Brian D. Barkdoll

Using simulated emergent vegetation to alter stream flow direction within a straight experimental channel

River restoration programs often use vegetation to enhance the biological functionality, recreational opportunities, and aesthetic beauty of degraded stream corridors. Yet, none has used vegetation for the purpose of inducing a straight channel to meander. A flume-based study was designed to alter the flow pattern within a straight, degraded stream corridor by using simulated emergent vegetation of varying density placed at key locations within the channel. Placement of vegetation zones was determined using an empirical relation for equilibrium meander wavelength based on the imposed flow rate. Surface flow velocities were quantified using particle image velocimetry. The study showed that (i) flow velocity can be markedly reduced within and near the vegetation zones, (ii) flow can be diverted toward the opposite bank, and (iii) vegetation density controlled the magnitude of these effects.

Educating engineers in the sustainable futures model with a global perspective

The solutions to the worlds current and future problems require that engineers and scientists design and construct ecologically and socially just systems within the carrying capacity of nature without compromising future generations. In addition, as governments move towards policies that promote an international marketplace, educators need to prepare students to succeed in the global economy. Young people entering the workforce in the upcoming decades will also have the opportunity to play a critical role in the eradication of poverty and hunger and facilitation of sustainable development, appropriate technology, beneficial infrastructure, and promotion of change that is environmentally and socially just. Many universities espouse the idea that discipline integration is a prerequisite for successful implementation of sustainability in education. However, few engineering curriculum have taken the step to integrate concepts of sustainable development with an international experience. This paper discusses the educational and global drivers for curricular change in this important area and demonstrates how several undergraduate and graduate programmes initiated at Michigan Technological University can provide a more interdisciplinary basis for educating engineers on global concepts of sustainability. To date, these programmes have taken place in 21 countries and reached approximately 300 students (49% women) that represent 11 engineering disciplines and nine non-engineering disciplines.

Distributions of velocity, turbulence, and suspended sediment over low-relief antidunes

Understanding the interactions between sediment transport and turbulence in a supercritical flow is useful in the study of river hydraulics and fluvial systems and the modeling of such flows in nature. Toward this end, 11 profiles of suspended-sediment concentration and fluid velocity were collected in supercritical conditions over low-relief antidunes in a recirculating laboratory flume. It was found that velocity profiles agreed well with the law of the wall, and that turbulence intensities were similar to those in clear-water flows. The classic Rouse equation was found to under-predict concentration values in the upper 60-80% of the flow depth and a slightly modified version was proposed and successfully tested against experimental data from the present study and others.

Sensitivity analysis of municipal drinking water distribution system energy use to system properties

Municipal Drinking Water Distribution Systems (MDWDSs) consume a significant quantity of energy to transport water, thereby exacerbating greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change. The current study is a sensitivity analysis that uses a network solver to quantify energy savings due to the alteration of three system properties—system-wide water demand, storage tank parameters (maximum water level, diameter, elevation), and pumping stations (horsepower, number of boosters, and their locations) of seven diverse MDWDSs. It was found that a 50% reduction in water demand, main pump horsepower, and booster horsepower resulted in an average energy savings of 47, 41, and 9.5% respectively, for the seven systems analyzed. Other properties examined showed insignificant savings. Even though an individual system analysis is more conclusive, this sensitivity analysis can guide optimization studies to focus on the most sensitive properties.

HEURISTIC METHOD FOR THE BATTLE OF THE WATER NETWORK SENSORS: DEMAND-BASED APPROACH

There is interest in optimally locating water quality sensors in a water distribution system due to possible terrorist injections of a contaminant. This paper is part of a contest for the 8 th Water Distribution System Analysis Symposium entitled “Battle of the Water Sensor Networks” (BWSN), which asks contestants to propose sensor designs for two networks and two numbers of sensors. The method of sensor location selection described here is a demand-based approach in which sensors are located at the junctions with the highest demands. The rationale behind this method is that an injection of a contaminant will be advected by the flow, which goes toward the high-demand locations. Therefore, demand is a surrogate for contaminant concentration. In addition, the mass of contaminant released from the system is a function of demand. The 5-sensor and 20-sensor designs are presented in the paper. Designs were identical for all of the contamination scenarios contained in the contest, thereby demonstrating the simplicity and uniformity of the sensor location designs.

TWO-DIMENSIONAL DEPTH-AVERAGED MODELS FOR FLOW SIMULATION IN RIVER BENDS

In this study applicability of the two-dimensional depth-averaged models to river bend reaches is investigated. Three models: CCHE2D model developed at the National Center for Computational Hydroscience and Engineering, University of Mississippi; RMA-2 from the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers; and FESWMS-2DH from the U. S. Federal Highway Administration are selected for this study. The first reach is located in the Dommel River in Netherlands and the second reach is a part of the Fall River in Colorado. The study areas consist of two consecutive and opposite bends. The mesh consists of quadrilateral elements and the number of elements for all three models is the same. Identical boundary conditions for flow at the upstream end and water surface elevation at the downstream end are specified in each case for all three models. The Mannings coefficient in each case is also the same for all three models. The computed water surface elevations and velocity profiles across various sections specifically in the bends are compared with the measurements in the field.

ISSUES IN ENERGY CONSUMPTION BY MUNICIPAL DRINKING WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS

Energy consumption is a large cost for municipal water distribution system utilities. Approximately 80% of municipal water processing and distribution costs are for electricity. There are several components that contribute to the total cost of drinking water. In the US, 4% of the nation’s electricity use goes towards moving and treating water and wastewater. According to the EPA, drinking water and wastewater systems spend about

Multiobjective, Socioeconomic, Boundary-Emanating, Nearest Distance Algorithm for Stormwater Low-Impact BMP Selection and Placement

4 billion a year on energy to pump, treat, deliver, collect, and clean drinking water. If drinking water and wastewater systems reduce energy use by just 10 percent through cost-effective investments in energy efficiency, collectively they would save about

Suspended-Sediment Measurements in Laboratory Flumes using Acoustic Techniques

400 million and 5 billion kWh annually. The paper presented here will discuss the current issues in energy consumption, case studies of approaches to energy reduction, solution procedures for optimizing energy use, and the possible use of renewable energy to possibly reduce the life-cycle cost for municipal drinking water distribution system utilities. This paper will aid utility managers in making sustainable energy management decisions.

Incorporation of Air Emissions in Dredging Method Selection

AbstractStormwater low-impact development (LID) has become an important method for the reduction of stormwater runoff emanating from impervious surfaces to local water bodies. The extra runoff from human-made impervious surfaces overloads water bodies with polluted runoff. Since many LID best management practices (BMPs) exist, and many areas have multiple subcatchments, it is important to carefully select which BMPs to place in each subcatchment and its placement in order to minimize cost, but also to give the highest chance of owner BMP maintenance. LID BMPs are often constructed on private land and maintenance can be at the owner’s expense and, therefore, not guaranteed. A new algorithm, entitled multi-objective, socio-economic, boundary-emanating, nearest distance (MOSEBEND), that is easily used by practitioners is introduced and demonstrated here for a road in a community showing that the algorithm allows the selection of the set of BMPs on the various subcatchments with the lowest cost, highest runof...