performed periodically to assess the quantity of nuclear material used in a facility. The first approach (Mid-point approximation method - MPA) assumes the bed is half-full and uses a gas composition measurement to estimate the tritium inventory and uncertainty. The second approach utilizes the bed's hydride material pressure-composition-temperature (PCT) properties and a gas composition measurement to reduce the uncertainty in the calculated bed inventory.

  20. Semi-dry flue gas desulfurization using Ca(OH)2 in a fluidized bed reactor with bed materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Young Oak; Roh, Hak Jae; Oh, Chang Sup; Kim, Yong Ha

    2010-01-01

    The main objective of present work is to reduce sulfur dioxide emission from power plant for the environment protection. The fluidized bed (FB) was used as the reactor with bed materials in a new semi-dry flue gas desulfurization (FGD) process to achieve high desulfurization efficiency (>98%). Fine powder of Ca(OH) 2 as sorbent and water were continuously fed separately to the bed reactor where bed materials (2 mm glass beads) were fluidized vigorously with flue gas (flow 720 Nm 3 / hr) using bench scale plant of stainless steel column. We have investigated different effects of water injection flow rate, Ca/ S molar ratio and weight of bed materials on SO 2 removal. The increments in the Ca/ S molar ratio and water injection flow rate have been resulted higher desulfurization efficiency with certain disadvantages such as higher sorbent cost and lower temperature of the treated flue gas, respectively. (author)

  1. Spatial and temporal variability in sedimentation rates associated with cutoff channel infill deposits: Ain River, France

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piégay, H.; Hupp, C.R.; Citterio, A.; Dufour, S.; Moulin, B.; Walling, D.E.

    2008-01-01

    Floodplain development is associated with lateral accretion along stable channel geometry. Along shifting rivers, the floodplain sedimentation is more complex because of changes in channel position but also cutoff channel presence, which exhibit specific overflow patterns. In this contribution, the spatial and temporal variability of sedimentation rates in cutoff channel infill deposits is related to channel changes of a shifting gravel bed river (Ain River, France). The sedimentation rates estimated from dendrogeomorphic analysis are compared between and within 14 cutoff channel infills. Detailed analyses along a single channel infill are performed to assess changes in the sedimentation rates through time by analyzing activity profiles of the fallout radionuclides 137Cs and unsupported 210Pb. Sedimentation rates are also compared within the channel infills with rates in other plots located in the adjacent floodplain. Sedimentation rates range between 0.65 and 2.4 cm a−1 over a period of 10 to 40 years. The data provide additional information on the role of distance from the bank, overbank flow frequency, and channel geometry in controlling the sedimentation rate. Channel infills, lower than adjacent floodplains, exhibit higher sedimentation rates and convey overbank sediment farther away within the floodplain. Additionally, channel degradation, aggradation, and bank erosion, which reduce or increase the distance between the main channel and the cutoff channel aquatic zone, affect local overbank flow magnitude and frequency and therefore sedimentation rates, thereby creating a complex mosaic of sedimentation zones within the floodplain and along the cutoff channel infills. Last, the dendrogeomorphic and 137Cs approaches are cross validated for estimating the sedimentation rate within a channel infill.

  2. Flow Patterns in an Open Channel Confluence with Increasingly Dominant Tributary Inflow

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laurent Schindfessel

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Despite the ratio of incoming discharges being recognized as a key parameter in open-channel confluence hydrodynamics, little is known about the flow patterns when the tributary provides more than 90% of the total discharge. This paper offers a systematic study of flow features when the tributary becomes increasingly dominant in a 90° confluence with a fixed concordant bed. Large-eddy simulations are used to investigate the three-dimensional complex flow patterns for three different discharge ratios. It is found that the tributary flow impinges on the opposing bank when the tributary flow becomes sufficiently dominant, causing a recirculating eddy in the upstream channel of the confluence, which induces significant changes in the incoming velocity distribution. Moreover, it results in stronger helicoidal cells in the downstream channel, along with zones of upwelling flow. In turn, the changed flow patterns also influence the mixing layer and the flow recovery. Finally, intermittent events of stronger upwelling flow are discerned. Improved understanding of flow patterns at confluences where the tributary is dominant is applicable to both engineering and earth sciences.

  3. Does Bedding Affect the Airway and Allergy?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    RW Siebers

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Various cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have suggested that synthetic bedding is associated with asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema while feather bedding seems to be protective. Synthetic bedding items have higher house dust mite allergen levels than feather bedding items. This is possibly the mechanism involved although fungal and bacterial proinflammatory compounds and volatile organic compounds may play a role. In this review we present and discuss the epidemiological evidence and suggest possible mechanisms. Primary intervention studies are required to show whether feather bedding is protective for the development of childhood asthma and allergic diseases while secondary intervention studies are required to potentially reduce symptoms and medication use in subjects with established disease.

  4. Does bedding affect the airway and allergy?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siebers, R W; Crane, J

    2011-04-01

    Various cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have suggested that synthetic bedding is associated with asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema while feather bedding seems to be protective. Synthetic bedding items have higher house dust mite allergen levels than feather bedding items. This is possibly the mechanism involved although fungal and bacterial proinflammatory compounds and volatile organic compounds may play a role. In this review we present and discuss the epidemiological evidence and suggest possible mechanisms. Primary intervention studies are required to show whether feather bedding is protective for the development of childhood asthma and allergic diseases while secondary intervention studies are required to potentially reduce symptoms and medication use in subjects with established disease.

  5. Comparative study between fluidized bed and fixed bed reactors in methane reforming with CO2 and O2 to produce syngas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jing Qiangshan; Lou Hui; Mo Liuye; Zheng Xiaoming

    2006-01-01

    Reforming of methane with carbon dioxide and oxygen was investigated over Ni/MgO-SiO 2 catalysts using fixed bed and fluidized bed reactors. The conversions of CH 4 and CO 2 in a fluidized bed reactor were close to thermodynamic equilibrium. The activity and stability of the catalyst in the fixed bed reactor were lower than that in the fluidized bed reactor due to carbon deposition and nickel sintering. TGA and TEM techniques were used to characterize the spent catalysts. The results showed that a lot of whisker carbon was found on the catalyst in the rear of the fixed bed reactor, and no deposited carbon was observed on the catalysts in the fluidized bed reactor after reaction. It is suggested that this phenomenon is related to a permanent circulation of catalyst particles between the oxygen rich and oxygen free zones. That is, fluidization of the catalysts in the fluidized bed reactor favors inhibiting deposited carbon and thermal uniformity in the reactor

  6. The Impact of Epifaunal Predation on the Structure of Macroinfaunal Invertebrate Communities of Tidal Saltmarsh Creeks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sardá, R.; Foreman, K.; Werme, C. E.; Valiela, I.

    1998-05-01

    The impact of epibenthic predators foraging on macroinfaunal communities was analysed in Great Sippewissett salt marsh (MA, U.S.A.) by installing experimental cages in the most productive sediments of the marsh (77 g dry weight m -2year -1). The most productive macroinfaunal species in these sediments were Marenzelleria viridis(43·1 g dry weight m -2year -1) Heteromastus filiformis(13·7 g dry weight m -2year -1) and Neanthes arenaceodonta(7·6 g dry weight m -2year -1). Macroinfaunal densities peaked in June following the spring recruitment. Density and biomass inside the cages were significantly higher during the growing season, however, density declined in July and August following the seasonal cycle observed outside cages, while biomass did not suffer this decline. The absence of epibenthic predators favored growth and accumulation of larger organisms, especially M. viridis, and included higher presence of predaceous infauna ( Glycera americana, Neanthes succinea, Neanthes virens, Eteone heteropodaand Nemerteans). At the end of the experiment, there was 22·2 g dry weight m -2more macroinfaunal biomass in the complete cages than in ambient sediments. The absence of epibenthic predators also increased secondary production; M. viridisdoubled production in the sediments inside cages compared with outside cages. The most common benthic predaceous fishes in the marsh were the killifishes, Fundulus heteroclitusand Fundulus majalis, and some seasonal invasive fishes ( Gasterosteus aculeatus, Tautoga onitis, Centropristes striatusand Pleuronectes americanus). While invasive fishes preyed mainly on benthic invertebrates and grew faster, resident fishes shifted their diets through the season. The values of macroinfaunal secondary production obtained in these sediments can support the energy requirements of the predators of the marsh; in this way the pulse of secondary production created by the macroinfaunal populations travels up the saltmarsh food web.

  7. Degradation State and Sequestration Potential of Carbon in Coastal Wetlands of Texas: Mangrove Vs. Saltmarsh Ecosystems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sterne, A. M. E.; Kaiser, K.; Louchouarn, P.; Norwood, M. J.

    2015-12-01

    The estimated magnitude of the organic carbon (OC) stocks contained in the first meter of US coastal wetland soils represents ~10% of the entire OC stock in US soils (4 vs. 52 Pg, respectively). Because this stock extends to several meters below the surface for many coastal wetlands, it becomes paramount to understand the fate of OC under ecosystem shifts, varying natural environmental constraints, and changing land use. In this project we analyze the major classes of biochemicals including total hydrolysable neutral carbohydrates, enantiomeric amino acids, phenols, and cutins/suberins at two study sites located on the Texas coastline to investigate chemical composition and its controls on organic carbon preservation in mangrove (Avicennia germinans) and saltmarsh grass (Spartina alterniflora) dominated wetlands. Results show neutral carbohydrates and lignin contribute 30-70% and 10-40% of total OC, respectively, in plant litter and surface sediments at both sites. Sharp declines of carbohydrate yields with depth occur parallel to increasing Ac/AlS,V ratios indicating substantial decomposition of both the polysaccharide and lignin components of litter detritus. Contrasts in the compositions and relative abundances of all previously mentioned compound classes are further discussed to examine the role of litter biochemistry in OC preservation. For example, the selective preservation of cellulose over hemicellulose in sediments indicates macromolecular structure plays a key role in preservation between plant types. It is concluded that the chemical composition of litter material controls the composition and magnitude of OC stored in sediments. Ultimately, as these ecosystems transition from one dominant plant type to another, as is currently observed along the Texas coastline, there is the potential for OC sequestration efficiency to shift due to the changing composition of OC input to sediments.

  8. Transient quenching of superheated debris beds during bottom reflood

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tutu, N.K.; Ginsberg, T.; Klein, J.; Schwarz, C.E.; Klages, J.

    1984-01-01

    The experimental data suggest that for small liquid supply rate and low initial particle temperature, the bed quench process is a one-dimensional frontal phenomenon. The bed heat flux is constant during most of the duration of the quench period. The range of conditions which display one-dimensional frontal cooling characteristics is identified as the deep bed regime of bed quenching, and a limiting mathematical model was developed to describe the observed behavior. For large liquid supply rate and high initial bed temperature, the bed quench process is a complex phenomenon. Under these conditions, the bed heat flux displays a nonuniform time dependence. In order to characterize this shallow bed regime, it was necessary to develop a detailed transient model of the coolant-debris interaction. This model, while developed for the shallow bed regime, also applies to the deep bed regime. Numerical computations clearly demonstrate the importance of developing a general reliable model for the solid-fluid heat transfer coefficients

  9. The Importance of Splat Events to the Spatiotemporal Structure of Near-Bed Fluid Velocity and Bed Load Motion Over Bed Forms: Laboratory Experiments Downstream of a Backward Facing Step

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leary, K. C. P.; Schmeeckle, M. W.

