Summary of in-stream energy production devices

Renewable energy is more important as the time advances. The need to replace fossil fuels such as coal and oil is a big concern in the European union which has established goals of 20% of share of energy from renewable sources in whole European union. The importance of small energy production devices increases when we think of this goal, so energy can reach every citizen, even in a remote village which is kilometers away from the main power source. In-stream devices are optimal for remote sources, which almost always have a water source in the proximities. In-stream turbines can generate enough power to a common house and because it does not require any sort of head nor dam it is easy to mount. Its efficiency is around 40% for most recent in-stream turbines. The most recent technology in this area, the vortex induced vibration devices are still in development reaching 20-30% efficiency when a single device is working, reaching up to 40% when arrayed in some exact positions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Velocity Field Analysis of a Channel Narrowed by Spur-dikes to Maximize Power Output of In-stream Turbines

Decentralized energy is growing in importance with time. The electricity being needed even in the most remote places, far from power stations, increases the importance of small power production devices such as micro-hydro devices like turbines. In this research, the velocity field in a meandering channel is studied in its natural conditions and with the introduction of spur-dikes, structures that prevent bank erosion, a natural phenomenon observed in meandering channels, with the use of computational fluid dynamics software. With the objective of improving the power production by investigating the changes of the flume velocities with the introduction of spur-dikes, one test without any spur-dike and three tests with it were conducted. Good results were reached, with velocities increasing between 10 to 20% with the introduction of these structures. In certain cases, the increase in power production can reach up to 85% than in a normal situation without spur-dikes in the river.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effect of Debris on the Local Scour at Bridge Piers

Scour is one of the most recurrent causes of failure of bridge structures in alluvial rivers. There is a variety of formulas for the assessment of bridge scour characteristics and for the design of suitable protection. Nevertheless, current approaches neglect the effect of debris carried by natural streams during floods, even when the accumulation of debris can extremely amplify the action of scouring processes. Until now, very limited efforts have been conducted to systematically investigate these effects. The present study focuses on the effect of debris on the maximum clear-water scour depth at cylindrical piers inserted in uniform, fully-developed turbulent flows in wide rectangular channels with flatbed composed of uniform, non-ripple forming sand. For these purposes, an experimental campaign was carried out by performing 17 long-duration (td = 7 days) experiments. The experimental tests were performed in the hydraulic structures channel at the University of Beira Interior. The channel was 0.83 m wide, 12.0 m long and 1.0 m deep. In the central reach of the flume, a 3.0 m long and 0.30 m deep recess exists where scour is free to develop. The experiments were carried out with a cylindrical pier with 0.05 m diameter and two boxes, each with debris of different dimensions, either of triangular or rectangular shape. The tests were carried out with constant approach flow depth, d = 0.15 m, and average approach flow velocity, U, approximately equal to the average approach flow velocity for the threshold condition of sediment entrainment, Uc ∼ 0.31 m/s. For this velocity, the scour depth can be expected to be maximal. The experiments will give a special focus to the development of scour hole as the accumulated debris increase. Moreover, the experimental results will be compared with a reference experimental run without debris, so that the increments on scour depth due to the single debris clusters of different characteristics will be obtained and discussed. The following conclusions were obtained: i) The shape and position of the debris accumulation have a strong influence on the final scour depth. Debris placed on the bottom, upstream of the bridge pier, with a triangular shape, does not induce any increase in scour depths, the values are practically the same as the one obtained for the reference pier (without debris); ii) The method suggested by [3], as modified by [6], performed well, replicating the main trends observed in the experiments; and the influence of the relative submerged ratio of the debris on the scour depth, followed the trend observed previously by [8], with an increasing scour depth up to a critical value of the ratio, and then decreasing scour for ratios higher than this critical value.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Influence of clogging on the hydrologic performance of a double layer porous asphalt

Nowadays, the increasing urbanisation and the effect of climate change in cities has been a constant concern. In particular, the floods cause a significant increase in surface runoff, mostly on roads and parking areas. As an alternative to asphalt pavements, usually used in these areas, permeable pavements have been developed with Porous Asphalt (PA). These pavements allow the infiltration of water from the surface to the ground due to the high void content of the PA, thus reducing the surface runoff and increasing recharge of groundwater. Over the years, the infiltration capacity of the mixtures decreases with the clogging by sediments from the vehicles themselves and/or from the local environment. In order to mitigate this effect, a Double Layer Porous Asphalt (DLPA) was developed. This research intends to deepen the knowledge about the influence of the clogging of a DLPA, with respect to the infiltration capacity, since it is an essential theme in the pavements lifespan and that needs to be developed. This study considered different evaluation phases of the infiltration capacity with two clogging cycles (500 and 1000 g/m2). The materials used were: sand, region soil, and rubber waste. The infiltration capacity test was performed in different phases after a rainfall event of 100 mm/h with a rainfall simulator developed for this purpose. Furthermore, the permeability test with the falling head permeameter was carried out in parallel, obtaining outflow times for each clogging phase and subsequent maintenance phase. The research concluded that DLPA has a high infiltration capacity after the first clogging cycle in both performed tests. In the second clogging cycle, the results show that the infiltration decreased due to the partial filling of the pores, mainly, for the rubber-filled DLPA. The type of clogging material influences the infiltration capacity, nevertheless partially recovered after simple maintenance was performed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Flow-3D Modelling of the Debris Effect on Maximum Scour Hole Depth at Bridge Piers

