Environmental flows for the Yangtze Estuary based on salinity objectives

Environmental flows based on the salinity objectives for China’s Yangtze Estuary were quantified to assess the impacts of changing freshwater inflow on the estuarine ecosystem. The salinity objectives for three benthos habitats in the Yangtze Estuary were studied to determine their requirements during the most critical period of the year. The temporal variation in the natural monthly river discharge represented the temporal variation of the ecological objectives used to maintain natural flow regimes. A numerical model, coupled a hydrodynamic processes model with a salinity model and validated using field data of tidal height, current velocity, and salinity at different stations, was developed to simulate the spatial distribution of salinity as a function of the variation in freshwater inflows. The prediction results of the proposed model agreed well with the field data. Considering the salinity objectives for the different habitats, the environmental flow requirements for the Yangtze Estuary were determined. Annual environmental flows should be 9.63 × 10¹¹, 6.32 × 10¹¹, and 4.70 × 10¹¹ m³ for the high, medium, and minimum objectives, which are equivalent to 104%, 68%, and 50% of the annual river discharge, respectively. The periods from September to November should be considered as the critical seasons to maintain the minimum environmental flows in the Yangtze Estuary.     

Freshwater inflow requirements for the protection of the critical habitat and the drinking water sources in the Yangtze River Estuary,China

Freshwater inflow requirements (FIRs for short), which considered the requirements for protection of drinking water sources as well as the first-grade state protection wildlife (Acipenser sinensis) in larval periods, were analyzed in this paper for the Yangtze River Estuary, China. Based on the different levels of salinity objectives and the relationship between salinity and the freshwater inflows, the FIRs for the Yangtze River Estuary were determined. The estuary FIRs were determined based on the habitat ecosystem health from April to November with minimum and medium levels, from March to December with high level; and on the requirement of protection of drinking water sources in other months of the year, accordingly. Combined the salinity objectives of drinking water sources and critical habitat in the Yangtze River Estuary, the FIRs for the estuary are calculated to be 938.2 × 10⁹, 729.4 × 10⁹ and 615.5 × 10⁹ m³ in the whole year with different levels, which is equal to 100.8%, 78.4% and 66.2% of the average annual river discharge for the Yangtze River Estuary, respectively. Annual river discharges can satisfy the medium and minimum levels of FIRs for the estuary. However, the temporal variation of the actual runoff has distinct difference from the FIRs for the estuary in critical periods (May, July and August) for the habitat ecosystem, 5% of the FIRs for the estuary should be maintained from December to February for protection of drinking water sources.     

Numerical study of sediment transport in turbulent two-phase flows around an obstacle

This paper numerically investigates the transport of dissolved and particulate pollutants in turbulent channel flows. We present a predictive hydrodynamic model in order to explore the dispersion phenomenon of a pollutant injected at a free surface around an obstacle. The air/water interface was modeled using the volume of fluid method (VOF). Numerical results agree well with experimental data and the penetration of pollutant released at different inlet positions of the channel is studied. The Lagrangian tracking of individual particles was performed, and the transport and deposition of various particle size, density and velocity in the channel were analyzed. The standard k–ε turbulence model was chosen for this simulation.We found that large particles with a density of 1600 kg/m³, a velocity of 2 m/s and a diameter higher than 70 mm are deposited around the obstacle and near the end sill of the channel, while particles of very small size (lower than 5 mm) remain suspended in the flow and arrive at the outlet of the channel without any deposition rate. This factor must be taken into account during the discharge of effluents and pollutants in coastal water.     

