RBFsim – A tool for early planning stage of riverbank filtration systems

Author:

Yadav Prabhas KumarORCID,Batheja Vibhu,Köhler Anton,Cantarella Vitor,Tufail Mudassar,Werth Charles,Grischek Thomas

Abstract

AbstractRiverbank filtration (RBF) is increasingly being considered an effective method to support the management of water supply and the management of groundwater-river water exchange. Literature, however, provides very limited methods for the initial evaluation of the RBF system. Specifically, initial evaluations need to rely on limited data, be cost-effective, and provide sufficient useful output. The paper provides the development of a tool called RBFsim, designed for the early assessment of flow hydraulics in a riverbank filtration (RBF) scheme during site selection and optimization of well operation. The developed tool allows simplified computation (based on the Analytical Element Method or AEM) of the flow field for single and multiple wells in a 2D homogeneous and isotropic aquifer with uniform flow. The tool superimposes analytical solutions for key RBF quantities such as residence time (the time required for river water to reach the well) and the proportions of water (contributed by the river and groundwater) in the well discharge. These solutions are superimposed on the developed flow field. Additionally, the tool can be used to evaluate the impact of riverbed clogging on the operation of the RBF system. The simplified computation due to AEM and limited data requirements allows the tool to be used in handheld (smartphones) or desktop devices with or without internet connection. RBFsim results are verified by comparing them with results from MODFLOW and MODPATH simulations, which are based on entirely different (finite difference) computational schemes. The obtained results from both these models match within the error margin of less than 5%. Further, the practicality and applicability of RBFsim are illustrated using synthetic and field data. While the tool provides a matching river water contribution ratio with field data, it demonstrates the best-fit residence times primarily for higher well discharge rates. These limitations are attributed to complexities observed in the field, such as a heterogeneous aquifer and nonuniform flow. Overall, the developed tool simplifies the complex computations required, particularly for assessing the feasibility and risk of RBF schemes. The developed tool’s methods and code are open-sourced (licensed under CC-BY 4.0), which promotes personalized modifications and extensions.

Funder

Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Dresden (HTW)

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3