Statistical regression modeling for energy consumption in wastewater treatment

Wastewater treatment is one of critical issues faced by water utilities, and receives more and more attentions recently. The energy consumption modeling in biochemical wastewater treatment was investigated in the study via a general and robust approach based on Bayesian semi-parametric quantile regression. The dataset was derived from a municipal wastewater treatment plant, where the energy consumption of unit chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction was the response variable of interest. Via the proposed approach, the comprehensive regression pictures of the energy consumption and truly influencing factors, i.e., the regression relationships at lower, median and higher energy consumption levels were characterized respectively. Meanwhile, the proposals for energy saving in different cases were also facilitated specifically. First, the lower level of energy consumption was closely associated with the temperature of influent wastewater, and the chroma-rich wastewater also showed helpful in the execution of energy saving. Second, at median energy consumption level, the COD-rich wastewater played a determinative role in the reduction of energy consumption, while the higher quality of treated water led to slightly energy intensive. Third, the higher level of energy consumption was most likely to be attributed to the relatively high temperature of wastewater and total nitrogen (TN)-rich wastewater, and both of the factors were preferably to be avoided to alleviate the burden of energy consumption. The study provided an efficient approach to controlling the energy consumption of wastewater treatment in the perspective of statistical regression modeling, and offered valuable suggestions for the future energy saving.     

地下水环境影响评价中污染物运移模拟软件的适宜性评估

目前国内外已发展了一系列成熟的地下水污染物运移模拟软件,但是软件功能各异,易造成使用者的选择困扰.为满足HJ 610—2016《环境影响评价技术导则地下水环境》（简称“《导则》”）中关于环境影响预测工作精细化的要求,对国内外常用饱和带和包气带污染物运移模拟软件的适宜性进行了评估.首先,针对三款常用饱和带污染物运移模拟软件BIOSCREEN、AT123D和MT3D,基于理想算例对比4组水动力条件设置下的计算结果,分析软件的适宜性;其次,针对《导则》中暂未给出的包气带污染物运移模拟软件,以FEMWATER为例探讨了包气带阻滞作用对于地下水环境影响评价的重要性.结果表明:①BIOSCREEN由于忽略了分子扩散作用,当Pe（Peclet数）为0.25×10-3时,其预测的污染源下游10 m处污染物浓度为AT123D和MT3D计算值的1.8倍,存在高估污染风险的可能.②相比污染源直接设置于潜水面的情景,污染物从距潜水面11 m的地表泄露,经过包气带后污染源强降低了24%,下游85 m处污染物浓度达到0.1 mg/L的时间延迟了390 d.③当地下水流速较慢,分子扩散作用相比对流作用占优势时,适用MT3D开展数值模拟或者采用AT123D进行解析预测;当对流作用占优势且水文地质条件接近解析解假设时,可利用BIOSCREEN粗估污染风险.研究显示,包气带污染物运移模拟软件有助于合理地预测污染物在地下水环境中的运移转化行为,从而更准确地估计污染源强和判定地下水环境污染风险.      

2021年夏季新乡市城区臭氧超标日污染特征及敏感性

基于2021年6～8月新乡市市委党校站点观测的挥发性有机物(VOCs)、常规空气污染物和气象参数,采用基于观测的模型(OBM)对臭氧(O₃)超标日的O₃敏感性和前体物的管控策略进行了研究.结果发现,O₃超标日呈现高温、低湿和低压的气象特征.在臭氧超标日,O₃及其前体物的浓度均有上升.臭氧超标日的VOCs最高浓度组分为含氧挥发性有机物(OVOCs)和烷烃,臭氧生成潜势(OFP)和·OH反应性最大的VOCs组分为OVOCs.通过相对增量反应性(RIR)分析,新乡6月O₃超标日臭氧生成处于VOCs控制区,7月和8月处于VOCs和氮氧化物(NO_x)协同控制区,臭氧生成对烯烃和OVOCs最为敏感.6月各前体物的RIR值在一天中会发生变化,但始终保持为VOCs控制区;7月和8月在上午为VOCs控制区,中午为协同控制区,下午分别为协同控制区和NO_x控制区.通过模拟不同前体物削减情景,结果表明削减VOCs始终有利于管控臭氧,而削减NO_x     