    2017-12-01

    Flow separation/reattachment on the lee side of alluvial bed forms is known to produce a complex turbulence field, but the spatiotemporal details of the associated patterns of bed load sediment transported remain largely unknown. Here we report turbulence-resolving, simultaneous measurements of bed load motion and near-bed fluid velocity downstream of a backward facing step in a laboratory flume. Two synchronized high-speed video cameras simultaneously observed bed load motion and the motion of neutrally buoyant particles in a laser light sheet 6 mm above the bed at 250 frames/s downstream of a 3.8 cm backward facing step. Particle Imaging Velocimetry (PIV) and Acoustic Doppler Velocimetry (ADV) were used to characterize fluid turbulent patterns, while manual particle tracking techniques were used to characterize bed load transport. Octant analysis, conducted using ADV data, coupled with Markovian sequence probability analysis highlights differences in the flow near reattachment versus farther downstream. Near reattachment, three distinct flow patterns are apparent. Farther downstream we see the development of a dominant flow sequence. Localized, intermittent, high-magnitude transport events are more apparent near flow reattachment. These events are composed of streamwise and cross-stream fluxes of comparable magnitudes. Transport pattern and fluid velocity data are consistent with the existence of permeable "splat events," wherein a volume of fluid moves toward and impinges on the bed (sweep) causing a radial movement of fluid in all directions around the point of impingement (outward interaction). This is congruent with flow patterns, identified with octant analysis, proximal to flow reattachment.

  10. The Mobility and Dispersal of Augmented Gravel in Upland Channels: a Knowledge-limited Practise in Supply-limited Channels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Downs, P. W.; Gilvear, D. J.

    2017-12-01

    Most river restoration research has been directed at rivers in the highly populated alluvial lowlands: significantly less is known about effectively rehabilitating upland channels, in part because the dynamics of sediment transfer are less well understood. Upland gravel augmentation is thus both a somewhat unproven method for rehabilitating degraded aquatic habitats in sediment-poor reaches, but also a natural experiment in better understanding sediment dynamics in steep, hydraulically-complex river channels. Monitoring on the River Avon in SW England since Water Year (WY) 2015 uses seismic impact plates, RFID-tagged particles and detailed channel bed mapping to establish the mobility rates of augmented particles, their dispersal distances and settling locations relative to flows received. Particles are highly, and equally, mobile: in WY2015, 17 sub-bankfull flows moved at least 60% of augmented particles with volumetric movement non-linearly correlated to flow energy but not to particle size. Waning rates of transport over the year suggest supply limitations. This relationship breaks down early in WY2017 where a two-year flow event moved 40% of the particles in just two months - confounding factors may include particle mass differences and particle supplies from upstream. Median particle travel distances correlate well to energy applied and suggest a long-tailed fan of dispersal with supplemental controls including channel curvature, boulder presence and stream power. Locally, particles are deposited preferentially around boulders and in sheltered river margins but also perched in clusters above the low-flow channel. High tracer mobility makes median transport distances highly dependent on the survey length - in WY2017 some particles travelled 300 m in a 3-month period that included the two-year flood event. Further, in WY2017 median transport distance as a function of volumetric transport suggested significant transport beyond the target reach. The observed

  11. Fluid-bed methane proposed

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1981-05-01

    The first full scale plant for the production of methane from organic waste could be built in the next few years believes M.J. Nyns of the University of Louvain, Belgium, utilizing either expanded bed or fluidised bed systems, with more than one stage, in a continuous flow arrangement. Up to 8.0 m cubed gas/m cubed digester/day could be produced with residence times reduced to 34 hours.

  12. Thermomechanical interactions of particle bed-structural wall in a layered configuration. Pt. 1. Effect of particle bed thermal expansions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tehranian, F.

    1995-01-01

    Materials in the form of particle beds have been considered for shielding and tritium breeding as well as neutron multiplication in many of the conceptual reactor design studies. As the level of effort of the fusion blanket community in the area of out-of-pile and in-pile (ITER) testing of integrated test modules increases, so does the need for modelling capability for predicting the thermomechanical responses of the test modules under reactor environment.In this study, the thermomechanical responses of a particle bed-structural wall system in a layered configuration, subjected to bed temperature rise and/or external coolant pressure, were considered. Equations were derived which represent the dependence of the particle-to-particle and particle-to-wall contact forces and areas on the structural wall deformations and in turn on the thermomechanical loads. Using the derived equations, parametric analyses were performed to study the variations in the thermomechanical response quantities of a beryllium particle bed-stainless steel structural wall when subjected to thermomechanical loads. The results are presented in two parts. In Part I, presented in this paper, the derivation of the analytical equations and the effects of bed temperature rise are discussed. In Part II of this study, also presented in this symposium, the effects of external coolant pressure as well as the combined effects of bed temperature rise and coolant pressure on the thermomechanical responses are given.It is shown that, depending on the stiffness of the structural walls, uniform bed temperature rises in the range 100-400 C result in non-uniform effective thermal properties through the prticle bed and could increase the bed effective thermal conductivity by a factor of 2-5 and the bed-wall interface thermal conductance by even a larger factor. (orig.)

  13. Community composition and activity of anaerobic ammonium oxidation bacteria in the rhizosphere of salt-marsh grass Spartina alterniflora.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Yanling; Hou, Lijun; Liu, Min; Yin, Guoyu; Gao, Juan; Jiang, Xiaofen; Lin, Xianbiao; Li, Xiaofei; Yu, Chendi; Wang, Rong

    2016-09-01

    Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) as an important nitrogen removal pathway has been investigated in intertidal marshes. However, the rhizosphere-driven anammox process in these ecosystems is largely overlooked so far. In this study, the community dynamics and activities of anammox bacteria in the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere sediments of salt-marsh grass Spartina alterniflora (a widely distributed plant in estuaries and intertidal ecosystems) were investigated using clone library analysis, quantitative PCR assay, and isotope-tracing technique. Phylogenetic analysis showed that anammox bacterial diversity was higher in the non-rhizosphere sediments (Scalindua and Kuenenia) compared with the rhizosphere zone (only Scalindua genus). Higher abundance of anammox bacteria was detected in the rhizosphere (6.46 × 10(6)-1.56 × 10(7) copies g(-1)), which was about 1.5-fold higher in comparison with that in the non-rhizosphere zone (4.22 × 10(6)-1.12 × 10(7) copies g(-1)). Nitrogen isotope-tracing experiments indicated that the anammox process in the rhizosphere contributed to 12-14 % N2 generation with rates of 0.43-1.58 nmol N g(-1) h(-1), while anammox activity in the non-rhizosphere zone contributed to only 4-7 % N2 production with significantly lower activities (0.28-0.83 nmol N g(-1) h(-1)). Overall, we propose that the rhizosphere microenvironment in intertidal marshes might provide a favorable niche for anammox bacteria and thus plays an important role in nitrogen cycling.

  14. Downstream reduction of rural channel size with contrasting urban effects in small coastal streams of southeastern Australia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nanson, G. C.; Young, R. W.

    1981-07-01

    Although most streams show a downstream increase in channel size corresponding to a downstream increase in flood discharges, those flowing off the Illawarra escarpment of New South Wales show a marked reduction of channel size, accompanied by a down-stream increase in flood frequency in their lower reaches. Within the confined and steeply sloping valleys of the escarpment foothills, bed and bank sediments are relatively coarse and uncohesive, and channels increase in size, corresponding to increasing discharge downstream. However, once these streams emerge into more open rural valleys at lower slopes and are accompanied by extensive floodplains formed of fine cohesive sediment, there is a dramatic reduction in channel size. This decrease in channel size apparently results from a sudden decline in channel slope and associated stream power, the cohesive nature of downstream alluvium, its retention on the channel banks by a dense cover of pasture grasses, and the availability of an extensive floodplain to carry displaced floodwater. Under these conditions floodwaters very frequently spill out over the floodplain and the downstream channel-flow becomes a relatively unimportant component of the total peak discharge. This emphasizes the importance of these floodplains as a part of the total channel system. In situations where urban development has increased peak runoff and reduced the available area of effective floodplain, stream channels formed in this fine alluvium rapidly entrench and increase in cross-sectional area by 2-3 times. Minor man-induced channel alteration and maintenance appears to trigger this enlargement.

  15. Better backs by better beds?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bergholdt, Kim; Fabricius, Rasmus N; Bendix, Tom

    2008-01-01

    mattresses have a positive effect on LBP, and especially a hard mattress is commonly believed to have a positive effect. METHODS: One hundred sixty CLBP patients were randomized to 1 of 3 groups, having a mattress/bed mounted in their sleeping room for 1 month. The beds were: (1) waterbed (Akva), (2) body......-conforming foam mattress (Tempur), and (3) a hard mattress (Innovation Futon). At baseline and after 4 weeks, a blinded observer interviewed the patients on LBP levels (0-10), daily function (activities of daily living, 0-30), and on the amount of sleeping hours/night. RESULTS: Because of dropout of 19 patients...... using the probably most relevant "worst case" data. There were no relevant difference between the effects of the water bed and the foam bed. CONCLUSION: The Waterbed and foam mattress' did influence back symptoms, function and sleep more positively as apposed to the hard mattress, but the differences...

  16. On partial fluidization in rotating fluidized beds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kao, J.; Pfeffer, R.; Tardos, G.I.

    1987-01-01

    In a rotating fluidized bed, unlike in a conventional fluidized bed, the granules are fluidized layer by layer from the (inner) free surface outward at increasing radius as the gas velocity is increased. This is a very significant and interesting phenomenon and is extremely important in the design of these fluidized beds. The phenomenon was first suggested in a theoretical analysis and recently verified experimentally in the authors' laboratory. However, in the first paper, the equations presented are too cumbersome and the influence of bed thickness is not clearly stated. In this note the authors present simplified equations, based on that paper, for the pressure drop and the minimum fluidizing velocities in a rotating fluidized bed. Experimental data are also shown and compared with the theoretical model, and the effect of bed thickness is shown. Furthermore, an explanation for the observation of a maximum in the pressure drop vs. velocity curve instead of the plateau derived by Chen is proposed

  17. Theory and measurements of electrophoretic effects in monolith, fixed-bed, and fluidized-bed plasma reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morin, T.J.

    1989-01-01

    Pressure gradients and secondary flow fields generated by the passage of electrical current in a d.c. gas discharge or gas laser are topics of longstanding interest in the gaseous electronics literature. These hydrodynamic effects of space charge fields and charged particle density gradients have been principally exploited in the development of gas separation and purification processes. In recent characterization studies of fixed-bed and fluidized-bed plasma reactors several anomalous flow features have been observed. These reactors involve the contacting of a high-frequency, resonantly-sustained, disperse gas discharge with granular solids in a fixed or fluidized bed. Anomalies in the measured pressure drops and fluidization velocities have motivated the development of an appropriate theoretical approach to, and some additional experimental investigations of electrophoretic effects in disperse gas discharges. In this paper, a theory which includes the effects of space charge and diffusion is used to estimate the electric field and charged particle density profiles. These profiles are then used to calculate velocity fields and gas flow rates for monolith, fixed-bed, and fluidized-bed reactors. These results are used to rationalize measurements of gas flow rates and axial pressure gradients in high-frequency disperse gas discharges with and without an additional d.c. axial electric field

  18. 21 CFR 880.6060 - Medical disposable bedding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Medical disposable bedding. 880.6060 Section 880.6060 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED... Devices § 880.6060 Medical disposable bedding. (a) Identification. Medical disposable bedding is a device...

  19. Numerical Simulation of Plume Transport in Channel Bend with Different Sediment Diameters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, H. S.; Chen, H. C.

