Computational Analysis of Reagent Mixing in Ballast Water Tanks
Abstract
Invasive species continue to be a significant threat to local aquatic ecosystems in the US Great Lakes regions and other places around the world. One of the major contributors to the spread of non-indigenous aquatic species is the introduction of organisms in discharged ballast water. This and other related efforts are aimed at trying to gain a better understanding of the flow behaviors in ballast tanks and the impact of tank structure on the effectiveness of treatment methods to reduce or eliminate aquatic organisms resident in ballast water. This project uses computational methods to predict the spread of a passive scalar quantity, which simulates the use of a biocide to mix in the ballast water. Simulations have been performed to investigate the influence of inflow rate and several mixing mechanisms on the effectiveness of this type of treatment methodology. Here the sole metric is how well the biocide mixes in the tank. This does not make any judgment concerning the actual influence on organism population. It is the hope that this type of analysis may help to advance the understanding of ballast water treatment technologies for current and future applications.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA522426
Entities
People
- Wesley M. Wilson
Organizations
- Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division