Progettazione di una cassa d’espansione e determinazione della riduzione del rischio idraulico con modellazione 2D

Nell’articolo si studia l’effetto di una cassa d’espansione posta a monte di un’area fluviale soggetta a rischio idraulico. Lo strumento utilizzato è un software bidimensionale sviluppato per simulare la propagazione delle piene fluviali. Il dominio di calcolo è rappresentato da una mesh triangolare non strutturata con una maggiore densità di elementi all’interno dell’alveo e nelle zone immediatamente limitrofe. Per facilitare gli accumuli temporanei di parte dei volumi di piena, si ipotizza la costruzione di un restringimento dell’alveo per mezzo di due pareti verticali che avvicinano le sponde fluviali. Durante la piena, il passaggio per lo stato critico nel restringimento provoca un rigu…

Identifying wave and turbulence components in wind-driven shallow basins

Wind-induced waves play an important role in shallow lake hydro- and sediment dynamics. That is why field measurements are important for the validation of their estimation methods, especially in shallow waters. In the first part of the present paper a method is introduced to improve the interpretation of the measured data, applicable both for pressure and velocity data. Replacing the turbulence-affected tail of the measured spectrum with a fitted power function causes a considerable 8-10% difference in the derived bulk wave parameters so this procedure is worth to be done. In the second part an appropriate technique to obtain wave features from 3D velocity time series will be described. The…

Misure idrodinamiche nello Stagnone di Marsala

Applicazione a 5 bacini siciliani di una procedura integrata per lo studio della propagazione delle onde di piena mediante modellazione bidimensionale e uso di cartografia digitale

La maggiore difficoltà per l’applicazione dei modelli numerici alla simulazione delle onde di piena in alvei naturali consiste nella acquisizione dei dati topografici e in una opportuna discretizzazione spaziale del dominio di calcolo. L’uso di modelli monodimensionali comporta la necessità di assegnare un orientamento prefissato alle sezioni di calcolo, di definire la geometria delle sezioni in base alla cartografia digitale, di tornare alla rappresentazione bidimensionale per la restituzione dei risultati. L’uso di mesh triangolari non strutturate e di metodologie numeriche incondizionatamente stabili consente di realizzare una modellazione bidimensionale che, oltre a produrre risultati m…

Hydrodynamic measurements in a shallow lagoon

Wind- and tide-induced currents in the Stagnone Lagoon (Sicily)

The hydrodynamic circulation is analyzed in the coastal lagoon of Stagnone di Marsala, a natural reserve located in the north-western part of Sicily, using both experimental measurements and numerical simulations. Field measurements of velocities and water levels, carried out using an ultrasound sensor (3D), are used to validate the numerical model. A 3D finite-volume model is used to solve the Reynolds-averaged momentum and mass balance differential equations on a curvilinear structured grid, employing the k– $${\varepsilon}$$ turbulence model for the Reynolds stresses. The numerical analysis allows to identify the relative contribution of the forces affecting the hydrodynamic circulation …

Calcolo della portata di piena con modello bidimensionale non lineare

Si propone un modello bidimensionale di trasformazione afflussi-deflussi per il calcolo della piena in una sezione di un corso d’acqua. Il bacino idrografico è rappresentato da una mesh triangolare non strutturata. L’input del modello è costituito dalle piogge lorde, trasformate in piogge nette mediante l’equazione integrata di Horton. Il calcolo della propagazione idraulica nei diversi rami della rete idrografica consente di abbandonare le ipotesi di stazionarietà e di linearità, ordinariamente adottate nell’idrologia delle piene. Il modello proposto viene calibrato ed applicato ad un bacino idrografico di un affluente del fiume Tevere per il quale si dispongono di alcuni idrogrammi di pie…

Comparative Analyses between the Zero-Inertia and Fully Dynamic Models of the Shallow Water Equations for Unsteady Overland Flow Propagation

The shallow water equations are a mathematical tool widely applied for the simulation of flow routing in rivers and floodplains, as well as for flood inundation mapping. The interest of many researchers has been focused on the study of simplified forms of the original set of equations. One of the most commonly applied simplifications consists of neglecting the inertial terms. The effects of such a choice on the outputs of the simulations of flooding events are controversial and are an important topic of debate. In the present paper, two numerical models recently proposed for the solution of the complete and zero-inertia forms of the shallow water equations, are applied to several unsteady f…

Wind- and tide-induce currents in the Stagnone Lagoon (Sicily)