MEAN AREAL PRECIPITATION FOR DAILY HYDROLOGIC MODELING IN MOUNTAINOUS REGIONS1

ABSTRACT: A procedure using detrended kriging has been developed to calculate daily values of mean areal precipitation (MAP) for input to hydrologic models. The important features of this procedure that overcome weaknesses in existing MAP procedures are: (1) specific precipitation-elevation relationships are determined for each time period as opposed to using relationships based on climatological averages, (2) spatial variability is incorporated by estimating precipitation for each grid cell over a watershed, (3) the spatial correlation structure of precipitation is explicitly modeled, and (4) station weights for precipitation estimates are determined objectively and optimally. Detailed cross-validation testing of the procedure was done for the Reynolds Creek research watershed in southwestern Idaho. The procedure is suitable for use in operational streamflow forecasting.     

EVALUATION OF AN INDUCED INFILTRATION MODEL AS APPLIED TO GLACIAL AQUIFER SYSTEMS1

ABSTRACT: Numerical models were used to examine the limitations of the assumptions used in an analytical induced infiltration model. The assumptions tested included negligible streambed effects, negligible areal recharge, two-dimensional ground water flow, fully penetrating rivers and wells, and constant surface water stage. For situations that deviate from the underlying assumptions, the analytical model becomes a less reliable predictor of induced infiltration. The numerical experiments show that streambed effects cannot be neglected if the streambed conductivity is more than one order of magnitude lower than the aquifer hydraulic conductivity. Areal recharge cannot be neglected if the ground water basin receives more than 5 in/yr of areal recharge. Three-dimensional flow effects due to well partial penetration cannot be neglected if the ratio of horizontal hydraulic conductivity to vertical hydraulic conductivity (K_h/K_u) is greater than 10. Surface water elevation fluctuations can significantly influence the induced infiltration rate, depending on the degree of fluctuations and the ground water hydraulic gradient.     

The prediction of safe lifting behavior: an application of the theory of planned behavior

PROBLEM: Injuries resulting from lifting are costly, and create significant pain and discomfort. While engineering controls are the most effective means of reducing risks, most organizations continue to rely on manual lifting techniques. The problem, however, is that the use of safe-lifting techniques is inconsistent and managers have a difficult time motivating use of these techniques. Consequently, it is important to understand the factors driving safe-lifting behaviors. METHODS: This study used a survey to apply the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen., I., 1991. The theory of planned behavior. Organization Behavior and Human Processes, 50, 179-211) to safe-lifting among 136 materials management employees at a heavy manufacturing organization. Structural equation modeling and factor analysis were employed to analyze relationships among constructs. RESULTS: Results revealed that perceived behavioral control and intention were the strongest predictors of safe-lifting behavior. Subjective norms, to a lesser degree, were also important influences on intention. Attitudes did not surface as effective direct predictors of safe-lifting behavior, but did affect behavior and intent via mediating factors (subjective norms and perceived behavioral control). Finally, the theory of planned behavior was supported as an effective model explaining safe-lifting behavior, and had potential application for many other safety-related behaviors. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Results from this study emphasize the importance of perceived behavioral control as a factor associated with safety-related behavior.     