    2017-12-01

    The flow and transport of suspended sediment particles, in the form of plume, were simulated using an in-house Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solver FANS3D (Finite Analytic Navier-Stokes code for 3D flow). The motivation for this investigation is to provide a means to simulate and visualize dispersal systems in a complex flow environment. The physical domain considered is a 90-degrees channel bend with wingwall abutments, which induces complex, three-dimensional flow characteristics. At the inlet of the channel, a sediment plume with the volumetric concentration of 1,000 parts per million (ppm) was constantly supplied. For simplicity, it was assumed that neither deposition nor erosion takes place inside the channel and settling sediment was made to pass through the bed surface. The effect of the sediment particle size was also analyzed using two different median diameters: 0.10 mm and 0.20 mm. It was shown that flow acceleration and vortices cause strong mixing inside the channel. The three-dimensional time series from the simulation captured increasing suspended sediment concentration downstream of the abutments, along the outer bank. When the median diameter was varied, the sediment concentration at certain locations differed by orders of magnitude, indicating that the settling velocity dominates the transport process for larger diameters.

  20. Wave Driven Fluid-Sediment Interactions over Rippled Beds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foster, Diane; Nichols, Claire

    2008-11-01

    Empirical investigations relating vortex shedding over rippled beds to oscillatory flows date back to Darwin in 1883. Observations of the shedding induced by oscillating forcing over fixed beds have shown vortical structures to reach maximum strength at 90 degrees when the horizontal velocity is largest. The objective of this effort is to examine the vortex generation and ejection over movable rippled beds in a full-scale, free surface wave environment. Observations of the two-dimensional time-varying velocity field over a movable sediment bed were obtained with a submersible Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) system in two wave flumes. One wave flume was full scale and had a natural sand bed and the other flume had an artificial sediment bed with a specific gravity of 1.6. Full scale observations over an irregularly rippled bed show that the vortices generated during offshore directed flow over the steeper bed form slope were regularly ejected into the water column and were consistent with conceptual models of the oscillatory flow over a backward facing step. The results also show that vortices remain coherent during ejection when the background flow stalls (i.e. both the velocity and acceleration temporarily approach zero). These results offer new insight into fluid sediment interaction over rippled beds.

  1. Sediment Mobilization and Storage Dynamics of a Debris Flow Impacted Stream Channel using Multi-Temporal Structure from Motion Photogrammetry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bailey, T. L.; Sutherland-Montoya, D.

    2015-12-01

    High resolution topographic analysis methods have become important tools in geomorphology. Structure from Motion photogrammetry offers a compelling vehicle for geomorphic change detection in fluvial environments. This process can produce arbitrarily high resolution, geographically registered spectral and topographic coverages from a collection of overlapping digital imagery from consumer cameras. Cuneo Creek has had three historically observed episodes of rapid aggradation (1955, 1964, and 1997). The debris flow deposits continue to be major sources of sediment sixty years after the initial slope failure. Previous studies have monitored the sediment storage volume and particle size since 1976 (in 1976, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1998, 2003). We reoccupied 3 previously surveyed stream cross sections on Sept 30, 2014 and March 30, 2015, and produced photogrammetric point clouds using a pole mounted camera with a remote view finder to take nadir view images from 4.3 meters above the channel bed. Ground control points were registered using survey grade GPS and typical cross sections used over 100 images to build the structure model. This process simultaneously collects channel geometry and we used it to also generate surface texture metrics, and produced DEMs with point cloud densities above 5000 points / m2. In the period between the surveys, a five year recurrence interval discharge of 20 m3/s scoured the channel. Surface particle size distribution has been determined for each observation period using image segmentation algorithms based on spectral distance and compactness. Topographic differencing between the point clouds shows substantial channel bed mobilization and reorganization. The net decline in sediment storage is in excess of 4 x 10^5 cubic meters since the 1964 aggradation peak, with associated coarsening of surface particle sizes. These new methods provide a promising rapid assessment tool for measurement of channel responses to sediment inputs.

  2. A 2D hydrodynamic-sedimentological model for gravel-bed rivers. Part I: theory and validation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gabriel Kaless

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a novel 2D-depth average model especially developed for gravel-bed rivers, named Lican-Leufú (Lican=pebble and Leufu=river, in Mapuche’s language, the native inhabitants of Central Patagonia, Argentina. The model consists of three components: a hydrodynamic, a sedimentological, and a morphological model. The flow of water is described by the depth-averaged Reynolds equations for unsteady, free-surface, shallow water flows. It includes the standard k-e model for turbulence closure. Sediment transport can be divided in different size classes (sand-gravel mixture and the equilibrium approach is used for Exner’s equation. The amour layer is also included in the structure of the model and the surface grain size distribution is also allowed to evolve. The model simulates bank slides that enable channel widening. Models predictions were tested against a flume experiment where a static armour layer was developed under conditions of sediment starvations and general good agreements were found: the model predicted adequately the sediment transport, grain size of transported material, final armour grain size distribution and bed elevation.

  3. Channel Power in Multi-Channel Environments

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    M.G. Dekimpe (Marnik); B. Skiera (Bernd)

    2004-01-01

    textabstractIn the literature, little attention has been paid to instances where companies add an Internet channel to their direct channel portfolio. However, actively managing multiple sales channels requires knowing the customers’ channel preferences and the resulting channel power. Two key

  4. Fluidized Bed Reactor as Solid State Fermenter

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krishnaiah, K.

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Various reactors such as tray, packed bed, rotating drum can be used for solid-state fermentation. In this paper the possibility of fluidized bed reactor as solid-state fermenter is considered. The design parameters, which affect the performances are identified and discussed. This information, in general can be used in the design and the development of an efficient fluidized bed solid-state fermenter. However, the objective here is to develop fluidized bed solid-state fermenter for palm kernel cake conversion into enriched animal and poultry feed.

  5. Fungi solubilisation of low rank coal: performances of stirred tank, fluidised bed and packed bed reactors

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Oboirien, BO

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Coal biosolubilisation was investigated in stirred tank reactor, fluidised bed and fixed bed bioreactors with a view to highlight the advantages and shortcomings of each of these reactor configurations. The stirred aerated bioreactor and fluidised...

  6. Computational simulation of the biomass gasification process in a fluidized bed reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rojas Mazaira, Leorlen Y.; Gamez Rodriguez, Abel; Andrade Gregori, Maria Dolores; Armas Cardona, Raul

    2009-01-01

    In an agro-industrial country as Cuba many residues of cultivation like the rice and the cane of sugar take place, besides the forest residues in wooded extensions. Is an interesting application for all this biomass, the gasification technology, by its high efficiency and its positive environmental impact. The computer simulation appears like a useful tool in the researches of parameters of operation of a gas- emitting, because it reduces the number of experiments to realise and the cost of the researches. In the work the importance of the application of the computer simulation is emphasized to anticipate the hydrodynamic behavior of fluidized bed and of the process of combustion of the biomass for different residues and different conditions of operation. A model using CFD for the simulation of the process of combustion in a gas- emitting of biomass sets out of fluidized bed, the hydrodynamic parameters of the multiphasic flow from the elaboration of a computer simulator that allows to form and to vary the geometry of the reactor, as well as the influence of the variation of magnitudes are characterized such as: speed, diameter of the sand and equivalent reason. Experimental results in cylindrical channels appear, to complete the study of the computer simulation realised in 2D. (author)

  7. Laboratory Modeling of Self-Formed Leveed Channels From Sediment-Laden Flows Entering Still Water

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rowland, J. C.; Dietrich, W. E.

    2004-12-01

    Self-formed leveed channels constructed by deposition of suspended sediment from sediment-laden flows entering still water are common features in nature. Such channels drive delta progradation, develop at tidal inlets and occur where mainstem river flows empty into oxbows and blocked valley lakes. Presently there is no theory for the formation of such channels. This lack of theory is partly due to a lack of field or laboratory studies that provide insight about the mechanism controlling these self-formed, propagating channels. The creation of such features in the laboratory, have proved illusive to date. Our ongoing experiments aimed at modeling the formation of floodplain tie channels provide insight into the necessary conditions for levee formation and channel growth. Under conditions of steady water discharge, constant sediment feed rate, unimodal sediment distribution and invariant basin stage we are able to create subaqueous lateral bars (submerged levees) along the margins of a sediment laden jet. Our results highlight the sensitivity of channel formation to issues of scaling and experimental design. In the laboratory, levee formation has only been possible with the use of plastic particles (specific gravity ~1.5); complete bed alluviation and dune formation results from the use of particles with specific gravities of ~ 2.65 across a range grain diameters and shapes. We hypothesize this effect is related to high entrainment thresholds relative to suspension thresholds of small (< 100 mm) natural particles under conditions of reduced turbulence in laboratory scaled flows. Additionally, both the width to depth ratio and the form of the outlet channel introducing the sediment laden flow into the experimental basin exert a strong control on sedimentation pattern and levee growth. Continuing experiments are focused on generating emergent channel levees and a basin ward propagation of the channel by adjusting the form of the feed channel, varying basin stage, and

  8. Find a Bed Bug Pesticide Product

    Science.gov (United States)

    Introduces the Bed Bug Product Search Tool, to help consumers find EPA-registered pesticides for bed bug infestation control. Inclusion in this database is not an endorsement. Always follow label directions carefully.

  9. Acrolein induces vasodilatation of rodent mesenteric bed via an EDHF-dependent mechanism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Awe, S.O.; Adeagbo, A.S.O.; D'Souza, S.E.; Bhatnagar, A.; Conklin, D.J.

    2006-01-01

    Acrolein is generated endogenously during lipid peroxidation and inflammation and is an environmental pollutant. Protein adducts of acrolein are detected in atherosclerotic plaques and neurons of patients with Alzheimer's disease. To understand vascular effects of acrolein exposure, we studied acrolein vasoreactivity in perfused rodent mesenteric bed. Acrolein induced endothelium-dependent vasodilatation that was more robust and more sensitive than dilation induced by 4-hydroxy-trans-2-nonenal, trans-2-hexenal, or propionaldehyde. Acrolein-induced vasodilatation was mediated by K + -sensitive components, e.g., it was abolished in 0 [K + ] o buffer or in 3 mM tetrabutylammonium, inhibited 75% in 50 μM ouabain, and inhibited 64% in 20 mM K + buffer. Moreover, combined treatment with the Ca 2+ -activated K + channel inhibitors 1-[(2-chlorophenyl)diphenylmethyl]-1H-pyrazole (TRAM-34, 100 nM) and apamin (5 μM) significantly reduced vasodilatation without altering sensitivity to acrolein. However, acrolein-induced % dilation was unaffected by L-NAME or indomethacin pretreatment indicating mechanistic independence of NO and prostaglandins. Moreover, acrolein induced vasodilatation in cirazoline-precontracted mesenteric bed of eNOS-null mice confirming eNOS independence. Pretreatment with 6-(2-propargyloxyphenyl) hexanoic acid (PPOH 50 μM), an epoxygenase inhibitor, or the superoxide dismutase mimetic Tempol (100 μM) significantly attenuated acrolein-induced vasodilatation. Collectively, these data indicate that acrolein stimulates mesenteric bed vasodilatation due to endothelium-derived signal(s) that is K + -, ouabain-, PPOH-, and Tempol-sensitive, and thus, a likely endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF). These data indicate that low level acrolein exposure associated with vascular oxidative stress or inflammation stimulates vasodilatation via EDHF release in medium-sized arteries - a novel function

  10. Geochemistry of inorganic nitrogen in waters released from coal-bed natural gas production wells in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Richard L.; Repert, Deborah A.; Hart, Charles P.

