Abstract: Karstic aquifers in Southwest China are largely located in mountainous areas and groundwater level observation data are usually absent. Therefore, numerical groundwater models are inappropriate for simulation of groundwater flow and rainfall-underground outflow responses. In this study, an artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed to simulate underground stream discharge. The ANN model was applied to the Houzhai subterranean drainage in Guizhou Province of Southwest China, which is representative of karstic geomorphology in the humid areas of China. Correlation analysis between daily rainfall and the outflow series was used to determine the model inputs and time lags. The ANN model was trained using an error backpropagation algorithm and validated at three hydrological stations with different karstic features. Study results show that the ANN model performs well in the modeling of highly non-linear karstic aquifers.
Abstract: Along with the rapid development of computer and GIS technology, hydrological models have progressed from lumped to distributed models. TOPMODEL, a bridge between lumped and distributed models, is a semi-distributed model in which the predominant factors determining the formation of runoff are derived from the topography of the basin. A test application of TOPMODEL in the Buliu River Basin is presented. For the sake of comprehensively evaluating the TOPMODEL, the Xin’anjiang model, a classic lumped hydrological model, was also applied in the basin. The structural differences and the simulation results of the two models are compared and analyzed.
Abstract: The strongest change in Meiyu periods in the mid-lower Yangtze Basin (MLY) since 1885 occurred in the late 1970s: a stage of weak Meiyu from 1958 to 1978 abruptly transformed into a stage of plentiful Meiyu from 1979 to 1999. The average Meiyu amount of the latter 21 years increased by 66% compared with that of the former 21 years, accompanied by a significant increase in the occurrence of summer floods in the MLY. This change was closely related with the frequent phenomenon of postponed Meiyu ending dates (MED) and later onset dates of high summer (ODHS) in the MLY. To a considerable degree, this reflects an abrupt change of the summer climate in East China. Further analysis showed that the preceding factors contributing to inter-annual changes in Meiyu in the two 21-year stages delimited above were also very different from each other. The causes of change were associated with the following: China’s industrialization has greatly accelerated since the 1970s, accompanied by an increase in atmospheric pollution and a reduction of the solar radiation reaching the ground. The sand area of North China has also expanded due to overgrazing. The enhanced greenhouse effect is manifested in warm winters (especially in February). Meanwhile, the January precipitation of the MLY has for the most part increased, and El Niño events have occurred more frequently since the late 1970s. A correlative scatter diagram consisting of these five factors mentioned above clearly shows that the two stages with opposite Meiyu characteristics are grouped in two contrasting locations with very different environmental (land-atmosphere) conditions. It is quite possible that we are now entering a new stage of lesser Meiyu, beginning in 2000.
Abstract: Previous research shows that there is a strong correlation between saltwater intrusion in the Yangtze Estuary and discharge at Datong. In the near future, the discharge of the Yangtze River during dry seasons will decrease due to the construction and operation of large water diversion projects, including the South-to-North Water Transfer Project, which will further exacerbate saltwater intrusion in the estuary. In this paper, a nested 1D river network model and a 2D saltwater numerical model are used to associate saltwater intrusion in the Yangtze Estuary with different values of discharge at Datong. It is concluded that 13 000 m3/s is the critical discharge at Datong for preventing saltwater intrusion and controlling the volume of water transferred by the South-to-North Water Transfer Project. Furthermore, based on the analysis of river discharge from Datong to Xuliujing and in consideration of the influence of all of the water diversion projects, operation schemes are proposed for the Eastern Route of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project for different hydrological years.
Abstract: By combining the results of prototype observation of flood discharge atomization at the Wujiangdu Hydropower Station, and by adopting the serial model test method, the model scale effect was examined, the influences of the Reynolds and Weber numbers of water flow on the rain intensity of flood discharge atomization were analyzed and a rain intensity conversion relation was established. It is demonstrated that the level of atomization follows the geometric similarity relations and it is possible to ignore the influence of the surface tension of the flow when the Weber number is greater than 500. Despite limitations such as incomplete data sets, it is undoubtedly helpful to study the scale effect of atomization flow, and it is beneficial to identify the rules of the model test results in order to extrapolate to prototype prediction.
Abstract: In this paper, the relationship between hydroelectric projects and the river environment is analyzed. Recently, the large-scale regulation of runoff by large hydroelectric projects in the Ningxia Reach of the Yellow River has altered natural runoff processes, causing an increase in the probability of low discharge and an overall adjustment of riverbed evolution and river characteristics. During low-flow years, the combined effects of these two changes can weaken the self-purification capacity and reduce the water environmental capacity of the river. This is one of the main reasons for the recent decrease of water quality in the Ningxia Reach. This research shows that it is necessary to implement river training projects to maintain stable flow paths, not only for adjusting river regimes and for flood control, but also for increasing the self-purification capacity and the water environmental capacity of the river. Methods and proposals for coordinating the operation of hydroelectric projects with the protection of the river environment are presented in the interest of promoting sustainable development.
Abstract: In this paper, a model of overtopping risk under the joint effects of floods and wind waves, which is based on risk analysis theory and takes into account the uncertainties of floods, wind waves, reservoir capacity and discharge capacity of the spillway, is proposed and applied to the Chengbihe Reservoir in Baise City in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The simulated results indicate that the flood control limiting level can be raised by 0.40 m under the condition that the reservoir overtopping risk is controlled within a mean variance of 5×10-6. As a result, the reservoir storage will increase to 16 million m3 and electrical energy generation and other functions of the reservoir will also increase greatly.
