Predictability of wave-induced net sediment transport using the conventional 1DV RANS diffusion model

Based on a large database of laboratory experiments, the predictability of the conventional one-dimensional vertical Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) diffusion model is systematically investigated with respect to wave-induced net sediment transport. The predicted net sediment transport rates are compared with the measured data of 176 physical experiments in wave flumes and oscillating water tunnels, covering a wide range of wave conditions (surface, skewed, and asymmetric waves with and without currents), sediment conditions (fine, medium, and coarse sands with median grain diameters ranging from 0.13 to 0.97 mm) and bed forms (flat beds and rippled beds), corresponding to various sediment dynamic regions in the near-shore area. Comparisons show that the majority (73 %) of predictions on a flat bed are within a factor 2 of the measurements. The model behaves much better for medium/coarse sand than for fine sand. The model generally underpredicts the transport rates beneath asymmetric waves and overpredicts the fine sand transport beneath skewed waves. Nevertheless, the model behaves well in reproducing the transport rates under surface waves. A detailed discussion and a quantitative measure of the overall model performance are made. The poor model predictability for fine sand cases is mainly due to the underestimation of unsteady phase-lag effect. It is revealed that the model predictability can be significantly improved by implementing alternative bedload formulas and incorporating more physical processes (mobile-bed roughness, hindered settling, and turbulence damping).