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Research and Development

Inland Waterways Users Board Briefing

Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory February 19, 2009

ERDC-CHL Inland Navigation Activities

Mississippi Basin

ERDC-CHL Inland Navigation Activities

Mississippi Basin

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Research and Development

Organization Chart

Coastal and HydraulicsCoastal and HydraulicsLaboratoryLaboratory

Navigation DivisionNavigation Division Flood and Storm ProtectionFlood and Storm ProtectionDivisionDivision

River Engineering River Engineering BranchBranch

Harbors, Entrances andHarbors, Entrances andStructures BranchStructures Branch

Coastal EngineeringCoastal EngineeringBranchBranch

Navigation BranchNavigation Branch

Inland Navigation GroupInland Navigation Group

Deep Draft GroupDeep Draft Group

Locks GroupLocks Group

Fish Passage GroupFish Passage Group

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Research and Development

Recent CHL Inland Navigation Projects within the Mississippi River Basin

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Research and Development

Navigation Mission

• Conduct research regarding the planning, design, operation, management, and maintenance of navigation channels, locks, ports, and waterway systems.

• Provide safe and efficient marine transport, cost effective systems, and environmentally acceptable conditions.

• Employ analytical techniques, numerical models, simulator models, physical models, field investigations, and consultation services.

•• Conduct research regarding the planning, design, Conduct research regarding the planning, design, operation, management, and maintenance of operation, management, and maintenance of navigation channels, locks, ports, and waterway navigation channels, locks, ports, and waterway systems.systems.

•• Provide safe and efficient marine transport, cost Provide safe and efficient marine transport, cost effective systems, and environmentally acceptable effective systems, and environmentally acceptable conditions. conditions.

•• Employ analytical techniques, numerical models, Employ analytical techniques, numerical models, simulator models, physical models, field simulator models, physical models, field investigations, and consultation services.investigations, and consultation services.

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Research and Development

Navigation Physical Models•• Site specific physical model Site specific physical model

to assist in planning and to assist in planning and designing project. Areas of designing project. Areas of expertise include:expertise include:

– Lock approaches– Navigation span

location for bridges– Floodgate locations

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Research and Development

Olmsted Hydraulic Model Studies

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Research and Development

Lock Filling and Emptying Models

•• Lock chamber additions and extensions to accommodate increased Lock chamber additions and extensions to accommodate increased tonnage capacitytonnage capacity

•• Studies conducted to determine safe filling and emptying operatiStudies conducted to determine safe filling and emptying operationsons– Chamber performance– Cavitation potential– Safe conditions in the lock approaches (Vortex formation)

•• Multiple designs can be evaluatedMultiple designs can be evaluated

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Research and Development

Numerical Modeling

• 1D 2D and 3D modeling capabilities– LOCKSIM– HIVEL2D– ADH

• 3D flow at hydraulic structures• Navier-Stokes solutions• Adaptive Hydraulics (ADH) Model

– Unstructured 3D meshes– Mesh adaption– Parallel HPC– Multiphysics

•• 1D 2D and 3D modeling capabilities1D 2D and 3D modeling capabilities– LOCKSIM– HIVEL2D– ADH

•• 3D flow at hydraulic structures3D flow at hydraulic structures•• NavierNavier--Stokes solutionsStokes solutions•• Adaptive Hydraulics (ADH) ModelAdaptive Hydraulics (ADH) Model

– Unstructured 3D meshes– Mesh adaption– Parallel HPC– Multiphysics

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Research and Development

Field Investigations

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Research and Development

Navigation Systems / Continuing GI R&D Program

Deep Draft – Inland Navigation

Program Manager: James ClausnerTechnical Director: Jeff Lillycrop

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Research and Development

Navigation Systems “An Integrated Program”

Components• Navigation Hydrodynamics

– CHL, CRREL, ITL• Infrastructure (GSL, ITL,CRREL, CERL)• Economics (IWR) and Risk (IWR, CHL, ITL) • Hydropower (HDC, NWD, CERL)• Efforts integrated with CIRP, MCNP• Industry Input

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Research and Development

Inland Navigation Focus Area

Focus Area Leader: John Hite

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Research and Development

Inland Hydrodynamics Work Area

Challenges• Inland Traffic Increasing/Capacity

at limit • Need to increase capacity and

reliability • Safer and more efficient lock

approaches • Emergency repairs increasingly

likely • Ice/debris reduce capacity, cause

accidents • Improved fill/empty systems• Reduce construction costs of

new/rehabed locks

• Inland Traffic Increasing/Capacity at limit

• Need to increase capacity and reliability

• Safer and more efficient lock approaches

• Emergency repairs increasingly likely

• Ice/debris reduce capacity, cause accidents

• Improved fill/empty systems• Reduce construction costs of

new/rehabed locks

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Research and Development

Inland Navigation Infrastructure Work Area

•Challenges• Most locks are approaching or have exceeded

their 50-year economic life• Unscheduled failures of steel locks gates,

concrete lock walls, and pumps and motors reduces lock reliability, system efficiency and capacity

• Understand existing condition, relation to strength capacity and remaining service life to effectively plan and schedule repairs, major rehabilitations and replacements

θ′

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Research and Development

Inland Nav Safety Initiative

• Purpose: – An initiative that will require U.S. Coast Guard

(USCG), USACE, navigation industry and other Federal agency cooperation and collaboration to ensure increased safety, security and reliability of our navigation projects along our inland and intracoastal waterways.

• Purpose: – An initiative that will require U.S. Coast Guard

(USCG), USACE, navigation industry and other Federal agency cooperation and collaboration to ensure increased safety, security and reliability of our navigation projects along our inland and intracoastal waterways.

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Research and Development

R&D Efforts Supporting Nav Safety Initiative

Real Time Current velocity (RTCV) Meters

Real Time Current velocity (RTCV) Meters LOMALOMA

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Research and Development

R&D Efforts Supporting Nav Safety Initiative, Con’t

Bullnose Energy Absorption SystemBullnose Energy Absorption System

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Research and Development

Inland Navigation Technology Workshop, Feb 3-4 2009

• Attended: 60 people from Corps (24), Industry (27), CG, NOAA, Academia

• Sessions on AIS, Corps Navigation Safety Initiatives, Industry Initiatives, Breakout sessions on Vision of Inland Waterways Operations in 2013, 2020

• Presentations and Summary Report on web site in near future

• Attended: 60 people from Corps (24), Industry (27), CG, NOAA, Academia

• Sessions on AIS, Corps Navigation Safety Initiatives, Industry Initiatives, Breakout sessions on Vision of Inland Waterways Operations in 2013, 2020

• Presentations and Summary Report on web site in near future

Theme: Digital technology’s impact on safety and efficiency

Theme: Digital technology’s impact on safety and efficiency