After many years of slow but progressive development, the wave energy industry is on the cusp of breaking through the economic and technical barriers to full scale deployment of wave energy electrical generating devices. As the major obstacles in device design are solved, and with several devices in the water, the scope for increasing their efficiency through advanced control techniques is now becoming clearer. In some cases, it would be advantageous to integrate an advanced prediction of wave behaviour (of some tens of seconds into the future) into these control methods. Past research on wave prediction has focused on utilising the Fourier theorem to deconstruct wave records and then make predictions ahead in space, with published results indicating promise. However, predicting ahead in time has so far not been achieved. This thesis takes the Fourier theorem method of prediction to its logical conclusion by exploring its limitations in predicting over both time and space. A discussion as to why these limits should exist, and possible work into the solution of the wave prediction problem, are also presented. A review of current devices under development, and the history and emergence of the wave generating industry (which is a comparatively recent technology and still in its infancy), are also included as appendices to the main thesis in order to put the work into context.

In this thesis the static and fatigue characteristics of glass filament wound plastic pipes and joints are examined by experiments and numerical analysis. A hydraulic fatigue test rig, capable of exerting static or cyclic pressures of up to 70 MPa, was designed and built to enable pressure tests to be carried out on glass reinforced epoxy and glass reinforced vinyl ester composite pipes incorporating various joints. Static weepage and burst tests were performed on tubular specimens with and without rubber liners to determine their weepage and burst strengths under internal hydraulic pressure and to investigate the influence of the joints. Fatigue weepage tests were performed to determine the fatigue life and failure modes of glass fibre/epoxy and glass fibre/vinyl ester pipes and joints. For each material system, three types of specimen were tested. These were plain pipes, pipes with coupler-bonded joints (or laminate joints in the case of vinyl ester resin based pipes) and pipes with spigot/socket bonded joints. All specimens were commercial products with nominal diameters of two inches (50 mm). A family of curves showing pressure versus life was obtained. It was observed that weepage mostly occurred close to the pipe joints when pipes were subjected to internal pressure. Optical microscopy was used to investigate the damage initiation and propagation mechanisms in the specimens after testing. Finally, two-dimensional and three-dimensional finite element analyses were carried out to calculate the stress and strain distributions, to predict the strength, to interpret the experimental results and to examine the failure modes of the specimens. Ply-by-ply stress analysis and the Tsai-Wu failure criterion were employed for the strength prediction.

Accurately characterizing the distribution of hydraulic parameters is critical for any site investigation, particularly those dealing with solute or contaminant transport. Despite the fact that many tools are currently available for both characterizing (e.g. soil core analysis, slug and pumping tests, direct push techniques, etc.,) and modeling (e.g. geostatistical interpolators, construction of geological models, etc.,) heterogeneous aquifers, this still remains a challenge. In this thesis, hydraulic tomography (HT), a recently developed tool for characterizing and modeling heterogeneous aquifers is evaluated under both laboratory and field conditions. To date, both steady state hydraulic tomography (SSHT) and transient hydraulic tomography (THT) have been demonstrated at the laboratory scale, however, only SSHT has been rigorously validated through the prediction of independent tests (those not used for estimating the distribution of hydraulic parameters), and comparison to other characterization/modeling techniques. Additionally, laboratory and field validations of HT using comparisons other than the prediction of independent pumping tests (e.g. prediction of solute transport) are lacking. The laboratory studies performed in this thesis address some of these gaps by: i) rigorously validating THT through the prediction of independent pumping tests, and comparison to other characterization techniques; ii) using HT estimated parameter distributions to predict the migration of a conservative tracer in a heterogeneous sandbox aquifer; and, iii) predicting the flow of water to a well in a heterogeneous, unconfined, sandbox aquifer. For all three cases, HT was compared to more traditional characterization/modeling approaches, such as; the calculation of homogeneous effective parameters, kriging of point data, or the creation and calibration of a geological model. For each study the performance of HT was superior to the other characterization methods. These laboratory experiments demonstrated both the ability of HT to map aquifer heterogeneity, and the critical need for accurately understanding heterogeneity in order to make accurate predictions about a system. In this regard, HT is a powerful tool at the laboratory scale where the forcing functions (i.e., boundary conditions, flow rates, etc.,) are accurately known. While several field scale HT studies have been reported in the literature, none attempt to validate 3D THT through the prediction of independent pumping tests, or through comparison to known geology. The application of THT at the field scale presents unique challenges not faced in the laboratory setting. For example, boundary conditions are not accurately known and it is not possible to instrument a field site as densely as a sandbox aquifer. In the field studies conducted as part of this thesis, THT was validated by comparing estimated hydraulic parameter fields to known geology (borehole data) and simulating 9 pumping tests that were performed at the site. The THT analysis was able to capture the salient features of the aquifer (the presence of a double aquifer separated by an aquitard), and was able to reasonably reproduce most of the pumping tests. For comparison purposes, a homogeneous model and three additional heterogeneous models were created: i) permeameter estimates of hydraulic conductivity from soil cores were interpolated via kriging; ii) the transition probability/Markov Chain approach was used to interpret material classifications from borehole logs; and iii) a stratigraphic model was created and calibrated to pumping test data. Of these cases, THT and the calibrated stratigraphic model performed best, with THT performing slightly better. This work indicates that it is possible to interpret multiple pumping tests using hydraulic tomography to estimate the 3D distribution of hydraulic parameters in heterogeneous aquifer systems. Also, since hydraulic tomography does not require the collection and analysis of a large number of point samples, it is likely comparable in cost to other characterization/modeling approaches.

