Discussion of 'Modeling Ventilation Phenomenon in Sanitary Sewer Systems: A System Theoretic Approach' by S. Edwini-Bonsu and P. M. Steffler

摘要

The authors have researched a subject area that is of interest to readers of environmental hydraulics and the built environment. Ventilation events in sewers are complex phenomena because of the unpredictable nature of the air exerting forces and the complex interaction between the system air space and the ambient surroundings. Due to these factors, practitioners more often than not embark on field and pilot studies using forced-drift methods with a view to estimating a matching airflow rate that would create a vacuum. The authors have demonstrated that such field-work could be avoided or minimized. They have thoroughly set original theoretical concepts that may provide efficient sewer ventilation predictions. The illustration of a theoretical study using a collection system in Edmonton, Canada, is promising and interesting, and has offered a new paradigm in the area of sewer head-space air emission and control.