Neural networks analysis of free laminar convection heat transfer in a partitioned enclosure

The feasibility of using neural networks (NNs) to predict the complete thermal and flow variables throughout a complicated domain, due to free convection, is demonstrated. Attention is focused on steady, laminar, two-dimensional, natural convective flow within a partitioned cavity. The objective is to use NN (trained on a database generated by a CFD analysis of the problem of a partitioned enclosure) to predict new cases; thus saving effort and computation time. Three types of NN are evaluated, namely General Regression NNs, Polynomial NNs, and a versatile design of Backpropagation neural networks. An important aspect of the study was optimizing network architecture in order to achieve best performance. For each of the three different NN architectures evaluated, parametric studies were performed to determine network parameters that best predict the flow variables.A CFD simulation software was used to generate a database that covered the range of Rayleigh number Ra = 10⁴–5 × 10⁶. The software was used to calculate the temperature, the pressure, and the horizontal and vertical components of flow speed. The results of the CFD were used for training and testing the neural networks (NN). The robustness of the trained NNs was tested by applying them to a “production” data set (1500 patterns for Ra = 8 × 10⁴ and 1500 patterns for Ra = 3 × 10⁶), which the networks have never been “seen” before. The results of applying the technique on the “production” data set show excellent prediction when the NNs are properly designed. The success of the NN in accurately predicting free convection in partitioned enclosures should help reduce analysis-time and effort. Neural networks could potentially help solve some cases in which CFD fails to solve because of numerical instability.     

GIS-based optimization for the locations of sewage treatment plants and sewage outfalls – A case study of Nansha District in Guangzhou City,China

Based on GIS technology, eco-suitability evaluation method integrating economic, social and ecological factors is employed to optimize the locations of the sewage treatment plants and outfalls in this paper. The ecological indices considering eco-sensitivity areas as key elements of the integrated evaluation system are allotted to the water subsystem, riparian zone subsystem, and land subsystem. A novel integrated eco-suitability evaluation index system encompassing ten criteria and fifteen indices is established to generate the distributed eco-suitability map of the concerned areas and determine the possible locations of sewage treatment plants and sewage outfalls according to the eco-suitability levels. With the case study of Nansha District in Guangzhou City, China, 212 km² areas of land are found to be suitable for locating the sewage treatment plants, 87 km² areas of water suitable for sewage release, and 6 km² area of riparian zone unsuitable for sewage outfalls.     

Computational modelling of fluid structure interaction at nano-scale boundaries with modified Maxwellian velocity distribution

The soft collisions among fluid–fluid and fluid-wall molecules are modeled from first principles. In particular, the assumption of Maxwellian distribution of velocities for thermalized molecules, in both parallel and perpendicular directions to the wall, has been re-evaluated with supporting experimental and/or numerical evidence.It is proposed that the normal component of molecular velocity post collision is conserved for all fluid molecules. The slip effect at the wall boundary, introduced by the surface roughness, is accounted by an accommodation coefficient f. A moving least square method is used to calculate macroscopic velocity values. The influence of molecular interaction on the macroscopic velocity distribution is investigated at 40 MPa and 300 K for slit pore, inclined and stepped wall configurations. The accommodation coefficient values f = 0, 0.07, 0.257, 0.45, 0.681 and 1; and acceleration values ranging from zero to 1 × 10¹¹ m/s² and 250 × 10¹¹ m/s² are used for comparison.The distribution of macroscopic velocity parallel to the wall is studied to observe the effect of the slip behaviour. The detailed study of average of velocity values at various magnitudes of acceleration has shown an evidence of characteristic low and high speed of molecular flows that is considered as significant and a comparison is sought with an equivalent laminar and turbulent flow style behaviour. The two dimensional vector and contour plots of macroscopic velocity provide further insights in understanding Continuum velocity distributions resulting from molecular fluid-wall interaction at nanoscale. The research has highlighted the need to develop molecular dynamics simulation techniques for non-periodic boundary conditions.     

