A Área Portuária do Maranhão, situada na costa ocidental da Ilha de São Luís, na Baía de São Marcos, constitui-se no segundo maior complexo portuário da América Latina e um dos maiores do mundo em termos de movimentação de carga. Esta área portuária abrange o Complexo Portuário de Ponta da Madeira, da CVRD - Companhia Vale do Rio Doce S. A., o Porto de Itaqui, da EMAP - Empresa Maranhense de Administração Portuária e o Porto da ALUMAR, da Alcoa, Alcan, BHPBilliton e Abalco. A caracterização da hidrosedimentologia do Canal de Acesso do Complexo Portuário do Maranhão foi conduzida a partir da compilação e análise dos dados de correntes existentes e da aplicação de modelagem computacional. A caracterização das conformações de fundo foi efetuada a partir da análise de mais de 20 anos de sondagens batimétricas nas áreas de interesse do Canal de Acesso. Com a caracterização da área pretende-se fornecer subsídios à Engenharia Portuária, possibilitando o planejamento de sondagens batimétricas e dragagens de manutenção do Canal. Este trabalho também contempla uma metodologia para fornecimento de previsão de campos de corrente, a partir dos resultados das simulações hidrodinâmicas, e o fornecimento de previsão da evolução e migração das conformações de fundo. A evolução das isóbatas na Área IV mostra que as formações de ondas de areia não evidenciam significativa mudança de posição com o tempo. Em compensação, a Área I, apresenta conformações de fundo com irregularidade da forma de onda, evidenciando que existe uma maior migração destas. O modelo de transporte de sedimentos indicou pequeno transporte resultante nas Áreas IV, III e II, que explica a reduzida migração dessas ondas quando comparadas com a Área I. A determinação das ondas críticas para cada Área constitui-se instrumento na operação portuária, permitindo redução da área hidrografada para definir a tomada de decisão quanto à nova dragagem. / The Maranhão Harbour Area is the second biggest harbour Complex of Latin America and one of biggest of the world in cargo handling is located at the western coast of São Luís Island in São Marcos Bay, this harbour area is composed by the Complex of Ponta da Madeira of CVRD - Companhia Vale do Rio Doce S. A., the Itaqui Harbour, of EMAP - Empresa Maranhense de Administração Portuária and the Alumar Harbour, of Alcoa, Alcan, BHPBilliton and Abalco. The hydrossedimentological characterization of the Access Channel of Maranhão Harbour Area was achieved from current data review and analysis for numerical modeling application. The bottom sand waves description was made from more than 20 years bathymetrical surveys in the interest Areas of the Access Channel. The purpose of this characterization was to improve Harbour Engineering activities, the planning and scheduling of depth surveys campaigns and dredging maintenance. This thesis also provides an approach to get current patterns predictions from the results of the hydrodynamical simulation, and for the prediction of the evolution and the migration of sand waves. The Area IV bottom evolution shows that the sand waves have not significative temporal position shifting. Otherwise, in Area I bed forms have more irregular pattern, showing major wave migration. The sediment transport model pointed to a small sediment transport rate in Area IV, III and II, explaining the smaller migration pattern of these waves when compared with Area I. The critical wave definition in each Area can be an harbour operation tool, reducing the surveyed area needed to take a new dredging maintenance decision.