    2009-01-01

    Water originating from coal-bed natural gas (CBNG) production wells typically contains ammonium and is often disposed via discharge to ephemeral channels. A study conducted in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming, documented downstream changes in CBNG water composition, emphasizing nitrogen-cycling processes and the fate of ammonium. Dissolved ammonium concentrations from 19 CBNG discharge points ranged from 95 to 527 μM. Within specific channels, ammonium concentrations decreased with transport distance, with subsequent increases in nitrite and nitrate concentrations. Removal efficiency, or uptake, of total dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) varied between channel types. DIN uptake was greater in the gentle-sloped, vegetated channel as compared to the incised, steep, and sparsely vegetated channel and was highly correlated with diel patterns of incident light and dissolved oxygen concentration. In a larger main channel with multiple discharge inputs (n = 13), DIN concentrations were >300 μM, with pH > 8.5, after 5 km of transport. Ammonium represented 25−30% of the large-channel DIN, and ammonium concentrations remained relatively constant with time, with only a weak diel pattern evident. In July 2003, the average daily large-channel DIN load was 23 kg N day−1entering the Powder River, an amount which substantially increased the total Powder River DIN load after the channel confluence. These results suggest that CBNG discharge may be an important source of DIN to western watersheds, at least at certain times of the year, and that net oxidation and/or removal is dependent upon the extent of contact with sediment and biomass, type of drainage channel, and time of day.

  11. On the ecogeomorphological feedbacks that control tidal channel network evolution in a sandy mangrove setting

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Maanen, B.; Coco, G.; Bryan, K. R.

    2015-01-01

    An ecomorphodynamic model was developed to study how Avicennia marina mangroves influence channel network evolution in sandy tidal embayments. The model accounts for the effects of mangrove trees on tidal flow patterns and sediment dynamics. Mangrove growth is in turn controlled by hydrodynamic conditions. The presence of mangroves was found to enhance the initiation and branching of tidal channels, partly because the extra flow resistance in mangrove forests favours flow concentration, and thus sediment erosion in between vegetated areas. The enhanced branching of channels is also the result of a vegetation-induced increase in erosion threshold. On the other hand, this reduction in bed erodibility, together with the soil expansion driven by organic matter production, reduces the landward expansion of channels. The ongoing accretion in mangrove forests ultimately drives a reduction in tidal prism and an overall retreat of the channel network. During sea-level rise, mangroves can potentially enhance the ability of the soil surface to maintain an elevation within the upper portion of the intertidal zone, while hindering both the branching and headward erosion of the landward expanding channels. The modelling results presented here indicate the critical control exerted by ecogeomorphological interactions in driving landscape evolution. PMID:26339195

  12. Synthetic bedding and wheeze in childhood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ponsonby, Anne-Louise; Dwyer, Terence; Kemp, Andrew; Cochrane, Jennifer; Couper, David; Carmichael, Allan

    2003-01-01

    The reasons for the increase in childhood asthma over time are unclear. The indoor environment is of particular concern. An adverse role for synthetic bedding on asthma development in childhood has been suggested by cross-sectional studies that have found an association between synthetic pillow use and childhood wheeze. Prospective data on infant bedding have not been available. Bedding data at 1 month of age were available from an infant survey for children who were participating in a 1995 follow-up study (N = 863; 78% traced). The 1995 follow-up was embedded in a larger cross-sectional survey involving 6,378 seven year olds in Tasmania (N = 92% of eligible). Outcome measures included respiratory symptoms as defined in the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood protocol. Frequent wheeze was defined as more than 12 wheeze episodes over the past year compared with no wheeze. Synthetic pillow use at 1 month of age was associated with frequent wheeze at age 7 (adjusted relative risk [aRR] = 2.5; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2-5.5) independent of childhood exposure. Current synthetic pillow and quilt use was strongly associated with frequent wheeze (aRR = 5.2; CI = 1.3-20.6). Substantial trends were evident for an association of increasing number of synthetic bedding items with frequent wheeze and with increasing wheeze frequency. Among children with asthma, the age of onset of asthma occurred earlier if synthetic bedding was used in infancy. In this cohort, synthetic bedding was strongly and consistently associated with frequent childhood wheeze. The association did not appear to be attributable to bedding choice as part of an asthma management strategy.

  13. Wall-to-bed heat transfer in gas-solid fluidized beds: a computational and experimental study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Patil, D.J.; Smit, J.; van Sint Annaland, M.; Kuipers, J.A.M.

    2006-01-01

    The wall-to-bed heat transfer in gas-solid fluidized beds is mainly determined by phenomena prevailing in a thermal boundary layer with a thickness in the order of magnitude of the size of a single particle. In this thermal boundary layer the temperature gradients are very steep and the local

  14. The Physiology of Bed Rest. Chapter 39

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fortney, Suzanne M.; Schneider, Victor S.; Greenleaf, John E.

    1996-01-01

    Prolonged rest in bed has been utilized by physicians and other health-care workers to immobilize and confine patients for rehabilitation and restoration of health since time immemorial. The sitting or horizontal position is sought by the body to relieve the strain of the upright or vertical postures, for example during syncopal situations, bone fractures, muscle injuries, fatigue, and probably also to reduce energy expenditure. Most health-care personnel are aware that adaptive responses occurring during bed rest proceed concomitantly with the healing process; signs and symptoms associated with the former should be differentiated from those of the latter. Not all illnesses and infirmities benefit from prolonged bed rest. Considerations in prescribing bed rest for patients-including duration, body position, mode and duration of exercise, light-dark cycles, temperature, and humidity-have not been investigated adequately. More recently, adaptive physiological responses have been measured in normal, healthy subjects in the horizontal or slightly head-down postures during prolonged bed rest as analogs for the adaptive responses of astronauts exposed to the microgravity environment of outer and bed-rest research.

  15. in Spouted Bed

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bronislaw Buczek

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Samples of active coke, fresh and spent after cleaning flue gases from communal waste incinerators, were investigated. The outer layers of both coke particles were separately removed by comminution in a spouted bed. The samples of both active cokes were analysed by means of densities, mercury porosimetry, and adsorption technique. Remaining cores were examined to determine the degree of consumption of coke by the sorption of hazardous emissions (SO2, HCl, and heavy metals through its bed. Differences in contamination levels within the porous structure of the particles were estimated. The study demonstrated the effectiveness of commercial active coke in the cleaning of flue gases.

  16. Thermal-hydraulic and characteristic models for packed debris beds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mueller, G.E.; Sozer, A.

    1986-12-01

    APRIL is a mechanistic core-wide meltdown and debris relocation computer code for Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) severe accident analyses. The capabilities of the code continue to be increased by the improvement of existing models. This report contains information on theory and models for degraded core packed debris beds. The models, when incorporated into APRIL, will provide new and improved capabilities in predicting BWR debris bed coolability characteristics. These models will allow for a more mechanistic treatment in calculating temperatures in the fluid and solid phases in the debris bed, in determining debris bed dryout, debris bed quenching from either top-flooding or bottom-flooding, single and two-phase pressure drops across the debris bed, debris bed porosity, and in finding the minimum fluidization mass velocity. The inclusion of these models in a debris bed computer module will permit a more accurate prediction of the coolability characteristics of the debris bed and therefore reduce some of the uncertainties in assessing the severe accident characteristics for BWR application. Some of the debris bed theoretical models have been used to develop a FORTRAN 77 subroutine module called DEBRIS. DEBRIS is a driver program that calls other subroutines to analyze the thermal characteristics of a packed debris bed. Fortran 77 listings of each subroutine are provided in the appendix

  17. Functional and pharmacological consequences of the distribution of voltage-gated calcium channels in the renal blood vessels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansen, P B L

    2013-04-01

    Calcium channel blockers are widely used to treat hypertension because they inhibit voltage-gated calcium channels that mediate transmembrane calcium influx in, for example, vascular smooth muscle and cardiomyocytes. The calcium channel family consists of several subfamilies, of which the L-type is usually associated with vascular contractility. However, the L-, T- and P-/Q-types of calcium channels are present in the renal vasculature and are differentially involved in controlling vascular contractility, thereby contributing to regulation of kidney function and blood pressure. In the preglomerular vascular bed, all the three channel families are present. However, the T-type channel is the only channel in cortical efferent arterioles which is in contrast to the juxtamedullary efferent arteriole, and that leads to diverse functional effects of L- and T-type channel inhibition. Furthermore, by different mechanisms, T-type channels may contribute to both constriction and dilation of the arterioles. Finally, P-/Q-type channels are involved in the regulation of human intrarenal arterial contractility. The calcium blockers used in the clinic affect not only L-type but also P-/Q- and T-type channels. Therefore, the distinct effect obtained by inhibiting a given subtype or set of channels under experimental settings should be considered when choosing a calcium blocker for treatment. T-type channels seem to be crucial for regulating the GFR and the filtration fraction. Use of blockers is expected to lead to preferential efferent vasodilation, reduction of glomerular pressure and proteinuria. Therefore, renovascular T-type channels might provide novel therapeutic targets, and may have superior renoprotective effects compared to conventional calcium blockers. Acta Physiologica © 2013 Scandinavian Physiological Society.

  18. Mechanisms of vegetation removal by floods on bars of a heavily managed gravel bed river (The Isere River, France)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jourdain, Camille; Belleudy, Philippe; Tal, Michal; Malavoi, Jean-René

    2016-04-01

    In natural alpine gravel bed rivers, floods and their associated bedload transport maintain channels active and free of mature woody vegetation. In managed rivers, where flood regime and sediment supply have been modified by hydroelectric infrastructures and sediment mining, river beds tend to stabilize. As a result, in the recent past, mature vegetation has established on gravel bars of many gravel bed rivers worldwide. This established vegetation increases the risk of flooding by decreasing flow velocity and increasing water levels. In addition, the associated reduction in availability of pioneer habitats characteristic of these environments typically degrades biodiversity. Managing hydrology in a way that would limit vegetation establishment on bars presents an interesting management option. In this context, our study aims at understanding the impacts of floods of varying magnitude on vegetation removal, and identifying and quantifying the underlying mechanisms. Our study site is the Isère River, a heavily managed gravel bed river flowing in the western part of the French Alps. We studied the impact of floods on sediment transport and vegetation survival at the bar scale through field monitoring from 2014 to 2015, focusing on young salicaceous vegetation (chains, and topographic surveys. Hourly water discharge was obtained from the national gauging network. The hydraulics of monitored floods was characterized using a combination of field measurements and 2D hydraulic modeling: water levels were measured with pressure sensors and Large Scale Particle Velocimetry was used to measure flow velocities. These data were used to calibrate 2D hydrodynamic model using TELEMAC2D. At the reach scale, removal of mature vegetation was assed using a series of historical aerial photographs between 2001 and 2015. Our monitoring period covered a series of floods with recurrence intervals of 2 to 4 times per year, as well as one large flood with a 10 year return period. Only the

  19. Improvement of Combustion Characteristics in Fluidized Bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohamed, H.S.; El Sourougy, M.R.; Faik, M.

    2009-01-01

    The present investigation is directed towards the experimental study of the effect of a new design of the bed temperature on the overall thermal efficiency and heat transfer by conduction, convection and radiation in gaseous fuel-fluidized bed combustion system. The experiments are performed on a water-cooled fluidized bed model furnace with cylindrical cross-section of 0.25 m diameter and its height is 0.60 m. the fluidising medium used is sand particles with average diameter 1.5 mm. The bed temperature is varied between 700 degree C and 1100 degree C. Measurements f carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and oxygen concentrations are carried out by using water-cooled sampling probe, and infrared and paramagnetic analyzers. The results obtained show that the bed temperature, the total heat transfer to the wall and the bed combustion efficiency increase with the decrease of the air-fuel ratio. It is also found that 91% of the total heat transfer is in the fluidising part of the bed and most of this heat is transferred by convection from hot sand particles to the wall. Two empirical formulae for the calculation of the wall heat transfer coefficient and the particle convective heat transfer coefficient are proposed. A verification of the proposed empirical formulae is made by comparing the calculated values with the experimental results.