Effects of CO2 concentration and moisture content of sugar-free media on the tissue-cultured plantlets in a large growth chamber

The dynamic fluctuations of CO₂ concentration in the tissue culture growth chamber after transplantation of petunia, chrysanthemum and tomato plantlets were recorded with a real-time control system to determine the critical CO₂ concentration levels of 35 μl l^?1 at which CO₂ enrichment is needed. The experimental data showed that the tissue-cultured plantlets of petunia, chrysanthemum and tomato had the same CO₂ concentration dynamics. The results indicated that CO₂ enrichment was proper on the second day after transplantation. Petunia plantlets were used to conduct experiments under PPFD of 80 μmol m^?2 s^?1, and CO₂ concentrations of 350 ± 50 μl l^?1, 650 ± 50 μl l^?1 and 950 ± 50 μl l^?1 as well as medium moisture contents of 60%, 70% and 80%, with the result that plantlets grew better under CO₂ concentration of 650 ± 50 μl l^?1 than under the other two concentrations with all the different media water contents. Three media water contents under the same CO₂ concentration produced plantlets with the same quality. The impacts of CO₂ concentrations on plantlets are more important than those of the media water contents. Sugar-free tissue culture, as compared with the conventional culture, showed that CO₂ enrichment to 350 ± 50 μl l^?1 can promote the growth of the cultured plantlets. Sugar-free tissue culture produced healthy plantlets with thick roots, almost equivalent to the common plantlets.     

Numerical simulation of magnetohydrodynamic buoyancy-induced flow in a non-isothermally heated square enclosure

Numerical simulation of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) buoyancy-induced heat transfer and fluid flow has been analyzed in a non-isothermally heated square enclosure using finite volume method. The bottom wall of enclosure were heated and cooled with a sinusoidal function and top wall was cooled isothermally. Vertical walls of the enclosure were adiabatic. Effects of Rayleigh number (Ra = 10⁴, 10⁵ and 10⁶), Hartman number (Ha = 0, 50 and 100) and amplitude of sinusoidal function (n = 0.25, 0.5 and 1) on temperature and flow fields were analyzed. It was observed that heat transfer was decreased with increasing Hartmann number and decreasing value of amplitude of sinusoidal function.     

Smoke flow phenomena and turbulence characteristics of tunnel fires

Gravity currents are similar in behavior with smoke flows. This work aims to provide evidence justifying the use of gravity current approach to model smoke flows downstream of the fire source. The turbulence solver available in almost all commercial CFD codes solves RANS for the flow field. To find out how well the nature of smoke flow be accurately modeled using RANS that is widely used for incompressible flows. The feasibility of using both Reynolds- and Favre-averaging schemes was numerically compared and examined in this paper. In this work, numerical simulations of a fire occurred in a 400-m longitudinally ventilated tunnel have been successfully performed using FDS version 4. Large eddy simulation is employed in this study. Although the ranges of fire size and ventilation velocity vary respectively from 0 MW to 100 MW and 0 m/s to 10 m/s, this paper focuses on the general flow and temperature fields and the turbulence characteristics. Furthermore, the turbulence kinetic energy levels of the flow in the tunnel at several locations were investigated. Since the flow field is generally induced by mechanical ventilation and combustion, the main contribution to the turbulence kinetic energy comes from its longitudinal, vertical, or their combination.     

Simulación numérica del flujo turbulento de aire con gotas dispersas de agua a través de separadores de torres de refrigeración

This work presents a numerical study on the turbulent flow of air with dispersed water droplets in separators of mechanical cooling towers. The averaged Navier-Stokes equations are discretised through a finite volume method, using the Fluent and Phoenics codes, and alternatively employing the turbulence models k ? ?, k ? ω and the Reynolds stress model, with low-Re version and wall enhanced treatment refinements. The results obtained are compared with numerical and experimental results taken from the literature. The degree of accuracy obtained with each of the considered models of turbulence is stated. The influence of considering whether or not the simulation of the turbulent dispersion of droplets is analyzed, as well as the effects of other relevant parameters on the collection efficiency and the coefficient of pressure drop. Focusing on four specific eliminators (‘Belgian wave’, ‘H1-V’, ‘L-shaped’ and ‘Zig-zag’), the following ranges of parameters are outlined: 1 ≤ U_e ≤ 5 m/s for the entrance velocity, 2 ≤ D_p ≤ 50 μm for the droplet diameter, 650 ≤ Re ≤ 8.500 for Reynolds number, and 0.05 ≤ P_i ≤ 5 for the inertial parameter. Results reached alternately with Fluent and Phoenics codes are compared. The best results correspond to the simulations performed with Fluent, using the SST k ? ω turbulence model, with values of the dimensionless scaled distance to wall y⁺ in the range 0.2 to 0.5. Finally, correlations are presented to predict the conditions for maximum collection efficiency (100 %), depending on the geometric parameter of removal efficiency of each of the separators, which is introduced in this work.     

