Ultimos avances en la operacin ptima de

multiples reservorios en tiempo real, control

de erupciones violentas en sistemas de
drenaje y control de inundaciones

Arturo S. Leon, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE

Associate Professor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Houston, Texas
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Acknowledgement

Students: Christopher Gifford-Miears, Yunji Choi, Parnian Hosseini,

Ibrahem Elayeb, Julia Rask, Ali Alnahit, Akemi Kanashiro
Post-Doc: Duan Chen
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I: Realtime operation of the Columbia River system

Project Objectives (Two grants)

2012-2015
Multi-objective optimization (multiple objectives)
Hydraulic routing (~2000 miles of river)
Robust optimization (uncertainty)

Nov. 2015 October 2018

create a computationally efficient framework that
can quantify flexibility and its value at various levels
of risk [when and how much power to sell or buy
(hourly time steps)]

Inflow uncertainty

Forecasted and actual streamflows

at Lower Granite Dam. The dark
blue and magenta lines depict what
forecasters expected to see as of
June 1 and 2 in 2010
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Inflow to GCL

Inflow to LGN

Why do we need to account for

uncertainty ?

KL-expansion

Representing DV using KL

Original data

KL with 5 terms
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Hydraulic routing:
~2000 miles of river

Proposed framework (when local

acceleration is relatively small)

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Hydraulic Performance Graph (HPG)

Rating Performance Graph (RPG)

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A different RPG for each vertical

position of gates.

River network routing

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Comparison of proposed framework with the Unsteady HEC-RAS model

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What about if local acceleration is important (e.g.,

dam break problem)?

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CPU Times and robustness

(1) Proposed framework is about 100-1000
times faster than HEC-RAS. Numerical
efficiency increases exponentially compared
to 2D models.
(2) Robustness: Proposed framework is more
robust because oscillations and instabilities
are removed during the construction of the
performance graphs.
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OPTIMIZATION:
Classical Methods - Gradient-based

Linear programming, Nonlinear programming

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Genetic Algorithms

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Hybrid Optimization: Our approach

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Hybrid method is 10-50 times faster than NSGA-II

Reduction of decision variables in optimization:

Ten reservoirs of FCRPS

Without Reduction

Transforming decision
variables from timedomain to frequency
domain

With Reduction

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Comparison of method with reduction and without reduction of decision variables

Reduction of decision variables in

optimization (Cont.)

Reduction from 3360

to about 13 DV

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Chen, D., Leon, A. S., Gibson, N. L. and Hosseini, P. (2015), Dimension reduction of decision variables
for multi-reservoir operation: A spectral optimization model. Water Resources Research. Accepted.

Our optimization-simulation model

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A case study: Columbia System

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Some results

Time traces of optimal turbine flow (GCL)

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Time traces of forebay elevation at

LWG

Concluding notes on operation of

reservoir systems
Multi-objective optimization (hybrid
optimization, reduction of decision variables)
Fast Hydraulic routing (~2000 miles of river)
Robust optimization (accounting for
uncertainty)
Integrated framework (CPU time = 1/500
1/10000 of state-of-the-art approaches)
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II: Violent geysers and transient events in

stormwater and combined sewer systems

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What is a geyser?

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Minneapolis geyser

20 m

2m

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Geysers and Transient events in

stormwater and combined sewer systems
Why is this important?
About 772 cities in the U.S.
operate one or more
combined sewer systems
(CSSs). Many more CSSs
are in planning or under
construction in the U.S. and
worldwide
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Source: http://villageofshorewood.org/475/CombinedSewer-System

Why is this important? (Cont.)

Many combined sewer
systems are operated at 2040% of their capacity to
avoid transients and geysers
If CSSs would be operated
at full capacity, CSOs would
be reduced in tens of billions
of gallons per year.
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Experimental setup

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Our
laboratory
geysers

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Explosive geysers

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Geyser Evolution Theory

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Reference: Leon (2016b)

Geyser evolution (Cont.)

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Reference: Leon (2016b)

Geyser evolution (Cont.)

Reference: Leon (2016b)

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Geyser evolution (Cont.)

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Reference: Leon (2016b)

Geyser evolution (Cont.)

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Reference: Leon (2016b)

Geyser evolution (Cont.)

Reference: Leon (2016b)

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Geyser evolution (Cont.)

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Reference: Leon (2016b)

Enhancement of intensity of geysers

Ostwalds Solubility Coefficient for some gases present
in stormwater and combined sewer systems

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Reference: Leon (2016a)

Geyser evolution
in vertical pipe
(video)

Slow motion:
quarter-speed
playback
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Actual speed

Geyser evolution in horizontal pipe (video)

Slow motion: quarter-speed playback

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Dimensional Analysis

Scale effects related to air

concentration are small when
Re > 3x105 and We0.5 > 170
(Pfister and Chanson 2014).
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Reference: Leon, Elayeb and Tang (2016a)

Measurement of velocity
I. Automatic detection and motion of bubbles

= /

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Reference: Leon, Elayeb and Tang (2016a)

Automatic detection and motion

of bubbles (Horizontal pipe)

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Reference: Leon, Elayeb and Tang (2016a)

II. Indirectly using ballistic equation

=
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III. Time lag of measured pressure peaks

= /

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Geyser height
versus air mass
flow rate

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Reference: Leon, Elayeb and Tang (2016a)

Curve fitting for

dimensionless
geyser height

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Reference: Leon, Elayeb and Tang (2016a)

3D numerical modeling of geyser (H=6m, D= 0.15 m)

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A first Basic
Retrofitting For
Minimizing Geyser
Intensity
Reference:
Leon, A. S. and Elayeb, I. and Tang, Y.
(2016) A retrofitting method for minimizing
the occurrence of violent geysers in
stormwater and combined sewer systems.
To be submitted to Journal of Hydraulic
Engineering.

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Videos of
retrofitting

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A1 (d/D = 1/2), H = 6m

A2 (d/D = 1/4), H = 6m

Videos of
retrofitting
(Cont.)

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A3 (d/D = 1/8), H = 6m

Curve fitting for

geyser height for
the retrofitting

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Reference: Leon, Elayeb and Tang (2016b)

Comparison of Data (geyser height) with and without

Retrofitting

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Reference: Leon, Elayeb and Tang (2016b)

Obtained Geyser Equations

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Reference: Leon, Elayeb and Tang (2016b)

Modeling of combined sewer systems

(ITM)

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ITM animation of a section of Calumet CSS

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ITM animation of a section of Calumet CSS

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Pumping station 27street Chicago

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Tidal gate. 27 street pumping station - Chicago

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Contaminant intrusion due to CSO discharge,

Chicago River

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Concluding notes
1. Explosive geysers were produced for the first
time under controlled conditions (laboratory
geyser).
2. The experimental study resulted in dimensionless
equations to predict geyser height and velocity.
3. A retrofitting strategy for minimizing the
occurrence of geysers has been tested with
success.
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III: Flood control at the watershed scale

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Motivation

Real National Flood Damages 19342001 (NWS reanalyzed data)

http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1066&context=jcwre

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Flood damages in the U.S.

have been largely
increasing since 1934.

Motivation (Cont.)
The frequency and
intensity of severe storms
has also increased
Peterson, T. C. et al. (2013). Monitoring and understanding
changes in heat waves, cold waves, floods and droughts in
the United States: State of knowledge. Bulletin American
Meteorological Society, 94, 821-834.

