Implications and Context for Effects of Climate Change on Urban Water Demands in the Mountain-West

Posted by Jason Lillywhite

Carly Hansen with Oakridge National Laboratory developed a modeling framework that incorporates multiple drivers of change, uncertainty, and system complexities allowing the user be to address water availability, management, and planning challenges. There are various drivers of change in future residential water use, some of which have clear compounding effects. Strategic planning (e.g. where to focus time and financial resources) requires an understanding of the relative contribution of each of these drivers. Exploring water use through a probabilistic GoldSim model helps address uncertainties inherent with human behavior and multiple scenarios allow for exploration of different drivers of change.

Coupling PhreeqcRM with GoldSim: New perspectives for the Mining Industry

Posted by Jason Lillywhite

Benoît Paris (bparis@intera.com) and Ken Esposito (KEsposito@intera.com) from Intera Geoscience and Engineering Solutions recently developed a model that couples PhreeqcRM with GoldSim using an external dynamic link library (DLL). Their model is highly flexible and efficient as it enables the user to run numerous types of simulations without the need to change the DLL, thus saving potentially significant model preparation time. This tool offers mine operators the possibility to evaluate potential mine impacts and make operational decisions in real time using scientifically-defensible mechanistic models in a probabilistic framework.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from GoldSim Technology Group! 

From left to right:
Ryan, Marek, Rick, Jason, Stefan, and Brenda

Oil Sands Water Distribution Model

Posted by Jason Lillywhite

Some years ago, I helped an oil company build a GoldSim model that simulates water distribution for an in-situ bitumen extraction facility. It was a good application for GoldSim because of its dynamic nature and also the feedback loops inherent in the flow streams used to distribute water in the process.

This blog post summarizes the model and lists some possible future avenues for further modeling with GoldSim.

Spline Interpolation of Monthly Data

Posted by Jason Lillywhite

Some time-varying data we use for our models is in the form of averages for time periods that are longer than the simulation time step. This can present some challenges if your model is sensitive to large jumps in the data as the simulation walks through time. For example, monthly average values in a daily simulation model will output values that are constant for all the days of each month and jump in between them. If you feel like this is not sufficient for your modeling needs, you can use linear or spline interpolation to transition smoothly between months. In this blog post, I walk through some examples that use spline interpolation to help you see how it might be of use to you and your applications.

GoldSim 12.1 Update 2 - Summary

Posted by Jason Lillywhite

We just released GoldSim 12.1 Update 2, which includes some noteworthy features even though it is labeled a "minor update". In this blog post, I will briefly describe some of them.

Run-of-the-River Hydroelectric Power Generation

Posted by Jason Lillywhite

A new model was added to our library that simulates run-of-the-river hydroelectric power generation. This model simulates a dam that is operated at a constant water level with insignificant amount of storage compared to the daily flow through. It is based on work by one of our expert modelers for a project on the Aksu River, located in northeastern Turkey. Below is a picture showing the dam that this model was originally created for.

Simulating Mixed-Media Storage

Posted by Jason Lillywhite

I created a model for demonstrating how to simulate mixed-media storage that accounts for changing quantities of solids and water over time. This kind of model is useful in mine water management models (tailings facilities) and also for simulating sediment accumulation in reservoirs. GoldSim makes it easy to account for the changes in the media while also managing overflows and operations of inflows in a way that is easy to use and understand.