Vacuum polarization in light two-electron atoms and ions

A general theory of the vacuum polarization in light atomic and muon-atomic systems is considered. We derive the closed analytical expression for the Uehling potential and evaluate corrections on vacuum polarization for the 1¹S-state of the two-electron ³He and ⁴He atoms and for some two-electron ions, including the Li⁺, Be²⁺, B³⁺ and C⁴⁺ ions. The correction for vacuum polarization in two-electron He atoms has been evaluated as ΔE_ueh ≈ 7.253 ± 0.0025 × 10⁻⁷ a.u. The analogous corrections in the two-electron He-like ions rapidly increase with the nuclear charge Q (ΔE_ueh ≈ 2.7061 × 10⁻⁶ a.u. for the Li⁺ ion and ΔE_ueh ≈ 2.3495 × 10⁻⁵ a.u. for the C⁴⁺ ion). The corresponding corrections have also been evaluated for the electron–nucleus and electron–electron interactions.     

Space–time symmetry violation,configuration mixing model and E-infinity theory

We have studied the time reversal symmetry violation on the bases of the configuration mixing model and E-infinity theory. With the use of the Cabibbo angle approximation, we have presented the transformation matrix in terms of the golden ratio (?), and shown that the time reversal symmetry violation is described by the configuration mixing of the unstable and stable manifolds (W^u, W^s). The magnitude of the mixing for the weak interaction field is given by the expression sin² θ_T(theor) ≈ sin⁴ θ_C(theor) ≈ (?)¹² = 3.105 × 10^?3, which is compared to the Kaon decay experiment ～2.3 × 10^?3. We have also discussed the space–time symmetry violation by using the CPT theorem.     

Unsteady magnetohydrodynamic Hartmann–Couette flow and heat transfer in a Darcian channel with Hall current,ionslip, viscous and Joule heating effects: Network numerical solutions

A theoretical study of unsteady magnetohydrodynamic viscous Hartmann–Couette laminar flow and heat transfer in a Darcian porous medium intercalated between parallel plates, under a constant pressure gradient is presented. Viscous dissipation, Joule heating, Hall current and ionslip current effects are included as is lateral mass flux at both plates. The dimensionless conservation equations for the primary (x¹-direction), secondary (z¹-direction) momentum and also energy conservation equation are derived and solved using a computational technique known as Network Simulation Methodology (NSM). Velocity distributions (u¹, w¹) and temperature distribution (T¹) at the channel centre (y¹ = 0) over time (t¹) are studied graphically for the effects of Darcy number (Da), Hartmann number (Ha), transpiration (N_t), Hall current parameter (Be), ionslip parameter (Bi), pressure gradient parameter (dP/dx¹) with Prandtl number prescribed at 7.0 (electrically conducting water), Eckert number held constant at 0.25 (heat convection from the plates to the fluid) and Reynolds number (Re) fixed at 5.0 (for Re < 10, Darcian model is generally valid). Increasing Darcy number causes an increase in temperature, T¹; values are however significantly reduced for the higher Hartmann number case (Ha = 10). For the case of low transpiration (i.e. N_t = 1 which corresponds to weak suction at the upper plate and weak injection at the lower plate), both primary velocity (u¹) and secondary velocity (w¹) are increased with a rise in Darcy number (owing to a simultaneous decrease in Darcian porous drag); temperature T¹ is also increased considerably with increasing Da. However, for stronger transpiration (N_t = 10), magnitudes of u¹, w¹ and T¹ are significantly reduced and also significant overshoots are detected prior to the establishment of steady state flow. With increasing Hall current parameter, Be, (for the purely fluid regime i.e. Da → ∞), primary velocity is considerably increased, whereas secondary velocity is reduced; temperatures are decreased in the early stages of flow but effectively increased in the steady state with increasing Be. With strong Darcian drag present (Da = 0.01 i.e. very low permeability), magnitudes of u¹, w¹ and T¹ are considerably reduced and temperatures are found to be reduced for all t¹, with increasing Hall current effect (Be). Increasing ionslip current parameter (Bi) increases primary velocity (u¹), decreases secondary velocity (w¹) and also temperature (T¹) for all time (t¹), in the infinite permeability case (Da → ∞). For weakly Darcian flow, ionslip parameter (Bi) has a much reduced effect on the velocity distributions. Temperature, T¹ is strongly increased with a rise in pressure gradient parameter, dP¹/dx¹, as is primary velocity (u¹); however, secondary velocity (w¹) is reduced. The present study has applications in hybrid magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) energy generators, materials processing, geophysical hydromagnetics, etc.     

