Collaborative Research: Adverse Multiphase Flow Interactions in Urban Stormwater Systems

University Of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI

Investigators

Abstract

This NSF grant will investigate Adverse Multiphase Flow Interactions (AMFI), poorly understood phenomena that occur during intense rain events that are caused by the entrapment of air within stormwater systems. During rapid filling events this air is unable to readily escape and compresses, causing operational issues such as stormwater “geysers” and inlet cover displacements. The frequency and severity of AMFI is linked to spatiotemporal variability of extreme rainstorms interacting within the complex networked systems of stormwater inlets, sewers, and tunnels. Current stormwater design paradigms and tools have been tailored toward minimizing failures associated with street flooding or with the discharge of contaminated flows, both of which are linked to gradual changes in single-phase water flows. In contrast, AMFI failures occur over much shorter timeframes and involve more complex two-phase flows conditions. This means that mitigation measures and tools that work well in traditional contexts cannot anticipate or prevent AMFI failures. Consequently, cities currently allocate resources to fix AMFI failures without understanding or addressing the root causes. This lack of system-level understanding and tools for predicting AMFI creates barriers to increasing stormwater infrastructure resiliency. This problem is aggravated by rapid urbanization, aging water infrastructure, and the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme rainstorms. This research will put forward an entirely new methodology to identify causes of AMFI, innovatively integrating three key components: (i) spatio-temporal inflow variability at system-wide scales using a high-resolution stochastic rainfall model; (ii) non-dimensional indices that are predictors of AMFI, derived from state-of-the-art multiphase flow modeling; and (iii) new methods for efficient system-wide transient modeling to track the flow impulses that drive AMFI events. The research will examine the relationships between AMFI and the spatio-temporal structure of rainstorms to isolate the rainfall time and length scales that are conducive to AMFI formation. Simulated stormwater inflows will be translated into discrete impulse waves that propagate throughout the stormwater network, potentially leading to AMFI activation. The research will assess whether AMFI prediction can be achieved by representing discrete impulse waves and their interactions. AMFI activation will be modeled with computational fluid dynamics tools. Conditions for their occurrence will thus be linked to newly developed non-dimensional flow indices that can be embedded within simpler 1D system-wide stormwater models. This research will provide innovative methods for system-wide prediction of AMFI in stormwater, guiding design practices for increased resiliency to this emerging class of system failures. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.