  20. Cognitive rationalizations for tanning-bed use: a preliminary exploration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banerjee, Smita C; Hay, Jennifer L; Greene, Kathryn

    2013-09-01

    To examine construct and predictive utility of an adapted cognitive rationalization scale for tanning-bed use. Current/former tanning-bedusing undergraduate students (N = 216; 87.6% females; 78.4% white) at a large northeastern university participated in a survey. A cognitive rationalization for tanning-bed use scale was adapted. Standardized self-report measures of past tanning-bed use, advantages of tanning, perceived vulnerability to photoaging, tanning-bed use dependence, and tanning-bed use intention were also administered. The cognitive rationalization scale exhibited strong construct and predictive validity. Current tanners and tanning-bed-use-dependent participants endorsed rationalizations more strongly than did former tanners and not-tanning-bed-use-dependent participants respectively. Findings indicate that cognitive rationalizations help explain discrepancy between inconsistent cognitions.

  1. Development of bed-furrow intervention in punjab, pakistan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Latif, A.

    2015-01-01

    The successful implementation of bed- furrow, a resource conservation intervention (RCI), for rice-wheat cropping system has become the prime goal for researchers and cultivators by developing bed- seeded crops in South Asia. The paper reviews the output, need, methods, merits, demerits and constraints for adopting bed-furrow RCI in Pakistan. The potential of this intervention and the issues of adopting permanent raised beds have also explored in the study. The application of Bed-furrow is only limited to few hectares for field demonstrations and research in Pakistan. The findings of research reveal substantial enhancement in output and profitability by including residue straw mulching on bed-furrow. The strategies that enhance the adoption, merits and output of bed- furrow for Pakistan in particular are as follows: i) selection of rice germ-plasm in aerobic circumstances gives improved output, ii) Provision of accurate and efficient seed and fertilizer at economical cost by improving the design etc. of four wheel tractors, iii) The scope and use of bed-furrow should be further enhanced by taking onboard all the state holders including farmers, agronomist, engineers, machine operators and manufacturers. Data collection and monitoring should be properly carried out for its sustainable usage within the region of South Asia and iv) to enhance the areas of farms where bed-furrow is suitable for their growing cops, soil and topographic conditions, thus offers economic profit and output/productivity. The participation and consultation of all the stake holders including farmers, researchers, equipment operator is utmost important to manage hurdles for acquiring potential benefits, productivity and sustainability of bed- furrow intervention. (author)

  2. Clinical physiology of bed rest

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenleaf, John E.

    1993-01-01

    Maintenance of optimal health in humans requires the proper balance between exercise, rest, and sleep as well as time in the upright position. About one-third of a lifetime is spent sleeping; and it is no coincidence that sleeping is performed in the horizontal position, the position in which gravitational influence on the body is minimal. Although enforced bed rest is necessary for the treatment of some ailments, in some cases it has probably been used unwisely. In addition to the lower hydrostatic pressure with the normally dependent regions of the cardiovascular system, body fuid compartments during bed rest in the horizontal body position, and virtual elimination of compression on the long bones of the skeletal system during bed rest (hypogravia), there is often reduction in energy metabolism due to the relative confinement (hypodynamia) and alteration of ambulatory circadian variations in metabolism, body temperature, and many hormonal systems. If patients are also moved to unfamiliar surroundings, they probably experience some feelings of anxiety and some sociopsychological problems. Adaptive physiological responses during bed rest are normal for that environment. They are attempts by the body to reduce unnecessary energy expenditure, to optimize its function, and to enhance its survival potential. Many of the deconditioning responses begin within the first day or two of bed rest; these early responses have prompted physicians to insist upon early resumption of the upright posture and ambulation of bedridden patients.

  3. Effect of particle stratification on debris-bed dryout

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gabor, J.D.; Cassulo, J.C.; Pederson, D.R.

    1982-01-01

    Significant work has been performed on debris-bed dryout on beds of either uniformly sized particles or particles of a wide size range which are well mixed. This work has provided an understanding of the mechanisms of dryout and an empirical basis for containment analysis. However, the debris bed resulting from a HCDA would not consist of uniformly sized particles and for certain scenarios the bed could be stratified rather than well mixed. Tests have been conducted on the effect of particle size distribution on dryout and concluded that not only is the mean particle size an important parameter but also the standard deviation of the distribution and change in porosity. The D6 in-pile test at Sandia with a 114-mm deep stratified bed resulted in a reduced dryout heat flux compared to a uniformly mixed bed. Because of the many questions concerning the dryout behavior of stratified beds of wide size distribution out-of-pile experiments in which metal particles in water pools are inductively heated were initiated at Argonne

  4. Performance of Sandy Dry Beds for sludge dewatering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Muzaini, S.

    2003-01-01

    Sludge produced by the Jahra treatment plant was assessed. The assessment was directed at determining the performance of sand drying beds. The assessment of quality of the sludge produced was based on the standards for land application of sewage sludge. Analyses were carried out for trace heavy metals and bacteria. The results of analyses showed that the sludge produced was high in organic matter and sand content but low in heavy metals. The collected data indicated that the sand drying beds at the Jahra treatment plant are at present inadequate to handle the projected sludge production. The investigation showed that the sand drying beds are fully used and the plant will require 3-4 times the capacity of the existing drying beds when the plant becomes fully operational. In addition, these sand drying beds are subjected to uncontrollable conditions such as temperature, rainfall and sludge drainage rate. Thus, sand drying beds have become less popular as a dewatering system. This paper evaluates the performance of the existing sand drying beds and suggests the most appropriate technology to alleviate the above mentioned problems. (author)

  5. Bed Bug Guidance for School Nurses

    Science.gov (United States)

    School nurses are often called upon to provide vital information to students, parents, teachers, and administrators. These tips on identifying, managing and preventing bed bugs will help you to effectively respond if bed bugs appear in your school.

  6. Dryout heat flux experiments with deep heterogeneous particle bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lindholm, I.; Holmstroem, S.; Miettinen, J.; Lestinen, V.; Hyvaerinen, J.; Pankakoski, P.; Sjoevall, H.

    2006-01-01

    A test facility has been constructed at Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) to simulate as accurately as possible the ex-vessel core particle bed in the conditions of Olkiluoto nuclear power plant. The STYX particle bed reproduces the anticipated depth of the bed and the size range of particles having irregular shape. The bed is immersed in water, creating top flooding conditions, and internally heated by an array of electrical resistance heating elements. Dryout tests have been successfully conducted at 0.1-0.7 MPa pressure for both uniformly mixed and stratified bed geometries. In all tests, including the stratified ones, the dry zone first formed near the bottom of the bed. The measured dryout heat fluxes increased with increasing pressure, from 232 kW/m 2 at near atmospheric pressure to 451 kW/m 2 at 0.7 MPa pressure. The data show some scatter even for the uniform bed. The tests with the stratified bed indicate a clear reduction of critical power due to the presence of a layer of small particles on top of the uniform bed. Comparison of data with various critical power (dryout heat flux) correlations for porous media shows that the most important parameter in the models is the effective particle diameter. Adiabatic debris bed flow resistance measurements were conducted to determine the most representative particle diameter. This diameter is close, but not equal, to the particle number-weighted average diameter of the bed material. With it, uniform bed data can be calculated to within an accuracy of 3-28% using Lipinski's 0-D model. In the stratified bed experiments, it appears that the top layer was partially fluidized, hence the measured critical power was significantly higher than calculated. Future experiments are being planned with denser top layer material to eliminate non-prototypic fluidization

  7. Endotoxin, coliform, and dust levels in various types of rodent bedding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whiteside, Tanya E; Thigpen, Julius E; Kissling, Grace E; Grant, Mary G; Forsythe, Diane

    2010-03-01

    Endotoxins in grain dust, household dust, and animal bedding may induce respiratory symptoms in rodents and humans. We assayed the endotoxin, coliform, and dust levels in 20 types of rodent bedding. Endotoxin concentrations were measured by using a commercial test kit, coliform counts were determined by using conventional microbiologic procedures, and dust content was evaluated by using a rotating-tapping shaker. Paper bedding types contained significantly less endotoxin than did other bedding types; the highest levels of endotoxin were detected in hardwood and corncob beddings. The range of endotoxin content for each bedding type was: corncob bedding, 1913 to 4504 endotoxin units per gram (EU/g); hardwood bedding, 3121 to 5401 EU/g; corncob-paper mixed bedding, 1586 to 2416 EU/g; and paper bedding, less than 5 to 105 EU/g. Coliform counts varied from less than 10 to 7591 cfu/g in corncob beddings, 90 to 4010 cfu/g in corncob-paper mixed beddings, less than 10 to 137 cfu/g in hardwood beddings, and less than 10 cfu/g in paper beddings. Average dust content was less than 0.15% in all commercial bedding types. We conclude that paper bedding is the optimal bedding type for conducting LPS inhalation studies and that rodent bedding containing high levels of endotoxin may alter the results of respiratory and immunologic studies in rodents.

  8. PLUGM: a coupled thermal-hydraulic computer model for freezing melt flow in a channel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pilch, M.

    1982-01-01

    PLUGM is a coupled thermal-hydraulic computer model for freezing liquid flow and plugging in a cold channel. PLUGM is being developed at Sandia National Laboratories for applications in Sandia's ex-vessel Core Retention Concept Assessment Program and in Sandia's LMFBR Transition Phase Program. The purpose of this paper is to introduce PLUGM and demonstrate how it can be used in the analysis of two of the core retention concepts under investigation at Sandia: refractory brick crucibles and particle beds

  9. On the dynamics of compound bedforms in high-energy tidal channels: field observations in the German Bight and the Danish Wadden Sea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ernstsen, Verner B.; Winter, Christian; Becker, Marius; Bartholdy, Jesper

    2010-05-01

    Tidal inlets are a common feature along much of the world's coastlines. They interrupt the alongshore continuity of shoreline processes, and by being exposed to both wave and current forcing, tidal inlets belong to the morphologically most dynamic and complex coastal systems on Earth. The tidal channels in these inlets are characterized by high flow velocities and, accordingly, the channel beds are typically sandy and covered with bedforms. The bedform fields in nature are often complex systems with larger primary-bedforms superimposed by smaller secondary-bedforms (cf. Bartholdy et al., 2002). There is a considerable amount of detailed field investigations on the dynamics of primary-bedforms at various temporal scales, ranging from short- to long-term tide-related cycles to flood hydrographs to seasonality. However, Julien et al. (2002) stated that a composite analysis of primary- and secondary-bedforms is recommended for future studies on resistance to flow. Such knowledge on the behaviour of compound bedforms is still deficient. In this study, we combine the findings on the dynamics of primary- and secondary-bedform height from detailed field investigations carried out in two high-energy tidal channels during 2007 and 2008: the Knudedyb tidal inlet channel in the Danish Wadden Sea and the Innenjade tidal channel in the Jade Bay, German Bight (both survey areas being ebb-dominated). We provide process-based explanations of the bedform behaviour and present a conceptual model of compound bedform dynamics. The conducted field investigations comprised repetitive, simultaneous measurements of high-resolution swath bathymetry (using a multibeam echosounder system) and flow velocity (using an acoustic Doppler current profiler) in combination with detailed spatial mapping of bed material characteristics (from grab sampling of bed material). For an objective and discrete analysis of primary- and secondary-bedforms a modified version of the bedform tracking tool

  10. Fluidized bed volume reduction of diverse radwastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McFee, J.N.; McConnell, J.W.; Waddoups, D.A.; Gray, M.F.; Harwood, L.E.; Clayton, N.J.; Drown, D.C.

