Background
The University of Sheffield Department of Civil and Structural Engineering CIV4300 Introduction to Solute Mixing
2019/20 – Assessment
Within water engineering, water quality models typically employ the advection-dispersion equation (ADE) to describe the effects of transport and mixing. The one-dimensional version of this method can be applied in water supply, urban drainage and river network models. However, there are several alternative approaches that could be used to describe the mixing processes and this assessment will compare two approaches and illustrate their limitations.
Temporal concentration profiles, resulting from a short duration pulse of tracer, introduced into a laboratory channel will be collected and supplemented with additional data provided from a surcharged laboratory manhole and within a river system. All these data should be analysed to obtain, and report, parameters for two different modelling approaches, specifically a Gaussian routing (ADE) model and one other. The data analysis should be fully justified and also contain an investigation of the accuracy and sensitivity of both approaches.
The final part of the submission should propose a topic, or water engineering application, where further information is required to describe and quantify mixing processes. It should briefly describe a programme of work designed to deliver the required information.
Assessment
The three main assessment criteria are:
Literature Review/Background (20%) – this should provide basic background to modelling mixing processes and a summary of the methods of analysis that you employ;
Detailed presentation of the data (60%) – analysis of all the data sets, including the accuracy of the results, and a discussion of the sensitivity of predictions made from them, for the two modelling approaches selected;
Future Research (20%) – identify a problem, or an application, that would benefit from an improved understanding of mixing processes and suggest a research programme for obtaining the data.
The write-up, as a fully justified technical report, is worth 100% of the module mark. This should be structured to integrate a range of elements from the taught module. A hard copy of your report should be submitted, at the same time as an electronic copy on MOLE, by the latest:
09:00 hrs Monday 2nd December 2019
Meetings will be offered, during the Semester 1 assessment period, to provide an opportunity for individual feedback. Interviews may be held to confirm the recommended grade.
Format of the submission:
The technical report m
The report must employ the Harvard referencing system and you will need to consider how you use graphical information to maximum effect;
The report should have a title and a short abstract of no more than 150 words, which appear 1
ay be up to a maximum of eight A4 sides (minimum of 11
pt font,
20
mm margins, with page numbers in the footer and student number as header);
first and are included in the page limit;
As noted in the assessment criteria, it is important that you explain your results with respect to the hydraulic system and integrate your results with the existing literature. Hence, your report needs an introduction that incorporates a short, focused, critical and technical discussion of the relevant literature. Note that there is no need for a standalone, exhaustive literature review, instead, integrate this review into the narrative of the introduction;
The ability to employ robust data analysis methods should be clearly evident in the report, with sections covering all aspects of raw data analysis and including information on the accuracy and dependency of the results on any assumptions made;
You should include a section which illustrates and discusses the sensitivity of predictions made using the parameters that you have determined to both the methods chosen; a future work section should identify, and briefly describe, an area of future research need and you should finish with a short conclusion, where the implications of your work are described.
Data are provided on Blackboard (MOLE) Module pages.
Laboratory study (week 3)
Artificial vegetation: random 8 mm diameter cylinders in a 300 mm wide rectangular flume. Depth, discharge and bed slope to be recorded.
Sonnenwald, F., Stovin, V., and Guymer, I. (2018) “A stem spacing‐based non‐dimensional model for predicting longitudinal dispersion in low‐density emergent vegetation”, Acta Geophysica DOI:10.1007/s11600-018-0217-z
Manhole
Diameter = 800 mm; discharge = 2.0 x 10-3 m3/s; surcharge height = 0.030 m; monitoring locations at +/- 1.35 m from manhole centerline.
Guymer, I., Dennis, P., O’Brien, R. and Saiyudthong, C. (2005) “Diameter and Surcharge Effects on Solute Transport across Surcharged Manholes”, ASCE. J. of Hydraulic Engineering, 131(4), 312-321.
River Trent
(nr Stoke-on-Trent)
150 ml of Rhodamine WT injected @ 06:30 hrs on 15/June/2000. Measurements taken at 2.150 km and 8.500 km downstream of injection location.
Unpublished.
Important Note
Remember the assessment is an individual piece of work and normal University regulations apply with respect to late submission and plagiarism. Whilst you will be sharing data, there is a wide variety of analyses that can be applied and it is expected that you will create your own individual piece of work.
Ian Guymer 26th September 2019
2
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.