Hydraulic Engineer on VT Sabbatical
Right: Visiting Danish sabbatical scientist Michael Rassmussen and graduate student Angela Lunger (VMRCVM) examine tank mixing in one of Virginia Tech's recirculating aquculture systems.
Dr. Michael Rasmussen, from Aalborg University’s Hydraulics and Coastal Engineering Laboratory (Denmark), is presently spending a 6 month sabbatical at Virginia Tech’s Aquaculture Center. Dr. Rasmussen’s area of specialization is in numerical modeling, with a focus on computational fluid dynamic modeling of waste water treatment centers. While at the Blacksburg Campus however, he will turn his attention to examining the hydrodynamics of aquaculture tanks, with a particular eye at unraveling the impact of fish upon the tank mixing process. This issue, which may appear simple at first glance, is highly complex, since it requires the combination of rigid hydrodynamic principles with the stochastic or random nature of fish.
The importance of understanding the tank mixing process is manifold. For example, by gaining a deeper appreciation of hydrodynamics, tank design can be optimized. The design of fish rearing units represents a critical stage in the development of optimal aquaculture systems, especially in the context of recirculating systems. Poor hydrodynamics can compromise water quality, waste management and the physiology and behavior of fish, affecting production potential and operational profitability. The hydrodynamic performance of tanks is therefore of extraordinary importance during the tank design process.
“I chose Virginia Tech’s Aquaculture Center for my sabbatical because of its excellent facilities and state of the art systems. Also, Virginia Tech was able to support the research activities of one of my graduate students” said Rasmussen. Michael’s doctoral student, Jesper Laursen, who also specializes in numerical modeling, will be at the Aquaculture Center for three months. While at Tech he will examine the design and performance characteristics of in-tank standpipes in an attempt to design standpipes that are more efficient in sludge removal. “This is an excellent opportunity for me to apply concepts derived from wastewater treatment systems to aquaculture production units. At the same time, visiting Virginia Tech provides me with the chance to experience the American University system first hand,” said Laursen. “I am particularly enjoying the free range presented for my research activities, which is made more enjoyable by having the chance to examine a broad number of systems.”
While at Virginia Tech, Dr. Rasmussen has been collaborating with the Aquaculture Center’s Director, Dr. Ewen McLean. “Already Michael has developed novel concepts and our cooperative research has thrown new light upon the hydrokinetics of recirculating aquaculture systems. Indeed, recent results indicate that several important issues have not been taken into account by previous researchers in the field, which may have led to erroneous conclusions,” said McLean. “We have made rapid and significant progress in the field,” noted Rasmussen, “and we hope that our advances can be broadened with sustained research collaborations between our two institutions.” Dr. Rasmussen has centered his research upon the tank mixing process due to its importance in not only waste handling but also water treatments.
While at Virginia Tech, Dr. Rasmussen will be providing supervision of independent studies at the undergraduate and graduate level. To this end, together with Dr. Steven Craig of the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences of the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM), Rasmussen has provided guidance to Angela Lunger, a graduate student of VMRCVM, on studies that evaluate the impact of red drum stocking density upon hydrokinetics in circular tanks.
Likewise, together with Dr. Ewen McLean of the College of Natural Resources, Dr. Rasmussen has provided co-supervision of Fisheries Science major Tomas Ivasauskas, who is examining the effect of body form and animal behavior upon tank hydraulics.
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