The role of sediment specific gravity and availability on cluster evolution

The objective of this experimental study was to account for the role of sediment availability and specific gravity on cluster formation and cluster geometric characteristics (spacing and size). To isolate the effects of sediment availability and specific gravity on cluster evolution, mono‐sized spheres were used to simulate the cluster evolutionary cycle. Overall, twelve experimental runs were carried out in the laboratory flume. Six of these tests were performed by using glass spheres (specific gravity, SG = 2·58) and the other six by employing an equal combination of glass and Teflon spheres (SG = 2·12) of the same diameter to evaluate the role of specific gravity on cluster evolution. The three sediment availability conditions that were investigated here simulated isolated gravel elements, pool–riffle sequences and densely packed gravel‐bed. An advanced image analysis technique was employed to track the evolution of cluster microforms and provide quantitative information about the size and shape of clusters and the number of clusters per unit area. The results of this study showed that: (1) sediment availability affects the architecture and size of cluster microforms; and (2) clusters consisting of mono‐sized sediments start disintegrating at twice the incipient conditions. By performing complementary tests for the isolated gravel elements case, it was found that the evolutionary cycle of individual clusters could be described as follows, in order of increasing stress: no cluster→two particle cluster→comet→triangle→rhomboid→break up. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effective permittivity of porous media: a critical analysis of the complex refractive index model

The availability of reliable constitutive models linking the bulk electric properties of porous media to their inner structure is a key requirement for useful quantitative applications of noninvasive methods. This study focuses on the use of dielectric measurements to monitor fluid saturation changes in porous materials. A number of empirical, semi-empirical and theoretical relationships currently exists that link the bulk dielectric constant with volumetric water content. One such relationship, named complex refractive index model or Lichteneker-Rother model has been extensively applied in recent years. Here we first analyse the characteristics of this Lichteneker-Rother model by means of theoretical considerations. This theoretical analysis indicates that the Lichteneker-Rother exponent is dependent upon the geometrical properties of the porous structure, as well as the permittivity contrast between the different phases. Pore-scale modelling and experimental data further support this result. The parameter estimation robustness in presence of synthetic data error is also assessed. This demonstrates that Lichteneker-Rother parameters cannot, in general, be independently identified on the basis of bulk dielectric constant versus moisture content data.     

Analysis of Coherent Structures Within the Atmospheric Boundary Layer

Large-eddy simulation has become an important tool for the study of the atmospheric boundary layer. However, since large-eddy simulation does not simulate small scales, which do interact to some degree with large scales, and does not explicitly resolve the viscous sublayer, it is reasonable to ask if these limitations affect significantly the ability of large-eddy simulation to simulate large-scale coherent structures. This issue is investigated here through the analysis of simulated coherent structures with the proper orthogonal decomposition technique. We compare large-eddy simulation of the atmospheric boundary layer with direct numerical simulation of channel flow. Despite the differences of the two flow types it is expected that the atmospheric boundary layer should exhibit similar structures as those in the channel flow, since these large-scale coherent structures arise from the same primary instability generated by the interaction of the mean flow with the wall surface in both flows. It is shown here that several important similarities are present in the two simulations: (i) coherent structures in the spanwise-vertical plane consist of a strong ejection between a pair of counter-rotating vortices; (ii) each vortex in the pair is inclined from the wall in the spanwise direction with a tilt angle of approximately 45°; (iii) the vortex pair curves up in the streamwise direction. Overall, this comparison adds further confidence in the ability of large-eddy simulation to produce large-scale structures even when wall models are used. Truncated reconstruction of instantaneous turbulent fields is carried out, testing the ability of the proper orthogonal decomposition technique to approximate the original turbulent field with only a few of the most important eigenmodes. It is observed that the proper orthogonal decomposition reconstructs the turbulent kinetic energy more efficiently than the vorticity.     

Adsorption of NO, SO2 and light hydrocarbons on activated Greek brown coals

Twenty-eight samples of peat, peaty lignites and lignites (of both matrix and xylite-rich lithotypes) and subbituminous coals have been physically activated by pyrolysis. The results show that the surface area of the activated coal samples increases substantially and the higher the carbon content of the samples the higher the surface area.The adsorption capacity of the activated coals for NO, SO₂, C₃H₆ and a mixture of light hydrocarbons (CH₄, C₂H₆, C₃H₈ and C₄H₁₀) at various temperatures was measured on selected samples. The result shows a positive correlation between the surface area and the gas adsorption. In contrast, the gas adsorption is inversely correlated with the temperature. The maximum recorded adsorption values are: NO = 8.22 × 10^− 5 mol/g at 35 °C; SO₂ = 38.65 × 10^− 5 mol/g at 60 °C; C₃H₆ = 38.9 × 10^− 5 mol/g at 35 °C; and light hydrocarbons = 19.24 × 10^− 5 mol/g at 35 °C. Adsorption of C₃H₆ cannot be correlated with either NO or SO₂. However, there is a significant positive correlation between NO and SO₂ adsorptions. The long chain hydrocarbons are preferentially adsorbed on activated lignites as compared to the short chain hydrocarbons.The results also suggest a positive correlation between surface area and the content of telohuminite maceral sub-group above the level of 45%.     

