Boundary Layer Calculation Research Articles

High-Resolution WRF Modeling of Wind and Thermal Regimes with LCZ in Almaty, Kazakhstan

This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model in simulating high-resolution atmospheric conditions for Almaty, Kazakhstan, a city prone to stagnant winter air. While the previously used Bougeault and Lacarrere scheme for parameterizing the planetary boundary layer was applied in high-resolution modeling, the number of vertical levels was increased, and a detailed local climate zones (LCZs) map was included. Ground-based observations from meteorological stations and monitoring stations, remote sensing data, and radiosonde measurements are used to verify the model. Comparison results with ground-based observations show that the WRF model with the LCZ map provides a better representation of the wind and thermal regimes of Almaty compared to the three-class land use map, including in high resolution. A good correspondence of wind direction is demonstrated by comparing the modeling results with pollutant transport plumes recorded by remote sensing data. In addition, a good correlation was found between land surface temperature from satellite data and air temperature simulated by WRF with a resolution of 333 m. A comparison of simulated data and aerological measurements confirmed that downscaling did not have a significant impact on boundary layer calculations. Analysis of turbulent processes showed that the adopted model effectively describes the attenuation and dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy and reflects the typical diurnal variations of meteorological processes in the atmosphere of Almaty in the anticyclonic winter period. The results of high-resolution WRF modeling can form the basis for the development of a hybrid system capable of modeling atmospheric processes at the building level.

Transport-driven toroidal rotation with general viscosity profile

Using the assumption of a weak normalized turbulent viscosity, usually valid in practice, the modulated-transport model (Stoltzfus-Dueck 2012 Phys. Plasmas 19 055908) is generalized to allow the turbulent transport coefficient to vary in an arbitrary way on radial and poloidal position. The new approach clarifies the physical interpretation of the earlier results and significantly simplifies the calculation, via a boundary-layer asymptotic method. Rigorous detailed appendices verify the result of the simple boundary-layer calculation, also demonstrating that it achieves the claimed order of accuracy and providing a concrete prediction for the strong plasma flows in the immediate vicinity of the last closed flux surface. The new formulas are used to predict plasma rotation at the core-edge boundary, in cases with and without externally applied torque. Dimensional formulas and extensive discussion are provided, to support experimental application of the new model.

Magnus Force Estimation Using Gauss’s Principle of Least Constraint

The flow around a rotating cylinder is one of the fundamental problems that have piqued the interests of many venerable fluid mechanicians since the time of Rayleigh. The force caused by the rotation of the cylinder has always been considered as an immediate consequence of viscosity, since the potential flow model failed entirely to predict the value of the circulation due to the lack of a Kutta-like condition. On the other hand, Glauert modeled the flow outside the boundary layer of a rotating cylinder as a potential flow with an unknown circulation. He then obtained an approximate solution of Prandtl’s boundary-layer equations and applied the no-slip condition to estimate the circulation in the outer flow. Interestingly, for rapidly rotating cylinders (α=(ωR/U)≫1), up to fourth-order in the small parameter ϵ=(1/α), the obtained circulation is independent of viscosity. In this work, we use Glauert’s model of the outer flow (i.e., a potential flow with an unknown circulation). However, instead of the tedious boundary-layer calculations, we rely on Gauss’s principle of least constraint to obtain the unknown circulation. A perfect match with Glauert’s solution is found. Moreover, our solution, in contrast to Glauert’s, points to the existence of different physics at small rotational speeds. The obtained results, given their perfect matching with Glauert’s solution (relying on the no-slip condition), point to a potential equivalence between the no-slip condition and fluid body forces.

Discrete null field equation methods for solving Laplace's equation: Boundary layer computations