A stochastic-advective transport model for NAPL dissolution and degradation in non-uniform flows in porous media

Remediation schemes for contaminated sites are often evaluated to assess their potential for source zone reduction of mass, or treatment of the contaminant between the source and a control plane (CP) to achieve regulatory limits. In this study, we utilize a stochastic stream tube model to explain the behavior of breakthrough curves (BTCs) across a CP. At the local scale, mass dissolution at the source is combined with an advection model with first-order decay for the dissolved plume. Field-scale averaging is then employed to account for spatial variation in mass within the source zone, and variation in the velocity field. Under the assumption of instantaneous mass transfer from the source to the moving liquid, semi-analytical expressions for the BTC and temporal moments are developed, followed by derivation of expressions for effective velocity, dispersion, and degradation coefficients using the method of moments. It is found that degradation strongly influences the behavior of moments and the effective parameters. While increased heterogeneity in the velocity field results in increased dispersion, degradation causes the center of mass of the plume to shift to earlier times, and reduces the dispersion of the BTC by lowering the concentrations in the tail. Modified definitions of effective parameters are presented for degrading solutes to account for the normalization constant (zeroth moment) that keeps changing with time or distance to the CP. It is shown that anomalous dispersion can result for high degradation rates combined with wide variation in velocity fluctuations. Implications of model results on estimating cleanup times and fulfillment of regulatory limits are discussed. Relating mass removal at the source to flux reductions past a control plane is confounded by many factors. Increased heterogeneity in velocity fields causes mass fluxes past a control plane to persist, however, aggressive remediation between the source and CP can reduce these fluxes.     

Pipeline leakage detection and isolation: An integrated approach of statistical and wavelet feature extraction with multi-layer perceptron neural network (MLPNN)

Leakage diagnosis of hydrocarbon pipelines can prevent environmental and financial losses. This work proposes a novel method that not only detects the occurrence of a leakage fault, but also suggests its location and severity. The OLGA software is employed to provide the pipeline inlet pressure and outlet flow rates as the training data for the Fault Detection and Isolation (FDI) system. The FDI system is comprised of a Multi-Layer Perceptron Neural Network (MLPNN) classifier with various feature extraction methods including the statistical techniques, wavelet transform, and a fusion of both methods. Once different leakage scenarios are considered and the preprocessing methods are done, the proposed FDI system is applied to a 20-km pipeline in southern Iran (Goldkari-Binak pipeline) and a promising severity and location detectability (a correct classification rate of 92%) and a low False Alarm Rate (FAR) were achieved.     

Prediction of minimum ignition energy of aerosols using flame kernel modeling combined with flame front propagation theory

Flammable aerosols have created many fire and explosion hazards in the process industry, but the flammability of aerosols has not been fully understood. The minimum ignition energy has been widely used as an indicator for flammability of combustible mixtures, but the amount of experimental data on the minimum ignition energy of aerosols is very limited. In this work, the minimum ignition energy of tetralin aerosols is predicted using an integrated model. The model applies the flame front propagation theory in aerosol systems to the growth of the flame kernel, which was created during the spark discharge in the ignition process. The aerosol minimum ignition energy was defined as the minimum level of energy in the initial flame kernel to maintain the kernel temperature above the minimum ignition temperature of 1073 K specific for tetralin aerosols during the kernel growth. The minimum ignition energy obtained in the model is influenced by the fuel-air equivalence ratio and the size of the aerosol droplets. For tetralin aerosols of 40 μm diameter, E_min decreases significantly from 0.32 mJ to 4.3 × 10 e⁻³ mJ when the equivalence ratio rises from 0.57 to 1.0. For tetralin aerosols of 0.57 equivalence ratio, E_min increases from as 0.09 mJ to 0.32 mJ when the droplet diameter rises from 10 μm to 60 μm. The trends are in agreement with previous experimental observations. The method used in current work has the potential to prediction of the minimum ignition energy of aerosol.     

突发性大气污染事件数字化动态应急预案系统及其应用

针对近些年频繁发生的突发性大气污染事件,构建了数字化动态应急预案系统。该系统由基础信息数据库、气象环境模式与健康风险评估系统、数字化动态应急预案三部分组成,并利用地理信息系统将三者有机结合,将事故基本信息、事故发展预测及救援状况直观、动态地展现在系统界面,使应急行动得以及时、高效地展开。实地外场综合应急演习证明,该系统技术路线稳定畅通,运行高效,功能强大,具有较好的可行性和实效性。