A.M. Talmon

A chemically reactive plume model for the NONO2O3 system

Abstract A chemically reactive plume model (CRPM) is developed incorporating macro- and micro-mixing. Macromixing processes account for the variation of the mean concentrations while micromixing processes affect the deviations from these mean values. Four chemical reactions of the NOxO3 cycle are used in the CRPM to determine the conversion of nitric oxide (NO) to nitrogen dioxide (NO2). The inert chemical species NOx = NO + NO2 is modelled by a Gaussain plume model. Macromixing of the chemically reactive species is taken into account by dividing the Gaussian plume into N concentric elliptical rings. Exchange between the rings and entrainment of ambient air through the outermost ring are allowed. A combined approach of empirical expressions and the formulation of concentration fluctuations for inert pollutants is used in modelling micromixing effects. The micromixing term NO′NO′ increases the conversion of NO to NO2 while NO′O′ 3 decreases it, both relative to the rates calculated on the basis of mean concentrations. However, NO′O′ 3 is expected to have more influence in the long term than NO′NO t . Flight measurements were used to evaluate the model performance for different emissions and meteorological conditions. For neutral and stable conditions the results of the CRPM are in close agreement with these measurements. The computations show the importance of the micromixing terms and the necessity of their incorporation into this type of model.

3D CFD simulations of trailing suction hopper dredger plume mixing: Comparison with field measurements

A 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is used to simulate mixing of an overflow plume within 400 m from a trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD). The simulations are compared with new field measurements. It is the first time simulations of overflow dredging plumes are compared in such detail to field measurements this close to a TSHD. Seven cases with a large variety in overflow flux and plume characteristics are used. Measured maximum suspended sediment concentrations (SSC) vary between 30 and 500 mg/l and fluxes vary between 0.7% and 20% of the total overflow flux; the CFD model has, subject to the limitations of the field data, been shown to reproduce this in a satisfactory way. The model gives better understanding of important near field processes, which helps to assess the frequency, duration and intensity of stresses like turbidity and sedimentation needed to find the environmental impact of dredging projects.

3D CFD simulations of trailing suction hopper dredger plume mixing: a parameter study of near-field conditions influencing the suspended sediment source flux.

Frequency, duration and intensity of stresses like turbidity and sedimentation caused by dredging must be known to determine the environmental impact of dredging projects. These stresses depend on the amount of sediment spill from a dredger and on how much of this spill still is in suspension near environmentally sensitive areas. Near-field mixing close to a dredger influences the deposition behaviour of the sediment spill. This is investigated systematically with computational fluid dynamics simulations for 136 different conditions of trailing suction hopper dredger overflow sediment plume mixing. Most important influences are found for the ambient depth and the crossflow velocity (vector sum of the dredging speed and the ambient velocity), which can result in a completely different suspended sediment source flux behind the dredger. The simulation results are translated into mathematical relations to predict the suspended sediment source flux without computational effort.

Bed-load transport in obliquely dune-covered riverbeds

In rivers, dune crest patterns are not always perpendicular to the main flow direction, because deviations up to around 20° have been observed. These can affect the direction of sediment transport, but the available predictors for models do not account for this effect. Therefore, laboratory tests on sediment transport over artificial dunes oblique to the flow direction were conducted. The largest effect is due to helical flow at the lee side of a dune and from flow near the reattachment point. These three-dimensional features are lumped into a preliminary predictor to account for the direction of bed-load in models for two-dimensional river morphology with depth-averaged flow. To include dynamic bed-form orientation, an additional model for bed-form orientation is proposed. These concepts require further validation with mobile-bed observations and subsequent tests with numerical simulations.

