Pressure distribution phenomena over a wedge and sphere surface in uniform flow

In this paper, experimentally the pressure distribution over wedge and sphere surface in uniform flow has been investigated. Fluid flow over a smooth wedge surface was investigated experimentally to determine the pressure distribution at different values of Reynolds numbers and wedge angles as well as pressure distributions around the sphere of different size are reported for different Reynolds numbers. The variation of static pressures is larger near the wedge vertex and gradually decreases along the length of the wedge surface. At the forward stagnation point the pressure distribution depends on the size of spheres. Separation of flow takes place at an angle of 78° from forward stagnation point for all sizes of spheres. At the rear stagnation point of the sphere the pressure distribution predicts negative pressures. Experimental results provide useful information of interest to potential industrial application. It helps in determining the shape of various wedge and sphere surfaces used in industries for cooling or heating of different wedge surfaces. In the present experiment, it has been found that the pressure near vertex lower as the included angle of the wedge decreases and at lower values of Reynolds number.     

A neural network model for predicting aquifer water level elevations

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) were developed for accurately predicting potentiometric surface elevations (monitoring well water level elevations) in a semiconfined glacial sand and gravel aquifer under variable state, pumping extraction, and climate conditions. ANNs "learn" the system behavior of interest by processing representative data patterns through a mathematical structure analogous to the human brain. In this study, the ANNs used the initial water level measurements, production well extractions, and climate conditions to predict the final water level elevations 30 d into the future at two monitoring wells. A sensitivity analysis was conducted with the ANNs that quantified the importance of the various input predictor variables on final water level elevations. Unlike traditional physical-based models, ANNs do not require explicit characterization of the physical system and related physical data. Accordingly, ANN predictions were made on the basis of more easily quantifiable, measured variables, rather than physical model input parameters and conditions. This study demonstrates that ANNs can provide both excellent prediction capability and valuable sensitivity analyses, which can result in more appropriate ground water management strategies.     

Interannual variability of winter precipitation over northwest India and adjoining region: impact of global forcings

The role of El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the mechanism through which ENSO influences the precipitation variability over northwest India and the adjoining (NWIA) region is well documented. In this study, the relative role of North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)/Arctic Oscillation (AO) and ENSO in modulating the Asian jet stream in the Northern Hemisphere winter and their relative impact on the precipitation variability over the region have been estimated through analysis of observed data. It is seen that interannual variations of NWIA precipitation are largely influenced by ENSO. An empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis has been carried out to understand dominant modes of interannual variability of zonal wind at 200 hPa of the Northern Hemisphere. The EOF-1 pattern in the tropical region is similar to that of an ENSO pattern, and the principal component (PC) time series corresponds to the ENSO time series. The EOF-2 spatial pattern resembles that of NAO/AO with correlation of PC time series with AO and NAO being 0.74 and 0.62, respectively. The precipitation anomaly time series over the region of interest has marginally higher correlation with the PC-2 time series as compared to that of PC-1. Regression analysis of precipitation and circulation parameters indicates a larger contribution of the second mode to variability of winds and precipitation over the NWIA. Moisture transport from the Arabian Sea during the active phase of NAO/AO and the presence of a cyclonic anomaly lead to higher precipitation over the NWIA region.     

Spatio-temporal optimisation of agricultural drainage using groundwater models and genetic algorithms: an example from the Murray Irrigation Area,Australia

Drainage schemes for salinity management are aimed at lowering the shallow groundwater to help increase production and reduce ecological risks. Once the groundwater levels are lowered to desired agro-ecological thresholds, the drainage scheme’s operation needs to be optimised according to the spatio–temporal variation in groundwater dynamics. Groundwater systems can be modelled if their behaviour is fully known and understood but a key difficulty in optimisation is dealing with non-linear and non-unique spatio-temporal problems. Such problems can be optimised using genetic algorithms (GA) aimed at finding near optimal solutions to highly non-linear optimisation problems. The major advantages of GAs are their broad applicability, flexibility and their ability to find solutions with relatively modest computational requirements. A surface water/groundwater interaction model has been developed in conjunction with GA based spatio-temporal optimisation of pumping operation of a subsurface drainage scheme. The aim has been to achieve a similar or better than on-going level of service both in space and time domains. The Wakool Tullakool Subsurface Drainage Scheme in the Murray Irrigation Area, Australia is discussed to illustrate the modelling process. The model results are being used to plan the cost-effective operation of the tubewells to control water logging and salinisation.     

