Theoretical/numerical model for the transport of non-uniform suspended sediment in open channels

In this paper, we address the transport of multi-disperse suspended sediment mixtures in open channels, via the use of the two-fluid model. To that end, we extend previously developed frameworks for the dilute and non-dilute transport of suspended sediment. Within the scope of the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations, these modeling frameworks comprise mass and momentum equations for both phases (water and sediment). Here, we calculate the distribution of total volumetric concentration of sediment using two approaches: (1) by considering the mixture as represented by a single size; we call this approach Partial two-fluid model for uniform sediments (PTFMU); and (2) by combining the volumetric concentration of the sediment corresponding to several particle size classes; we call this approach Partial two-fluid model for non-uniform sediments (PTFMNU). In the second approach, we propose a methodology for the computation of the overall velocity of the disperse phase as a function of the velocities of each size class. k-ε type closures to account for the turbulence in the carrier phase (water) are applied. We also consider the coupling between the two phases through the drag force. Velocities of the carrier and disperse phases, and concentrations for each sediment class size are numerically solved by integrating the differential equations over control volumes. In order to validate our models, we compare numerical results to experimental data of Einstein and Chien [H.A. Einstein, N. Chien, Effects of heavy sediment concentration near the bed on velocity and sediment distribution, MRD sediment series report, University of California, Berkley, 1955] and Taggart et al. [W.C. Taggart, C.A. Yermoli, S. Montes, A. Ippen, Effects of sediment size and gradation on concentration profiles for turbulent flow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1972]. Results of mean velocity of the carrier phase are in close agreement with the experimental data. For the prediction of sediment concentrations, we observe that there is a difference in the results using the two approaches mentioned above. We additionally obtain values of the Schmidt number needed to improve the agreement between predictions of the distribution of suspended sediment and the experimental data, and discuss the effect of sediment size and increasing sediment concentration on the values of the Schmidt number.     

Simulation of airflow around rain gauges: Comparison of LES with RANS models

Wind is responsible for systematic errors that affect rain gauge measurements. The authors investigate the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to calculate airflow around rain gauges by applying a high-resolution large eddy simulation (LES) model to determine the flow fields around a measuring system of two rain gauges. The simulated air flow field is characterized by the presence of massive separation which induces the formation and shedding of highly unsteady eddies in the detached shear layers and wakes. Parts of these detached structures occur over the orifice of the rain gauges and may substantially affect the dynamics of the raindrops in this critical region. Non-dissipative LES methods used with fine enough meshes can successfully predict these eddies and their associated fluctuations. The authors compare statistics from LES with steady-state Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) simulations using the k–ε and shear stress transport k–ω turbulence models. They find that both RANS and LES models predict similar mean velocity distributions around the rain gauges. However, they determine the distribution of the resolved turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) to be strongly dependent on the RANS model used. Neither RANS model predictions of TKE are close to those of LES. The authors conclude that the failure of RANS to predict TKE is an important limitation, as TKE is needed to scale the local velocity fluctuations in stochastic models used to calculate the motion of raindrops in the flow field.     

Air–water two-phase flow modeling of turbulent surf and swash zone wave motions

Wave breaking and wave runup/rundown have a major influence on nearshore hydrodynamics, morphodynamics and beach evolution. In the case of wave breaking, there is significant mixing of air and water at the wave crest, along with relatively high kinetic energy, so prediction of the free surface is complicated. Most hydrodynamic studies of surf and swash zone are derived from single-phase flow, in which the role of air is ignored. Two-phase flow modeling, consisting of both phases of water and air, may be a good alternative numerical modeling approach for simulating nearshore hydrodynamics and, consequently, sediment transport. A two-phase flow tool can compute more realistically the shape of the free surface, while the effects of air are accounted for. This paper used models based on two-dimensional, two-phase Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations, the volume-of-fluid surface capturing technique and different turbulence closure models, i.e., k–ε, k–ω and re-normalized group (RNG). Our numerical results were compared with the available experimental data. Comparison of the employed method with a model not utilizing a two-phase flow modeling demonstrates that including the air phase leads to improvement in simulation of wave characteristics, especially in the vicinity of the breaking point. The numerical results revealed that the RNG turbulence model yielded better predictions of nearshore zone hydrodynamics, although the k–ε model also gave satisfactory predictions. The model provides new insights for the wave, turbulence and means flow structure in the surf and swash zones.     

