Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

Flows found in many situations including gravel bed rivers, overland flows, and in partially filled pipes are turbulent. Such depth-limited flows always have patterns of small waves on the air/water boundary. We believe that the dynamic behaviour of these small waves carries information about the turbulent mixing and energy losses within that flow. Normally in engineering calculations the water surface is assumed to be flat and so this source of potentially very valuable information is ignored. This project will use laboratory observations and a complex 3D numerical model to study and predict the turbulent flow structures that are created by turbulent flows over rough solid boundaries. These flow structures then rise to the water surface and cause it to oscillate and create a distinct pattern of small waves. The numerical model will be able to predict the generation, growth and transport of these flow structures in 3D, and capture their effect on the water surface pattern. It is believed that by measuring the wave pattern it will be possible to predict the mixing and energy losses within the flow. The numerical model will be used to simulate this process for a wide range of physical scales, bed roughness types and flow depth to width ratios, so that a very wide range of flow regimes will have been examined.The wave pattern on a water surface can be measured using a number of methods; e.g. optical, eletromagnetic and acoustic. Acoustic measurements are particularly suited to hydraulic applications because they are fast, low-cost, non-invasive, and can be easily used at both small and large scales. An airborne acoustic sensor that can project sound energy onto the moving water surface pattern will be placed above the water surface in a channel or pipe. By examining the acoustic reflections, the behaviour of the air-water boundary will be measured. New methods of acoustic signal analysis and sound propagation theory are needed to re-construct the fine detail of the water surface patterns from the measured acoustic reflections. The processed acoustic data will then be combined with the knowledge gained from the laboratory and 3D numerical studies to provide engineers with relationships to estimate energy losses and turbulent mixing solely from measurements of the air-water boundary. Information on energy losses and turbulent mixing is needed to predict water levels for flood studies and to predict the mixing of pollutants and sediments accidentally released into rivers and pipes. This system will be able to improve flood prediction and warning, so providing better protection for people and their property. Better assessment of turbulent mixing in water bodies will help to protect better the natural environment and sensitive habitats. In the final part of the project, a prototype sensor system will be manufactured and tested at full scale in the River Taff, at an Environment Agency test facility. The results will be used to demonstrate the practical applicability of the concept and the technology to end users.

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

Water companies manage extensive networks of clean and waste water pipes. Sometimes these pipes fail catastrophically, resulting in; loss of supply to properties, public highway closures and potentially long-term inconvenience to business and the general public. Pipes also frequently suffer leakage resulting in loss of pressure, increased demands on water treatment works (increasing carbon emissions) and water-related ground instability for example. The potential for pipe failure is, to some extent, controlled by ground conditions, in particular soil corrosion and stresses resulting from ground movement. This project is concerned with understanding the relationship between ground conditions and pipe failure so that we can attempt to predict where pipes are more likely to fail. The project will focus on the Yorkshire Water region and will take advantage of their pipe failure database. Locations where pipe failure has occurred will be analysed against data on ground stability, terrain and soil corrosivity sourced from the British Geological Survey. A conceptual model of pipe failure and a map showing predicted failure rate will be developed. The results of this project are anticipated to improve the ability of Yorkshire Water to plan their asset investment strategies for repair and maintenance. This will allow them to target investment to pipes that are most susceptible to fail, and thus use customer's money more efficiently. It will also reduce the frequency of catastrophic pipe failures, long-term leakage and reduce diffuse pollution caused by leaking sewerage pipes and infiltration of groundwater into pipes (causing combined sewers to overflow). Whilst this project is specifically concerned with the Yorkshire Water region, the results and/or methodology tested during this project are anticipated to be transferable to other water companies.

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.