Doctoral Dissertations

Keywords and Phrases

Hydro-peaking; Modeling hec-ras; Optimal hydrograph; Osage river; Riverbank stability

Abstract

"The fluctuation of water level downstream from dams due to hydropower flow releases negatively affects the riverbank stability. Therefore, this research aims to examine the feasibility of using an optimization technique to mitigate the riverbank instability resulting from the outflow variation of hydropower plants. The effects of the water releases from the Bagnell Dam were investigated by computing a series of safety factors for 78 cross sections along the 81-mile stretch of the lower Osage River in relation to outflow events by using the integrated BSTEM model incorporated into the HEC-RAS model. The 1-D sediment transport and unsteady flow in the HEC-RAS model were accurately calibrated and validated using the USGS data. An optimization technique using the modified interval algorithm was applied to find an optimal outflow scenario. This algorithm seeks the maximum safety factor as an objective function that was constrained to the electrical demand, ecological flow, and flood stage. Moreover, the optimization technique was applied to the historical outflow data from this dam from the last two decades. Statistical analysis was then performed to inspect the amplitude and frequency of flow fluctuation in both the original and optimal outflow scenario. The results showed that the frequencies of these fluctuations were reduced in the optimal hydrograph. Additionally, the frequencies of the high rapid drop in outflow have decreased compared to the original hydrograph, which potentially could reduce the instability of the riverbanks. This technique will allow hydropower plants' operators to have a practical and reliable tool to increase the riverbank stability and reduce the need to protect extended reaches of riverbanks that have been technically unstable"--Abstract, page iii.

Advisor(s)

Mendoza, Cesar
Holmes, Robert R., 1965-

Committee Member(s)

Burken, Joel G. (Joel Gerard)
Cawlfield, Jeffrey D.
Leopold, Jennifer

Department(s)

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering

Degree Name

Ph. D. in Civil Engineering

Publisher

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Publication Date

Spring 2020

Pagination

xiv, 179 pages

Note about bibliography

Includes bibliographic references (pages 171-178).

Geographic Coverage

Bagnell Dam; Osage River, Missouri

Rights

© 2020 Wesam Sameer Mohammed-Ali, All rights reserved.

Document Type

Dissertation - Open Access

File Type

text

Language

English

Thesis Number

T 11685

Electronic OCLC #

1164720974

Download

Share

 
COinS