Bed load transport under different streambed conditions-a field experimental study in a mountain stream

Bed load transport in mountain streams is closely linked to streambed structures.Strambed structures are arrangements of boulders and cobbles deposited during extreme floods,in a stable configuration exhibiting high dissipation of flow.Field experiments were carried out in a mountain stream in Yunnan,southwestern China,studying bed load movement on three typical streambeds,i.e.,with well developed,partially developed,and no structures.An underwater observation and video-capturing system was designed to observe and measure the movement of bed load particles.The initiation mode, trajectory,velocity,and acceleration of bed load particles under the three conditions were observed and analyzed.Results showed that the bed load movement was highly associated with streambed condition.With well-developed structures,bed load particles moved intermittently through saltation and the bed load transport rate was very low.For partially-developed structures most bed load particles moved through saltation but a portion of sediment moved in sliding and rolling.In the case with no streambed structure(plane bed) contact load motion(sliding and rolling) gradually became dominant.Moreover,laminated load motion occurred and became the main component of bed load transport when the flow discharge and incoming sediment load were very high.Laminated load motion was a special form of bed load motion with an extremely high intensity.Bed load transport and streambed structure both acted to dissipate flow energy and were mutually constraining.High rates of bed load transport occurred in the streams with no or poor bed structures,and low bed load transport was associated with well developed structures.The bed load transport rate was inversely correlated to the degree of streambed development.     

Effects of overlying velocity,particle size,and biofilm growth on stream–subsurface exchange of particles

Stream–subsurface exchange strongly influences the transport of contaminants, fine particles, and other ecologically relevant substances in streams. We used a recirculating laboratory flume (220 cm long and 20 cm wide) to study the effects of particle size, overlying velocity, and biofilm formation on stream–subsurface exchange of particles. Sodium chloride was used as a non‐reactive dissolved tracer and 1‐ and 5‐µm fluorescent microspheres were used as particulate tracers. Surface–subsurface exchange was observed with a clean sand bed and a bed colonized by an autotrophic–heterotrophic biofilm under two different overlying velocities, 0·9 and 5 cm s^?1. Hydrodynamic interactions between the overlying flow and sand bed resulted in a reduction of solute and particle concentrations in the water column, and a corresponding accumulation of particles in both the sediments and in the biofilm. Increasing overlying velocity and particle size resulted in faster removal from the overlying water due to enhanced mass transfer to the bed. The presence of the biofilm did not affect solute exchange under any flow condition tested. The presence of the biofilm significantly increased the deposition of particles under an overlying velocity of 5 cm s^?1, and produced a small but statistically insignificant increase at 0·9 cm^?1. The particles preferentially deposited within the biofilm matrix relative to the underlying sand. These results demonstrate that hydrodynamic transport conditions, particle size, and biofilm formation play a key role in the transport of suspended particles, such as inorganic sediments, particulate organic matter, and pathogenic microorganisms in freshwater ecosystems, and should be taken into consideration when predicting the fate and transport of particles and contaminants in the environment. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Graded and uniform bed load sediment transport in a degrading channel

Twenty runs of experiments are carried out to investigate non-equilibrium transport of graded and uniform bed load sediment in a degrading channel. Well-sorted gravel and sand are employed to compose four kinds of sediment beds with different gravel/sand contents, i.e., uniform 100%gravel bed, uniform 100% sand bed, and two graded sediment beds respectively with 53% gravel and 47% sand as well as 22%gravel and 78%sand. For different sediment beds, the experiments are conducted under the same discharges, thereby allowing for the role of sediment composition in dictating the bed load transport rate to be identified. A new observed dataset is generated concerning the flow, sediment transport and evolution of bed elevation and composition, which can be exploited to underpin devel-opments of mathematical river models. The data shows that in a degrading channel, the sand greatly promotes the transport of gravel, whilst the gravel considerably hinders the transport of sand. The promoting and hindering effects are evaluated by means of impact factors defined based on sediment transport rates. The impact factors are shown to vary with flow discharge by orders of magnitude, being most pronounced at the lowest discharge. It is characterized that variations in sand or gravel inputs as a result of human activities and climate change may lead to severe morphological changes in degrading channels.     