\"Chovia desde o dia 16, aumentando a intensidade das chuvas a partir das 18 horas do dia 17. As primeiras barreiras começaram a ceder nas primeiras horas da manhã do dia 18 e, às 13 horas, mobilizou-se a totalidade da avalanche\" - (CRUZ, 1974). A descrição do cenário catastrófico no Município de Caraguatatuba, no mês de Março de 1967, que resultou em um dos maiores desastres naturais ocorridos no Brasil (*), fomenta a discussão sobre as probabilidades de ocorrência de eventos pluviométricos e/ou elevações do nível do mar nas Zonas Costeiras. Diante dessa realidade, surgiu essa Dissertação, que abordou aspectos hidrológicos, hidráulicos marítimos e, estatísticos, baseados em dados pretéritos de pluviômetros e marégrafos da região do Litoral Norte do Estado de São Paulo. Foram obtidos resultados práticos para futuros projetos de macro-drenagem, obras fluviais e marítimas, que associam a probabilidade de ocorrência conjugada de determinadas chuvas, com correspondentes elevações dos níveis de maré. Também foram realizados estudos da evolução desses eventos conjugados, ao longo de sessenta anos. - (*) De acordo com informações de Cruz (1974), 436 mortes foram registradas oficialmente, 400 casas destruídas, 3.000 desabrigados numa população total de 15.000 habitantes. Foram formados depósitos de 4 m a 5 m de altura no Rio Santo Antônio com blocos entre 30 t e 100 t. / \"It was raining since March 16th, increasing the intensity of the rainfall at 6:00 pm on March 17th. The first slopes started to sag in the first hours of March 18th, at 1:00 pm, occurred all the debris-flow\" - (translated from CRUZ, 1974). The catastrophic scenario of the city of Caraguatatuba, in March of 1967, previously described, resulted from one of the most serious natural disasters in Brazil. It fosters discussions about probabilities of rainfall events and /or rise in the sea level in coastal areas. Hence, this research is a consequence of this reality, which approached hydrological, hydraulic and statistical areas, based on past data of rainfall stations and tidal stations in the region of the North Coastal Zone of the State of São Paulo (Brazil). Practical results were used for future designs of macro- drainage, fluvial and maritime projects, that associate the probability of occurrence of certain types of rainfall coupled with their corresponding increase in tidal levels. There were also evaluated studies of the evolution of these events combined over sixty years.

This thesis reports on research from a full-scale demonstration project to recharge a depleted aquifer with treated sewage effluent from the Paphos (Cyprus) wastewater treatment plant. The project artificially recharged the Ezousas river basin, located in the south-western coastal plain of Cyprus, with tertiary treated, disinfected effluent through a network of artificial infiltration ponds. The aims of the research were to determine the capacity of the aquifer to provide a suitable buffer for the flow from the wastewater without flooding and to measure the changes in reclaimed water quality. The aquifer hydraulics and treatment capacity, including recharge basins, were analysed using field and laboratory measurements. A geological field survey and modelling was used to assess, both by practice and theory the effectiveness of the Ezousas river aquifer for storage and recovery of the reclaimed water. The aquifer was found to be mainly composed of alluvium with typical hydraulic characteristics. The average porosity was 20% and hydraulic conductivity around 90 m/day, it was concluded the aquifer would be able to accept all the annual output of the treatment plant which was 5 Mm3 /a. The recharge network consisted of five groups of infiltration basins arranged on both banks of the River Ezousas about 2km upstream of the wastewater treatment plant. Each infiltration basin contained two, four or six recharge ponds, each basin was 2,000m2 in area with a depth of 1.5 m. A recharge pattern consisting of alternating weeks of wet-fill and drying cycles was found necessary to maintain the unsaturated zone below the ponds in order to maximise the amount of water that could be recharged whilst optimising water quality. The hydraulic impact of the artificial recharge and extraction from the field measurements of borehole water levels indicated recharged water down to 15m below the surface. Tracer tests on the groundwater flow, capture zone, residence times and mass balances of recharged and native waters gave widely varying residence times between 30 days and 5 years, these were attributed to the complex flow patterns found. Recharged water was sampled using a series of extraction wells located along the downstream river basin, starting at the infiltration ponds and then at stages downstream. Eight production and monitoring wells were tested including control samples up-gradient (upstream) from the ponds, to about 7km down-gradient (downstream). Water quality was analyzed for the standard wastewater constituents including indicator organisms, organic matter, nutrients N and P and the metals. It was one of the recommendations of the thesis however that attention also be paid to the persistent organics, including the pesticides, biocides, plasticizers and pharma residues. The chemical data was used to build and validate a solute transport model of the ponds and surrounding area to predict the transport and fate of priority contaminants. In this way, the geo-chemical potential for the retardation, attenuation and chemical or biochemical degradation processes taking place in the unsaturated and saturated zone were assessed. From the results it was concluded that for most analytes, which included metals, nitrate and common salts, the main processes were mixing and dilution by the native ground water. The extracted water was then a mix of waters according to the different residence times and flow of natural groundwater, giving a stable water quality for irrigation. A third reaction involving cation exchange with the local geology was however identified which reduced the concentrations of copper and phosphate beyond what was expected from just mixing. It was also concluded that denitrification did not occur because of a combination of the high quality of the effluent, the operational cycling of the ponds and the high porosity of the vadose zone. Previous work has found denitrification if the recycled water still contains organic matter, further work was recommended to determine the critical organic concentrations. The renovated water from the Ezousas wastewater reuse Project was able to meet the health and agronomic requirements for unrestricted irrigation. The risk of flooding with sewage effluent resulting from hydraulic mounding was also investigated to define the growth and decay of the mound. It was possible to report that after more than fifteen years of operation and a total infiltration of 40Mm3, there have been no signs of reduced hydraulic capacity or water quality.

