One-dimensional numerical simulation of non-uniform sediment transport under unsteady flows

One-dimensional numerical models are popularly used in sediment transport research because they can be easily programmed and cost less time compared with two- and three-dimensional numerical models. In particular, they possess greater capacity to be applied in large river basins with many tributaries. This paper presents a one-dimensional numerical model capable of calculating total-load sediment transport. The cross-section-averaged sediment transport capacity and recovery coefficient are addressed in the suspended load model. This one-dimensional model, therefore, can be applied to fine suspended loads and to hyperconcentrated flows in the Yellow River. Moreover, a new discretization scheme for the equation of unsteady non-uniform suspended sediment transport is proposed. The model is calibrated using data measured from the Yantan Reservoir on the Hongshui River and the Sanmenxia Reservoir on the Yellow River. A comparison of the calculated water level and river bed deformation with field measurements Shows that the improved numerical model is capable of predicting flow, sediment transport, bed changes, and bed-material sorting in various situations, with reasonable accuracy and reliability.     

2D NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF FLOOD AND FLUVIAL PROCESS IN THE MEANDERING AND ISLAND-BRAIDED MIDDLE YANGTZE RIVER

The characteristics of water flow and sediment transport in a typical meandering and island-braided reach of the middle Yangtze River is investigated using a two-dimensional （2D） mathematical model. The major problems studied in the paper include the carrying capacity for suspended load, the incipient velocity and transport formula of non-uniform sediment, the thickness of the mixed layer on the riverbed, and the partitioning of bed load and suspended load. The model parameters are calibrated using extensive field data. Water surface profiles, distribution of flow velocities, riverbed deformation are verified with site measurements. The model is applied to a meandering and island-braided section of the Wakouzi-Majiazui reach in the middle Yangtze River, which is about 200 km downstream from the Three Gorges Dam, to study the training scheme of the navigation channels. The model predicts the processes of sediment deposition and fiver bed erosion, changes of flow stage and navigation conditions for the first 20 years of impoundment of the Three Gorges Project.     

Changes in sediment transport in the Kuye River in the Loess Plateau in China

In this paper, the changes in sediment transport over 51 years from 1955 to 2006 in the Kuye River in the Loess Plateau in China are assessed. Key factors affecting sediment yield and sediment transport, such as precipitation depth, discharge, and human activities are studied. To investigate the changes in sediment yield in this watershed, a trend analysis on sediment concentration, precipitation depth, and discharge is conducted. Precipitation depths at 2 Climate Stations （CSs）, as well as discharge and sediment transport at 3 Gauging Stations （GSs） are used to assess the features of sediment transport in the Kuye River. The rtmoff modulus （defined as the annual average discharge per unit area, L/（s·km^2）） and the sediment transport modulus （defined as the annual suspended sediment transport per unit area, t/（yr km^2）） are introduced in this study to assess the changes in runoff and sediment yield for this watershed. The results show that the highest average monthly discharge during the study period in the Kuye River is 66.23 m^3/s in August with an average monthly sediment concentration of 88.9 kg/m^3. However, the highest average monthly sediment concentration during the study period in the Kuye River is 125.34 kg/m^3 and occurs in July, which has an average discharge of 42.6 m^3/s that is much less than the average monthly discharge in August. It is found that both the runoff modulus and sediment transport modulus at Wenjiachuan GS on the Kuye River has a clear downward trend. During the summer season from July to August, the sediment transport modulus at Wenjiachuan GS is much higher than those at Toudaoguai and Longmen GSs on the Yellow River. The easily erodible loess in the Kuye River watershed and the sparse vegetation are responsible for the extremely high sediment yield from the Kuye River watershed. The analyses of the grain size distribution of suspended load in the Kuye River are presented. The average monthly median grain size of suspended load in the Kuye River is largest in February and then decreases until June. In July, the average monthly median grain size of suspended load approaches another peak and decreases until September. Then, the median grain size of suspended load starts to increase until February of the following year. However, the average monthly median grain size of suspended load in the Yellow River at Toudaoguai and Longmen GSs is the smallest between early summer and late fall The median grain size in the Yellow River starts to increase in November and approaches the largest size in January.     