A cross-shore suspended sediment transport shape function parameterisation for natural beaches

A new field-based parameterisation (‘shape function’) describing the distribution of cross-shore suspended sediment transport across a beach profile is presented. Time-averaged and depth-integrated suspended sediment fluxes were measured over 39 tides at Sennen Cove, Cornwall, UK, for a range of wave conditions (offshore significant wave heights 0.1–2.5 m). The suspended sediment flux data were heuristically separated into four transport components: (1) mean flux in the surf/shoaling zone; (2) oscillatory flux in the surf/shoaling zone; (3) onshore flux in the swash/inner surf zone and (4) offshore flux in the swash/inner surf zone. Each of these transport components was related to the local water depth (h) normalised by the breakpoint depth (h_b) and the four resulting suspended transport shape functions were combined to form a total suspended load shape function. Each shape function component is scaled independently by the wave energy level through h_b. The total suspended load shape function predicts onshore sediment transport under low-energy conditions, with peaks at the breakpoint and in the swash zone, in agreement with the field observations. Under high-energy conditions the total suspended load shape function predicts onshore transport in the shoaling zone, offshore transport in the surf zone and onshore transport in the inner swash zone.     

Prediction of sediment transport in the swash-zone by using a nonlinear wave model

In the present work, the sediment transport rate in the swash zone is estimated using a Boussinesq model coupled with a porous flow model in order to incorporate the infiltration–exfiltration effects. The transport rate is estimated from a modified Meyer–Peter and Müller formula using different values the multiplier C for uprush and backwash to incorporate the observed higher transporting efficiency of the uprush due to the presence of pre-suspended sediment from the bore collapse. Alternatively, the depth-integrated transport equation for suspended sediment is solved. The comparison between model results and experimental data shows that both approaches are able to give satisfactory results.     

Multiple time scales of alluvial rivers carrying suspended sediment and their implications for mathematical modeling

Flow, sediment transport and bed deformation in alluvial rivers normally exhibit multiple time scales. Enhanced knowledge of the time scales can facilitate better approaches to the understanding of the fluvial processes. Yet prior studies of the time scales are based upon the concept of sediment transport capacity at low concentrations, which however is not generally applicable. This paper presents new formulations of the time scales of fluvial flow, suspended sediment transport and bed deformation, under the framework of shallow water hydrodynamics, non-capacity sediment transport and the theory of characteristics for the hyperbolic governing equations. The time scale of bed deformation in relation to that of flow depth is demonstrated to delimit the applicability region of mathematical river models, and the time scale of suspended sediment transport relative to that of the pertinent flow information is analyzed to address if the concept of sediment transport capacity is applicable. For shallow flows with high sediment concentrations, bed deformation may considerably affect the flow and a fully coupled model is normally required. In contrast, for deep flows at low sediment concentrations, a decoupled model is mostly justified. This pilot study of the time scales delivers a new theoretical basis, on which the interaction between flow, suspended sediment transport and bed deformation can be potentially better characterized.     

Sediment dynamics in an offshore tidal channel in the southern Yellow Sea

The geomorphology of the southern Yellow Sea（SYS） is characterized by offshore radial sand ridges（RSR）.An offshore tidal channel（KSY Channel） is located perpendicular to the coast,comprised of a main and a tributary channel separated by a submarine sand ridge（KSY Sand Ridge） extending seaward.In order to investigate the interactions among water flow,sediment transport,and topography,current velocity and suspended sediment concentration（SSC） were observed at 11 anchor stations along KSY Channel in RSR during a spring tide cycle.High resolution bottom topography was also surveyed.Residual currents and tidally averaged suspended sediment fluxes were calculated and analyzed by using the decomposition method.Results suggested that the water currents became stronger landward but with asymmetrical current speed and temporal duration of flood and ebb tides.Residual currents showed landward water transport in the nearshore channel and a clockwise circulation around the KSY Sand Ridge.Tidally-averaged SSC also increased landward along the channel.The main mechanisms controlling SSC variations were resuspension and horizontal advection,with spatial and temporal variations in the channel,which also contributed to sediment redistribution between channels and sand ridges.Residual flow transport and the tidal pumping effect dominated the suspended sediment flux in the KSY Channel.The KSY Sand Ridge had a potential southward migration due to the interaction between water flow,sediment transport,and topography.     