Hydraulic jumps at drop and abrupt enlargement in rectangular channel

The different types of hydraulic jumps that occur in a rectangular channel at an abrupt increase in section are experimentally studied. The abrupt section increase is due to both a drop and an increase in the channel width. Experiments were carried out with three different values of the ratio L/l between the channel widths respectively downstream and upstream of the abrupt section increase. For each L/l value five values of Froude number F1, of the supercritical flow upstream of the section increase were considered, and for each of them live values of the depth y1 of the same flow. The experiments showed that, as the depth y2 of the downstream subcritical flow increases, several types of hy…

Hydrothermal fluid venting in the offshore sector of Campi Flegrei caldera: A geochemical, geophysical, and volcanological study

The ongoing unrest at the Campi Flegrei caldera (CFc) in southern Italy is prompting exploration of its poorly studied offshore sector. We report on a multidisciplinary investigation of the Secca delle Fumose (SdF), a submarine relief known since antiquity as the largest degassing structure of the offshore sector of CFc. We combined high-resolution morpho-bathymetric and seismo-stratigraphic data with onshore geological information to propose that the present-day SdF morphology and structure developed during the initial stages of the last CFc eruption at Monte Nuovo in AD 1538. We suggest that the SdF relief stands on the eastern uplifted border of a N-S-trending graben-like structure forme…

Hydrothermal fluid venting in the offshore sector of Campi Flegrei caldera: A geochemical, geophysical, and volcanological study

The ongoing unrest at the Campi Flegrei caldera (CFc) in southern Italy is prompting exploration of its poorly studied offshore sector. We report on a multidisciplinary investigation of the Secca delle Fumose (SdF), a submarine relief known since antiquity as the largest degassing structure of the offshore sector of CFc. We combined high-resolution morphobathymetric and seismostratigraphic data with onshore geological information to propose that the present-day SdF morphology and structure developed during the initial stages of the last CFc eruption at Monte Nuovo in AD 1538. We suggest that the SdF relief stands on the eastern uplifted border of a N-S-trending graben-like structure formed …

APPLICATION OF THE MAST SCHEME FOR THE SHALLOW WATER SIMULATION IN THE MARSALA LAGOON

A marching in space and time solver for the complete 2D shallow water equations. Application to real test cases.

A Comparison between Drifter and X-Band Wave Radar for Sea Surface Current Estimation

This paper deals with exploitation of the wave radar system for sea surface current estimation in a coastal zone. In particular, we present the results of the processing of the radar data collected by an X-band marine radar installed in Capo Granitola site, which is located in the south-west part of Sicily, on 15 May 2015. The effectiveness of the data processing is analyzed by comparing the wave radar estimated sea surface current with that provided by the Lagrangian drifters along its movement trajectory. During the measurement campaign, three drifter releases are carried out and for each one the comparison is provided in terms of the mean error and standard deviation. In addition, we rep…

Optical techniques for river flow monitoring: an automatic procedure for the identification of the best video sequence to process by LS-PIV technique

Technological advances over last decades gave an innovative impulse to the development of new streamflow measurements techniques, especially regarding remote flow monitoring methods that allow for non-intrusive measurements. The most widely used image-based techniques are the optical ones, such as Large-Scale Particle Image Velocimetry (LS-PIV) and Large-Scale Particle Tracking Velocimetry (LS-PTV). The dynamic movement of tracers floating on the water surface of a river is recorded, and the resulting videos are processed by applying a statistical cross-correlation analysis to detect the most probable frame-by-frame displacement, finally deriving the surface velocity field. To obtain river …

Riflessioni su alcuni interventi di sistemazione idraulica

Urban Flood Prediction through GIS-Based Dual-Coupled Hydraulic Models

Propagation of pluvial floods in urban areas, occurring with return time periods of few years, can be well solved using dual models accounting for the mutual relationship between the water level in the streets and the discharges inside the sewer pipes. The extended WEC-flood model (EWEC), based on the use of unstructured triangular meshes and a diffusive formulation of the momentum equations in both the 2D and the 1D lower domains, is presented along with its novelty, limits, and advantages. The model is then applied to a small computational domain in the Palermo area, where only some ‘hard’ data given by one rain gauge has been used for calibration and validation, along with ot…

Velocity profiles and water levels measurements in a shallow coastal lagoon

Approccio integrato per la caratterizzazione delle murature storiche siciliane. Il caso di Gangi