Anticipating how stream water quality will respond to change, such as increased pollution or water diversions, requires knowledge of the main mechanisms controlling water and chemical constituent movement and a reasonable representation of those mechanisms. By deriving mathematical models to represent a stream system and collecting supporting field-based measurements, water quality response can be predicted. However, because each stream is unique and the movement of water and constituents is spatially and temporally complex, assessing whether the stream is appropriately represented and whether predictions are trustworthy is still a challenge within the scientific and management communities. Building on decades of stream research, this dissertation provides a step towards better representing some of the complexities found within streams and rivers to better predict water quality responses over long stream distances. First, a method is presented to assess which mechanisms are considered most important in chemical constituent predictions. Next, the number of measurements necessary to represent the general complexities of water, mass, and heat movement in streams was determined. The advancements developed in this dissertation provide a foundation to more efficiently and accurately inform water resource management.

The Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) is a diverse and dynamic ecosystem that includes the main stem river channel, side channels, backwater floodplains and lakes, islands, wetlands, grasslands, and floodplain forests. The hydrology of this rich ecosystem is one of the key drivers for physical, chemical and biological processes. However, the hydrology and hydraulics of the UMRS has been drastically altered from its natural state as a result of the construction of the locks and dams in the 1930s. Beginning with the Water Resources Development Act of 1986, biologists, ecologists, and engineers have been working to restore the river to a more natural state within the current constraints imposed by the lock and dam system. In an effort to restore rivers to a more natural state, the determination of a hydraulic reference condition is essential to understanding the "why and how" of historical river system function. Understanding the fundamental processes of historical conditions will help prioritize resources and better quantify possible outcomes for riverine restoration. The main goal of this study was to construct a hydrodynamic reference condition for Pool 8 of the Upper Mississippi River System using hydrodynamic computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modeling. The CFD model will provide a better understanding of pre-impoundment flow conditions as compared to post-impoundment conditions today. The numerical model was constructed and developed primarily from a pre-impoundment 1890s topographic map with bathymetric cross-sections in the channels. The 1890s map and other sources from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers provided historic elevation and hydraulic reference data for model calibration. The calibrated historic model was then compared with a current model of similar scale representing post-impoundment conditions, allowing for quantitative analysis of the differences between the two conditions. Model results indicated large changes in average depth and average velocity between historic and current conditions in certain parts of the pool, while others remained relatively unchanged. For example, velocities decreased in main channel aquatic areas in the lower part of Pool 8 from an average of 0.6 m/s (2.0 ft/s) under historic conditions to 0.1 m/s (0.3 ft/s) under current conditions. In the same part of the pool, however, velocities in contiguous backwater areas remained relatively constant, with most remaining less than 0.25 m/s (0.82 ft/s). Additionally, in the lower part of the pool, discharge distribution between the floodplain areas and the main channel was historically much more dynamic, with flow concentrated in the main and secondary channels at discharges less than 2265 m3/s and in the floodplains at greater than 2265 m3/s. Under current conditions, discharge distribution is much less dynamic, with approximately 2/3 of the total discharge conveyed on the floodplain for all discharges modeled (283 m3/s to 2832 m3/s or 10,000 ft3/s to 100,000 ft3/s).

No description available.