On generalized Jordan 1-derivation in rings

Let n ⩾ 1 be a fixed integer and let R be an (n + 1)!-torsion free 1-ring with identity element e. If F, d:R → R are two additive mappings satisfying F(xⁿ⁺¹) = F(x)(x¹)ⁿ + xd(x)(x¹)ⁿ⁻¹ + x²d(x)(x¹)ⁿ⁻²+ ⋯ +xⁿd(x) for all x ∈ R, then d is a Jordan 1-derivation and F is a generalized Jordan 1-derivation on R.     

Commutativity and self-duality: Two tales of one equation

The mathematical expressions for the commutativity or self-duality of an increasing [0, 1]² → [0, 1] function F involve the transposition of its arguments. We unite both properties in a single functional equation. The solutions of this functional equation are discussed. Special attention goes to the geometrical construction of these solutions and their characterization in terms of contour lines. Furthermore, it is shown how ‘rotating’ the arguments of F allows to convert the results into properties for [0, 1]² → [0, 1] functions having monotone partial functions.     

Delayed transitions in non-linear replicator networks: About ghosts and hypercycles

In this paper we analyze delayed transition phenomena associated to extinction thresholds in a mean field model for hypercycles composed of three and four units, respectively. Hence, we extend a previous analysis carried out with the two-membered hypercycle [see Sardanyés J, Solé RV. Ghosts in the origins of life? Int J Bifurcation Chaos 2006;16(9), in press]. The models we analyze show that, after the tangent bifurcation, these hypercycles also leave a ghost in phase space. These ghosts, which actually conserve the dynamical properties of the coalesced coexistence fixed point, delay the flows before hypercycle extinction. In contrast with the two-component hypercycle, both ghosts show a plateau in the delay as ϕ → 0, thus displacing the power-law dependence to higher values of ϕ, in which the scaling law is now given by τ ∼ ϕ^β, with β = −1/3 (where τ is the delay and ϕ = ϵ − ϵ_c, the parametric distance above the extinction bifurcation point). These results suggest that the presence of the ghost is a general property of hypercycles. Such ghosts actually cause a memory effect which might increase hypercycle survival chances in fluctuating environments.     

