Block 2a

Environmental modelling in Delft3D

28-30 March 2012
21-23 November 2012

Course background

Environmental modelling is based on the transport of substances in surface and ground water using the so-called advection-diffusion equation.
The water quality module Delft3D-WAQ is based on this equation and it offers different computational methods to solve it numerically on an arbitrary irregular shaped grid, on a grid of rectangles, triangles or curvilinear computational elements.
The sediment transport module Delft3D-SED can be applied to model the transport of cohesive and non-cohesive sediments, i.e. to study the spreading of dredged materials, to study sedimentation/erosion patterns and to carry out water quality and ecology studies where sediment is the dominant factor. It is in fact a sub-module of the water quality module.
The ecology transport module Delft3D-ECO distributes the available resources (nutrients and light) in an optimal way among the different types of algae. It is in fact a sub-module of the water quality module. The particle tracking module Delft3D-PART is a three-dimensional mid-field water quality model. It estimates a dynamic concentration distribution by following the tracks of thousands of particles in time.

Water quality processes are described by linear or non-linear functions of selected state variables and model parameters.

Many process formulations are available in the form of a library, which smoothly interfaces with the water quality module. The library contains over 50 water quality process routines covering 140 standard substances.

Some areas of applications are

• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), objective evaluation of alternatives;
• Sewage and/or storm water outfall studies;
• Bio-availability of heavy metals (and organic micropollutants);
• Recirculation of cooling water from power and desalination plants including the release of bio-fouling chemicals such as chlorine;
• Effects of dredging on the environment;
• Simulation of oil spills with floating and dispersed oil fractions.

Objective of the course

Setting up and running a water quality, an ecological, particle tracking as well as an oil disposal simulation.

Course subjects

• Some basic theoretical concepts of environmental modelling;
• Some numerical aspect to transport modelling;
• Coupling hydrodynamic output to the environmental model input;
• Selecting substances and processes with the Processes Library Configuration Tool;
• Setting up and running a sediment, oxygen, nutrients and algae simulation;
• Setting up and running a tracer simulation;
• Setting up and running an oil disposal simulation.

This course is aimed at

• Knowledge how to model the hydrodynamics;
• Project engineers, project leaders and researchers.

Location

Rotterdamseweg 185 in Delft, the Netherlands.

Fee

The registration fee for this three-day course, from 9:00 to 17:00 hrs, is € 1.450, - excluding VAT.
50% discount for lecturers at centers of education.