Application of an Eulerian-Lagranglan-Agent method (ELAM) to rank alternative designs of a juvenile fish passage facility
Authored by S. Li, L. J. Weber, R. A. Goodwin, J. M. Nestler, J. J. Anderson
Date Published: 2006-10
DOI: 10.2166/hydro.2006.006
Sponsors:
Grant County Public Utility District
System-Wide Water Resources Program (SWWRP)
United States Army
Platforms:
No platforms listed
Model Documentation:
Other Narrative
Mathematical description
Model Code URLs:
Model code not found
Abstract
The Eulerian-Lagrangian-Agent method (ELAM) couples three modelling approaches into a single, integrated simulation environment: (i) Eulerian descriptions, (ii) Lagrangian formulations, and (iii) agent reference frameworks. ELAMS are particularly effective at decoding and simulating the motion dynamics of individual aquatic organisms, using the output of high fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models to represent complex flow fields. Here we describe the application of an ELAM to design a juvenile fish passage facility at Wanapum Dam on the Columbia River in the United States. This application is composed of three parts: (1) an agent-based model, that simulates the movement decisions made by individual fish, (2) an Eulerian CFD model that solves the 3D Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations with a standard k-epsilon turbulence model with wall functions using a multi-block structured mesh, and (3) a Lagrangian particle-tracker used to interpolate information from the Eulerian mesh to point locations needed by the agent model and to track the trajectory of each virtual fish in three dimensions. We discuss aspects of the computational mesh topology and other CFD modeling topics important to this and future applications of the ELAM model for juvenille salmon, the Numerical Fish Surrogate. The good match between forecasted (virtual) and measured (observed) fish passage proportions demonstrates the value-added benefit of using agent-based models (i.e. the Numerical Fish Surrogate model) as part of common engineering practice for fish passage design and, more fundamentally, to simulate complex ecological processes.
Tags
behavior
Individual-based modeling
Water
Model
computational fluid dynamics
computer-based simulation
ecohydraulics
ecological modeling
environmental hydroinformatics
fish modeling
fish passage
Responses
Lateral-line
Hydraulic flow simulation
Stimuli