Transport of suspended sediment under the dam‐break flow on an inclined plane bed of arbitrary slope

The problem of transport of suspended sediment after the break of a dam on an inclined bed is considered. To that end we use the shallow‐water approximation for arbitrary, constant slopes of the bottom, taking into consideration the effect of friction. The numerical technique and the frictional model are validated by comparison with available experimental data and asymptotic analytical solutions, with special attention to the numerical solution near the wetting front. The transport of suspended sediment down the inclined bed is obtained and discussed as a function of the slope of the bed for different values of the parameters characterizing the sediment and its transport properties. For sufficiently large times we always find the formation of roll waves near the water front, which affects the transport of sediments significantly. These strong oscillations are accurately computed with the numerical method used. The relative importance of the bed load (to the suspended load) sediment transport is also discussed as a function of the size of the sediment particles and the slope of the bed for different models on the initiation of sediment suspension from bed load. We also check the dilute sediment approach and characterize the conditions for its failure. Finally, the results of the present simplified model are intended to be used as tests of more complex numerical models. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Downstream effects of impounding a natural lake: the Snake River downstream from Jackson Lake Dam,Wyoming, USA

A sediment mass balance constructed for a 16‐km reach of the Snake River downstream from Jackson Lake Dam (JLD) indicates that river regulation has reduced the magnitude of sediment mass balance deficit that would naturally exist in the absence of the dam. The sediment budget was constructed from calibrated bed load transport relations, which were used to model sediment flux into and through the study reach. Calibration of the transport relations was based on bed load transport data collected over a wide range of flows on the Snake River and its two major tributaries within the study area in 2006 and 2007. Comparison of actual flows with unregulated flows for the period since 1957 shows that operations of JLD have reduced annual peak flows and increased late summer flows. Painted tracer stones placed at five locations during the 2005 spring flood demonstrate that despite the reduction in flood magnitudes, common floods are capable of mobilizing the bed material. The sediment mass balance demonstrates that more sediment exits the study reach than is being supplied by tributaries. However, the volume of sediment exported using estimated unregulated hydrology indicates that the magnitude of the deficit would be greater in the absence of JLD. Calculations suggest that the Snake River was not in equilibrium before construction of JLD, but was naturally in sediment deficit. The conclusion that impoundment lessened a natural sediment deficit condition rather than causing sediment surplus could not have been predicted in the absence of sediment transport data, and highlights the value of transport data and calculation of sediment mass balance in informing dam operations. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS OF SCOUR AND DEPOSITION IN A CHANNEL NETWORK

1 INTRODUCTION Evolution of the river bed in alluvial channels has been studied by many researchers using analytical and numerical approaches. The use of analytical approach alone is insufficient for solving natural river engineering problems. With rapid growth in computer technology, numerical models have become a popular means for the study of mobile bed hydraulics. During the past decade, several numerical models have been developed. Most of the computer codes, such as HEC2SR (Si…     

A field investigation of the sediment transport characteristics of a high sediment load intermittent river in Taiwan

Most rivers in Taiwan are intermittent rivers with relatively steep slopes and carry rapid sediment‐laden flows during typhoon or monsoon seasons. A series of field experiments was conducted to collect suspended load data at the Tzu‐Chiang Bridge hydrological station of the lower Cho‐Shui River, which is a major river with the highest sediment yield in Taiwan. The river reach was aggrading with a high aspect ratio during the 1980s. Because of sand mining and extreme floods, it was incised and has had a relatively narrow main channel in recent years. The experimental results indicated that typical sediment transport equations can correctly predict the bed material load for low or medium sediment transport rates (e.g. less than about 1000 tons/day‐m). However, these equations far underestimate the bed material load for high sediment transport rates. The effects of cross‐sectional geometry change (i.e. river incision) and earthquakes on the sediment load were investigated in this study. An empirical sediment transport equation with consideration of the aspect ratio was also derived using the field data collected before and after river incision. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of incoming sediment on the transport rate of bed load in mountain streams

Field experiments were conducted on bed load transport in the Diaoga River, a mountain stream in southwest China, to study the variation of bed load transport with varying sediment supply. The rate of bed load transport is greatly affected by incoming sediment （load and size）. Under the same flow conditions, bed load transport rates may differ by three orders of magnitude depending on whether measurements were taken before or after the first flood of the year. The relation of the ＂bed load transport rate versus flow intensity＂ appears to have similar characteristics as a clockwise looped-rating curve. Experiments also were conducted during the non-flood season to study bed load transport processes with different incoming load from an upstream section. Bed load with different sizes can be grouped into two types： traveling bed load and structural bed load. Traveling bed load is composed of sediment finer than a critical size, De, and its transport rate depends mainly on the incoming sediment rate. The incoming sediment rate can alter the rate of bed load transport by three orders of magnitude. Structural bed load is composed of coarser sediment and its transport rate closely relies on the flow intensity.     