AbstractConsider Dirichlet problems of Laplace's equation in a bounded simply‐connected domain , and use the null field equation (NFE) of Green's representation formulation, where the source nodes are located on a pseudo‐boundary outside but not close to its boundary . Simple algorithms are proposed in this article by using the central rule for the NFE, and the normal derivatives of the solutions on the boundary can be easily obtained. These algorithms are called the discrete null field equation method (DNFEM) because the collocation equations are, indeed, the direct discrete form of the NFE. The bounds of the condition number are like those by the method of fundamental solutions (MFS) yielding the exponential growth as the number of unknowns increases. One trouble of the DNFEM is the near singularity of integrations for the solutions in boundary layers in Green's representation formulation. The traditional BEM also suffers from the same trouble. To deal with the near singularity, quadrature by expansions and the sinh transformation are often used. To handle this trouble, however, we develop two kinds of new techniques: (I) the interpolation techniques by Taylor's formulas with piecewise ‐degree polynomials and the Fourier series, and (II) the mini‐rules of integrals, such as the mini‐Simpson's and the mini‐Gaussian rules. Error analysis is made for technique I to achieve optimal convergence rates. Numerical experiments are carried out for disk domains to support the theoretical analysis made. The numerical performance of the DNFEM is excellent for disk domains to compete with the MFS. The errors with can be obtained by combination algorithms, which are satisfactory for most engineering problems. In summary, the new simple DNFEM is based on the NFE, which is different from the boundary element method (BEM). The theoretical basis in error and stability has been established in this article. One trouble in seeking the numerical solutions in boundary layers has been handled well; this is also an important contribution to the BEM. Besides, numerical experiments are encouraging. Hence the DNFEM is promising, and it may become a new boundary method for scientific/engineering computing.

Characteristics of Shock-Induced Boundary-Layer Separation on Nacelles Under Windmilling Diversion Conditions

The boundary layer on the external cowl of an aeroengine nacelle under windmilling diversion conditions is subjected to a notable adverse pressure gradient due to the interaction with a near-normal shock wave. Within the context of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods, the correct representation of the characteristics of the boundary layer is a major challenge in capturing the onset of the separation. This is important for the aerodynamic design of the nacelle, as it may assist in the characterization of candidate designs. This work uses experimental data obtained from a quasi-2D rig configuration to provide an assessment of the CFD methods typically used within an industrial context. A range of operating conditions are investigated to assess the sensitivity of the boundary layer to changes in inlet Mach number and mass flow through a notional windmilling engine. Fully turbulent and transitional boundary-layer computations are used to determine the characteristics of the boundary layer and the interaction with the shock on the nacelle cowl. The correlation between the onset of shock-induced boundary-layer separation and the preshock Mach number is assessed, and it was found that the CFD is able to discern the onset of boundary-layer separation.

Effect of blade contamination on power production of wind turbines

Wind turbines suffer from considerable power losses because of contamination on their blades, that can be due to erosion, wear, smog, insect, sand and dust particle impact. Blade contamination, its effects on the flows over the wind turbine blades and consequent power production losses form the main focus of the present study. These effects are mainly due to increased roughness on the blades leading to earlier laminar-turbulent transition and consequently, thicker boundary-layers on the blades. Early laminar-turbulent transition leads to a larger part of the flow over a blade being turbulent, thus increasing skin friction drag. Thicker boundary-layer on a blade results in blade profile being effectively modified, rendering the flow over the blade depart from ideal. In the present study, the effects of blade contamination on power output of contaminated wind turbine blades is investigated numerically using an in-house computational tool. Blade Element Momentum Method (BEM) combined with the Panel Method is used to calculate the local velocity and angle of attack at the blade sections, together with the power produced by the blade. Trajectories of particles causing contamination are calculated using Lagrangian approach, also yielding the impingement pattern of the particles on the blade surface, i.e. particle collection efficiency distribution. The effects of roughness on the boundary-layer flow are investigated by using an Integral Boundary-Layer Method, which yields the characteristics of the boundary-layer, i.e. laminar-turbulent transition location, increased skin-friction and thickening of the boundary-layer. The blade shape is modified due contamination thickness, the local height of which is assumed to be proportional to the local collection efficiency. Also, the roughness height distribution used in the boundary-layer calculations is assumed to be equal to the contamination thickness distribution on the blades. Power production and consequent losses of wind turbines with contaminated wind turbine blades are studied with respect to variations in particle size, wind speed and roughness height.

A Galerkin Method for the Simulation of Laminar Boundary Layers on Heated Walls

This paper presents a new solution method for the calculation of laminar thermal boundary layers. The method consists of a coupling between a modal method (Galerkin method) in the direction normal to the wall and a finite volume method in the direction(s) tangential to the wall. It is similar to an integral method in the sense that only a surface mesh is required and that the unknowns are integral quantities (corresponding to the moments up to a fixed order of the temperature profile in the direction normal to the wall). A specificity of the Galerkin method used is that the domain over which the integrals are computed has a variable size that is also an unknown of the problem. Using a series of numerical tests (representative of situations that can be encountered in aeronautics in the case of a wing equipped with a thermal ice protection system), we show that the new method allows us to predict the quantities of interest with a maximum error of a few percent, while a usual integral method (with only one unknown per mesh cell) is unable to treat the case of boundary layers on heated walls with a strong longitudinal temperature gradient, as shown in the literature.