This study is part of a research aimed at developing a database of mechanical and hygrothermal information for Sicilian historic walls. This database is intended to support the analysis of the envelope performances of the historic building and to integrate data collected through in-situ measurements. The method is based on the analysis of local contexts: stone walls are divided in typologies according to the detailed non-destructive examination of the historic building stock, and laboratory and in-situ tests are carried out to characterize the mechanical and thermophysical properties of walls and masonry materials. This study focuses on the local context of Gangi, where a large amount of hi…

Large eddy simulation model for wind-driven sea circulation in coastal areas

Abstract. In the present paper a state-of-the-art large eddy simulation model (LES-COAST), suited for the analysis of water circulation and mixing in closed or semi-closed areas, is presented and applied to the study of the hydrodynamic characteristics of the Muggia bay, the industrial harbor of the city of Trieste, Italy. The model solves the non-hydrostatic, unsteady Navier–Stokes equations, under the Boussinesq approximation for temperature and salinity buoyancy effects, using a novel, two-eddy viscosity Smagorinsky model for the closure of the subgrid-scale momentum fluxes. The model employs: a simple and effective technique to take into account wind-stress inhomogeneity related to the …

Misure di velocità e livelli nello Stagnone di Marsala

A marching in space and time (MAST) solver of the shallow water equations. Part II: The 2D model

Abstract A novel methodology for the solution of the 2D shallow water equations is proposed. The algorithm is based on a fractional step decomposition of the original system in (1) a convective prediction, (2) a convective correction, and (3) a diffusive correction step. The convective components are solved using a Marching in Space and Time (MAST) procedure, that solves a sequence of small ODEs systems, one for each computational cell, ordered according to the cell value of a scalar approximated potential. The scalar potential is sought after computing first the minimum of a functional via the solution of a large linear system and then refining locally the optimum search. Model results are…

Misure di portata al colmo mediante analisi di livelli idrici in condizioni di moto vario

Using unsteady-state water level data to estimate channel roughness and discharge hydrograph

A novel methodology for simultaneous discharge and channel roughness estimation is developed and applied to data sets available at three experimental sites. The methodology is based on the synchronous measurement of water level data in two river sections far some kilometers from each other, as well as on the use of a diffusive flow routing solver and does not require any direct velocity measurement. The methodology is first analyzed for the simplest case of a channel with a large slope, where the kinematic assumption holds. A sensitivity and a model error analysis are carried out in this hypothesis in order to show the stability of the results with respect to the error in the input paramete…

ADCP velocity profiles analisys in the Castellammare gulf

Velocity profiles have been collected in three points within the Castellammare gulf at around 1500 m far from the coastline. This area is characterized by the presence of an aquaculture farm that positioned 5 floating cages in this zone. The impact of this activity on the environment strictly depends on the currents and water exchange. The general aim of this research is the characterization of the circulation characteristics of this area. The analysis of the free surface oscillations shows the typical behaviour of tide forcing, with high minima and maxima during the night, due to the higher moon attraction during these hours compared with the morning hours. A prevalent current direction fr…

A New Small Drifter for Shallow Water Basins: Application to the Study of Surface Currents in the Muggia Bay (Italy)

A new small drifter prototype for measuring current immediately below the free surface in a water basin is proposed in this paper. The drifter dimensions make it useful for shallow water applications. The drifter transmits its GPS location via GSM phone network. The drifter was used to study the trajectory of the surface current in the Muggia bay, the latter containing the industrial harbor of the city of Trieste (Italy). The analysis has been carried out under a wide variety of wind conditions. As regards the behavior of the drifter, the analysis has shown that it is well suited to detect the water current since its motion is marginally affected by the wind. The study has allowed detecting…

Inserimento di restringimenti e ponti in un modello diffusivo 2D di acque basse

Gli effetti su una corrente, causati dalle pile di un ponte, o più in generale da strutture che riducono la sezione trasversale dell’alveo, risultano di particolare interesse per le variazioni idrometriche che comportano alla corrente stessa. Nonostante i numerosi studi teorici e sperimentali di letteratura, l’attuale modellistica numerica diffusiva non integra la presenza di tali manufatti nelle proprie tecniche risolutive. Nella presente memoria viene presentata la metodologia implementata nel modello diffusivo bidimensionale FLOW2D per la valutazione del rigurgito provocato da restringimenti della sezione trasversale, nonché dalla presenza delle campate. I profili di rigurgito ottenuti c…