Waste Stabilisation Ponds (WSPs) are a relatively simplistic and non-intensive wastewater treatment technology; with various WSP configurations widely employed to treat a range of different wastewaters the world over. Whilst the advantages of WSP treatment are both numerous and well recognized, performance problems relating to the presence of occasionally large and unpredictable quantities of plankton (both algal and zooplankton) biomass in the final pond effluents have posed significant operational problems for WSP operators; with this suspended biomass representing the single biggest drawback associated with the technology. Research conducted during this project was concerned with assessing a selection of so-called ‘advanced’ in-pond treatment processes for the upgrading or polishing of a final WSP effluent. The particular research emphasis was on the removal of problematic algal and zooplankton biomass from WSP effluent prior to Dissolved Air Flotation/Filtration (DAF/F) treatment and wastewater reuse at the Bolivar Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) north of Adelaide. The in situ WSP upgrade systems assessed in this thesis were: the native floating plant ‘Duckweed’ (DW); ‘Rock Filters’ (RFs); and an artificial ‘Attached-Growth Media’ (AGM); all of which were assessed for their relative treatment efficacies parallel to a non-interventional ‘Open Pond’ (OP) system which served as an effective control. These performance comparisons were assessed on a pilot-scale using a custom made pilot treatment plant which was located at the Bolivar WWTP. Performance monitoring was periodically carried out over a 12 month period from July 2005–August 2006, with algal and zooplankton populations monitored in addition to the more conventional wastewater quality parameters. Results from pilot plant investigations demonstrated that of the four pilot upgrade series, the RF and AGM systems displayed the greatest treatment potential in terms of both the magnitude and reliability of suspended solids, algal and zooplankton biomass removals. The DW system was also shown to be at least as effective and in some instances significantly more advanced than the uncovered OP system in terms of its ability to significantly improve the final effluent quality of the Bolivar WSPs. Both the RF and AGM upgrades (and to a lesser degree also the DW system) were found to offer considerable potential for producing a higher quality WSP effluent for more efficient processing by the Bolivar DAF/F plant; although there were various operational advantages and disadvantages as well as varying capital establishment costs associated with each of the candidate technologies. This part of the research represented the first direct performance comparison between two popular pond upgrade technologies (i.e. RFs and DW) and also constituted the first assessment of a novel AGM for the upgrading of tertiary-level WSP effluent. In addition to this, results from ecological performance monitoring also provided the first detailed insights into algal and zooplankton population dynamics within these WSP upgrade environments. In addition to these pilot-scale WSP upgrade performance investigations, another branch of the research project investigated additional research questions regarding the survival of algal cells within these pond upgrade environments. A series of laboratory experiments attempted to recreate the in situ conditions (in terms of light and oxygen availability) that might exist within the adopted upgrade environments. Using two common WSP algal species, long-term monitoring of the physiological status of phytoplankton cells during prolonged dark-exposure under conditions of reduced oxygen availability was performed in order to assess the likely effects of these particular environmental conditions on their survival potential in situ. Results from these laboratory-based experiments showed that both algal species were capable of quickly adjusting their cellular metabolism in response to dark incubation. Results also showed that a reduced environmental oxygen concentration (25% of saturation) had no bearing on the ability of either Chlorella or Chlamydomonas species to withstand long-term dark-exposure; with both species retaining what was essentially full biological viability following up to two months of continuous dark-exposure. In an applied context, these results suggested that subjecting algal cells to conditions of simultaneous darkness and reduced oxygen availability would be expected to have no significant adverse effects on algal survivorship within an advanced in-pond upgrade system such as a duckweed-covered WSP, a rock filter or an AGM system.