Abstract: This paper proposes a new, simple and efficient method for nonlinear simulation of arch dam cracking from the construction period to the operation period, which takes into account the arch dam construction process and temperature loads. In the calculation mesh, the contact surface of pair nodes is located at places on the arch dam where cracking is possible. A new effective iterative method, the mixed finite element method for friction-contact problems, is improved and used for nonlinear simulation of the cracking process. The forces acting on the structure are divided into two parts: external forces and contact forces. The displacement of the structure is chosen as the basic variable and the nodal contact force in the possible contact region of the local coordinate system is chosen as the iterative variable, so that the nonlinear iterative process is only limited within the possible contact surface and is much more economical. This method was used to simulate the cracking process of the Shuanghe Arch Dam in Southwest China. In order to prove the validity and accuracy of this method and to study the effect of thermal stress on arch dam cracking, three schemes were designed for calculation. Numerical results agree with actual measured data, proving that it is feasible to use this method to simulate the entire process of nonlinear arch dam cracking.
Abstract: The quantitative change and size distribution of particles in the effluents from a sand filter and a granular activated carbon (GAC) filter in a drinking water treatment plant were investigated. The average total concentration of particles in the sand filter effluent during a filter cycle was 148 particles/mL, 27 of which were larger than 2 μm in size. The concentration in the GAC effluent (561 particles/mL) was significantly greater than that in the sand filter effluent. The concentration of particles larger than 2 μm in the GAC filter effluent reached 201 particles/mL, with the amount of particles with sizes between 2 μm and 15 μm increasing. The most probable number (MPN) of carbon fines reached 43 unit/L after six hours and fines between 0.45 μm and 8.0 μm accounted for more than 50%. The total concentration of outflowing bacteria in the GAC filter effluent, 350 CFU (colony-forming units) /mL, was greater than that in the sand filter effluent, 210 CFU/mL. The desorbed bacteria concentration reached an average of 310 CFU/mg fines. The disinfection efficiency of desorbed bacteria was lower than 40% with 1.5 mg/L of chlorine. The disinfection effect showed that the inactivation rate with 2.0 mg/L of chloramine (90%) was higher than that with chlorine (70%). Experimental results indicated that the high particle concentration in raw water and sedimentation effluent led to high levels of outflowing particles in the sand filter effluent. The activated carbon fines in the effluent accounted for a small proportion of the total particle amount, but the existing bacteria attached to carbon fines may influence the drinking water safety. The disinfection efficiency of desorbed bacteria was lower than that of free bacteria with chlorine, and the disinfection effect on bacteria attached to carbon fines with chloramine was better than that with only chlorine.
Abstract: With the development of protected cultivation of vegetables in China, it is necessary to study the water requirements of crops in greenhouses. Lysimeter experiments were carried out to investigate tomato (2001) and cowpea (2004) crop evapotranspiration (ETc) in an unheated greenhouse in Eastern China. Results showed remarkably reduced crop evapotranspiration inside the greenhouse as compared with that outside. ETc increased with the growth of the crops, and varied in accordance with the temperature inside the greenhouse and 20-cm pan evaporation outside, reaching its maximum value at the stage when plants’ growth was most active. Differences between the variation of crop evapotranspiration and pan evaporation inside the greenhouse were caused by shading of the pan in the later period when the crops were taller than the location where the pan was installed, 70 cm above ground. The ratio of crop evapotranspiration to pan evaporation was not constant as reported in previous studies, and the variation of the inside ratio αin lagged behind that of the outside ratio αout. Simulation of crop evapotranspiration based on 20-cm pan evaporation inside the greenhouse is more reasonable than that based on 20-cm pan evaporation outside, although pan evaporation outside is more consistent with ETc than that inside. The value of αin, calculated based on air temperature, relative humidity, and ground temperature inside, plays a dominant role in the calculation of ETc. As the crop height increases, altering the location of the inside pan and placing it above the canopy, out of the shade, would help to achieve more reasonable values of crop evapotranspiration.
Abstract: A combination of the rainfall-runoff module of the Xin’anjiang model, the Muskingum routing method, the water stage simulating hydrologic method, the diffusion wave nonlinear water stage method, and the real-time error correction method is applied to the real-time flood forecasting and regulation of the Huai River with flood diversion and retarding areas. The Xin’anjiang model is used to forecast the flood discharge hydrograph of the upstream and tributary. The flood routing of the main channel and flood diversion areas is based on the Muskingum method. The water stage of the downstream boundary condition is calculated with the water stage simulating hydrologic method and the water stages of each cross section are calculated from downstream to upstream with the diffusion wave nonlinear water stage method. The input flood discharge hydrograph from the main channel to the flood diversion area is estimated with the fixed split ratio of the main channel discharge. The flood flow inside the flood retarding area is calculated as a reservoir with the water balance method. The faded-memory forgetting factor least square of error series is used as the real-time error correction method for forecasting discharge and water stage. As an example, the combined models were applied to flood forecasting and regulation of the upper reaches of the Huai River above Lutaizi during the 2007 flood season. The forecast achieves a high accuracy and the results show that the combined models provide a scientific way of flood forecasting and regulation for a complex watershed with flood diversion and retarding areas.