Hydraulic Transport of Sand/Shell Mixtures

When considering pumping shells through a pipeline we have to consider that the shells are not spherical, but more discs shaped. When shells settle they will settle like leaves where the biggest cross section is exposed to the drag. But when they settle, they will settle in the same orientation, flat on the sediment, so the sides of the shells are exposed to the horizontal flow in the pipeline. Since the side cross section is much smaller than the horizontal cross section, a much higher velocity is required to make them erode and go back into suspension. The settling velocity is much smaller because of the large area of the cross section. Even when the slurry velocity exceeds the settling velocity, there will always be some shells that will reach the bottom of the pipe due to the combination of settling velocity and turbulence. Once these shells are on top of the sediment they are hard to remove by erosion, because they lay flat on the surface and have a small cross section that is exposed to the flow compared with the weight of the shell. So although their settling velocity is much lower than equivalent sand particles, the erosion velocity is much higher. If we look at the beach in an area with many shells, we can always see the shells on top of the sand, covering the sand. In fact the shells are shielding the sand from erosion, because they are hard to erode. The bigger shells will also shield the smaller pieces, because the smaller pieces settle faster. Compare this with leaves falling from a tree, the bigger leaves, although heavier, will fall slower, because they are exposed to higher drag. The same process will happen in the pipeline. Shells settle slower than sand grains, so they will be on top of the bed (if there is a bed), just like on the beach. Since they are hard to erode, in fact they protect the bed from being eroded, even if the line speed is increased. The combination of high erosion velocity and the shell ‘protecting’ the bed means that even a small amount of shells can lead to relatively thick bed in the pipeline. But there will always be velocities above the bed that will make the shells erode. The paper describes the settling and erosion process of shells and the consequences of this on the critical velocity when pumping a sand/shell mixture through a pipeline. A mathematical model of the processes involved will be presented.Copyright

Laboratory tests on self-excitation of concentration fluctuations in slurry pipelines

High concentration solid–liquid mixtures that are conveyed by pipeline have been found to develop large amplitude concentration fluctuations.Aclosedloop laboratory circuit is used to investigate the mechanism of self-excitation. According to linear stability theory these concentration fluctuations originate from an adverse relation between the settling flux and solids concentration. Concentration variations amplify due to solids exchange with a bed layer. The internal structure of the flow is investigated by means of concentration profile measurements. The measurements show that self-excited harmonic perturbations quickly deform into sawtooth shape concentration variations. An explanatory non-linear theory is given.

Test Set-Up for Irregular Vertical Hydraulic Transport in Deep Ocean Mining

The mining of scarce minerals from the sea-floor at the depths of several kilometers and bringing them to a processing plant at the ocean surface requires new techniques. Seafloor Massive Sulphide (SMS) deposits are known to have an extremely rich mineral content, and are considered technically-economically-environmentally feasible to explore. Vertical hydraulic transport is the link between the sea-floor mining and the maritime vessel where the first processing stage will take place. Clogging of any part of the vertical transport system is an absolute disaster. Fine particles are conveyed faster than coarse particles. High concentrations of fines cannot bypass high concentrations of coarse particles, hence these particle fractions accumulate, potentially blocking the pipe. Fundamental research into yet unexplored physics is necessary. Besides numerical flow simulations, it is necessary to conducted experiments on the transport over large vertical distances. Such tests aim to investigate the dynamic development of density waves consisting of different particle diameters and clogging phenomenon thereof. Different particle size fractions have to be followed in real time as they overtake each other, and change their shape, merge and segregate. It is however impossible to back-scale the prototype riser to a one-pass laboratory test set-up, but the process can be simulated by repeated flow through an asymmetric vertical pipe loop, where slurry flow in the upward leg represent vertical hoist conditions and the slurry is returned quickly via the downward leg. The particle accumulation process is allowed to take place in the upward leg whereas in the downward leg the restoring process is nearly neutralized. The development of accumulations in time (= distance traveled to the ocean surface) can be followed upon multiple passes of the solids batches through the upward leg. The novelty of the described testing method is that the essentials of fundamental processes occurring in long vertical stretches are quantified in a specially designed laboratory setup. Via subsequent implementation of the results in a numerical flow simulation, reliable transport scenarios can be delineated.Copyright