<p>Denna rapport sammanställer vattenhydraulikens möjligheter samt fördelar och nackdelar vid konvertering av befintliga hydraulsystem, eller nya anpassade system inom vattenkraften. Dessutom ska en jämförelse mellan miljöpåverkan av olja jämfört med vatten som behandlats för att passa i olika hydraulsystem redovisas. En stor fråga är om vattenhydrauliken har samma hållbarhet som oljehydrauliken och ifall man får accelererad nötning ifall man konverterar ett befintligt system från oljehydraulik till vattenhydraulik.</p><p>Vattenhydraulik i vattenkraft används redan till luckservon. För ledkransservo ställs högre krav på driftsäkerhet men vatten bör kunna användas där med. Pitchkontroll för kaplannav är under utveckling, det som saknas just nu är sviveln som sitter längst upp på turbinaxeln. Om man ska konvertera ett nav behöver man också byta ventilerna som sitter i navet för att få tillförlitlighet.</p><p>För att kunna konvertera ett oljehydrauliksystem till vattenhydraulik behöver man byta vissa komponenter: ventiler, filter och pumpar då dessa behöver vara anpassade för att kunna få en anständig livslängd. Livslängden är garanterad till 8000-10000h för ett nyinstallerat vattenhydrauliksystem, detta är med avseende på pumpen som normalt sett är den detalj med kortast livslängd i systemet. Jämfört med oljehydraulik så är detta i stort sett samma livslängd, vilket har varit målet för leverantören Danfoss utveckling av vattenhydraulik.</p><p>Ett vattenhydrauliksystem med rent vatten som hydraulmedium påverkar miljön minimalt om ett läckage sker, ett system med monopropylenglykol i vattnet ger väldigt liten påverkan då detta oftast är nedbrutet efter 24h i naturen enligt Dowcal som producerar glykolen. Monopropylenglykol är dessutom giftfri samt har inga påvisade fall av allergi, vilket gör arbetsmiljön och hanteringskostnader betydligt lägre än för hydraulolja. Olja behöver förhöjd temperatur i jord för en acceptabel nedbrytning, och även då tar det förhållandevis lång tid.</p><p>Livslängden på glidbussningar förekommande i Älvkarleby luckcylindrar har utretts genom en laboration där friktion och nötning studerats med hydraulolja respektive monopropylenglykol med vatten (50/50). Kontakten var glidande rulle mot plan. Dessa tester visar att nötningen är desamma för kompositmaterial mot kromat stål, som testats i de båda medierna. Friktionsvärdet var lägre när man hade monopropylenglykol med vatten som smörjmedel.</p><p>I fallet med brons mot kromat stål var resultatet detsamma, monopropylenglykol med vatten gav lägre friktionsvärde och återigen gavs samma slitage vid jämförelse av provbitarna som gått i hydraulolja respektive monopropylenglykol med vatten.</p><p>Slutsatsen är att vattenhydraulik är ett bra alternativ till oljehydraulik, men ingående kunskap om hydraulikens systemkomponenter vid vätskekonvertering är nödvändig. Till exempel om materialen i systemet lämpar sig för konvertering eller behöver bytas ut.</p> / <p>This report puts together the possibilities of water hydraulics. It also compare pros and cons of new adapted systems or when converting existing oil hydraulic systems to water hydraulics. A small comparison of environmental effects from oil and water treated for use in hydraulic systems will be made.</p><p>A large question concerning water hydraulics is if it has the same durability as oil hydraulics. Another is if you get accelerated wear when you convert an oil hydraulic system to water hydraulics. For hydropower, Water hydraulics is already used for sluice gates. For the operating ring you need very high reliability but water hydraulics should be suiting for this application as well. Pitchcontrol for kaplanrunners is under development, at the moment the swivel on top of the turbineshaft is missing. If you want to convert a kaplanrunner you will also need to change the valves in the hub to get a good reliability.</p><p>To be able to convert an oil hydraulic system you need to change some components: valves, filters and pumps, these needs to be adapted for water to have a reasonable lifetime. The lifetime is guaranteed to be 8000-10000h for a recently installed water hydraulics system. This is regarding to the pump, which is the part of both water- and oil- hydraulics with the shortest lifetime. If you compare water- with oil- hydraulics they have about the same lifetime. That has always been the goal for the supplier Danfoss development of water hydraulics.</p><p>A water hydraulic system with pure tap water as pressure media will not affect the environment at all. Systems with monopropylen glycol and water as media will have only a small environmental influence. Monopropylen glycol that has leaked out will be broken down in 24h if it is taken care of in a cleaning plant. In the nature it will take slightly longer according to dowcal who produces the glycol. Monopropylen glycol has no cases of allergy reported, which makes the working environment and handling better than for hydraulic oil. Oil needs elevated temperature and the presence of earth to be able to break down, and still it takes considerable time.