Artificial drainage networks established throughout peatlands during the peat extraction process often remain active following abandonment, maintaining a water table relatively far from the surface of the peat and hindering the survival and reestablishment of Sphagnum mosses. Since cutover peatlands are characterized by low (negative) soil water pressures, sufficient internal water storage and balanced water fluxes are critical for the physiological function of spontaneously regenerated Sphagnum mosses. The relative importance of water exchanges between spontaneously regenerated Sphagnum moss cushions and their surroundings are addressed through investigation of the sensitivity of moss moisture dynamics to a range of environmental variables. Precipitation waters are poorly retained within the cushions, which indicated that rain event water can only be relied upon by the mosses for a short period of time. An imbalance between water inputs and losses from moss cushions identified that additional (small) sources of water, such as dewfall and distillation, are potentially important for physiological processes under dry conditions, common in disturbed peatland ecosystems. As an initial restoration effort, rewetting of the peatland by blocking drainage ditches consequently reduced the runoff efficiency and caused the site-average water table to rise by 32 cm. Higher water tables and a blocked drainage network created conditions more favourable for Sphagnum survival through increasing the moisture content and soil-water pressures within the remnant peat deposit. The hydrologic connectivity between moss cushions and the remnant peat was strong when conditions were wet and the water table was within 30 cm of the surface of the cutover peat but weakened as conditions became drier, as reflected by weakened upward hydraulic gradients in the unsaturated zone below the moss cushions. Runoff variability increased following rewetting, and displayed a greater dependence upon antecedent conditions (capacity to retain additional water on-site) and event-based precipitation dynamics. Evapotranspiration rates were 25% higher following rewetting (3.6 mm day-1) compared to pre-restoration ET rates of 2.7 mm day-1. Total storage changes were restricted following rewetting, as a factor of the reduced runoff losses limiting water table drawdown, thereby constraining peat compression and preventing undue drying of the unsaturated zone. Changes to the system hydrology following rewetting of the peatland by blocking drainage ditches created conditions more favourable for Sphagnum survival through increasing the moisture content and soil-water pressures within the remnant peat deposit; although restoration efforts should aim to constrain water table fluctuations to within the upper 30 cm.

Numerical simulation method is used in this work to solve the problem of transient and pseudosteady-state flow of fluid in a rectangular reservoir with impermeable boundaries. Development and validation of the numerical solution for various well-fracture configurations are the main objectives of this research. The specific case of horizontal well intersected by multiple transverse fractures is the focus of the investigation. The solutions for different operating conditions, constant rate and constant pressure, are represented in the form of transient – peudosteady-state productivity indices. The numerical simulator is validated by comparing results to known analytical solution for radial flow, existing models of productivity for vertical well intersected by vertical fracture, and also with published tables of shape factors. Numerical simulation is a powerful tool to predict well performance. The complexities of well-fracture configurations can be modeled in a truly 3-dimensional system and the pressure and productivity responses for all of the flow regimes can be computed efficiently, enabling optimization of the well-fracture system.

The measurement of water in soil on a potential, gravimetric or volumetric basis is considered, with studies concentrating on the measurement of water by dielectric and neutron moderation methods. The ability of the time-domain reflectometry technique to measure water content simultaneously at different spatial locations is an important advantage of the technique. The reported apparent dielectric by the TRASE� time-domain reflectometer and Pyelab time-domain reflectometry systems is sensitive to change in extension cable length. In some soil, e.g. a commercial sand, the response to increasing extension length of extension cable is linear. For other soil a linear response occurs for certain lengths of cable at different moisture contents. A single model accounting for clay content, extension cable length, time-domain reflectometry system, probe type and inherent moisture conditions explained 62.2 % of variation from the control (0 m extension) cable. The extension cable causes a decrease in the returning electromagnetic-wave energy; leading to a decline in the slope used in automatic end-point determination. Calibration for each probe installation when the soil is saturated, and at small water contents is recommended. The ability of time-domain reflectometry, frequency-domain and neutron moderation techniques in measuring soil water content in a Brown Chromosol is examined. An in situ calibration, across a limited range of water contents, for the neutron moderation method is more sensitive to changing soil water content than the factory supplied 'universal' calibration. Comparison of the EnviroSCAN� frequency-domain system and the NMM count ratio indicates the frequency-domain technique is more sensitive to change in soil water conditions. The EnviroSCAN� system is well suited to continuous profile-based measurement of soil water content. Results with the time-domain reflectometry technique were disappointing, indicating the limited applicability of time-domain reflectometry in profile based soil water content measurement in heavy-textured soil, or soil with a large electrical conductivity. The method of auguring to a known depth and placement of the time-domain reflectometry probe into undisturbed soil is not recommended. A time-domain reflectometry system is adapted for in situ measurement of water in an iron ore stockpile. The laboratory calibration for water content of the processed iron ore compares favourably to a field calibration. In the field study, the 28 m extension cable used to connect the probes to the time-domain reflectometry affected the end-point determination of the time-domain reflectometry system. To account for this, 0.197 should be subtracted from the reported apparent dielectric before calculation of volumetric moisture content.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--McMaster University (Canada), 1991. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-01, Section: B, page: 0170. Supervisor: Gerard V. Middleton.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Tulsa, 1984. / Bibliography: leaves 73-75.

Thesis (M.E.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Civil Engineering, 1974.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2008. / Title from title screen (site viewed Sept. 18, 2008). PDF text: ix, 228 p. : ill. (some col.) , maps (some col.) ; 4 Mb. UMI publication number: AAT 3297902. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche formats.