Bridge foundations are frequently inserted in riverbeds constituted by alluvial material, being, therefore, subjected to scouring processes. Such phenomenon is aggravated during flood events due to the increase of water flow or due to the increase of the debris carried by the flow that can pile up along the bridge structural elements. The debris can partially obstruct bridge spans and accumulate near bridge piers and abutments, which will have consequences in terms of reduction of flow capacity and an increment of the maximum scour depth. The dimensions, shape and its location are characteristics that must be considered when predicting the scour depth. The present study aims at analyzing the effect of the debris on the maximum clear-water scour depth at cylindrical piers inserted in uniform sand, non-ripple forming sand, fully-developed turbulent flows in wide rectangular channel, using computational fluid dynamics software, Flow-3D. For this purpose, debris with a triangular and rectangular shape, floating and on the sand bed, were tested, using the k-ε RNG turbulence model and the numerical results were compared with those obtained experimentally. It was possible to verify that the floating debris gives greater scour hole depth and the debris on sand bed behave as scour countermeasure reducing the scour hole depth. Also, rectangular shaped debris seems to cause more scour near the structures than the triangular shaped ones, which also seemed beneficial to the scour hole, by reducing it. However, the results obtained computationally are significantly lower than those obtained experimentally.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Permeable pavements – green infrastructures as a flood mitigation measure

Permeable asphalt pavements have been one of the solutions used to increase the permeability of road pavements given the growing urbanization and climate change. The high porosity and permeability of surface layers with PA (porous asphalt) mixtures allows the water infiltration and, consequently, reduces superficial runoff and contributes to the recharge of underground aquifers. However, the infiltration capacity may be impaired by clogged pores with sediments. The double layer porous asphalt (DLPA) was developed to mitigate this effect. This is a key issue in the pavements’ service life. Information on the clogging processes in these layers is not yet well characterized. The study was carried out using a rainfall simulator in order to generate design storm events with a known intensity and duration. The experimental methodology adopted took into account different phases of evaluation of the infiltration capacity with two clogging cycles (500 and 1000 g m-2). The DLPA infiltration capacity was evaluated in the different phases after different precipitation events (100, 200 and 300 mm h-1). The results showed that, in general, the double layer porous asphalt has the capacity to drain the water, even after clogging and with lower voids content. The infiltration capacity was partially restored when subjected to simple maintenance.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Study of the porous asphalt performance with cellulosic fibres

The porous asphalt (PA) use in road pavements surface layers is one of the most common solutions worldwide to address the climate changes impact like heavy rain. The aim of this study is to evaluate the performance of these mixtures with the cellulosic fibres addition, known for their adherence capacity between the aggregates and the binder. These will help to prevent the binder loss by drainage, which is one of the main problems of porous asphalt, since the fine aggregates content is reduced. Comparing to the conventional porous asphalt the cellulosic fibres addition improved performance to permanent deformation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Use of Cellulosic Fibres in Double Layer Porous Asphalt

Climate change, namely precipitation patterns alteration, has led to extreme conditions such as floods and droughts. In turn, excessive construction has led to the waterproofing of the soil, increasing the surface runoff and decreasing the groundwater recharge capacity. The permeable pavements used in areas with low traffic lead to a decrease in the probability of floods peaks occurrence and the sediments reduction and pollutants transport, ensuring rainwater quality improvement. This study aims to evaluate the porous asphalt performance, developed in the laboratory, with addition of cellulosic fibres. One of the main objectives of cellulosic fibres use is to stop binder drainage, preventing its loss during storage and transport. Comparing to the conventional porous asphalt the cellulosic fibres addition improved the porous asphalt performance. The cellulosic fibres allowed the bitumen content increase, enabling retention and better aggregates coating and, consequently, a greater mixture durability. With this solution, it is intended to develop better practices of resilience and adaptation to the extreme climate changes and respond to the sustainability current demands, through the eco-friendly materials use. The mix design was performed for different size aggregates (with fine aggregates – PA1 and with coarse aggregates – PA2). The percentage influence of the fibres to be used was studied. It was observed that overall, the binder drainage decreases as the cellulose fibres percentage increases. It was found that the PA2 mixture obtained most binder drainage relative to PA1 mixture, irrespective of the fibres percentage used. Subsequently, the performance was evaluated through laboratory tests of indirect tensile stiffness modulus, water sensitivity, permeability and permanent deformation. The stiffness modulus for the two mixtures groups (with and without cellulosic fibres) presented very similar values between them. For the water sensitivity test it was observed that porous asphalt containing more fine aggregates are more susceptible to the water presence than mixtures with coarse aggregates. The porous asphalt with coarse aggregates have more air voids which allow water to pass easily leading to ITSR higher values. In the permeability test was observed that asphalt porous without cellulosic fibres presented had lower permeability than asphalt porous with cellulosic fibres. The resistance to permanent deformation results indicates better behaviour of porous asphalt with cellulosic fibres, verifying a bigger rut depth in porous asphalt without cellulosic fibres. In this study, it was observed that porous asphalt with bitumen higher percentages improve the performance to permanent deformation. This fact was only possible due to the bitumen retention by the cellulosic fibres.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Permeable asphalt pavement as a measure of urban green infrastructure in the extreme events mitigation