STEP-POOL MORPHOLOGY IN HIGH-GRADIENT STREAMS

l 1NTRODUCTIONGravel bed rivers are found in man parts of the worid, mpically in moUntainous regions with highgradients and seasonally high flows. These rivers are imPotalt in contrlling flood waters from sPringrunoff in regions such as the Pacific Northwest, Where heaVy snowfall can be followed by equally heaVyranfall. The combination of high stream gradient and high discharge causes significant erosion of thebed and bank of the strCam, in some cases moving large boulders with ease.It…     

INVESTIGATION OF DAMAGES CAUSED BY ABRASION AND IMPACT OF GRAVEL BED LOAD ON HYDRAULIC STRUCTURES

When gravel bed load deposits are sluiced from hydraulic structures, the mo- tion of bed load over the apron, as is well known, may consist of sliding, rolling and saltation. At times, saltation may become so intensive that gravels have been observed to jump clear out of the water surface. The movement of gravel bed load may cause serious damages to the hydraulic structures through abrasion and im- pact. The extent of damage depends upon a number of factors, such as rock prop- erties of gravels, flow conditions, configuration as well as the strength of materials of hydraulic structures. In most cases the movement of gravel bed load takes place in ribbons in plan, consequently, the lateral distribution of damages is uneven, and protective measures to be adopted against abrasion and impact should be applied to the key part most frequently attacked by the gravel bed load. Possible repair should be anticipated in the layout of structures in order to facilitate the operation.     

Evaluation of grain shear stresses required to initiate movement of particles in natural rivers

Shear stresses were evaluated at different sites on two rivers. The first (the Rulles) is characterized by a pebbly bedload and a meandering bed with riffles and pools. The second (the Rouge Eau) has mainly a sandy rippled bed where meandering is well developed but also flat gravelly sectors without meandering system. Shear stresses calculated from friction velocities (τ*) using a redefined y₁ roughness height parameter were compared with total shear stresses calculated from the energy grade line and the hydraulic radius (τ), Divergence between these shear stresses seems to increase in the presence of bedforms and large-scale irregularities of the channel. The τ*/τ ratio is close to 0·5 in the gravelly sector of the Rouge Eau and reaches 0·65 in the riffles of the Rulles (generally located at the inflexion point of the meanders), while it is less than 0·3 in the pools of the same river (located in the loops) and only 0·2 in the sandy rippled sector of the Rouge Eau. Grain and bedform shear stresses were evaluated at these same sites by different methods. The grain shear stress (τ') represents on average 30 per cent of the total shear stress in the riffles of the Rulles and the gravelly sector of the Rouge Eau, but less than 15 per cent in the pools in the Rulles and the sandy sectors of the Rouge Eau. However, it emerges from experiments conducted with marked pebbles and in situ observations of erosion and transport of sandy and gravelly particles, that the grain shear stresses are underestimated and cannot explain the movements and modifications actually observed. Conversely, shear stresses calculated from friction velocities at the sites where erosion actually occurred (or failed to occur despite very high velocities) provide a better explanation of the observed movements.     

Scouring of a granular bed by dam break: Experimental study and numerical simulation by a VOF-LPT coupling

The first part of the research reported here consists of an experimental campaign to study the scouring of a granular bed(glass beads, sand) induced by a dam break in an open channel. Two configurations are considered: with and without cylinders. In the second part of this study, the volume of fluid method coupled with the shear stress transport turbulent model and the lagrangian particle tracking method is used to simulate the local scour processes. The four-way coupling is realized by consider...     

Influence of reversing currents on the erosion stability and bed degradation of widely graded grain material

Physical model tests were done in a recirculating flume to investigate the overall erosion stability of widely graded bed material in estuarine and coastal conditions by means of simulating tidal flow conditions with reversing currents. As a result of the reversing flow conditions, previously protected sediment eventually became exposed again, leading to bidirectional displacement processes depending on the flow direction. Furthermore, eroded sediment fractions were slightly finer due to flow in the initially applied direction rather than under the subsequently applied flow in the reverse direction. This indicates higher critical shear stresses, and, thus, erosion stability for the initial flow direction. In comparison to the erosional pattern found when subjecting the material to unidirectional currents, this study finds an even higher erosional stability for sediment fractions smaller than the median (d₅₀) diameter of the parent bed material under reversing current conditions. Overall, no significant damage or failure of the bed was observed after subjecting the material to reversing currents, indicating only a small amount of bed degradation, and, thus, high potential for scour and bed protection under the tested flow conditions.     