    1981-01-01

    Method and apparatus for a fluidized bed radwaste volume reduction system are claimed. Low level radioactive wastes, combustible solids, ion exchange resins and filter sludges, and liquids, emanating from a reactor facility are introduced separately through an integrated waste influent system into a common fluidized bed vessel where volume reduction either through incineration or calcination occurs. Addition of a substance to the ion exchange resin before incineration inhibits the formation of low-melting point materials which tend to form clinkers in the bed. Solid particles are scrubbed or otherwise removed from the gaseous effluent of the vessel in an off-gas system, before the cooled and cleaned off-gas is released to the atmosphere. Iodine is chemically or physically removed from the off-gas. Otherwise, the only egress materials from the volume reduction system are containerized dry solids and tramp material. The bed material used during each mode may be circulated, cleaned, stored and exchanged from within the bed vessel by use of a bed material handling system. An instrumentation and control system provides operator information, monitors performance characteristics, implements start up and shut down procedures, and initiates alarms and emergency procedures during abnormal conditions

  11. Channel mapping river miles 29–62 of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, May 2009

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaplinski, Matt; Hazel, Joseph E.; Grams, Paul E.; Kohl, Keith; Buscombe, Daniel D.; Tusso, Robert B.

    2017-03-23

    Bathymetric, topographic, and grain-size data were collected in May 2009 along a 33-mi reach of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. The study reach is located from river miles 29 to 62 at the confluence of the Colorado and Little Colorado Rivers. Channel bathymetry was mapped using multibeam and singlebeam echosounders, subaerial topography was mapped using ground-based total-stations, and bed-sediment grain-size data were collected using an underwater digital microscope system. These data were combined to produce digital elevation models, spatially variable estimates of digital elevation model uncertainty, georeferenced grain-size data, and bed-sediment distribution maps. This project is a component of a larger effort to monitor the status and trends of sand storage along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park. This report documents the survey methods and post-processing procedures, digital elevation model production and uncertainty assessment, and procedures for bed-sediment classification, and presents the datasets resulting from this study.

  12. Evacuation of Bed-bound Patients-STEPS Simulations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Anne; Dederichs, Anne Simone

    2016-01-01

    Fires in hospitals occur, and evacuation of bed-bound patients might be necessary in case of emergency. The current study concerns the evacuation of bed-bound patients from a fire section in a hospital using hospital porters. The simulations are performed using the STEPS program. The aim...... of the study is to investigate the evacuation time of bed-bound hospital patients using different walking speeds from the literature, and the influence of the number of hospital porters on the total evacuation times of bed-bound patients. Different scenarios were carried out with varying staff......-to-patient ratios that simulate the horizontal evacuation of 40 bed-bound patients into a different fire section. It was found that the staff-to-patient-ratio affects the total evacuation times. However, the total evacuation times do not decrease linearly and a saturation effect is seen at a staff-to-patient ratio...

  13. Air gasification of rice husk in bubbling fluidized bed reactor with bed heating by conventional charcoal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makwana, J P; Joshi, Asim Kumar; Athawale, Gaurav; Singh, Dharminder; Mohanty, Pravakar

    2015-02-01

    An experimental study of air gasification of rice husk was conducted in a bench-scale fluidized bed gasifier (FBG) having 210 mm diameter and 1600 mm height. Heating of sand bed material was performed using conventional charcoal fuel. Different operating conditions like bed temperature, feeding rate and equivalence ratio (ER) varied in the range of 750-850 °C, 25-31.3 kg/h, and 0.3-0.38, respectively. Flow rate of air was kept constant (37 m(3)/h) during FBG experiments. The carbon conversion efficiencies (CCE), cold gas efficiency, and thermal efficiency were evaluated, where maximum CCE was found as 91%. By increasing ER, the carbon conversion efficiency was decreased. Drastic reduction in electric consumption for initial heating of gasifier bed with charcoal compared to ceramic heater was ∼45%. Hence rice husk is found as a potential candidate to use directly (without any processing) in FBG as an alternative renewable energy source from agricultural field. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Engineering considerations in the use of artificial filter beds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Richards, R.T.

    1978-01-01

    Artificial filter bed intakes utilize a prepared granular filter material to prevent entrance of debris and aquatic life into a water withdrawal facility. The relatively large quantities of water and the service reliability required for power plant cooling water systems present major engineering problems for the artificial filter concept, many of which have not been resolved. These problems include development of a suitable and stable filter medium; design of a reliable backwash system which is both effective and environmentally acceptable; meeting of all site-imposed restrictions relating to natural river turbidity, flooding characteristics, channel stability, and ice loads; and provision of the complex civil and mechanical engineering design inherent in such a system. Extensive model testing may be required for further engineering development of this system. The preliminary engineering for an artificial filter system is discussed in connection with a proposed 1.6-m 3 /s-capacity (25,000-gpm capacity) filter in the Columbia River

  15. Stratigraphic Stacking of Deepmarine Channel Levee Turbidites: Scales of Cyclicity and their Origin. Examples from the Laingsburg Fm. (Karoo, South Africa) and the Rosario Fm. (Baja, Mexico)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kane, I. A.; Hodgson, D.

    2009-12-01

    Thinning upwards of the turbidite beds that form deepmarine channel levees is a common motif reported from modern and recent levees on the seafloor, from subsurface examples, and from outcropping ancient examples. Because levees are thought to be built by deposition from turbidity currents superelevated over their channel form, the volume and style of overbank deposition are controlled primarily by the relationship between levee height (i.e., thalweg to crest) and flow thickness, determining the amount of overspill. Thus stratigraphic variability of turbidite thickness is explained by some change in either or both of those factors, which may arise autocyclicly or allocyclicly. Variation in the ratio of intra-channel and extra-channel deposition can be an autocyclic stratigraphic response, e.g., in bypass dominated systems, thalweg aggradation may be retarded with respect to levee aggradation, hence as levee relief increases, flows become more confined and, given a relatively narrow range of flow sizes, the volume of overbank flow and deposit thickness decrease with stratigraphic height. However, the same stratigraphic response of the levee may occur due to allocyclic flow magnitude variation, i.e., through decreasing flow magnitude. In both the autocyclic and allocyclic case the stratigraphic response of the levee may be one of thinning upwards, even if the overall system response may be one of progradation (autocyclic bypassing case) or retrogradation (allocyclic decreasing flow magnitude case), with entirely different connotations for sequence stratigraphic interpretation. Here we report examples of different scales of bed thickness cyclicity (both thickening and thinning upward cycles superimposed by smaller scale cycles) within levees of the Rosario Formation, Baja California, Mexico, and from the Laingsburg Formation, Karoo, South Africa, and, together with published examples, discuss criteria for the recognition, and drivers of, autocyclic and allocyclic bed

  16. Feasibility study - Lowered bed temperature in Fluidised Bed boilers for waste; Foerstudie - Saenkt baeddtemperatur i FB-pannor foer avfallsfoerbraenning

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Niklasson, Fredrik

    2009-01-15

    Waste incineration generally serves two purposes; 1) dispose of waste and 2) generation of heat and power. In the process of power production from waste fuels, the steam temperatures in super heaters are generally limited by the severe fouling and corrosion that occurs at elevated material temperatures, caused by high concentrations of alkali metals and chloride in the flue gas and fly ash. The overall aim of a continuation of present project is to determine if a reduced temperature of the bed zone in a fluidized bed waste incinerator reduces the amount of alkali chlorides in the flue gas. If so, a reduced bed temperature might enable increased steam temperature in super heaters, or, at unchanged steam temperature, improve the lifespan of the super heaters. The results from the project are of interest for plant owners wishing to improve performance of existing plants. The results may also be used to modify the design of future plants by boiler manufacturers. The aim of present pre-study was to determine how far the bed temperature can be reduced in a waste fired fluidized bed boiler in Boraas while maintaining a stable operation with sufficient combustion temperature in the freeboard to fulfil the directives of waste incineration. A continuation of the project will be based on the results from present study. The work is based on experiments at the test boiler. During the present study, no other measurements were performed apart from some sampling of bed material and ashes at different modes of operation. The experiments show that it is possible to alter the air and recycled flue gas in such a manner that the bed temperature is reduced from about 870 deg C to 700 deg C at 100% load and normal fuel mixture, while fulfilling the directive of 850 deg C at 2 seconds. Within normal variations of the fuel properties, however, the bed temperature increases to somewhat above 700 deg C if the fuel turns dry, while it falls below 650 deg C when the fuel turns wet. With

  17. Plan form changes of Gumara River channel over 50 years (Upper Blue Nile basin, Ethiopia)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abate, Mengiste; Nyssen, Jan; Mehari, Michael

    2014-05-01

    Channel plan form changes were investigated along the 65 km long Gumara River in Lake Tana basin (Ethiopia) by overlaying information from aerial photographs and SPOT imagery. Two sets of aerial photographs (1957 and 1980) were scanned, and then orthorectified in ENVI 4.2 environment. Recent channel plan form information was extracted from SPOT images of 2006. ERDAS 2010 and ArcGIS 10.1 tools were used for the data preparation and analysis. The information on river plan form changes spans from 1957 to 2006 (49 years), during which time the Gumara catchment has been subjected to changes in land use/cover and increasing water abstraction, which may have affected its hydrogeomorphology. The results indicated that the lower reach of Gumara at its mouth has undergone major plan form changes. A delta of 1.12 km² was created between 1957 and 1980 and additional 1.00 km² land has been created between 1980 and 2006. The sinuosity of the plan form changed only slightly through the study period: 1.78 in 1957, 1.76 in 1980, and 1.81 in 2006. Comparison of cross sections at the hydrological gauging station showed that the river bed aggraded in the order of 1.5 m to 2.5 m for the period 1963-2009. The trend analysis of stream flow of Gumara River versus rainfall in the catchment also indicated that the bed level of the Gumara river at its gauging station has risen. From field observations, the impact of direct human interventions was identified. The building of artificial levees along the river banks has contributed to huge deposition in the river bed. At locations where intensive irrigation takes place in the floodplain, seepage water through the banks created river bank failure and modifications in plan form. The unstable segments of the river reach were identified and will be further analysed.

  18. Fluidized-bed firing of washery wastes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rubin, Yu M; Gavrik, M V

    1978-01-01

    Tailings containing SiO2 (56.76%), A12O3 (25.63%), Fe2O3 (10.22%) plus CaO, MgO and SOat3 were fluidized at 1.7-2.0 m/s. This gives a uniform pressure of 6 kg-f/m2 at bed heights of 100 mm, though this is higher in the upper layers where the fine material tends to concentrate. The resistance of the bed is directly proportional to its height. Minimum oxygen, maximum carbon dioxide and maximum temperature are found in the section 250-300 mm above the grid (bed height 500 mm); in the upper zone of the bed, some decrease in temperature and carbon dioxide, and increase in oxygen are associated with the ingress of air through the discharge chute. Waste heat should be utilised to help to cover costs of desulphurising stack gases.

  19. Borehole-inclusion stressmeter measurements in bedded salt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cook, C.W.; Ames, E.S.

    1980-07-01

    Sandia purchased borehole-inclusion stressmeters from a commercial supplier to measure in situ stress changes in bedded salt. However, the supplied stressmeters were difficult to set in place and gave erratic results in bedded salt. These problems were overcome with a new extended platen design. Also a straingaged transducer was designed which can be read with a conventional data logger. Due to the nonlinear behavior of bedded salt under uniaxial loading, a new empirical calibration scheme was devised. In essence, the stressmeters are calibrated as force transducers and this calibration curve is then used to determine the relationship between uniaxial stress changes in bedded salt and the gage's output. The stressmeter and calibration procedures have been applied under mine conditions and produced viable results. Future work will involve finite element analysis to calculate the observed behavior of the stressmeters. The response of the stressmeters in bedded salt is neither that of a true stressmeter or of a true strainmeter. However, repeatable calibrations make the gages very useful

  20. Continuous austempering fluidized bed furnace. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Srinivasan, M.N. [Lamar Univ., Beaumont, TX (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

    1997-09-23

    The intended objective of this project was to show the benefits of using a fluidized bed furnace for austenitizing and austempering of steel castings in a continuous manner. The division of responsibilities was as follows: (1) design of the fluidized bed furnace--Kemp Development Corporation; (2) fabrication of the fluidized bed furnace--Quality Electric Steel, Inc.; (3) procedure for austempering of steel castings, analysis of the results after austempering--Texas A and M University (Texas Engineering Experiment Station). The Department of Energy provided funding to Texas A and M University and Kemp Development Corporation. The responsibility of Quality Electric Steel was to fabricate the fluidized bed, make test castings and perform austempering of the steel castings in the fluidized bed, at their own expense. The project goals had to be reviewed several times due to financial constraints and technical difficulties encountered during the course of the project. The modifications made and the associated events are listed in chronological order.