Population growth in cities has led to an increase in the infrastructures construction, including buildings and roadways. This aspect leads directly to the soils waterproofing. In turn, changes in precipitation patterns are developing into higher and more frequent intensities. Thus, these two conjugated aspects decrease the rainwater infiltration into soils and increase the volume of surface runoff. The practice of green and sustainable urban solutions has encouraged research in these areas. The porous asphalt pavement, as a green infrastructure, is part of practical solutions set to address urban challenges related to land use and adaptation to climate change. In this field, permeable pavements with porous asphalt mixtures (PA) have several advantages in terms of reducing the runoff generated by the floods. The porous structure of these pavements, compared to a conventional asphalt pavement, allows the rainwater infiltration in the subsoil, and consequently, the water quality improvement. This green infrastructure solution can be applied in cities, particularly in streets or parking lots to mitigate the floods effects. Over the years, the pores of these pavements can be filled by sediment, reducing their function in the rainwater infiltration. Thus, double layer porous asphalt (DLPA) was developed to mitigate the clogging effect and facilitate the water infiltration into the lower layers. This study intends to deepen the knowledge of the performance of DLPA when subjected to clogging. The experimental methodology consisted on four evaluation phases of the DLPA infiltration capacity submitted to three precipitation events (100, 200 and 300 mm/h) in each phase. The evaluation first phase determined the behavior after DLPA construction. In phases two and three, two 500 g/m2 clogging cycles were performed, totaling a 1000 g/m2 final simulation. Sand with gradation accented in fine particles was used as clogging material. In the last phase, the DLPA was subjected to simple sweeping and vacuuming maintenance. A precipitation simulator, type sprinkler, capable of simulating the real precipitation was developed for this purpose. The main conclusions show that the DLPA has the capacity to drain the water, even after two clogging cycles. The infiltration results of flows lead to an efficient performance of the DPLA in the surface runoff attenuation, since this was not observed in any of the evaluation phases, even at intensities of 200 and 300 mm/h, simulating intense precipitation events. The infiltration capacity under clogging conditions decreased about 7% on average in the three intensities relative to the initial performance that is after construction. However, this was restored when subjected to simple maintenance, recovering the DLPA hydraulic functionality. In summary, the study proved the efficacy of using a DLPA when it retains thicker surface sediments and limits the fine sediments entry to the remaining layers. At the same time, it is guaranteed the rainwater infiltration and the surface runoff reduction and is therefore a viable solution to put into practice in permeable pavements.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Characterization of the Skid Resistance and Mean Texture Depth in a Permeable Asphalt Pavement

Road pavements need a deep characterization of the surface layer, with which the vehicles have direct contact and, therefore, must provide security to the users. The use of permeable asphalt pavements (PAP) with porous layers has provide obvious advantages in reducing runoff and the rainwater infiltration into the soil or for storage. However, the study of the interaction between the pavement surface layer and the tire rubber requires additional tests in terms of texture and friction, since they are important parameters for the design, construction, management, maintenance and roads safety. Considering the application of a PAP in a parking lot, the study objective was to characterize in the field the pavement surface in terms of mean texture depth (MTD) and skid resistance (Pendulum test value, PTV). The methods used were the volumetric technique by the patch test and the pendulum test, according to EN 13036-1 and EN 13036-4, respectively. The double layer porous asphalt (DLPA) at the surface is characterized by having a structure with high voids content that led to results of clearly rougher macrotexture and good skid resistance. The normalized limit values were met, however, a very strong correlation between MTD and PTV was not observed. A comparison was also made with porous surfaces of other studies and it was found that porous asphalt has a good behaviour at the start of construction which may tend to improve in the long term. From the study, it is concluded that the PAP presents good performance of the surface layer, providing road safety to users.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio