Saturday, November 30, 2013

How Clouds Move from Starts with a Bang

An interesting post from Starts with a Bang about moving clouds in one large Image.
The daytime photo techniques are incredible for showing how clouds move over time and appear to smear out across the sky, painting a glorious natural picture.
Image credit: Matt Molloy.
Image credit: Matt Molloy.
When even more frames are added, it can produce skies that look like they’re straight out of a painting.
Image credit: Matt Molloy.
Image credit: Matt Molloy.
But the photos that blew me away the most were the ones that combined day-and-night in a way I’d never before imagined: not only with sunsets and clouds, but with the color of the aurorae thrown in there, too!
Image credit: Matt Molloy.
Image credit: Matt Molloy.
Image credit: Matt Molloy.
Image credit: Matt Molloy.
Matt’s photos are truly works of art to be marveled at, and you can purchase them here. There’s also an interview with the 29-year-old Canadian photographer, where he reveals that these sunset track images typically consist of 100 to 200 photos each!
Found via This is Colossal and Bored Panda, and you can see even more at his flickr gallery or over at 500px. Happy weekend, and don’t forget to pick your jaw up off the floor before you go!

Friday, November 29, 2013

Runoff from One Watershed for a 100 Year Simulation with SWMM 5 Statistics for Peak, Mean and Total Runoff

Introduction:  This set of blogs uses the 1000 year rainfall/runoff/hydraulics model that you can download at http://swmm2000.com/forum/topics/1000-year-simulation-with-rainfall-in-swmm-5 to show the inner workings of SWMM 5 and by extension InfoSWMM and H2oMap SWMM using a QA/QC version of SWMM 5 with extended graphics.   I always hope that seeing the inner workings of a SWMM 5 feature helps to understand the code, sensitivity and importance of a parameter.   It also helps show sometimes when a parameter is not important.  

Discussion:  In this blog we look at the Runoff total over the 100 year period, graph the runoff (Figure 1) and show the Mean, Total and Peak Runoff using the Statistics Command in SWMM 5.   The Frequency plots shown in Figure 1 are made using event separation time of 6 hours.  The number of Runoff Events over the 100 year period is 11,144 events.   The details of the simulation are shown in Figure 2.

Figure 1.   Runoff from One Watershed for a 100 Year Simulation with SWMM 5 Statistics for Peak, Mean and Total Runoff

Figure 2.  Details of the Simulation Watershed
[TITLE]

[OPTIONS]
FLOW_UNITS           CFS
INFILTRATION         GREEN_AMPT
FLOW_ROUTING         DYNWAVE
START_DATE           01/01/2500
START_TIME           00:00:00
REPORT_START_DATE    01/01/2500
REPORT_START_TIME    00:00:00
END_DATE             12/31/2599
END_TIME             23:00:00
SWEEP_START          01/01
SWEEP_END            01/30
DRY_DAYS             0
REPORT_STEP          01:00:00
WET_STEP             00:15:00
DRY_STEP             00:30:00
ROUTING_STEP         0:01:00
ALLOW_PONDING        NO
INERTIAL_DAMPING     NONE
VARIABLE_STEP        0.75
LENGTHENING_STEP     1
MIN_SURFAREA         0
NORMAL_FLOW_LIMITED  BOTH
SKIP_STEADY_STATE    NO
FORCE_MAIN_EQUATION  H-W
LINK_OFFSETS         DEPTH
MIN_SLOPE            0
; Added Parameters for QA/QC
MAX_PROCESSORS       NO
BYPASS               YES
ThetaStorage         NO
MAX_ITERATIONS       8
MIN_ITERATIONS       2
TOLERANCE            0.001000
RELAXATION           0.50
AREAWEIGHT           1.00
HYDRAULICWEIGHT      1.00
DWF_GLOBAL           1.0
RDII_GLOBAL          1.0
DEPTH_UNITS         
SaveAllData          NO

[FILES]
SAVE RAINFALL "C:\Users\Robert E Dickinson\Desktop\Desktop_July2012\RainFall.rff"

[EVAPORATION]
;;Type       Parameters
;;---------- ----------
MONTHLY      .1     0.1    .1     0.15   0.2    0.3    0.191  0.3    0.2    0.1    0.05   0.05 
RECOVERY     soil
DRY_ONLY     YES

[RAINGAGES]
;;               Rain      Time   Snow   Data     
;;Name           Type      Intrvl Catch  Source   
;;-------------- --------- ------ ------ ----------
RainGage         VOLUME    1:00   1.0    FILE       "D:\100_years_rainfall.dat" user       IN  

[SUBCATCHMENTS]
;;                                                 Total    Pcnt.             Pcnt.    Curb     Snow   
;;Name           Raingage         Outlet           Area     Imperv   Width    Slope    Length   Pack   
;;-------------- ---------------- ---------------- -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
MySubCatchment           RainGage         Storage          10       10       100      0.5      0                       

[SUBAREAS]
;;Subcatchment   N-Imperv   N-Perv     S-Imperv   S-Perv     PctZero    RouteTo    PctRouted
;;-------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
MySubCatchment           0.02       0.05       0.05       0.1        25         OUTLET   

[INFILTRATION]
;;Subcatchment   Suction    HydCon     IMDmax   
;;-------------- ---------- ---------- ----------
MySubCatchment           4          1          0.25     

[OUTFALLS]
;;               Invert     Outfall    Stage/Table      Tide
;;Name           Elev.      Type       Time Series      Gate
;;-------------- ---------- ---------- ---------------- ----
Outfall          0          FREE                        NO

[STORAGE]
;;               Invert   Max.     Init.    Storage    Curve                      Ponded   Evap.  
;;Name           Elev.    Depth    Depth    Curve      Params                     Area     Frac.    Infiltration Parameters
;;-------------- -------- -------- -------- ---------- -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- -----------------------
Storage          1        9        0        FUNCTIONAL 10       0        0        0        0       

[CONDUITS]
;;               Inlet            Outlet                      Manning    Inlet      Outlet     Init.      Max.     
;;Name           Node             Node             Length     N          Offset     Offset     Flow       Flow     
;;-------------- ---------------- ---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
VENANT           Storage          Outfall          500        0.013      0          0          0          0        

[XSECTIONS]
;;Link           Shape        Geom1            Geom2      Geom3      Geom4      Barrels    Culvert Code  Transition Multipler
;;-------------- ------------ ---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
VENANT           CIRCULAR     3                0          0          0          1          0          0          0        

[LOSSES]
;;Link           Inlet      Outlet     Average    Flap Gate
;;-------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------

[POLLUTANTS]
;;               Mass   Rain       GW         I&I        Decay      Snow  Co-Pollut.       Co-Pollut. DWF      
;;Name           Units  Concen.    Concen.    Concen.    Coeff.     Only  Name             Fraction   Concen.  
;;-------------- ------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----- ---------------- ---------- ----------
tn               MG/L   1          0.0        0.0        0.0        NO    *                0.0        0.0      

[LOADINGS]
;;Subcatchment   Pollutant        Loading  
;;-------------- ---------------- ----------

[INFLOWS]
;;                                                 Param    Units    Scale    Baseline Baseline
;;Node           Parameter        Time Series      Type     Factor   Factor   Value    Pattern
;;-------------- ---------------- ---------------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
Storage          FLOW             ""               FLOW     1.0      1.0      1      

[DWF]
;;                                Average    Time     
;;Node           Parameter        Value      Patterns 
;;-------------- ---------------- ---------- ----------
Storage          FLOW             2          "Hourly"

[HYDROGRAPHS]
;;               Rain Gage/     
;;Name           Month            Response R        T        K        IA_max   IA_rec   IA_ini 
;;-------------- ---------------- -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
MANY             RainGage       
MANY             All              Short    .1       1        1        1        .01      0      
MANY             All              Medium   .05      3        3        1        .01      0      
MANY             All              Long     .01      5        10       1        .01      0      


[RDII]
;;Node           Unit Hydrograph  Sewer Area
;;-------------- ---------------- ----------
Storage          MANY             1        

[PATTERNS]
;;Name           Type       Multipliers
;;-------------- ---------- -----------
soil             MONTHLY    .01   .10   1     2     1     .10 
soil                        .01   .10   1     2     1     .1  

Hourly           HOURLY     0.191 0.236 0.251 0.302 0.400 0.463
Hourly                      0.703 1.000 0.876 0.670 0.491 0.456
Hourly                      0.400 0.358 0.274 0.290 0.373 0.385
Hourly                      0.468 0.596 0.640 0.543 0.403 0.364

[REPORT]
INPUT      YES
CONTROLS   NO
SUBCATCHMENTS ALL
NODES ALL
LINKS ALL

[TAGS]

[MAP]
DIMENSIONS 747573.697 247745.801 753800.907 251809.529
Units      Feet

[COORDINATES]
;;Node           X-Coord            Y-Coord          
;;-------------- ------------------ ------------------
Outfall          747879.187         247930.516       
Storage          750522.255         249213.382       

[VERTICES]
;;Link           X-Coord            Y-Coord          
;;-------------- ------------------ ------------------

[Polygons]
;;Subcatchment   X-Coord            Y-Coord          
;;-------------- ------------------ ------------------
MySubCatchment           747856.752         247967.907       
MySubCatchment           747726.887         248390.794       
MySubCatchment           747597.022         248813.681       
MySubCatchment           747221.312         249101.864       
MySubCatchment           747337.291         249659.456       
MySubCatchment           747484.496         250917.382       
MySubCatchment           749812.998         251702.471       
MySubCatchment           753039.238         251624.814       
MySubCatchment           753965.941         250721.110       
MySubCatchment           753517.852         247990.342       

[SYMBOLS]
;;Gage           X-Coord            Y-Coord          
;;-------------- ------------------ ------------------
RainGage         750276.915         250966.450       

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Innovyze Releases Award-Winning InfoSWMM SFEM, Breakthrough Solution for Wastewater Master Planning

Innovyze Releases Award-Winning InfoSWMM SFEM, Breakthrough Solution for Wastewater Master Planning

Release Supports Short-Term and Long Range Evaluation and Planning Processes for Wastewater Utilities Worldwide

Broomfield, Colorado, USA, November 19, 2013

Redrawing the boundaries of wastewater collection system modeling, Innovyze, a leading global innovator of business analytics software and technologies for smart wet infrastructure, today announced the release of InfoSWMM SFEM (Sewer Flow Estimation Model). Extensively tested by the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation and winner of the City’s 2013 Quality and Productivity Improvement Award, this revolutionary dynamic sewer flow estimation software changes the way wastewater utilities around the world combine GIS data with dynamic network modeling and advanced analytics to expand and maintain large, complex and rapidly aging wastewater collection systems. Its primary strength is the ability to accurately estimate current and future sewer system flows to help users evaluate sewer system capacity and overloaded sewer mains with a high risk of collapse, and determine the condition of sewers. Armed with this information, wastewater utilities can plan improvements that mitigate or avoid adverse public health and economic impacts and keep the sewer system operating effectively well into the future, even in the face of limited budgets and growing populations.

Wastewater infrastructure in the United States is clearly aging, and capital spending is unable to keep pace with needs. There are between 700,000 and 800,000 miles of public sewer mains in the country, and capital investments in those pipes account for between 80% and 85% of all wastewater system investment requirements. Fixing and expanding the pipes will address sanitary sewer overflows, combined sewer overflows, and other pipe-related issues. The recently released ASCE 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructures gave the nation’s wastewater a near failing grade of D — a very slight improvement from the D minus given in the previous Report Card, issued in 2009. Yet this critical infrastructure is projected to see the largest investment gap, falling 73% short of needs. This gap will only widen with time, and addressing it will become increasingly more expensive. This state of affairs does little to assuage the public’s health and economic needs or maintain its confidence in the ecological health of the nation’s waterways, and it presents a significant challenge to wastewater utilities charged with consistently providing safe, reliable service.