Study of fluid layer gravity motion over vertical surface

This paper presents the results of studying the motion of a liquid layer along the walls of a vertically installed pipe under the action of gravity. Two-dimensional boundary layer is formed by the fluid motion relative to the hard wall on surfaces of structures (pipes, turbines, heat-and-mass transfer equipment, aircrafts, ships, etc.), which are of positive interest in engineering practice. Further upgrading of the above-mentioned structures is possible only by increasing accuracy of momentum in the boundary layer, heat and mass transfer rates calculation. It is confirmed that in the boundary layer transfer phenomena intensity (perpendicular to the wall) is due to the fluid particles velocity distribution regularities in the cross-section of the layer. Fluid velocity distribution regularities in turn are conditioned by Reynolds number according to current notions. The principal method of quantitative analysis of turbulent flow in a boundary layer suggested by Reynolds continues to be the velocity and pressure fluctuations averaging method for some timespan. The suggested model of fluid movement enables to prognosticate conditions under which in cross-sections of the boundary layer reshaping of velocity profile takes place, to carry out analytic calculation of such hydrodynamic characteristics as mean velocity of motion, layer thickness and shearing stresses acting on the wall. The difference between the suggested methods developed for calculation of flow parameters from the well-known ones is in that that calculations are made based on an integrated approach regardless of such conceptual definitions as laminar and turbulent regimes widely used in modern hydrodynamics. Obtained results and design formulas known in the literature have been compared. It has been found that the thickness of the sliding layer, determine by the proposed calculation formula, 1.17 times smaller than that determined by the currently used formula

A CFD Tutorial in Julia: Introduction to Compressible Laminar Boundary-Layer Flows

A boundary-layer is a thin fluid layer near a solid surface, and viscous effects dominate it. The laminar boundary-layer calculations appear in many aerodynamics problems, including skin friction drag, flow separation, and aerodynamic heating. A student must understand the flow physics and the numerical implementation to conduct successful simulations in advanced undergraduate- and graduate-level fluid dynamics/aerodynamics courses. Numerical simulations require writing computer codes. Therefore, choosing a fast and user-friendly programming language is essential to reduce code development and simulation times. Julia is a new programming language that combines performance and productivity. The present study derived the compressible Blasius equations from Navier–Stokes equations and numerically solved the resulting equations using the Julia programming language. The fourth-order Runge–Kutta method is used for the numerical discretization, and Newton’s iteration method is employed to calculate the missing boundary condition. In addition, Burgers’, heat, and compressible Blasius equations are solved both in Julia and MATLAB. The runtime comparison showed that Julia with for loops is 2.5 to 120 times faster than MATLAB. We also released the Julia codes on our GitHub page to shorten the learning curve for interested readers.

A model of an inflatable elastic aerofoil

A novel method is presented to calculate the deformation of a simple elastic aerofoil with a view to determining its aerodynamic viability. The aerofoil is modelled as a thin two-dimensional elastic sheet whose ends are joined together to form a corner of prescribed angle, with a simple support included to constrain the shape to resemble that of a classical aerofoil. The weight of the aerofoil is counterbalanced exactly by the lift force due to a circulation set according to the Kutta condition. An iterative process based on a boundary integral method is used to compute the deformation of the aerofoil in response to an inviscid fluid flow, and a range of flow speeds is determined for which the aerofoil maintains an aerodynamic shape. As the flow speed is increased the aerofoil deforms significantly around its trailing edge, resulting in a negative camber and a loss of lift. The loss of lift is ameliorated by increasing the inflation pressure but at the expense of an increase in drag as the aerofoil bulges into a less aerodynamic shape. Boundary layer calculations and nonlinear unsteady viscous simulations are used to analyse the aerodynamic characteristics of the deformed aerofoil in a viscous flow. By tailoring the internal support the viscous boundary layer separation can be delayed and the lift-to-drag ratio of the aerofoil can be substantially increased.