Validation of HF radar sea surface currents in the Malta-Sicily Channel

Abstract A network of High-Frequency radar (HFR) stations runs operationally in the Malta-Sicily Channel (MSC), Central Mediterranean Sea, providing sea surface current maps with high temporal (1 h) and spatial (3 × 3 km) resolutions since August 2012. Comparisons with surface drifter data and near-surface Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) observations, as well as radar site-to-site baseline analyses, provide quantitative assessments of HFR velocities accuracy. Twenty-two drifters were deployed within the HFR domain of coverage between December 2012 and October 2013. Additionally, six ADCP vertical current profiles were collected at selected positions during a dedicated field survey.…

A Self-Contained and Automated Method for Flood Hazard Maps Prediction in Urban Areas

Water depths and velocities predicted inside urban areas during severe storms are traditionally the final result of a chain of hydrologic and hydraulic models. The use of a single model embedding all the components of the rainfall&ndash

TECNICHE OTTICHE PER IL MONITORAGGIO DEI CORSI D’ACQUA: UNA PROCEDURA AUTOMATICA PER L’INDIVIDUAZIONE DELLA MIGLORE SEQUENZA VIDEO DA PROCESSARE CON TECNICA LS-PIV

Misurare con accuratezza le portate di un corso d’acqua è uno dei principali obiettivi dell’idrometria tecnica (Eltner et al., 2020) e rappresenta da decenni una vera e propria sfida per la comunità scientifica. Le osservazioni di deflusso nei corsi d’acqua sono di fondamentale importanza per qualsiasi applicazione idrologica e idraulica (Pizarro et al., 2020) e consentono di comprendere al meglio le dinamiche di processi complessi, come ad esempio le piene lampo (Perks et al., 2016). La portata è una grandezza fisica la cui stima è caratterizzata da considerevole incertezza. Gli approcci tradizionali prevedono una stima indiretta della grandezza, attraverso un metodo velocità-area, che con…

Detecting the chaotic nature of advection in complex river flows

In order to detect signatures of chaotic advection in river surface motion, surface buoys equipped with GPS were deployed in a field experiment in River Danube, Hungary. The buoys were released in the vicinity of groynes where complex mixing processes occur. A detailed analysis of the trajectories was carried out, focusing on the time evolution of the distance between buoy pairs. The analysis included the determination and comparison of local Lyapunov exponents and prediction times of finite-time hyperbolic behaviour, which is related to strong mixing. Despite of the small number of applied buoys we found evidence on Lagrangian chaos in the wake of a groyne field. In order to supplement the…

Un sistema informativo territoriale per la simulazione di una rete di drenaggio urbano con Flow1D

Si propone un modello di simulazione monodimensionale delle reti di drenaggio urbano che operi all’interno di un software GIS e che consenta la realizzazione amichevole di un sistema informativo territoriale (SIT) della rete di drenaggio. Il modello, fisicamente basato, simula la formazione e la propagazione idraulica dei deflussi che si realizzano in ogni sottobacino, nonché la propagazione idraulica all’interno della sottostante rete fognaria. La connessione fra le due reti viene ricostruita attraverso il calcolo dei flussi verticali che si realizzano in corrispondenza dei pozzetti. Il modello è di tipo duale, in quanto rispetta l’interazione idrodinamica fra i deflussi nella rete stradal…

Dual Multilevel Urban Drainage Model

In urban areas, when heavy rains occur, the discharge capacity of sewers is usually unable to transport the effective rainfall reaching the streets. When the runoff flow rate exceeds the capacity of the storm sewer system, the excess flow is conveyed through the street network as overland flow. A dual model is proposed for modeling the system as a double network, formed by an upper network of open channels (street gutters) and a lower network of closed conduits (sewer pipes). What is new in this model is its capacity to take into account the hydrodynamic relationship between the flows in the upper and lower networks. The model is applied to computing the response of a real monitored basin; …

Progettazione di un'opera di presa a basso impatto ambientale per un impianto mini idroelettrico in Sicilia

An improved numerical solver of the 2D diffusive shallow waters equations over unstructured triangular meshes

Optical techniques: non-intrusive river monitoring approach

<p>Technological advances over last decades gave an innovative impulse to development of new streamflow measurements techniques, making possible to implement remote flow monitoring methods that allow for non-intrusive measurements. Here, we focus on image-based techniques that involve the use of digital camera, either installed on a bridge or equipped by a drone (UAVs – Unmanned Aerial Vehicles). The most widely known and used optical techniques are the Large-Scale Particle Image Velocimetry and the Large-Scale Particle Tracking Velocimetry. Optical techniques are based on four main steps: (i) seeding and recording, (ii) images pre-processing, (iii) images proces…

Peak flow estimation by means of synchronous water level measurements