Flow structure over a wavy bed with vegetation cover

On the basis of experiments carried out in flume with a wavy bed with vegetation cover, flow velocity, turbulence intensities and Reynolds stress distributions are investigated. The wavy bed was similar to dune in this study. The fixed artificial dunes were constructed over the bed and artificial vegetation put over them in a laboratory flume. An Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter and spatially-averaged method were applied to determine turbulent flow components and shear velocity. Results were compared with a gravel bedform. It was observed that vegetation cover influences considerably the flow structure and displays clearly the flow separation and reattachment point. The law of the wall was not valid within the vegetation cover, but it was fitted well to the zone above the vegetation cover within the inner layer. For a wavy bed having the same dimensions, shear velocity and friction factor over vegetation cover are 1.7 and 2.6 times of those for the gravel bedform, respectively. The results of laboratory study were compared with those of river study.     

Bed forms and unsteady processes: Some concepts of classification and response illustrated by common one-way types

In natural environments, where unsteady flows prevail, the common one-way bed forms (ripples, dunes, antidunes, parting lineations on plane beds) show delayed responses to changes of flow. A dual classification may then be necessary for the features: 1. Geometric, with no implication of flow conditions. 2. Geometric-hydraulic, in which the shape of the observed forms is combined with the character of the concurrent flow. The delayed responses arise because, under the simplest steady-state equilibrium conditions, the bed forms behave deterministically as populations, which take average dimensions controlled by the bed-material and/or flow conditions. The response of the bed to a change of flow is a rearrangement of the particles forming the bed in an attempt to meet the new conditions. The rate of rearrangement, however, is controlled by the sediment transport rate, in turn determined by the flow conditions, and so is finite. Two specific mechanisms of change of opposing tendency are quantifiable: 1. Creation-destruction of forms, where the new forms are better adjusted than predecessors. 2. The imperfect modification of existing forms during their life-spans. Both rates may be controlled by a combination of flow variables, the attributes of the bed forms, and ‘constants’ specific to each kind of form. A better knowledge of the unsteady responses of these bed forms should increase our understanding of and control over river and tidal systems and may provide models for a better appreciation of still larger features in landscapes and waterscapes.     

Laboratory measurements of vortex-induced sediment pickup rates

In the present study,vortices were generated in open channel flow with a cross-flow cylinder installed horizontally near the bed.Sediment pickup rates were then measured over the channel bed downstream the cylinder using a sediment lift.The experimental data show that the pickup rate increases exponentially in the presence of vortices.Two different relationships can be clearly observed between the pickup rate and the maximum root-mean-square (rms) value of the streamwise velocity fluctuation,one for the cylinder-obstructed flow and the other for the unobstructed flow.The results imply that the vortex-induced sediment pickup cannot be explained based on the traditional boundary layer theory.     

An experimental study on the evolution law of roll wave parameters in overland flow

Roll waves commonly occur in overland flow and have an important influence on the progress of soil erosion on slopes. This study aimed to explore the evolution and mechanism of roll waves on steep slopes. The potential effects of flow rate, rainfall intensity and bed roughness on the laws controlling roll wave parameters were investigated. The flow rates, rainfall intensities and bed roughness varied from 5 to 30 L/min, 0 to 150 mm/h, and 0.061 to 1.700 mm, respectively. The results indicate that roll waves polymerize significantly along the propagation path, and bed roughness and rainfall affect the generation and evolution of roll waves. The wave velocity, length and height decreased with bed roughness, whereas the wave frequency increased with increasing bed roughness under fixed flow rate and rainfall intensity conditions. Rainfall increased the wave velocity and wavelength and decreased the wave frequency. The wave velocity, height and wavelength tended to increase with an increasing flow rate. Rainfall promoted the generation of roll waves, whereas bed roughness had the opposite effect. The generation of roll waves is closely related to the Froude number (Fr) and flow resistance. In this experiment, the range of the Reynolds number for the roll waves generated in the laminar region was 142–416, and the range of the flow resistance coefficient was 0.64–4.85. The critical value of the Fr for flow instability in the laminar region was approximately 0.57. Exploring the generation and evolution law of roll waves is necessary for understanding the processes and dynamic mechanisms of slope soil erosion.     

Experimental study on three dimensional movements of particles Effects of particle diameter on velocity and concentration distributions

Based on the three Dimensional Particle Tracking Velocimetry (3D PTV) system, the characteristics of motion of particles with four different diameters were investigated under the steady flow conditions.The longitudinal average velocity profiles of these particles were in accordance with Log-law, while the vertical and transverse velocities remained very low with minimal fluctuation. The time-average velocity of particles in the bed load layer was 8.5u., close to Bagnold's assumption Un -ω. The vertical concentration distribution of particles in the suspension region agreed with the Rouse equation. When the diameter of particles was relatively large, there existed an evident concentration gradient in the bed load layer.     

The impact of inter-flood duration on non-cohesive sediment bed stability

Limited field and flume data suggests that both uniform and graded beds appear to progressively stabilize when subjected to inter-flood flows as characterized by the absence of active bedload transport. Previous work has shown that the degree of bed stabilization scales with duration of inter-flood flow, however, the sensitivity of this response to bed surface grain size distribution has not been explored. This article presents the first detailed comparison of the dependence of graded bed stability on inter-flood flow duration. Sixty discrete experiments, including repetitions, were undertaken using three grain size distributions of identical D₅₀ (4.8 mm); near-uniform (σ_g = 1.13), unimodal (σ_g = 1.63) and bimodal (σ_g = 2.08). Each bed was conditioned for between 0 (benchmark) and 960 minutes by an antecedent shear stress below the entrainment threshold of the bed (τ*_c50). The degree of bed stabilization was determined by measuring changes to critical entrainment thresholds and bedload flux characteristics. Results show that (i) increasing inter-flood duration from 0 to 960 minutes increases the average threshold shear stress of the D₅₀ by up to 18%; (ii) bedload transport rates were reduced by up to 90% as inter-flood duration increased from 0 to 960 minutes; (iii) the rate of response to changes in inter-flood duration in both critical shear stress and bedload transport rate is non-linear and is inversely proportional to antecedent duration; (iv) there is a grade dependent response to changes in critical shear stress where the magnitude of response in uniform beds is up to twice that of the graded beds; and (v) there is a grade dependent response to changes in bedload transport rate where the bimodal bed is most responsive in terms of the magnitude of change. These advances underpin the development of more accurate predictions of both entrainment thresholds and bedload flux timing and magnitude, as well as having implications for the management of environmental flow design. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

EXPERIMENTS ON FLOW AROUND A CYLINDER IN A SCOURED CHANNEL BED

The flow pattern around a cylinder, installed in a scoured channel bed, was experimentally investigated. Detailed measurements of the instantaneous 3D velocities were performed by using an Acoustic Doppler Velocity Profiler (ADVP), from which the profiles of the time-averaged velocities and turbulence stresses were obtained. It is shown that the influence of the cylinder and of the scour hole alters the approach flow; this is essentially confined to the vicinity of the cylinder and to the inside of the scour hole. The horseshoe vortex is measured as a flow reversal inside the scour hole, formed by the downward flow along the cylinder face and the reversed flow at the scour bed.     

EXPERIMENTS ON FLOW AROUND A CYLINDER IN A SCOURED CRANNEL BED

1 INTRODUCTION'LOcal scour around a pier is a result of the interatiOn amongst the pier, the aPproach flow and theerodible bed. The Presence of a pier results in a stagnation pressure build-up in front of the pier and athree-dimensional tUrbulent flow echaracterized by the downward flow ahead of the pier and the so-called horseshoe vortex along the base of the Pier forms itself The flow modifies the erothe bed inthe vicinity of the pier when local scour takes place (Graf and AJhnakar l…     

Enhanced bed load sediment transport by unsteady flows in a degrading channel

Laboratory flume experiments were done to investigate bed load sediment transport by both steady and unsteady flows in a degrading channel. The bed, respectively composed of uniform sand, uniform gravel, or sand-gravel mixtures, always undergoes bulk degradation. It is found that both uniform and non-uniform bed load transport is enhanced greatly by unsteady flows as compared to their volume-equivalent steady flows. This enhancement effect is evaluated by means of an enhancement factor, which is shown to be larger with a coarser bed and lower discharges. Also, the fractional transport rates of gravel and sand in non-uniform sand-gravel mixtures are compared with their uniform counterparts under both steady and unsteady flows. The sand is found to be able to greatly promote the transport of gravel, whilst the gravel considerably hinders the transport of sand. Particularly, the promoting and hindering impacts are more pronounced at lower discharges and tend to be weakened by flow unsteadiness.     

Flow,bed topography,grain size and sedimentary structure in open channel bends: A three-dimensional model

Bed topography and grain size are predicted for steady, uniform flow in circular bends by consideration of the balance of fluid, gravity and frictional forces acting on bed load particles. Uniform flow pattern is adequately described by conventional hydraulic equations, with bed shear defined as that effectively acting on bed load grains. This analysis is used as a basis to predict bed topography and grain size for steady, non-uniform flow in non-circular bends (represented by a ‘sine-generated’ curve). The non-uniform flow pattern is calculated using the method of Engelund (1974a). Equilibrium bed form, hence sedimentary structure, is found by comparison of existing flow conditions with one of the schemes describing the hydraulic stability limits of the various bed forms. The model was compared with bankfull flow observations from a channel bend on the River South Esk, Scotland. Theoretical bed topography and velocity distribution were very close to the observed data. However, bed shear stress showed only a broad agreement, probably because of the use a constant friction coefficient value. Mean grain size distribution showed good agreement, but theory did not account adequately for gravel sizes in the talweg region and on the upstream, inner part of the bar, possibly due to theoretical underestimation of effective bed shear. Bed form and sedimentary structure are predicted well using the familiar stream power-grain size scheme. The behaviour of the model under unsteady uniform flow conditions in circular bends was analyzed, and suggests that any variation of grain size and bed topography with stage is likely to be limited to deeper parts of the channel.     

Experimental study on three dimensional movements of particles Ⅰ Effects of particle diameter on velocity and concentration distributions

Based on the three Dimensional Particle Tracking Velocimetry （3D PTV） system, the characteristics of motion of particles with four different diameters were investigated under the steady flow conditions The longitudinal average velocity profiles of these particles were in accordance with Log-law, while the vertical and transverse velocities remained very low with minimal fluctuation. The time-average velocity of particles in the bed load layer was 8.50u., close to Bagnold＇s assumptionUn -60. The vertical concentration distribution of particles in the suspension region agreed with the Rouse equation. When the diameter of particles was relatively large, there existed an evident concentration gradient in the bed load layer.     

Total load transport in gravel bed and sand bed rivers case study:Chelichay watershed

Field experiments were conducted on total load transport in the Chelichay River Basin,a mountainous catchment (1,400 km~2) located in north eastern of Iran,to evaluate total load formulas including four gravel bed rivers and a sand bed river(Qaresoo River).Gravel bed rivers in Chelichay River Basin can be grouped into two types;steep slope rivers with high shear values(Chehelchay River and Khormaloo River) and mild slope rivers with low shear values(Narmab River and Soosara River).Two depth integrating suspended load samplers(DH-48 and D-49),and two bed load samplers(Helley-Smith and BLSH) were used to measure total load.The performance is tested of 8 total load transport formulae including 4 macroscopic and 4 microscopic methods.A systematic and thorough analysis of 59 sets of data collected from sand bed river indicate that Yang and Engelund and Hansen reach to the better results, and from four gravel bed rivers confirmed that the methods of Karim and Kennedy and Engelund and Hansen yields the best results for steep slope rivers,and the methods of Einstein and Bijker are ranked highest in gradual slope rivers.