Submerged floating tunnel cross-section analysis using a transition turbulence model

Concepts of a submerged floating tunnel (SFT) for novel sea-crossings have been researched in recent years. An SFT tube should be moored afloat by tensioned mooring systems to maintain the tube position under complex hydrodynamic loads. In-line force is amongst the dominant hydrodynamic parameters in the SFT cross-section design and the mooring system reliability evaluation. Selecting a suitable in-line force computation method is crucial to successful and accurate SFT cross-section optimization. The transition SST model is an effective turbulence transition prediction tool in the boundary layer computation subjected to tidal flow at both low and high Reynolds numbers. Two types of parametric Bézier curves applied in airfoil optimization are used to describe the SFT cross-section. We show that an SFT cross-section described by a leading-edge Bézier-PARSEC (BP) curve has better hydrodynamic performance than a trailing-edge BP curve of equal aspect ratio (AR). To avoid large flow separation, an AR not exceeding 0.47 is recommended. An SFT cross-section design should balance hydrodynamic performance and construction cost. The SFT cross-section with AR = 0.47 using the leading-edge BP curve with fixed clearance has a comparatively small in-line force and a minimum material cost.

Calculation of the turbulent boundary layer of a flat plate

The calculation of the turbulent boundary layer is performed when a steady flow of a viscous fluid flows around a flat plate. The calculation is based on a system of equations of turbulent fluid motion, obtained by generalizing Newton’s formula for the tangential stress in a fluid by giving it a power-law form followed by writing the corresponding rheological relationship in tensor form and substituting it into the equation of motion of a continuous medium in stresses. The use of this system for the problem of longitudinal flow around a flat plate after estimates of the boundary layer form made it possible to write a system of equations describing a two-dimensional fluid flow in the boundary layer of a flat plate. This system is reduced to one ordinary third-order equation, similarly to how Blasius performed it for a laminar boundary layer. When solving this equation, the method of direct reduction of the boundary value problem to the Cauchy problem was used. The results of this solution made it possible to determine expressions for the thickness of the boundary layer, displacement and loss of momentum. These values are compared with the available experimental data.

Calculation of some turbulent wall currents

A mathematical model for the calculation of turbulent boundary layers and wall stream has been developed. The results of calculations are compared with the results of other authors on the compliance of the calculated values with the experimental data. The currents that are formed under the influence of positive pressure gradients and lead to the phenomenon of separation of the turbulent boundary layer are studied.

Calculation of the three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer in the vessel’s bow and midship area by the integral method

The quality of technical solutions applied in ship design and construction is substantially determined by the validity of viscous flow parameters, especially in the vicinity of thrusters. The influence of shapes on velocity, pressure and turbulence distribution can be assessed by physical experimentation. Along with undeniable advantages, physical modelling has a number of disadvantages: high labour input and cost, limited range of parameters variation (e.g. Reynolds numbers), difficulty in separating the influence of individual factors. Therefore, the development of mathematical models and numerical calculation schemes based on them is extremely relevant. Calculation of friction resistance and calculation of the velocity field in the vicinity of a vessel comes down to the calculation of its boundary layer and trace parameters. Current mathematical models with a planar representation, i.e. working with projections rather than real curves, do not give an accurate description. This has led to the need for a mathematical model that can address all of the required characteristics of a three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer. Both differential and integral methods are used to calculate three-dimensional boundary layers. The model is capable of calculating the characteristics of the spatial boundary layer in the stern and the viscous wake, in the bow and in the middle of the vessel. The model is quite versatile: it has been successfully used both for computing the boundary layer characteristics in the bow and midship area by the integral method based on the thick boundary layer concept, and for computing the turbulent flow in the stern and viscous wake by the differential method based on the partial parabolic concept using the k-ε turbulence model. In this paper we will elaborate on the integral method calculation.

