Evaluation of CFD Simulation using RANS Turbulence Models for Building Effects on Pollutant Dispersion

CFD evaluations were performed to examine the applicability of the RANS methods in simulating pollutant dispersion near, within and over three typical building configurations: (1) an isolated building, (2) a building array and (3) an urban intersection. The CFD results are compared with values obtained from wind tunnel tests. In some situations major differences between the wind tunnel tests and the CFD results were observed. The main source of difference between the CFD and wind tunnel results was inadequate modelling of local flow patterns using the RANS turbulence models. Also inappropriate evaluation of high intermittent turbulent mixing in the RANS approach may lead to either over-prediction or under-prediction of the concentration level, by up to a factor of 10, depending on the case investigated.     

MODEL DEVELOPMENT FOR CONJUNCTIVE USE STUDY OF THE SAN JACINTO BASIN,CALIFORNIA1

ABSTRACT: A two-layered confined-unconfined numerical model for flow and mass transport is developed for the San Jacinto Basin. The model structure is determined by the geological structure of the Basin and model parameters are calibrated using 20 years of historical records. The total number of historical head observations used for the flow model calibration is 1,117 and the total number of the estimated parameters is 91. The two-layered transport model is also calibrated using historical water quality records. Sensitivity analysis of the flow model shows that only 68 parameters (out of a total of 91) are relatively sensitive and reliable. However, the unreliable parameters (23 of them) are found to be insensitive and thus not significant to the prediction and management of conjunctive use of surface water and ground water. The developed flow model has been used to study the two proposed artificial recharge scenarios for the San Jacinto Basin. We have found that during a relatively dry condition, an artificial recharge rate of 80 acre-ft/day can be achieved during the recharge period October through January. However, for a relatively wet condition, only 80 percent of the proposed rate can be effectively stored in the Basin during these months.     

LINEAR PROGRAMS FOR NONLINEAR HYDROLOGIC ESTIMATION1

ABSTRACT: The minimization of the sum of absolute deviations and the minimization of the absolute maximum deviation (mini-max) were transformed into equivalent linear programs for the estimation of parameters in a transient and linear hydrologic system. It is demonstrated that these two methods yield viable parameter estimates that are globally optimal and reproduce properly the timing and magnitude of hydrologic events and associated variables such as total runoff. The two linear estimation methods compared favorably with the popular least-squares nonlinear estimation method. The generality of the theoretical developments shows that linear program equivalents are adequate competitors of nonlinear methods of hydrologic estimation and parameter calibration.     

Mater-Bi: Properties and biodegradability

This paper examines the biodegradability of a new class of materials based on starch and vinylalcohol copolymers, which have been commercialized under the Mater-Bi trademark. Particular attention is given to the biodegradation process for natural and synthetic components of different Mater-Bi grades for film blowing in an aerobic respirometric test, in a SCAS (semicontinuous activated sludge) test, and by submersion in lake water. The correlation between morphology and biodegradation behavior is also considered. Taking into account the prior art on biodegradation of insoluble substrates, a two-step mechanism is proposed for Mater-Bi products.     

On the Assessment of the Structural Organization of Phytoplankton (Lake Bol'shoe Miassovo,the Southern Urals)

Ordination methods were applied to the identification of structural units in the phytoplankton community. The groups of phytoplanktonic species identified by the time gradient and the method of cluster analysis of species lists were compared. The structural complexity of the phytoplankton community was evaluated using the index of cenotic significance (ICS) and derivative calculation coefficients. A high degree of similarity in the structure of dominance between the zooplanktonic and phytoplanktonic communities of the water body was revealed.     

Oracle-based optimization applied to climate model calibration

In this paper, we show how oracle-based optimization can be effectively used for the calibration of an intermediate complexity climate model. In a fully developed example, we estimate the 12 principal parameters of the C-GOLDSTEIN climate model by using an oracle-based optimization tool, Proximal-ACCPM. The oracle is a procedure that finds, for each query point, a value for the goodness-of-fit function and an evaluation of its gradient. The difficulty in the model calibration problem stems from the need to undertake costly calculations for each simulation and also from the fact that the error function used to assess the goodness-of-fit is not convex. The method converges to a ‘best fit’ estimate over 10 times faster than a comparable test using the ensemble Kalman filter. The approach is simple to implement and potentially useful in calibrating computationally demanding models based on temporal integration (simulation), for which functional derivative information is not readily available.     

投入产出模型在工业生态系统分析中的应用

应用投入产出模型构建出工业生态系统物质流分析的基本框架，在此基础上提出工业生态系统“关键种企业”的识别方法。以及工业生态系统企业能量消耗特征、累计污染排放特征的量化分析方法。这些分析方法将是辅助工业生态系统日常管理与维护的有力工具。     

Apples, Oranges, and Probabilities: Integrating Multiple Factors into Biodiversity Conservation with Consistency

We explore the problem of integrating some of the many factors involved in conservation planning by focusing on their effects on a common currency of conservation success, the probability of persistence. This approach has the potential to reduce many of the difficulties inherent in combining different pattern and process factors. For handling information expressed as probabilities, five area-selection methods are compared.     

Time allocation strategies in insect parasitoids: from ultimate predictions to proximate behavioral mechanisms

As most parasitoids are time limited, they usually die before they have laid all their eggs. In such cases, optimal foraging theory predicts that female parasitoids will adopt behavioral reproductive strategies enabling them to maximize progeny production per unit of time. One key situation in which parasitoid females must optimize their time budget is related to the fact that most of their hosts are distributed in discrete patches in the environment. In this review, I first present the results of basic theoretical models predicting female wasp search duration on a patch of hosts. I then compile and analyze all studies investigating the effect of different factors on parasitoid patch time allocation and patch-leaving decision rules. Different patch-leaving mechanisms that were proposed to explain the results obtained are discussed, along with statistical methods that should be used to estimate them from experimental data. Finally, ideas for future research are presented.     

APPLICATION OF THE BASINS DATABASE AND NPSM MODEL ON A SMALL OHIO WATERSHED1

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Better Assessment Science Integrating Point and Nonpoint Sources (BASINS) watershed management system. BASINS data were used with the NPSM model to predict discharge and sediment concentrations at the outlet of a 103 km² Ohio watershed. It was concluded that the NPSM model should always be calibrated but only a few of the parameters provided with BASINS needed to be calibrated. For a three‐year study period, there was a 2 percent underestimation of discharge using area weighted precipitation values and a 25 percent overestimation using the single station data in BASINS. A comparison of observed and predicted monthly discharge resulted in an r² of 0.86 with area‐weighted precipitation and an r² of 0.74 with the single station data. Calibrating the model to substantially improve sediment predictions was unsuccessful and we concluded that a calibration period of one year was too short. For the three‐year study period, the r² for sediment was 0.36 with a slope of 0.37 and an intercept of 18.8 mg/l. The mean observed and predicted sediment concentrations were 27.1 mg/l and 22.6 mg/l, respectively.