Application of Greek lignite as an additive for controlling rheological and filtration properties of water–bentonite suspensions at high temperatures: A review

This review paper presents the results of an extensive study investigating whether addition of 3% w/w Greek lignite to 6.42% w/w water–bentonite suspensions, after being exposed to high temperatures, can prevent gelation and control filtration characteristics. Two different bentonites and eight lignites from different Greek basins have been used while a commercial lignite product has been used as standard. The lignite-free bentonite suspensions heated to 177 °C for 16 h (thermal aging) thicken considerably, increasing the yield stress and the yield point. Fluid consistency and flow behavior indices also change while no significant change is observed for plastic viscosity. Thermal aging of the suspensions results in unacceptably high fluid loss values.Addition of Greek lignite to water–bentonite suspensions, followed by thermal aging, provided the rheological stability of the suspensions by maintaining the low yield stress/point regardless of the type of bentonite. Some of the lignites performed as well as their commercial counterpart. No specific trends for rheological improvement have been identified with respect to various characteristics of lignites such as contents of humic, fulvic acids, humins and other parameters such as specific surface area and cation exchange capacity.Furthermore, addition of lignite in most cases provided very good filtration control of the water–bentonite suspensions after exposure to 177 °C, with some Greek lignites being superior to the commercial product. The same lignite parameters examined for rheological control, were also examined to determine their effect on fluid loss of these suspensions for both bentonites. The content of humic and fulvic acids of two groups of lignites showed weak inverse correlations with the fluid loss volumes for both bentonites, while all other parameters did not seem to directly correlate with the effectiveness of the lignites.     

Exact computation of Feynman-type integrals involving Gaussian random fields

We calculate explicitly some expectations (integrals over Hilbert spaces) of functionals of Gaussian random fields. Our work is inspired by the formulas for the harmonic oscillator. We also show how to do similar calculations by considering continuum limits of sequences of coupled harmonic oscillators. The results obtained in this work have applications in the study of random media, renormalization and scaling, and in engineering perturbation analysis.     

Dispersion of a Passive Scalar Fluctuating Plume in a Turbulent Boundary Layer. Part III: Stochastic Modelling

We analyze the reliability of the Lagrangian stochastic micromixing method in predicting higher-order statistics of the passive scalar concentration induced by an elevated source (of varying diameter) placed in a turbulent boundary layer. To that purpose we analyze two different modelling approaches by testing their results against the wind-tunnel measurements discussed in Part I (Nironi et al., Boundary-Layer Meteorology, 2015, Vol. 156, 415–446). The first is a probability density function (PDF) micromixing model that simulates the effects of the molecular diffusivity on the concentration fluctuations by taking into account the background particles. The second is a new model, named VP\(\varGamma \), conceived in order to minimize the computational costs. This is based on the volumetric particle approach providing estimates of the first two concentration moments with no need for the simulation of the background particles. In this second approach, higher-order moments are computed based on the estimates of these two moments and under the assumption that the concentration PDF is a Gamma distribution. The comparisons concern the spatial distribution of the first four moments of the concentration and the evolution of the PDF along the plume centreline. The novelty of this work is twofold: (i) we perform a systematic comparison of the results of micro-mixing Lagrangian models against experiments providing profiles of the first four moments of the concentration within an inhomogeneous and anisotropic turbulent flow, and (ii) we show the reliability of the VP\(\varGamma \) model as an operational tool for the prediction of the PDF of the concentration.     

Effects of salinity on mineralogy and chemical composition of Cerastoderma edule and Monodonta articulata shells

Shells of the mollusks Cerastoderma (Cerastoderma) edule (Linnaeus 1758) and Monodonta (Osilinus) articulata Lamark 1822 from salt evaporate basins in western Sicily are studied and the effect of environmental conditions (particularly salinity and water chemistry) on mineralogy and chemical composition is investigated and discussed.

The elements determined both in seawater and shell carbonate are: Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, Sr and Pb.

Both species studied discriminate against all the minor and trace elements determined; the degree of such discrimination, for some elements, is inversely related to salinity.

The mineralogical composition of the shells (Monodonta has a mixed mineralogy while Cerastoderma is entirely aragonitic) appears to be controlled neither by temperature nor by salinity.

In Monodonta shells direct correlations have been found between the following parameters: calcite-Sr (in younger shells only), calcite-Fe, calcite-Pb (in older shells only), calcite-Zn, salinity-Mg and salinity-Pb, whereas inverse correlations were observed between calcite and Sr (in older shells only) and calcite and Pb (in younger shells only). In Cerastoderma shells a direct correlation was found between salinity and Fe and Mg.

The thickness of the shells appears, in both species, to be an inverse linear function of salinity.     

Statistical estimation of the relative efficiency of natural attenuation mechanisms in contaminated aquifers

Using monitored natural attenuation is an increasingly popular strategy for dealing with contaminated aquifers. This paper provides a statistical methodology for the estimation of the relative efficiency of natural attenuation mechanisms. The methodology provides estimates, with associated measures of uncertainty, of the relative efficiency of four types of bio-degradation (oxidation using oxygen as the electron-acceptor, denitrification, iron reduction and sulfate reduction). A data set from Trecate, Italy, is analysed using the methodology. The analysis shows that sulfate is the main cause of hydrocarbon removal on this site. It is also seen that oxidation using oxygen seems to be more preferential than the other reactions, in the sense that this reaction is relatively more efficient than other reactions at locations where the hydrocarbon concentration is low.