An invaluable wastewater master planning tool, InfoSWMM SFEM was developed to support the short-term and long-range planning needs of wastewater utilities worldwide. The program uses census, land use and other planning data to estimate current and projected population and wastewater flows. It automatically defines tributary basins and estimates flows within the basins.

Users can then conduct several levels of planning studies to assess current sewer system capacity and future capacity needs, identify hydraulic deficiencies, and determine sound and cost-effective system improvements, flow routing, and operation plans. In addition, the model can be effectively used to identify strategic flow gauging locations, calibrate estimated flows, manage industrial discharges and perform general planning analyses.

“With powerful customer and industry-driven innovations, the new InfoSWMM SFEM meets not only utilities short-term planning needs, but also long-range master planning efforts up to a century in the future,” said J. Erick Heath, P.E., Innovyze Vice President, Director of Americas Operations. “Because it is so easy to learn and use, it will quickly transform our users’ day-to-day sewer modeling tasks and dramatically improve their workflows. Wastewater utilities can now quickly evaluate sound infrastructure improvement options far more effortlessly than ever before.”

InfoSWMM is a standard for mainstream geocentric sewer system modeling and management,” said Paul F. Boulos, Ph.D., BCEEM, Hon.D.WRE, Dist.D.NE, F.ASCE, President, COO and Chief Technical Officer of Innovyze. “Users are continuously demanding more from their sewer modeling software, and Innovyze has again responded to their calls. We developed the most powerful and comprehensive solution available for dynamic sewer flow estimation in terms of usability, functionality and performance. InfoSWMM SFEM makes even the most sophisticated and challenging sewer system analysis fast and easy, regardless of users’ technical expertise. This effectively extends its benefits across the entire enterprise. We are very proud to offer this groundbreaking new power tool to our clients.”

Monday, November 11, 2013

How Inlets and Overland Flow Junctions work in InfoSWMM

The overland flow junction does have an invert and rim elevation, it is usually part of a road system and you can drain Subcatchment flow to the overland flow junction.   If an Inlet node is flooded the excess water can flow out of the inlet to the street through the overland flow junction.  There is a virtual link between the Inlet Junction and the Overland Flow Junction.




Sunday, November 10, 2013

What are the Options for LID Inflow and Outflow In SWMM 5?

What are the Options for LID Inflow and Outflow in SWMM 5?

The Runoff Surfaces in SWMM 5 are:
1.      Pervious area with either Green Ampt, Horton or CN Infiltration
2.     Impervious area without Depression Storage or Initial Losses
3.     Impervious area with Depression Storage or Initial Losses

Outflow Options for the Runoff in SWMM 5 are:
1.      Pervious from Impervious
2.     Impervious from Pervious
3.     The Subcatchment Node Outlet Or Another Subcatchment based on the Outlet Name

The LID inflow in SWMM 5 can be from:
1.      The pervious area
2.     The pervious area plus a fraction of the impervious area
3.     The Rainfall on the LID Area
4.     A LID can cover the entire Subcatchment and can get all of the Flow from another Subcatchment as well as the Rainfall on the Subcatchment

The LID outflow in SWMM 5 can be to:
1.      The outlet of the Subcatchment
2.     The pervious area of the Subcatchment