</p><p>The lifetime on sliding bushings existing in the hydraulic cylinders for Älvkarleby hydropowerstation sluice gates have been investigated by laboratory work. Friction and wear was compared with hydraulic oil or monopropylen glycol with water (50/50). The contact was a sliding wheel against a sheet. These tests shows that the wear is equal if you test a composite against chromed steel, with the two different hydraulic medias. The friction was however lower when you tested it with monopropylen glycol and water as lubricant.</p><p>In the case bronze against steel the results were the same. Monopropylen glycol with water gave lower friction, though the wear was equal between the two medias.</p><p>The conclusion is that water hydraulics is a good alternative to oil hydraulics, thorough knowledge of the hydraulic components is necessary though. For instance if the materials in the system is suitable for use in water hydraulics, or needs to be changed.</p>

Hemiepiphytes are important components of tropical forests and are attractive to scientists due to their unique epiphytic growth habit during some period of their life cycle. Unique characteristics in plant water relations and carbon economy have been found in hemiepiphytic plants; however, to further understand this group of species on an evolutionary basis it is necessary to carry out comparative studies between hemiepiphytes and their close relatives. In this dissertation I conduced a comparative study in a suite of functional traits related to plant water relations and photosynthesis between hemiepiphytic and non-hemiepiphytic tree species from a single genus-Ficus. Great differentiation in functional traits has been found between species of the two growth forms both during juvenile and adult stages. Seedlings of hemiepiphytic Ficus species (H) had significantly lower xylem hydraulic conductivity, stomatal conductance, net light saturated CO2 assimilation, and higher water use efficiency than congeneric non-hemiepiphytic species (NH), which are adaptive to a drought-prone epiphytic growth conditions under natural conditions. The conservative water use adaptation in H species is likely crucial to the drought tolerance and survival in the forest canopy but is related to much lower growth rates than NH species. Species of the two growth forms both showed relatively large plasticity in responding to variation in light level as in typical light-demanding species. Surprisingly, the NH species showed characteristics related to higher light demand than H species, which is opposite from the prediction that H species are more light-demanding than NH species. Thus, although commonly accepted, it is likely that light was not the selective pressure for the evolution of hemiepiphytism in Ficus. Using adult trees grown in a common garden, I found that H species showed characteristics of more conservative water use even after they established connections to the soil. Moreover, H species showed significantly different traits in photochemistry compared to NH species due to hydraulic-photosynthetic coordination. The evolution of an epiphytic growth habit during the juvenile stage of a life cycle in the hemiepiphytic Ficus species thus involved changes in a suite of functional traits that persist during their terrestrial growth stages.

Following an introduction, the author describes Texas A&M University and its utilities system. After that, the author presents how to construct simulation models for chilled water and heating hot water distribution systems. The simulation model was used in a $2.3 million Ross Street chilled water pipe replacement project at Texas A&M University. A second project conducted at the University of Texas at San Antonio was used as an example to demonstrate how to identify and design an optimal distribution system by using a simulation model. The author found that the minor losses of these closed loop thermal distribution systems are significantly higher than potable water distribution systems. In the second part of the report, the author presents the latest development of software called the Plant Optimization Program, which can simulate cogeneration plant operation, estimate its operation cost and provide optimized operation suggestions. The author also developed detailed simulation models for a gas turbine and heat recovery steam generator and identified significant potential savings. Finally, the author also used a steam turbine as an example to present a multi-regression method on constructing simulation models by using basic statistics and optimization algorithms. This report presents a survey of the author??s working experience at the Energy Systems Laboratory (ESL) at Texas A&M University during the period of January 2002 through March 2004. The purpose of the above work was to allow the author to become familiar with the practice of engineering. The result is that the author knows how to complete a project from start to finish and understands how both technical and nontechnical aspects of a project need to be considered in order to ensure a quality deliverable and bring a project to successful completion. This report concludes that the objectives of the internship were successfully accomplished and that the requirements for the degree of Degree of Engineering have been satisfied.