  1. How well do the rosgen classification and associated "natural channel design" methods integrate and quantify fluvial processes and channel response?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simon, A.; Doyle, M.; Kondolf, M.; Shields, F.D.; Rhoads, B.; Grant, G.; Fitzpatrick, F.; Juracek, K.; McPhillips, M.; MacBroom, J.

    2005-01-01

    Over the past 10 years the Rosgen classification system and its associated methods of "natural channel design" have become synonymous (to many without prior knowledge of the field) with the term "stream restoration" and the science of fluvial geomorphology. Since the mid 1990s, this classification approach has become widely, and perhaps dominantly adopted by governmental agencies, particularly those funding restoration projects. For example, in a request for proposals for the restoration of Trout Creek in Montana, the Natural Resources Conservation Service required "experience in the use and application of a stream classification system and its implementation." Similarly, classification systems have been used in evaluation guides for riparian areas and U.S. Forest Service management plans. Most notably, many highly trained geomorphologists and hydraulic engineers are often held suspect, or even thought incorrect, if their approach does not include reference to or application of a classification system. This, combined with the para-professional training provided by some involved in "natural channel design" empower individuals and groups with limited backgrounds in stream and watershed sciences to engineer wholesale re-patterning of stream reaches using 50-year old technology that was never intended for engineering design. At Level I, the Rosgen classification system consists of eight or nine major stream types, based on hydraulic-geometry relations and four other measures of channel shape to distinguish the dimensions of alluvial stream channels as a function of the bankfull stage. Six classes of the particle size of the boundary sediments are used to further sub-divide each of the major stream types, resulting in 48 or 54 stream types. Aside from the difficulty in identifying bankfull stage, particularly in incising channels, and the issue of sampling from two distinct populations (beds and banks) to classify the boundary sediments, the classification provides a

  2. Hydrodynamics of circulating and bubbling fluidized beds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gidaspow, D.P.; Tsuo, Y.P.; Ding, J.

    1991-01-01

    This paper reports that a review of modeling of the hydrodynamics of fluidization of bubbling beds showed that inviscid two-fluid models were able to predict a great deal of the behavior of bubbling beds because the dominant mechanism of energy dissipation is the drag between the particles and the fluid. The formation, the growth and the bursting of bubbles were predicted. Predicted wall-to-bed heat transfer coefficients and velocity profiles of jets agreed with measurements. Time average porosity distributions agreed with measurements done using gamma-ray densitometers without the use of any adjustable parameters. However, inviscid models could not correctly predict rates of erosion around tubes immersed into fluidized beds. To correctly model such behavior, granular stresses involving solids viscosity were added into the computer model. This viscosity arises due to random collision of particles. Several models fro this viscosity were investigated and the results compared to measurements of solids distributions in two-dimensional beds and to particle velocities reported in the literature. While in the case of bubbling beds the solids viscosity plays the role of a correction, modeling of a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) without a viscosity is not possible. Recent experimental data obtained at IIT and at IGT show that in CFB the solids viscous dissipation is responsible for as much as half of the pressure drop. From such measurement, solids viscosities were computed. These were used in the two fluid hydrodynamic model, to predict radial solids distributions and solids velocities which matched the experimental distributions. Most important, the model predicted cluster formation and transient internal circulation which is responsible for the favorable characteristics of CFBs, such as good wall-to-bed heat transfer. Video tape movies of computations compared favorably with high speed movies of the experiments

  3. How dynamic are ice-stream beds?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davies, Damon; Bingham, Robert G.; King, Edward C.; Smith, Andrew M.; Brisbourne, Alex M.; Spagnolo, Matteo; Graham, Alastair G. C.; Hogg, Anna E.; Vaughan, David G.

    2018-05-01

    Projections of sea-level rise contributions from West Antarctica's dynamically thinning ice streams contain high uncertainty because some of the key processes involved are extremely challenging to observe. An especially poorly observed parameter is sub-decadal stability of ice-stream beds, which may be important for subglacial traction, till continuity and landform development. Only two previous studies have made repeated geophysical measurements of ice-stream beds at the same locations in different years, but both studies were limited in spatial extent. Here, we present the results from repeat radar measurements of the bed of Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica, conducted 3-6 years apart, along a cumulative ˜ 60 km of profiles. Analysis of the correlation of bed picks between repeat surveys shows that 90 % of the bed displays no significant change despite the glacier increasing in speed by up to 40 % over the last decade. We attribute the negligible detection of morphological change at the bed of Pine Island Glacier to the ubiquitous presence of a deforming till layer, wherein sediment transport is in steady state, such that sediment is transported along the basal interface without inducing morphological change to the radar-sounded basal interface. Given the precision of our measurements, the upper limit of subglacial erosion observed here is 500 mm a-1, far exceeding erosion rates reported for glacial settings from proglacial sediment yields, but substantially below subglacial erosion rates of 1.0 m a-1 previously reported from repeat geophysical surveys in West Antarctica.

  4. Exercise countermeasures for bed-rest deconditioning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenleaf, John (Editor)

    1993-01-01

    The purpose for this 30-day bed rest study was to investigate the effects of short-term, high intensity isotonic and isokinetic exercise training on maintenance of working capacity (peak oxygen uptake), muscular strength and endurance, and on orthostatic tolerance, posture and gait. Other data were collected on muscle atrophy, bone mineralization and density, endocrine analyses concerning vasoactivity and fluid-electrolyte balance, muscle intermediary metabolism, and on performance and mood of the subjects. It was concluded that: The subjects maintained a relatively stable mood, high morale, and high esprit de corps throughout the study. Performance improved in nearly all tests in almost all the subjects. Isotonic training, as opposed to isokinetic exercise training, was associated more with decreasing levels of psychological tension, concentration, and motivation; and improvement in the quality of sleep. Working capacity (peak oxygen uptake) was maintained during bed rest with isotonic exercise training; it was not maintained with isokinetic or no exercise training. In general, there was no significant decrease in strength or endurance of arm or leg muscles during bed rest, in spite of some reduction in muscle size (atrophy) of some leg muscles. There was no effect of isotonic exercise training on orthostasis, since tilt-table tolerance was reduced similarly in all three groups following bed rest. Bed rest resulted in significant decreases of postural stability and self-selected step length, stride length, and walking velocity, which were not influenced by either exercise training regimen. Most pre-bed rest responses were restored by the fourth day of recovery.

  5. Hospital bed ventilation: impact of operation mode on exposure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bolashikov, Zhecho Dimitrov; Melikov, Arsen Krikor; Barova, Mariya

    2014-01-01

    a second patient lying in the other bed. The doctor stood up 0.55 m from the bed facing the sick patient. Two pairs of localized ventilation units were attached near the heads of both patients alongside the beds to capture, clean and release the captured exhaled air from the lying patients. When the bed...

  6. Model of rough bed for numerical simulation of saltation

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kharlamova, Irina; Vlasák, Pavel

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 19, č. 3 (2015), s. 366-385 ISSN 1964-8189 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA103/09/1718; GA ČR GAP105/10/1574 Institutional support: RVO:67985874 Keywords : saltation * bed load transport * rough bed * armoured bed * bed roughness Subject RIV: BK - Fluid Dynamics Impact factor: 0.636, year: 2015

  7. Exploring the Early Structure of a Rapidly Decompressed Particle Bed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zunino, Heather; Adrian, R. J.; Clarke, Amanda; Johnson, Blair; Arizona State University Collaboration

    2017-11-01

    Rapid expansion of dense, pressurized beds of fine particles subjected to rapid reduction of the external pressure is studied in a vertical shock tube. A near-sonic expansion wave impinges on the particle bed-gas interface and rapidly unloads the particle bed. A high-speed video camera captures events occurring during bed expansion. The particle bed does not expand homogeneously, but breaks down into horizontal slabs and then transforms into a cellular-type structure. There are several key parameters that affect the particle bed evolution, including particle size and initial bed height. Analyses of this bed structure evolution from experiments with varying particle sizes and initial bed heights is presented. This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Advanced Simulation and Computing Program, as a Cooperative Agreement under the Predictive Science and Academic Alliance Program, under Contract No. DE-NA0002378.

  8. Comparison of different turbulence models in open channels with smooth-rough bedforms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghani, U.

    2013-01-01

    The turbulence models play an important role in all types of computational fluid dynamics based numerical modelling. There is no universal turbulence model which can be applied in all the scenarios. Therefore, if a suitable closure model is used in a simulation work, only then the successful numerical modelling will be achieved. This paper presents the evaluation of three turbulence models in numerical modelling of open channel flows having beds comprising of two parallel strips, one being smooth and the other one being rough. The roughness on the rough side of the channel was created with the help of gravels. The turbulence models tested for their suitability in this case were Reynolds stress model, k-model and RNG based k-model. A structured mesh was used in this simulation work. Grid independence test was also conducted in the simulation. The evaluation of the turbulence models was made through the primary velocity contours and secondary velocity vectors over the cross section of the channel. It was revealed that Reynolds stress model simulated the flow behaviour successfully and results obtained through this model matched very closely to that of the experimental data whereas k-model and RNG based k-model failed to reproduce the flow field successfully. These results will be helpful for CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) modellers in correct selection of the turbulence model in these types of channels. (author)

  9. Evaluation of ADCP apparent bed load velocity in a large sand-bed river: Moving versus stationary boat conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jamieson, E.C.; Rennie, C.D.; Jacobson, R.B.; Townsend, R.D.

    2011-01-01

    Detailed mapping of bathymetry and apparent bed load velocity using a boat-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) was carried out along a 388-m section of the lower Missouri River near Columbia, Missouri. Sampling transects (moving boat) were completed at 5- and 20-m spacing along the study section. Stationary (fixed-boat) measurements were made by maintaining constant boat position over a target point where the position of the boat did not deviate more than 3 m in any direction. For each transect and stationary measurement, apparent bed load velocity (vb) was estimated using ADCP bottom tracking data and high precision real-time kinematic (RTK) global positioning system (GPS). The principal objectives of this research are to (1) determine whether boat motion introduces a bias in apparent bed load velocity measurements; and (2) evaluate the reliability of ADCP bed velocity measurements for a range of sediment transport environments. Results indicate that both high transport (vb>0.6 m/s) and moving-boat conditions (for both high and low transport environments) increase the relative variability in estimates of mean bed velocity. Despite this, the spatially dense single-transect measurements were capable of producing detailed bed velocity maps that correspond closely with the expected pattern of sediment transport over large dunes. ?? 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers.

  10. Rising tides, rising gates: The complex ecogeomorphic response of coastal wetlands to sea-level rise and human interventions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandi, Steven G.; Rodríguez, José F.; Saintilan, Neil; Riccardi, Gerardo; Saco, Patricia M.