Trends in Annual Flood Magnitude for 1920-2008

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Motivation (Cont.)
Structural measures (traditional approach)
Dam and
Reservoirs

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Diversion
channels

Levees and
walls

Motivation (Cont.)
Nonstructural measures: stormwater management,
watershed management, and floodplain management
Mississippi River flood (1993)
Would have been prevented if
13 million acres of wetlands (3% of
watershed area) were constructed
[Godschalk 1999]

Only 5.7 acres could retain the

natural runoff of a 410-acres
watershed
[Godschalk 1999]

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Motivation (Cont.)
However,

Wetland areas and

available storage
volumes have
DECREASED
significantly in the last
two centuries

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Dynamic management of Wetlands

and shallow ponds
One alternative for flood control could
be the storage management of
constructed wetlands or natural shallow
ponds (height < ~ 5 m)
Wetlands would be partially emptied
ahead of a rainfall that is forecasted to
produce flooding.
Using..
A Remotely Controlled Siphon System
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Decision Support System (DSS)

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Our Proposed
Siphon System
It can be REMOTELY OPERATED with a
SCADA-type control through direct
radio or wireless radio activation
Doesnt require ENERGY except for
keeping the siphon pipe full
Flood managers can operate hundreds
or thousands of these siphons
simultaneously
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EXPERIMENTAL WORK:
Instruments/components
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Upstream tank
1.5 PVC Pipe
Check valve
Submergible pump
Air valve
Valve actuator
Solar panel
Data Acquisition
System
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Our siphon in action

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EXPERIMENTAL WORK: Measurement

Conditions

HA = 1.14 m, HB = 0.60 m, HC = 0.30 m

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EXPERIMENTAL WORK:
Measurement Conditions
Area of valve openings
(100%, 75%, 50%, 25% of
pipe cross-sectional area)
Time of valve openings
Fast opening (0.1s)
Slow opening (3 min)

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3D Numerical Model
Mesh sizes:
Upstream tank: 0.03 m
Downstream tank: 0.09 m
Pipe: 0.006 m

Model Specifications:
Reynolds-Averaged Turbulence model:
K- Turbulence
Multiphase Flow Model: Volume of Fluid
CFD model: Star-CCM+
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3D Numerical Model: Initial Conditions

Volume Fraction of Air
1
0

HA

HA = 1.14 m, HB = 0.60 m, HC = 0.30 m

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3D Numerical Model: Grid Convergence

Velocity at location A for three
different mesh sizes
Grid 1= 0.01 m
Grid 2= 0.008 m
Grid 3= 0.006 m

A
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Analytical Solution

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2( )

Experimental work: Results

Absolute pressure head versus time

H = 0.30 m, fast opening, filtered data

Siphon top
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Siphon inlet

Siphon outlet

3D Numerical Model: Results

H = 0.60 m, O = 25%, fast opening, Simul. time = 110 s
Absolute
pressure (Pa)

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Velocity
magnitude
(m/s)

Comparison of Analytical, Numerical, and

Experimental results
Top, H = 0.30 m, O = 75%, fast opening

H = 0.30m

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CONCLUSIONS

The initiation of siphon flows regulated with a downstream ball

valve for rapid and slow valve openings were investigated.
The rate of depletion of water surface in the upstream tank
obtained numerically and analytically agreed well with the
experimental results.
The remotely-controlled siphon system was found to initiate
the flow regardless of the opening time of the valve. However,
leaks in the pipe may depressurize the siphon pipe and stop
the flow. Overall, the proposed siphon system can be an
effective method to dynamically manage the storage of
shallow ponds and wetlands for flood control.

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2 Recomendaciones para jvenes estudiantes

No tengan miedo a equivocarse. Equivocarse es parte

del aprendizaje. El que no quiere equivocarse no llega
muy lejos.
Creo que el secreto para ser exitoso en lo que uno hace
es la combinacin de (a) talento/habilidades y (b) que te
guste lo que hagas. Las habilidades cambian con el
tiempo. Si no sabes lo que te gusta o no sabes si tienes
talento en algo, intntalo. Sin embargo cambia de rumbo
si no te gusta lo que haces o no tienes el talento para
ello.
87

Muchas
gracias por
vuestra
atencin!

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