Optimizing distribution storage water quality: A hydrodynamic approach (Q1374168)

A rigorous three-dimensional hydrodynamic model of distribution reservoir water quality is developed for use in simulating chemical mixing and internal patterns of flow exhibited within distribution storage reservoirs. The model is predicated on the principles of computational fluid dynamics and considers the basic forces and energy of the mixing fluid. In this approach, the three-dimensional time-averaged Navier-Stokes equations with a \(k-\varepsilon\) turbulence model are discretized and are solved over a finite-difference grid across the reservoir geometry. The motion of fluid particles throughout the reservoir can then be determined as a function of space and time. The resulting model is both accurate and robust, and it can be applied readily to all types of storage reservoir configurations, characteristics, and hydraulic conditions.