Neuro-fuzzy models employing wavelet analysis for suspended sediment concentration prediction in rivers

Abstract

The study of sediment load is important for its implications to the environment and water resources engineering. Four models were considered in the study of suspended sediment concentration prediction: artificial neural networks (ANNs), neuro-fuzzy model (NF), conjunction of wavelet analysis and neuro-fuzzy (WNF) model, and the conventional sediment rating curve (SRC) method. Using data from a US Geological Survey gauging station, the suspended sediment concentration predicted by the WNF model was in satisfactory agreement with the measured data. Also the proposed WNF model generated reasonable predictions for the extreme values. The cumulative suspended sediment load estimated by this model was much higher than that predicted by the other models, and is close to the observed data. However, in the current modelling, the ANN, NF and SRC models underestimated sediment load. The WNF model was successful in reproducing the hysteresis phenomenon, but the SRC method was not able to model this behaviour. In general, the results showed that the NF model performed better than the ANN and SRC models.

Citation Mirbagheri, S. A., Nourani, V., Rajaee, T. & Alikhani, A. (2010) Neuro-fuzzy models employing wavelet analysis for suspended sediment concentration prediction in rivers. Hydrol. Sci. J. 55(7), 1175–1189.     

An improved method for evaluating the seasonal variability of total suspended sediment flux field in the Yellow and East China Seas

The suspended sediment flux field in the Yellow and East China Seas(YECS) displays its seasonal variability.A new method is introduced in this paper to obtain the flux field via retrieval of ocean color remote sensing data,statistical analysis of historical suspended sediment concentration data,and numerical simulation of three-dimensional(3D) flow velocity.The components of the sediment flux field include(i) surface suspended sediment concentration inverted from ocean color remote sensing data;(ii) vertical distribution of suspended sediment concentration obtained by statistical analysis of historical observation data;and(iii) 3D flow field modeled by a numerical simulation.With the improved method,the 3D suspended sediment flux field in the YECS has been illustrated.By comparison with the suspended sediment flux field solely based on the numerical simulation of a suspended sediment transport model,the suspended sediment flux field obtained by the improved method is found to be more reliable.The 3D suspended sediment flux field from ocean colour remote sensing and in situ observation are more closer to the reality.Furthermore,by quantitatively analyzing the newly obtained suspended sediment flux field,the quantity of sediment erosion and deposition within the different regions can be evaluated.The sediment exchange between the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea can be evident.The mechanism of suspended sediment transport in the YECS can be better understood.In particular,it is suggested that the long-term transport of suspended sediment is controlled mainly by the circulation pattern,especially the current in winter.     

Suspended sediment transport and deposition over a dune: Río Paraná, Argentina

Field data from the Rio Paraná, Argentina, are used to examine patterns of suspended sediment transport over a sand dune. Measurements of three‐dimensional velocity are made with an acoustic Doppler current profiler whilst suspended sediment concentration and particle size have been quantified using a laser in situ sediment scattering transmissometer. Suspended sediment concentration and streamwise and vertical sediment flux are highest close to the bed, with an upward vertical flux over the stoss side of the dune and downward flux over the lee side. Suspended sediment concentrations are higher over the crest compared with the trough and suspended sediment is coarsest near the bed. About 17% of the suspended‐load transported over the crest is deposited in the lee side before it reaches the trough. Most of this deposited sand is coarser sediment that originates close to the bed over the crest, a result consistent with simulations based on the model of Mohrig and Smith (Water Resources Research 1996; 32: 3207–3217) for the excursion lengths of sediment dispersed in the lee side of a dune. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analytical approach for sheet flow transport in purely acceleration-skewed oscillatory flow

An instantaneous analytical approach is developed to predict sheet flow transport in purely acceleration-skewed oscillatory flow. The approach is derived from exponential approximations of velocity and concentration profiles above a mobile seabed, and it particularly considers factors of phase lead; phase lag (i.e. phase residual and phase shift); acceleration modification; and asymmetries in shear stress, roughness height, and boundary layer development. The approach can predict net boundary layer flow above a mobile seabed, and can revert to the classical bedload model. Instantaneous and net sediment transport rates are studied using the approach. The instantaneous sediment transport rate in an onshore flow stage can be approximated by a power function of velocity in which the exponent is confirmed to range between 1 and 5 with a decrease in the phase residual. The net sediment transport rate predicted using the approach is validated using a considerable amount of measured data, and compared with existing instantaneous and half-period type models that consider the phase lag or acceleration modification. For the net sediment transport rate in purely acceleration-skewed oscillatory flow, the phase residual is less important than the acceleration-skewed boundary layer difference between onshore and offshore acceleration stages.     