Integrals,Quantum Galois Extensions,and the Affineness Criterion for Quantum Yetter–Drinfel'd Modules

In this paper we shall generalize the notion of an integral on a Hopf algebra introduced by Sweedler, by defining the more general concept of an integral of a threetuple (H, A, C), where H is a Hopf algebra coacting on an algebra A and acting on a coalgebra C. We prove that there exists a total integral γ: C → Hom(C, A) of (H, A, C) if and only if any representation of (H, A, C) is injective in a functorial way, as a corepresentation of C. In particular, the quantum integrals associated to Yetter–Drinfel'd modules are defined. Let now A be an H-bicomodule algebra, ^H$\text{Y}$$\text{D}$_A the category of quantum Yetter–Drinfel'd modules, and B = {a ∈ A|∑S^− 1(a_〈1〉)a_{〈 − 1〉} ⊗ a_〈0〉 = 1_H ⊗ a}, the subalgebra of coinvariants of the Verma structure A ∈ ^H$\text{Y}$$\text{D}$_A. We shall prove the following affineness criterion: if there exists γ: H → Hom(H, A) a total quantum integral and the canonical map β: A ⊗ _B A → H ⊗ A, β(a ⊗ _B b) = ∑S^− 1(b_〈1〉)b_{〈 − 1〉} ⊗ ab_〈0〉 is surjective (i.e., A/B is a quantum homogeneous space), then the induction functor – ⊗ _B A: $\text{M}$_B → ^H$\text{Y}$$\text{D}$_A is an equivalence of categories. The affineness criteria proven by Cline, Parshall, and Scott, and independently by Oberst (for affine algebraic groups schemes) and Schneider (in the noncommutative case), are recovered as special cases.     

Convergence of ecological footprint and emergy analysis as a sustainability indicator of countries: Peru as case study

In the last decade, two scientific tools have been extensively used worldwide to measure the human impact on nature: ecological footprint (EF) and emergy analysis (EA). Papers trying to combine the strong points of EF and EA, and obtain more accurate results have appeared in scientific literature, in which Zhao’s et al. (2005) [61] approach is an important one. Unfortunately, some weak points of the original methods still remain on the new approaches proposed. The aim of this present work is to discuss some weak points found in Zhao’s approach, trying to overcome them through a new approach called emergetic ecological footprint (EEF). The main difference between Zhao’s approach and EEF is that the last one accounted for the internal storage of capital natural in the biocapacity calculation. Besides that, soil loss and water for human consume were considered as additional categories in the footprint calculation. After discussing it through comparisons with other approaches, EEF was used to assess Peru as a case study, resulting in a biocapacity of 51.76 gha capita⁻¹ and a footprint of 12.23 gha capita⁻¹, with 2004 data; that resulted in an ecological surplus of 39.53 gha capita⁻¹. The load capacity factor obtained was 4.23, meaning that Peru can support a population 4.23 times bigger considering the life style of 2004. The main limitations of the EEF are: (i) it is impossible to make comparisons between the biocapacity and footprint for each category; (ii) a need for a handbook with emergy intensity factors with good quality. On the other hand, the main positive points are: (i) its easiness of application in global and national scales; (ii) its final indicators account for all the previous energy (or emergy) used to make something; (iii) internal natural capital storage was accounted for in the biocapacity calculation, which can be a valid step towards the evaluation and assess of services provided by nature.     

Basin-wide cooperative water resources allocation

The Cooperative Water Allocation Model (CWAM) is designed within a general mathematical programming framework for modeling equitable and efficient water allocation among competing users at the basin level and applied to a large-scale water allocation problem in the South Saskatchewan River Basin located in southern Alberta, Canada. This comprehensive model consists of two main steps: initial water rights allocation and subsequent water and net benefits reallocation. Two mathematical programming approaches, called the priority-based maximal multiperiod network flow (PMMNF) method and the lexicographic minimax water shortage ratios (LMWSR) technique, are developed for use in the first step. Cooperative game theoretic approaches are utilized to investigate how the net benefits can be fairly reallocated to achieve optimal economic reallocation of water resources in the second step. The application of this methodology to the South Saskatchewan River Basin shows that CWAM can be utilized as a tool for promoting the understanding and cooperation of water users to achieve maximum welfare in a river basin and minimize the potential damage caused by water shortages, through water rights allocation, and water and net benefit transfers among water users under a regulated water market or administrative allocation mechanism.