A two-dimensional water-quality model for a winding and topographically complicated river

Area of Science:

• Environmental Engineering
• Water Resource Management
• Computational Fluid Dynamics

Background:

• River systems often present complex geometric conditions challenging traditional water quality modeling.
• Accurate water quality prediction is crucial for assessing the environmental impact of infrastructure projects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel two-dimensional numerical calculation algorithm for water quality modeling in rivers with complex geometries.
• To enable water quality projection using topographic data and the finite element method when velocity data is unavailable.

Main Methods:

• Developed a two-dimensional numerical algorithm for water quality modeling.
• Employed the finite element method and topographic maps for river course representation.
• Applied the model to a case study in the Xiangjiang River, Hengyang City, China.

Main Results:

• The algorithm successfully projected river water quality and pollutant concentration fields.
• Demonstrated the model's applicability to a winding river with bifurcations, relevant to the Dayuandu navigation project.
• Provided predictive insights into potential water quality impacts of the Waterways Project.

Conclusions:

• The presented numerical algorithm is effective for water quality modeling in complex river systems.
• The method offers a viable approach for water quality assessment when detailed velocity data is lacking.
• The algorithm has potential for application in other shallow rivers with similar topographical features.