Dispersal pattern of suspended sediment in the shear frontal zone off the Huanghe (Yellow River) mouth

The in situ records of a cruise in September 1995 off the Huanghe mouth and laboratory measurements indicate that the shear front off the river mouth results from the phase difference between the nearshore and offshore tides and plays significant role in the river-laden sediment dispersal. Two types of shear front, identified from the behaviors of currents inside and outside the shear front, alternate over tidal cycle, each of which lasts for ∼2–3 h. The dispersal patterns of suspended sediment at the stations inside and outside the shear front are distinctly different from each other. In addition, the gravity-driven hyperpycnal flow generated near the mouth is terminated within shallow water due to the barrier effect of shear front. A dispersal pattern of river-laden suspended sediment in the shear frontal zone is proposed to interpret the difference of sediment transport inside and outside the shear front. The fresh and highly turbid river effluents discharge to the sea during ebb tides and are transported northwestwards inside the shear front under the combined impacts of northward ebb currents, down-slope transport of hyperpycnal flow and confining action of shear front; after partially mixing with the ambient seawater the river effluents are then transported southeastwards outside the shear front along the flood currents, causing the intermittent increase in suspended sediment concentration and corresponding decrease in salinity outside the shear front. Over annual time scale the subaqueous slope has a geomorphological response to the ephemeral shear front. Most of the river-laden sediment deposit inside the shear front with a high accumulation rate, while erosion is dominant outside the shear front due to the lack of sediment supply.     

Simulation of sediment transport during flood events: laboratory work and field experiments

Abstract

This paper aims at initiating a fundamental understanding of the suspended load transport of river sediment in unsteady flow. Laboratory erosion tests as well as artificial flood experiments are used to evaluate the influence of the transient regime on the transport efficiency of the flow. The erosion experiments reveal that the transport capacity is augmented when the unsteadiness of the flow increases. However, the influence of the transient regime is counteracted by the cohesive properties of the river bed. Field experiments with artificial floods released from a reservoir into a small canal confirm these findings and show a relationship between the friction velocity and the suspended load transport. An appropriate parameter β is proposed to evaluate the impact of the transient regime on the transport of suspended sediment.     

Parameterization of near-bed processes under collinear wave and current flows from a two-phase sheet flow model

Sediment transport models require appropriate representation of near-bed processes. We aim here to explore the parameterizations of bed shear stress, bed load transport rate and near-bed sediment erosion rate under the sheet flow regime. To that end, we employ a one-dimensional two-phase sheet flow model which is able to resolve the intrawave boundary layer and sediment dynamics at a length scale on the order of the sediment grain. We have conducted 79 numerical simulations to cover a range of collinear wave and current conditions and sediment diameters in the range 210–460 μm$\mathrm{\mu }\mathrm{m}$. The numerical results confirm that the intrawave bed shear stress leads the free stream velocity, and we assess an explicit expression relating the phase lead to the maximum velocity, wave period and bed roughness. The numerical sheet flow model is also used to provide estimates for the bed load transport rate and to inspect the near-bed sediment erosion. A common bed load transport rate formulation and two typical reference concentration approaches are assessed. A dependence of the bed load transport rate on the sediment grain diameter is observed and parameterized. Finally, the intrawave near-bed vertical sediment flux is further investigated and related to the time derivative of the bed shear stress.     

