Water Resources Management and Modeling of Hydrosystems

Dr.-Ing. Thomas Breiting

Techniken und Methoden der Hydroinformatik: Modellierung von komplexen Hydrosystemen im Untergrund

The work envolved between 1998 - 2005 at the Chair of Computer Applications of Civil Engineering, Technische Universität Braunschweig and Chair of Hydromechanics and Hydrosystemmodeling, Universität Stuttgart

Day of scientific discussion: 08.07.2005

Advisors:

  • Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rainer Helmig, Universität Stuttgart
  • Prof. Dr.-Ing. R. Hinkelmann, Technische Universität Berlin
  • Prof. Dr.-Ing. Olaf Kolditz, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung

Publication: Mitteilungsheft Nr. 144, (Promotionsschrift) Institut für Wasserbau, Universität Stuttgart, 5/2006

Employer after finishing doctoral thesis / leaving TU Berlin: Employee of Ingenieurgesellschaft Prof. Kobus und Partner GmbH 

Abstract

Abstract

The rapid advance of technology in our modern society is accompanied by increasingly far-reaching encroachments on nature. Due to an increased environmental awareness, it has become more and more important to predict the impact and to assess the consequences of these encroachments. Especially hydrosystems, which may be extensive and react very sensitively to changes, play a central role in this context. Modern hydroinformatic techniques and methods can be used, for example to investigate the changes in gas and water flows. Due to the large number and the complexity of the data which have to be incorporated for this kind of system, powerful programs are necessary during the whole simulation cycle - the preprocess (gathering and preparation of data), the actual simulation and the postprocess (analysis and presentation of results). For each of these steps, a specific software is needed so that a coupling of different programs becomes inevitable. In this study, the individual steps of the modeling process are explained and the associated programs presented on the basis of examples. Particular attention is paid to the interfaces which enable a coupling of the single application programs. The complete simulation cycle is then applied to the practical engineering example of methane migration from abandoned coal mines. First, a CAD system used to construct the 3D geometry of the subsurface system is presented. Subsequently, a conversion program is used to prepare the geometry data in such a way that they can be processed by a mesh generator. As a further step in the preprocess phase, the management of physical data with the help of a database management system is explained. After the numerical simulation, the complex data are prepared, analyzed and presented with the help of a 3D visualization program in the context of the postprocess. As the application problem chosen in this study is very complex, the necessary engineering simplifications are shown additionally. In order to explain the full capability of a database management system better, the internet presence of a large institute is presented as a practical example. In summary, it can be said that the 'universal' programs presented here are capable of and suitable for modeling complex hydrosystem in the subsurface. However, using commercial and highly specialized single programs has the great advantage that they possess a functionality especially custom-made to the respective problem at hand and therefore offer a simpler handling. The disadvantage lies in the higher costs - and the problem of coupling different programs still prevails.