What are Computer Programs in Environmental Engineering?
1. EPANET: Applications for Modeling Drinking Water Distribution Systems.
EPANET is a computer program used to model drinking water distribution systems. It allows a long-term simulation of the hydraulic and water quality behavior of drinking water throughout the distribution system. In the field of engineering, this program is used to design and size new water infrastructure systems (pipe, pump, valve placement and sizing) or retrofit existing obsolete infrastructure systems, as well as to optimize the operating levels of tanks and pumps, reduce energy use, investigate water quality problems and prepare for emergencies. It is also used for. EPANET, to the user; It allows monitoring the water flow and water pressure in the pipes on the network line, the water height in the storage tanks on the network line, the chemical concentration in the system, and resource tracking along the network line. In addition, the calculation of hydraulic head losses in the system can be easily made via EPANET using Hazen-Williams, Darcy-Weisbach or Chezy-Manning formulas. For this, EPANET's user interface provides a visual network editor that simplifies the process of creating pipe network models and editing the properties and data of these created models. Color-coded network maps, data tables; It uses many data reporting and visualization tools to help interpret network analysis results including energy use, reaction, calibration, time series graphs.
2. OpenFlows FlowMaster: Hydraulic Calculator for Open Channels, Pipes, Weirs, Inlets, and Orifices
OpenFlows FlowMaster is a program used to make calculations for the design and analysis of various hydraulic components, including pressure pipes, open channels, inlet-outlet structures such as orifices and weirs. In this context, controls for pressure pipes can be carried out automatically by giving known data such as pipe lengths, starting and ending elevations, pressure, pipe diameters and roughness to the system. It allows calculations such as water height and channel slope for open channels of trapezoidal, triangular, parabolic and natural channel types. With OpenFlows FlowMaster, head losses can be calculated automatically using the Kutter, Manning, Darcy-Weisbach: Swamee and Jain, Darcy-Weisbach: Colebrook-White or Hazen-Williams formulas. In addition, the data obtained is reported in tables and graphs, and cross-sectional drawings can be seen as output.
MicroStation design is the preferred program for the design, documentation and management of infrastructure projects. Providing 2D and 3D drawing opportunities, MicroStation is basically similar to AutoCAD, but it is a program that offers wider possibilities than AutoCAD. The design made here can be translated into many formats. Just as a design prepared in MicroStation can be opened in AutoCAD, a design prepared in AutoCAD can also be opened in MicroStation. It is possible to view a design created with MicroStation on site by transferring it to Google Earth.
GoldSim is essentially a program for dynamically modeling complex systems. Models created with GoldSim; It shows future performance by simulating interrelated situations in engineering, basic sciences and business. GoldSim creates models with a large diagram by connecting relevant components in the system with arrows. It is possible to see the results of the "what if" possibilities of the variables in the system in tables and graphs with the time series created. In this way, GoldSim; It creates a decision-making mechanism in the stages of risk analysis and management, planning and alternative evaluation.
When it comes to modeling in environmental systems, studies can be carried out in various areas such as water quality, air quality, hydrological models and energy in Goldsim. Waste/pollution management in receiving environments, ecological balance observations, feasibility assessments for water supply systems, possible risk analyzes in the energy sector can be given as examples of studies that can be done on GoldSim.