General velocity formula of boundary layer above mobile sediment bed induced by asymmetric waves

Sediment movement in the wave boundary layer above a mobile sediment bed is complex.A velocity formula for the boundary layer is proposed for sheet flow induced by asymmetric waves above a mobile sediment bed.The formula consists of a free stream velocity and a defect function which contains a phase-lead,boundary layer thickness and mobile sediment bed.Phase-lag of sediment movement is considered in the formula for the mobile sediment bed.The formula needs six dependent variables about asymmetric wave and sediment characteristics.Asymmetry effects on parameters(orbital amplitude,roughness height,bed shear stress,and boundary layer thickness)are properly considered such that the formula can yield velocity differences among onshore,offshore,acceleration,and deceleration stages.The formula estimates the net boundary layer velocity resulting from the mobile sediment bed and asymmetric boundary layer thickness.In addition,a non-constant phase-lead also contributes to the net boundary layer velocity in asymmetric oscillatory sheet flow.Results of the formula are as good as that of a two-phase numerical model.Sheet flow transport induced by asymmetric waves,and the offshore net sediment transport rate with a large phase-lag under velocity-skewed waves,can be adequately estimated by the formula with a power sediment concentration function.     

The effect of velocity veering on sand transport in a shallow sea

This study aims at comparing and contrasting two different models for sand transport by currents in a shallow sea to illustrate the effect of velocity veering. The first model uses the Bailard-type formulation, which allows calculation of erosion/deposition rates at a fixed location on the sea floor via the divergence of horizontal sediment fluxes. The second model is a semi-analytical 2.5-dimensional model, which takes into account the time lag between erosion and deposition events and the velocity veering within the sediment-laden (nepheloid) layer caused by the Coriolis force. The velocity veering implies that the direction of the sediment flux is generally different from the direction of the surface flow. The latter model was designed for rapid, semi-analytical computations of sediment transport, using flow fields from 2-DH numerical models. The two models use a matching set of parameters to provide identical values for the bottom stress and suspended sediment load for a uniform steady current at any given surface velocity. The two models were compared in a range of sand grain sizes 50–500 m and current speeds up to 1 m s^–1 for an idealised square region (100 × 100 km) of a shelf sea of constant depth. The erosion/deposition patterns and suspension load were examined in three settings: (1) uniform steady flow, (2) straight jet, (3) meandering jet. It was found that both the rates and, in particular, the spatial distribution of the areas of erosion/deposition differ significantly between the models in cases (2) and (3). This difference can be attributed to additional flux divergence due to velocity veering. A comparison of model results with field data, collected at Long Island Shelf, supports the relevance of Coriolis-induced veering of currents on the direction of the sediment flux.Responsible Editor: Jens Kappenberg     

Feedback between residual circulations and sediment distribution in highly turbid estuaries: An analytical model

Motivated by field studies of the Ems estuary which show longitudinal gradients in bottom sediment concentration as high as O(0.01 kg/m⁴), we develop an analytical model for estuarine residual circulation based on currents from salinity gradients, turbidity gradients, and freshwater discharge. Salinity is assumed to be vertically well mixed, while the vertical concentration profile is assumed to result from a balance between a constant settling velocity and turbulent diffusive flux. Width and depth of the model estuary are held constant. Model results show that turbidity gradients enhance tidally averaged circulation upstream of the estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM), but significantly reduce residual circulation downstream, where salinity and turbidity gradients oppose each other. We apply the condition of morphodynamic equilibrium (vanishing sediment transport) and develop an analytical solution for the position of the turbidity maximum and the distribution of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) along a longitudinal axis. A sensitivity study shows great variability in the longitudinal distribution of suspended sediment with the applied salinity gradient and six model parameters: settling velocity, vertical mixing, horizontal dispersion, total sediment supply, fresh water flow, and water depth. Increasing depth and settling velocity move the ETM upstream, while increasing freshwater discharge and vertical mixing move the ETM downstream. Moreover, the longitudinal distribution of SSC is inherently asymmetric around the ETM, and depends on spatial variations in the residual current structure and the vertical profile of SSC.     

Numerical simulation of tidal current and erosion and sedimentation in the Yangshan deep-water harbor of Shanghai

Yangshan near-shore sea area is the multi-island and multi-channel area with strong flow velocity and high suspended sediment concentration. Based on the characteristics of tidal currents, waves, and sediment in the Yangshan area, a two-dimensional numerical model of tidal currents, sediment transport, and sea bed deformation is developed. In the model, the effects of tidal currents and wind waves on sediment transport are considered. According to characteristics of the study area, unstructured grids are applied to fit the boundaries of the near-shore sea area. The results show that the calculated values are in good agreement with the measured data. The field of tidal currents, suspended sediment concentrations, and the deformation of the seabed can be successfully simulated.