Note: These options also apply to InfoSWMM and H2OMap SWMM 


The Effect of the LID Percent Impervious Treated in SWMM5

The Effect of the LID Percent Impervious Treated in SWMM5

If you use the option percent impervious treated for LID's on a Subcatchment then a percent of the impervious flow is routed to the LID.  For example, 50 percent of roof runoff to a LID Swale.  It has the impact of reducing the peak and total runoff fro the whole Subcatchment but increases the LID only flow.  From the SWMM 5 help file  "The percent of the impervious portion of the subcatchment's non-LID area whose runoff is treated by the LID practice. (E.g., if rain barrels are used to capture roof runoff and roofs represent 60% of the impervious area, then the impervious area treated is 60%). If the LID unit treats only direct rainfall, such as with a green roof, then this value should be 0. If the LID takes up the entire subcatchment then this field is ignored"
Figure 1.   LID's get 50 percent of the impervious flow which reduce the overall flow from the Subcatchments.

Figure 2.  No Impervious Flow to the LID. 




Thursday, November 7, 2013

From CHI - International Conference on Stormwater and Urban Water Systems Modeling, Toronto Canada (February 26 and 27) - Call for papers

http://www.chiwater.com/images/CHI_Conference_Logo_Banner1.jpg


47th Annual International Conference
Toronto, Canada
February 26-27, 2014


Call for papers

Have you implemented a good idea recently? Do you have hard facts and figures?
If so, you should consider presenting at this conference. Your audience will be large (>100) and comprise equally active and thoughtful professionals.

The annual International Conference on Stormwater and Urban Water Systems Modeling is a forum for professionals from across North America and overseas to exchange ideas and experience on current practices and emerging technologies. This is the 47th annual SWMM Users Group Meeting, the 23rd in the current series of annual Toronto conferences, and the 34th to be held in Canada. The atmosphere is relaxed, presentations are of a high standard and by accepting papers up to the last few weeks before the event, a spontaneity is achieved which gives this conference special character.

Who will be attending?

·         Civil Engineers
·         Environmental Engineers
·         Consultants
·         Instructors and Researchers from universities and research institutions
·         Municipal and Government Engineering professionals
·         Public Works personnel
·         Policy Makers
·         Fluvial Geomorphologists
·         Urban Geographers
·         Aquatic Biologists
·         Ecologists
·         Landscape Engineers and Architects
·         Other scientists and engineers

Suggested topics:

·         2D Modeling
·         LIDs, BMPs, TMDLs and Wetlands
·         Urban water system modeling
·         GIS, FM/AM and CAD systems
·         Decision analysis systems
·         Bio-computing (genetic algorithms and neural networks)
·         Using computer models to resolve real pollution problems / eco-restoration
·         Surface water quality modeling
·         Modeling impacts on aquatic systems / habitats
·         Stormwater / pollution management modeling
·         Urban drainage system design and analysis
·         Field data monitoring and instrumentation
·         Climate change and system security
·         Policy, legislation, permitting and enforcement

Submitting a Paper:

·         Notices of intent to submit a paper are invited immediately
·         One-page abstracts are due as soon as possible (must include title) and at the latest byFebruary 3rd, 2014
·         The final paper is due at the conference
Notices of intent to submit an abstract should include a title or topic that you wish to cover, a brief outline if possible, and the names and contact information of the authors involved.
For more information about submitting papers, please visit the Author information page and Paper formatting instructions. Abstract acceptance will be intimated promptly, and format requirements emailed to the authors.
If you have any questions about abstract submittal, please email or phone 519-767-0197.
http://chiwater.com/images/Submitabstract.PNG

The Conference is endorsed by:

·         ASCE Urban Water Resources Research Council
·         Ontario Ministry of Environment
·         American Water Resources Association
·         US Environmental Protection Agency
·         Conservation Ontario
·         Canadian Society of Civil Engineering
For more information about the conference and to register, please visit www.chiwater.com
Please take a moment to forward this notice to a colleague and we look forward to seeing you there.

Best Regards,
Meghan Korman
Conference Organizer
Computational Hydraulics International (CHI)
Tel. (519) 767-0197
meghan@chiwater.com

If you have any other questions, please contact CHI.
You may unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive our conference emails.

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