    2018-04-01

    Coastal wetlands are vulnerable to submergence due to sea-level rise, as shown by predictions of up to 80% of global wetland loss by the end of the century. Coastal wetlands with mixed mangrove-saltmarsh vegetation are particularly vulnerable because sea-level rise can promote mangrove encroachment on saltmarsh, reducing overall wetland biodiversity. Here we use an ecogeomorphic framework that incorporates hydrodynamic effects, mangrove-saltmarsh dynamics, and soil accretion processes to assess the effects of control structures on wetland evolution. Migration and accretion patterns of mangrove and saltmarsh are heavily dependent on topography and control structures. We find that current management practices that incorporate a fixed gate for the control of mangrove encroachment are useful initially, but soon become ineffective due to sea-level rise. Raising the gate, to counteract the effects of sea level rise and promote suitable hydrodynamic conditions, excludes mangrove and maintains saltmarsh over the entire simulation period of 100 years

  11. Heat Transfer in a Fixed Biomass Char Bed

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fjellerup, Jan Søren; Henriksen, Ulrik Birk; Glarborg, P.

    2002-01-01

    A thermal conductivity model based on the Yagi and Kunii model together with a bed model was developed to describe the thermal conductivity of a straw char bed. The bed model describes the relationship between the distance between particles and the external porosity. To verify the model, thermal ...

  12. Non-polluting steam generators with fluidized-bed furnaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brandes, H [Deutsche Babcock A.G., Oberhausen (Germany, F.R.)

    1979-07-01

    The author reports on a 35 MW steam generator with hard coal fluidized-bed furnace a planned 35 MW steam generator with flotation-dirt fluidized-bed furnace, and on planned steam generators for fluidized-bed firing of hard coal up to a steam power of about 200 MW.

  13. The influence of fine char particles burnout on bed agglomeration during the fluidized bed combustion of a biomass fuel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Scala, Fabrizio; Chirone, Riccardo [Istituto di Ricerche sulla Combustione, CNR, P.le V. Tecchio, 80-80125 Naples (Italy); Salatino, Piero [Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, Universita degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, P.le V. Tecchio, 80-80125 Naples (Italy)

    2003-11-15

    The combustion of biomass char in a bubbling fluidized bed is hereby addressed, with specific reference to the influence that the combustion of fine char particles may exert on ash deposition and bed agglomeration phenomena. Experiments of steady fluidized bed combustion (FBC) of powdered biomass were carried out with the aim of mimicking the postcombustion of attrited char fines generated in the fluidized bed combustion of coarse char. Experimental results showed that the char elutriation rate is much smaller than expected on the basis of the average size of the biomass powder and of the carbon loading in the combustor. Samples of bed material collected after prolonged operation of the combustor were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-EDX analysis and revealed the formation of relatively coarse sand-ash-carbon aggregates. The phenomenology is consistent with the establishment of a char phase attached to the bed material as a consequence of adhesion of char fines onto the sand particles. Combustion under sound-assisted fluidization conditions was also tested. As expected, enhancement of fines adhesion on bed material and further reduction of the elutriation rate were observed. Experimental results are interpreted in the light of a simple model which accounts for elutriation of free fines, adhesion of free fines onto bed material and detachment of attached fines by attrition of char-sand aggregates. Combustion of both free and attached char fines is considered. The parameters of the model are assessed on the basis of the measured carbon loadings and elutriation rates. Model computations are directed to estimate the effective size and the peak temperature of char-sand aggregates. The theoretical estimates of the effective aggregate size match fairly well those observed in the experiments.

  14. Influence of bedding type on mucosal immune responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanford, Amy N; Clark, Stephanie E; Talham, Gwen; Sidelsky, Michael G; Coffin, Susan E

    2002-10-01

    The mucosal immune system interacts with the external environment. In the study reported here, we found that bedding materials can influence the intestinal immune responses of mice. We observed that mice housed on wood, compared with cotton bedding, had increased numbers of Peyer's patches (PP) visible under a dissecting microscope. In addition, culture of lymphoid organs revealed increased production of total and virus-specific IgA by PP and mesenteric lymph node (MLN) lymphocytes from mice housed on wood, compared with cotton bedding. However, bedding type did not influence serum virus-specific antibody responses. These observations indicate that bedding type influences the intestinal immune system and suggest that this issue should be considered by mucosal immunologists and personnel at animal care facilities.

  15. Feasibility Study of a Lunar Analog Bed Rest Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cromwell, Ronita L.; Platts, Steven H.; Yarbough, Patrice; Buccello-Stout, Regina

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of using a 9.5deg head-up tilt bed rest model to simulate the effects of the 1/6 g load to the human body that exists on the lunar surface. The lunar analog bed rest model utilized a modified hospital bed. The modifications included mounting the mattress on a sled that rolled on bearings to provide freedom of movement. The weight of the sled was off-loaded using a counterweight system to insure that 1/6 body weight was applied along the long axis (z-axis) of the body. Force was verified through use of a force plate mounted at the foot of the bed. A seating assembly was added to the bed to permit periods of sitting. Subjects alternated between standing and sitting positions throughout the day. A total of 35% of the day was spent in the standing position and 65% was spent sitting. In an effort to achieve physiologic fluid shifts expected for a 1/6 G environment, subjects wore compression stockings and performed unloaded foot and ankle exercises. Eight subjects (3 females and 5 males) participated in this study. Subjects spent 13 days in the pre-bed rest phase, 6 days in bed rest and 3 days post bed rest. Subjects consumed a standardized diet throughout the study. To determine feasibility, measures of subject comfort, force and plasma volume were collected. Subject comfort was assessed using a Likert scale. Subjects were asked to assess level of comfort (0-100) for 11 body regions and provide an overall rating. Results indicated minimal to no discomfort as most subjects reported scores of zero. Force measures were performed for each standing position and were validated against subject s calculated 1/6 body weight (r(sup 2) = 0.993). The carbon monoxide rebreathing technique was used to assess plasma volume during pre-bed rest and on the last day of bed rest. Plasma volume results indicated a significant decrease (p = 0.001) from pre to post bed rest values. Subjects lost on average 8.3% (sd = 6.1%) during the

  16. Lithofacies and petrophysical properties of Portland Base Bed and Portland Whit Bed limestone as related to durability

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dubelaar, C.W.; Engering, S.; Hees, R.P.J. van; Koch, R.; Lorenz, H.G.

    2003-01-01

    This study focuses on the differences in lithofacies and petrophysical properties of Base Bed and Whit Bed Portland limestone and the presumed relationships between these characteristics and the durability of this building stone. As Portland limestone probably will be used as a stone for several

  17. Lithofacies and Petrophysical Properties of Portland Base Bed and Portland Whit Bed Limestone as Related to Durability

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dubelaar, C.W.; Engering, S.; Van Hees, R.P.J.; Koch, R.; Lorenz, H.G.

    2003-01-01

    This study focuses on the differences in lithofacies and petrophysical properties of Base Bed and Whit Bed Portland limestone and the presumed relationships between these characteristics and the durability of this building stone. As Portland limestone probably will be used as a stone for several

  18. Updated Performance Evaluation of the ISS Water Processor Multifiltration Beds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowman, Elizabeth M.; Carter, Layne; Carpenter, Joyce; Orozco, Nicole; Weir, Natalee; Wilson, Mark

    2014-01-01

    The ISS Water Processor Assembly (WPA) produces potable water from a waste stream containing humidity condensate and urine distillate. The primary treatment process is achieved in the Multifiltration Beds, which include adsorbent media and ion exchange resin for the removal of dissolved organic and inorganic contaminants. Two Multifiltration Beds (MF Beds) were replaced on ISS in July 2010 after initial indication of inorganic breakthrough of the first bed and an increasing Total Organic Carbon (TOC) trend in the product water. The first bed was sampled and analyzed Sept 2011 through March 2012. The second MF Bed was sampled and analyzed June 2012 through August 2012. The water resident in the both beds was analyzed for various parameters to evaluate adsorbent loading, performance of the ion exchange resin, microbial activity, and generation of leachates from the ion exchange resin. Portions of the adsorbent media and ion exchange resin were sampled and subsequently desorbed to identify the primary contaminants removed at various points in the bed in addition to microbial analysis. Analysis of the second bed will be compared to results from the first bed to provide a comprehensive overview of how the Multifiltration Beds function on orbit. New data from the second bed supplements the analysis of the first bed (previously reported) and gives a more complete picture of breakthrough compounds, resin breakdown products, microbial activity, and difficult to remove compounds. The results of these investigations and implications to the operation of the WPA on ISS are documented in this paper.

  19. Thoron Mitigation System based on charcoal bed for applications in thorium fuel cycle facilities (part 1): Development of theoretical models for design considerations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sahoo, B K; Sudeep Kumara, K; Karunakara, N; Gaware, J J; Sapra, B K; Mayya, Y S

    2017-06-01

    Regulating the environmental discharge of 220 Rn (historically known as thoron) and its decay products from thorium processing facilities is important for protection of environment and general public living in the vicinities. Activated charcoal provides an effective solution to this problem because of its high adsorption capacity to gaseous element like radon. In order to design and develop a charcoal based Thoron Mitigation System, a mathematical model has been developed in the present work for studying the 220 Rn transport and adsorption in a flow through charcoal bed and estimating the 220 Rn mitigation factor (MF) as a function of system and operating parameters. The model accounts for inter- and intra-grain diffusion, advection, radioactive decay and adsorption processes. Also, the effects of large void fluctuation and wall channeling on the mitigation factor have been included through a statistical model. Closed form solution has been provided for the MF in terms of adsorption coefficient, system dimensions, grain size, flow rate and void fluctuation exponent. It is shown that the delay effects due to intra grain diffusion plays a significant role thereby rendering external equilibrium assumptions unsuitable. Also, the application of the statistical model clearly demonstrates the transition from the exponential MF to a power-law form and shows how the occurrence of channels with low probability can lower mitigation factor by several orders of magnitude. As a part of aiding design, the model is further extended to optimise the bed dimensions in respect of pressure drop and MF. The application of the results for the design and development of a practically useful charcoal bed is discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Geomorphic Response of a Low-Gradient Channel to Modern, Progressive Base-Level Lowering: Nahal HaArava, the Dead Sea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dente, Elad; Lensky, Nadav G.; Morin, Efrat; Grodek, Tamir; Sheffer, Nathan A.; Enzel, Yehouda

    2017-12-01

    The geomorphic response of channels to base-level fall is an important factor in landscape evolution. To better understand the complex interactions between the factors controlling channel evolution in an emerging continental shelf setting, we use an extensive data set (high-resolution digital elevation models, aerial photographs, and Landsat imagery) of a newly incising, perennial segment of Nahal (Wadi) HaArava, Israel. This channel responds to the rapid and progressive lowering of its base-level, the Dead Sea (>30 m in 35 years; 0.5-1.3 m yr-1). Progressively evolving longitudinal profiles, channel width, sinuosity, and knickpoint retreat during the last few decades were documented or reconstructed. The results indicate that even under fast base-level fall, rapid delta progradation on top of the shelf and shelf edge can moderate channel mouth slopes and, therefore, largely inhibit channel incision and knickpoint propagation. This channel elongation stage ends when the delta reaches an extended accommodation within the receiving basin and fails to keep the channel mouth slopes as low as the channel bed slopes. Then, processes of incision, narrowing, and meandering begin to shape the channel and expand upstream. When the down-cutting channel encounters a more resistant stratum within the channel substrate, these processes are restricted to a downstream reach by formation of a retreating vertical knickpoint. When the knickpoint and the channel incise to a level below this stratum, a spatially continuous, diffusion-like evolution characterizes the channel's response and source-to-sink transport can be implemented. These results emphasize the mouth slope and channel substrate resistance as the governing factors over long-term channel evolution, whereas flash floods have only local and short-lived impacts in a confined, continuously incising channel. The documented channel response applies to eustatic base-level fall under steepening basin bathymetry, rapid delta