Feasibility of skin-friction field measurements in a transonic wind tunnel using a global luminescent oil film

The feasibility of skin-friction field measurements using the global luminescent oil-film skin-friction field estimation method was evaluated for a challenging case of a supercritical airfoil model under transonic wind-tunnel conditions (freestream Mach number of 0.72) at a high Reynolds number (10 million, based on the model chord length). The oil-film thickness and skin-friction coefficient distributions were estimated over the airfoil model upper surface for a range of angles of attack (from -0.4^{circ } to 2.0^{circ }), thus enabling the study of different boundary-layer stability situations with laminar–turbulent transition, including cases with shock-wave/boundary-layer interaction. Conventional pressure measurements on the surface and in the wake of the model as well as Schlieren flow visualizations were conducted to support the oil-film based investigations. In the laminar-flow regions, the oil-film thickness could be generally kept below the critical limit of roughness that would induce premature boundary-layer transition. The skin friction in this region could be estimated with a moderate confidence level, as confirmed for portions of the chord by the reasonable agreement with numerical data obtained via laminar boundary-layer computations. Moreover, the location of transition onset was evaluated from the skin-friction estimations with relatively low uncertainty, thus enabling the examination of the transition location evolution with varying angle of attack. The estimated locations of transition onset were shown to be in general agreement with reference transition locations measured via temperature-sensitive paint. On the other hand, the oil-film thickness in the turbulent-flow regions was larger than the height of the viscous sublayer, which led to an hydraulically rough surface with increased skin friction, as compared to the clean configuration. For this reason, quantitative skin-friction estimations were not feasible in the turbulent-flow regions. The global effects of the oil-film setup on the flow around the airfoil were evaluated from the estimations of the aerodynamic coefficients. In particular, it was shown that the presence of the specific base coat used for the application of the oil film already induced a significant increase in airfoil drag, as compared to the clean configuration, whereas a thin oil film led to negligible or small additional increases in drag. Based on the present observations, considerations for the further improvement of the global luminescent oil-film skin-friction field estimation method in transonic flow experiments at high Reynolds numbers are elucidated.Graphic abstract

Flow field distribution around insulator and contamination uneven characteristic of insulator

The accumulation of insulator surface contamination is closely related to the distribution of flow field around the insulator. In order to study the unevenness of the insulator surface contamination, a three-unit lxy-160 insulator is selected. Based on the principle of fluid mechanics, the fluid movement state on the insulator surface is determined by the calculation of Reynolds number and boundary layer, then the flow field distribution around the insulator is obtained. On this basis, the artificial contamination test and numerical simulation are carried out to study the characteristics of contamination uneven distribution on the insulator surface. The results show that when the wind speed is 3–7 m/s and the particle diameter is 1–60 µm, there is obvious boundary layer separation phenomenon, and the flow state before the separation point is laminar, while the flow state behind the separation point is turbulent. From top to bottom, the degree of accumulation on each insulator is different, and the contamination on the windward and leeward sides are unevenly distributed in a fan shape. The increment of wind speed as well as particle diameter will aggravate the unevenness of the contamination.

Analytical Solutions and Analyses of the Displacement Separating Point in Diffusers

The main purpose of this study is to develop an understanding of the turbulent boundary layer calculation to analyze displacement of the separating point in diffusers. An approximate method has been used which is based on an analogy with the rheological power law and is applied in the study of non-linear viscous flows. At first, the method has been validated with the experimental data in the same experimental cases study. An appropriate geometric with and without the Nano-fluids in the straight-wall and curved-wall conical diffusers has been investigated. Its analyses output was compared with the results obtained by a numerical code. Also, the proposed method is more practical and can be used in diffuser design procedures.

Numerical and Experimental Stability Analysis Predicting Natural Laminar Flow Extension on a Realistic Swept Wing

It is well known that the stability theory, coupled with eN method, offers a rational approach to predict transition from laminar to turbulent flow condition in several aerodynamic applications. It is also known that stability analyses are affected by the accuracy of the mean flow that strongly depends from an adequate resolution in the boundary layer region. Unfortunately, Navier-Stokes analyses for stability investigations are often not affordable since the large number of points normal to the wall, necessary in the viscous layer to have desiderata boundary layer accuracy, makes RANS computations extremely time consuming. Furthermore, the classical definition of the boundary layer edge (the height where the boundary layer velocity reaches 99% of the no-viscous velocity) is not a straightforward task. For these reasons, in the framework of EU-funded Research Project RECEPT, a three-step approach has been applied to perform stability analyses. The first step consists of Euler computations to evaluate the mean flow. In the second step, a 3-D boundary-layer code, starting from the no-viscous flow field, allows to compute the boundary layer data necessary to perform the linear stability analysis and, finally, a 2.5D linear stability code is used to predict transition location. The reference geometry used to test this approach is the laminar wing developed by CIRA and Piaggio Aero Industries S.p.A. (PAI) in the framework of an Italian national program called VITAS (Vettore Innovativo per il Trasporto AeroSostenibile). This wing has been selected because an extended set of experimental data is available. Among the available experimental results, four different conditions have been selected and numerical analyses were performed. The selection has been driven preferring the data that presented both the best IR (Infra-Red) camera results and the pressure distributions. Euler computations have been performed using the commercial CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamic) code CFD++ and the boundary layer computations have been performed using the ONERA (Office National d'Études et de Recherches Aérospatiales) 3C3D laminar/turbulent boundary layer code. Stability computations have been performed using the compressible code NOLLI (NOn Local Linear Instability code) developed in house by CIRA and based on the application of the multiple scale technique and ray tracing theory. For stability analyses the fixed span- wise wavenumber strategy has been used.