Modeling the impact of groundwater harvesting on the hydro-salinity of a saline catchment in southeastern Australia

Recharge to a saline, unconfined shallow-water-table aquifer is normally considered as an irrecoverable loss of water, but such thinking could be reviewed empirically. The use of an appropriate groundwater harvesting system does not only provide an opportunity to recover this lost water, but can also help in catchment salinity management and improvement. Agricultural-based land-drainage systems such as those that use serial biological concentration (SBC) of salts, provide examples of such harvesting methods. The impact of groundwater harvesting has been assessed on the hydro-salinity of a saline catchment in southeastern Australia through modeling. For both the below average rainfall and very wet years, the “do nothing” scenario resulted in increasing salinization in the catchment. However, after introducing a SBC system, groundwater salinity showed a decreasing trend while hydraulic heads tended to stabilize around the depth of subsurface collector wells. However, for a successful groundwater harvesting system, proper understanding of the groundwater flows and salt mobilization associated with a catchment is necessary. The outcomes of this modelling study have the potential to address similar issues (salinization) and/or needs (water harvesting) existing elsewhere in the world, particularly in semi-arid regions.

A note on the self-consistency of the EIH equations of motion

The self-consistency of the Einstein Infeld and Hoffman (EIH) equations of motion is critically examined in the limiting case of a threebody problem where two bodies are very close to each other and a third quite far removed from them     

The use of vertical electrical sounding resistivity method for the location of low salinity groundwater for irrigation in Chaj and Rachna Doabs

A geoelectrical resistivity survey using vertical electrical sounding (VES) was conducted at Chaj Doab (land between rivers Jhelum and Chenab, Pakistan) and Rachna Doab (land between rivers Chenab and Ravi, Pakistan), with the objective of investigating groundwater conditions. A total of 90 sites were selected with 43 sites in Chaj and 47 sites in Rachna Doabs. The resistivity meter (ABEM Terrameter SAS 4000, Sweden) was used to collect the VES data by employing a Schlumberger electrode configuration, with half current electrode spacings (AB/2) ranging from 2 to 180 m and the potential electrode (MN) from 1 to 40 m. The field data were interpreted using the Interpex IX1D computer software and the resistivity versus depth models for each location was estimated. The outputs of subsurface layers with resistivities and thickness presented in contour maps and 3-D views by using SURFER software were created. A total of 102 groundwater samples from nearby hydrowells at different depths were collected to develop a correlation between the aquifer resistivity of VES and the electrical conductivity (EC) of the groundwater and to confirm the resulted geophysical resistivity models. From the correlation developed, it was observed that the groundwater salinity in the aquifer may be considered low and so safe for irrigation if resistivity >45 Ω m, and marginally fit for irrigation having resistivity between 25 and 45 Ω m. The study area has resistivities from 3.9 to 2,222 Ω m at the top of the unsaturated layer, between 1.21 and 171 Ω m, in the shallow aquifers, and 0.14–152 Ω m in the deep aquifers of the study area. The results indicate that the quality of groundwater is better near the rivers and in the shallow layers compared to the deep layers.     

G-dwarf metallicity distribution curves assuming an inhomogeneous interstellar medium

We show that the explicit assumption of a chemically inhomogeneous interstellar medium allows a better reproduction of the metallicity distribution of G-dwarfs in the solar neighbourhood. The inhomogeneity is considered by assuming that at any time stars are born with a spread in their metallicities, the spread being a Gaussian in the logarithm of the metallicity around the mean metallicity of that epoch. We show that for various simple models of chemical evolution, the fit to the G-dwarf metallicity curve improves considerably once the above assumption is applied. We show that the parameters obtained from the fitting also give acceptable predictions for the age-metallicity relation. We also find that if we use a G-dwarf metallicity function corrected for the scale height inflation of stars, the conventional models of chemical evolution cannot match the shape of the curve, at least under the instantaneous recycling approximation applied to a chemically homogeneous ISM. Under the inhomogeneous ISM approximation, the predicted shapes are found to be better, though not totally satisfactory.