ENGM036 Digital Mapping and Survey
Coursework 2 Brief
Set by: Dr Mohamad Abdel-Aal
Submission date: 13th December 2024 12:00 noon (Week 12)
Submission method: ELE2
Assessment Weight: 50% of the module mark Title:
Digital Mapping and Surveying of Taddiforde Brook- Inves;ga;ng the poten;al of a Local hydropower energy source.
Aim:
The purpose of this coursework is to assess your ability to use digital mapping and analysis tools to evaluate land and provide high-quality data to support the poten;al construc;on of a small hydropower sta;on. Rather than solely aiming to prove the viability of hydropower at Taddiforde Brook, the assessment encourages you to cri;cally evaluate all relevant factors and arrive at a reasoned conclusion supported by data-driven insights and jus;fica;ons.
ObjecJves:
1. Demonstrate the ability of u;lising and choosing the appropriate new developments in surveying tools and seHngs [ILO 1].
2. Create quality spa;al data and evaluate it, using the appropriate soNware packages, to propose the construc;on of a renewable energy technology [ILO 3].
3. Formulate a project aim and objec;ves, by analysing the obtained data, to inves;gate the poten;al of construc;ng a renewable energy technology [ILO 2].
4. Discuss the limita;ons of uncertainty, using engineering and technical reasoning, in data collec;on and its implica;ons on future work [ILO4].
5. Evaluate and analyse relevant technical literature to propose appropriate solu;ons for the given problem (described below) using an integrated approach [ILO 5 & 7].
6. Apply all the relevant health & safety, codes of prac;ce and standards, to iden;fy, evaluate, manage and mi;gate risks appropriately [ILO 6 & 8].
7. Act professionally according to theEngineering Council standards, func;on effec;vely and evaluate your effec;veness [ILO 9 & 10].
Problem descripJon:
U;lising natural resources to generate energy has become increasingly important, par;cularly with the recent UK net-zero targets and the growing demand for fuel. Developing a new renewable energy source requires careful integra;on with nature and thoughaul adjustments to achieve op;mal results while minimising nega;ve impacts on areas such as ecology, the economy, and society. Consequently, thorough surveying and mapping of poten;al renewable energy resources in the region are essen;al.
For this coursework, you are tasked with surveying and mapping Taddiforde Brook to evaluate the feasibility of installing hydropower technology. You will need to provide preliminary es;mates of poten;al hydropower genera;on and iden;fy suitable loca;ons within Taddiforde Brook. In your analysis, consider the technical feasibility as well as the poten;al impacts on local communi;es, biodiversity, and other land uses.
For the purposes of this study, an average rainfall intensity of 1 mm/hour and a runoff coefficient of 0.6 are assumed for Taddiforde Brook.
Submission Requirements:
You are required to submit a technical report explaining the details of your work. The report should include the sec;ons listed below.
In addi;on to the main report, please submit the following items as an electronic appendix. This list is not exhaus;ve, addi;onal relevant materials may be added as appropriate:
a. The ‘ Project’ file in ArcGIS Pro APRX format which shall include the following:
• All relevant raster data files
• Mapping raster file of the poten;al power genera;on b. Point Cloud file for Taddiforde Brook in RCP format
c. Contour and surface files in DWG format
d. Computa;onal codes (e.g., MATLAB or similar) in text or similar format
The report must not exceed 10 pages in total, excluding references and appendices.
1. IntroducJon [5%] [knowledge, cogniJve]
Provide relevant background informa;on on the site based on collected data and other sources. The introduc;on should guide you in formula;ng a specific project aim and establishing SMART objec;ves
2. Methodology [25%] [research, literature and cogniJve (analysis)]
Describe the methodology used, beginning with the planning stage. Jus;fy the selec;on of appropriate mapping and surveying tools, as well as the types of files, e.g. DEM or DSM, used for es;ma;ng and mapping power output. Discuss the expected margin of error from the tools and data, and evaluate their suitability for achieving your aim and objec;ves. Ensure that all relevant methods used in the surveying campaign are thoroughly presented and explained.
Outline the approach taken to justify the study's final outcomes. Refer to relevant literature, and apply an engineering, logical, scientific or mathematical knowledge in your justification. Explain any additional work undertaken to achieve the results, including equations and computational codes used to estimate generated power. Demonstrate proficiency with relevant software packages, such as ArcGIS, Autodesk Civil 3D, Autodesk ReCap and MATLAB for importing, processing and exporting files. This includes the processing of Point Cloud data to prepare for construction planning and create a surface model.
3. Results [25%] [knowledge, Professional and cogniJve (analysis)]
Present all relevant data collected from the Taddiforde Brook survey, including eleva;on profiles, flow accumula;on, and stream flow characteris;cs essen;al for assessing hydropower poten;al.
• Spa;al analysis output:
o Display the relevant data you used to es;mate the hydraulic parameters.
o Using flow accumula;on, present possible dam heights based on the equa;ons learnt in this module or other similar principles.
o Present the poten;al hydropower across the Taddiforde Brook region.
o Use screenshots for the key features and upload relevant files as explained in ‘Submission Requirements’ sec;on.
• Final dam height determina;on:
o Provide a reasoned es;mate of the most appropriate dam height, accoun;ng for technical poten;al with environmental, social, and economic factors.
• Hydropower output es;ma;on:
o Present the calculated annual energy output (e.g., kWh/year) based on the determined head and es;mated flow rate, accoun;ng for factors like efficiency and seasonal flow varia;ons.
4. Discussion [25%] [research, literature and cogniJve (analysis)]
This sec;on allows you to interpret your findings, connec;ng them to real-world applica;ons and the overall aim of the project. Always support your arguments with strong evidence from literature, logical reasoning or the applica;on of scien;fic and engineering principles.
• Key findings:
o Discuss the primary results, including es;mated dam heights, poten;al hydropower outputs, and key loca;ons iden;fied.
o Explain how these findings align with the project’s objec;ves and support the decision regarding the viability of hydropower at Taddiforde Brook.
• Implica;ons:
o Cri;cally evaluate the implica;ons of installing hydropower infrastructure, considering technical feasibility, environmental impacts (e.g. on local habitats and water quality), social (e.g. acceptability) and economic factors (e.g. cost- benefit and payback period).
• Uncertainty:
o Address the uncertain;es and limita;ons inherent in your analysis, including data accuracy, assump;ons about key elements and methods used for hydropower and other calcula;ons. Discuss the poten;al effects of these limita;ons on the reliability of your results and any risks to the project’s feasibility.
5. RecommendaJons for future work [5%] [as discussions]
Briefly add some recommenda;ons for future work, what methods, technologies and prepara;on would you change and what you suggest for improving the final outcomes in the future. This should mostly be based on the limita;ons discussed in the previous sec;on. Propose surveying methods to plan infrastructure for delivering power to the University’s Streatham Campus, including transmission line route assessments.
6. ReflecJon on your work effecJveness [5%] [professional]
You will need to briefly describe the key incidents that impacted your performance, e.g. in comparison to submiHng Coursework 1, and analyse what happened in depth from different angles. You then think and report what this means to you as a professional and how your reflec;on will aid your future work. For more guidance on reflec;ve wri;ng, clickhere.