Computational approach to the turbulent boundary layer of a rotating porous cylinder with strong suction based on an algebraic turbulence model

Many important technical systems operate according to the principles of momentum transfer, heat transfer and mass transfer near the surface of a cylinder rotating in a confined space. Numerical study of the Taylor–Couette flow with an imposed inward radial throughflow in the rotating inner cylinder demonstrates the possibility of flow stabilization to prevent large-scale vortices up to high rotation rates. The fluid is involved in rotation by the inner rotating cylinder only in a thin layer (boundary layer) near the cylinder surface with strong radial throughflow. Turbulence in the boundary layer may occur before the centrifugal instability, and there is a way to control the thickness of the layer as well as shear intensity and turbulence intensity near the surface of the rotating cylinder. The present work develops a compact and robust approach for the turbulent boundary layer calculation on the surface of a rotating cylinder based on an algebraic turbulence model. The generalized Cebeci–Smith model was supplemented with Richardson number-based corrections to address the centrifugal force action. It also generalized the correction used for accounting for wall suction. Analytical corrections and empirical coefficients of the model were tuned to reflect the coupled influence of the specific flow conditions. The approach, comprehensively verified in the preliminary research, was adapted to the desired geometric configuration and checked. The modified algebraic turbulent model was incorporated into an iterative calculation method developed especially for the case of axisymmetric boundary layers. The results of the algebraic turbulence model with different combinations of rotational speed and suction velocity agree well with the simulation results of the Reynolds stress turbulent model. The method proposed provides efficient practical engineering calculations and can be applied up to approaching the centrifugal instability in the boundary layer.

Utility of ‘Diffusive Gradients in Thin-Films’ for the measurement of nitrate removal performance of denitrifying bioreactors

The increase in environmental nutrient availability as a result of human activities has necessitated the development of mitigation strategies for nutrient removal, such as nitrate. Current methods for determining the efficiency of different mitigation strategies required measurement of changes in nitrate concentrations, however, these methods can be expensive or do not account fully for the temporal variability of nitrate concentration. This study evaluated the utility of Diffusive Gradients in Thins-Films (DGT) for determining nitrate removal in two denitrifying bioreactors, and compared DGT performance to traditional approaches for determining performance, including high and low frequency water grab sampling. The binding layer was produced using the Purolite® A520E anion exchange resin. The uptake and elution efficiencies were 98.8% and 93.4% respectively. DGTs of three material diffusion layer thicknesses were placed in piezometers along longitudinal transects, to enable calculation of the diffusive boundary layer and provide replicates. These were removed after 16, 24 and 36 h, and the accumulated nitrate masses were extracted and quantified to calculate nitrate concentration. Concentrations were subsequently utilised to calculate nitrate removal rates in both bioreactors. Grab samples were taken at 30 and 60 min intervals over those periods, nitrate concentrations were also measured to determine nitrate removal. DGTs provided nitrate removal rates at bioreactor site one (controlled flow, wastewater treatment) of 14.83–30.75 g N m−3 d−1, and 1.22–3.63 g N m−3 d−1 at site two (variable flow, agricultural run-off). DGT determined nitrate concentrations and removal rates were in strong accordance with high frequency grab sampling, but data collection via DGTs was considerably easier. Utilising DGTs for the measurement of bioreactor performance overcame many of the challenges associated with high frequency grab sampling, and other methods, such as accounting for temporal variation in nitrate concentration and reduced analytical requirements.