The distribution and residence time of suspended sediment stored within the channel margins of a gravel‐bed bedrock river

Previously undocumented deposits are described that store suspended sediment in gravel‐bedded rivers, termed ‘fine‐grained channel margin’ (FGCM) deposits. FGCM deposits consist of sand, silt, clay, and organic matter that accumulate behind large woody debris (LWD) along the margins of the wetted perimeter of the single‐thread, gravel‐bed South River in Virginia. These deposits store a total mass equivalent to 17% to 43% of the annual suspended sediment load. Radiocarbon, ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷C dating indicate that sediment in FGCM deposits ranges in age from 1 to more than 60 years. Reservoir theory suggests an average turnover time of 1·75 years and an annual exchange with the water column of a mass of sediment equivalent to 10% to 25% of the annual sediment load. The distribution of ages in the deposits can be fitted by a power function, suggesting that sediment stored in the deposits has a wide variety of transit times. Most sediment in storage is reworked quickly, but a small portion may remain in place for many decades. The presence of FGCM deposits indicates that suspended sediment is not simply transported downstream in gravel‐bed rivers in agricultural watersheds: significant storage can occur over decadal timescales. South River has a history of mercury contamination and identifying sediment sources and sinks is critical for documenting the extent of contamination and for developing remediation plans. FGCM deposits should be considered in future sediment budget and sediment transport modeling studies of gravel‐bed rivers in agricultural watersheds. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

波浪作用下太湖底泥试验及航道回淤分析

波浪作用下泥沙的起动和输移研究对航道回淤分析具有重要意义．以往这类研究主要针对海岸地区的非粘性沙,而对于单纯波浪或以波浪为主要动力的粘性泥沙运动,特别是湖区底泥的研究相对较少．本文通过波浪水槽试验对太湖底泥的起动和输移进行了研究,并提出波浪动力下含沙量经验公式,由此对太湖地区某具体工程的航道回淤进行分析计算．该成果对研究波浪作用下淤泥的输移及太湖地区类似的航道回淤问题具有借鉴意义．     

Temporal variation of suspended sediment load in the Pearl River due to human activities

Data on sediment flux at three hydrologic stations from the 1950s to 2006 are utilized to study the decadal,annual,and monthly variations in suspended sediment load delivered from the Pearl River to the ocean.Results show that variations in sediment flux from three main tributaries,including the West River,the North River and the East River,are spatially non-uniform.Since nearly 90%of the suspended sediment load comes from the West River,its variation has dominated the overall tendency of sediment flux in the entire Pearl River.Although a significant decreasing trend exists in the annual variation of the total sediment flux,the decadal change can be divided into an increasing phase and a decreasing phase,with the turning point between the two phases in the late 1980s.From the 1950s to the 1980s,the average annual river sediment flux increased by 30.43%.However,sediment flux has decreased significantly since the 1990s,with the average sediment flux being 38.60%less in the 2000s than that in the 1950s.The current sediment flux is also 52.93%less than its peak in the 1980s. The monthly variation pattern of the suspended sediment load transport to the sea is more interesting. For the West River,all months show a decreasing trend,and for most months the reduction values are significant.However,for the East River the sediment load shows a decrease trend in the dry season and an increase trend in the wet season.The method of regression analysis was used to study the influence of precipitation in the variation on the sediment flux.It was found that the climate change is not the main driving force behind the variation in suspended sediment load.Before the 1990s, intensive land use destroyed the vulnerable ecosystem of the upper Pearl River,and speeded up the process of rocky desertification.Consequently,aggravated soil erosion caused an increase in suspended sediment load.However,sediment retention within reservoirs had begun to play a dominant role after the massive construction of large dams after 1990,and resulted in a decrease in the suspended sediment load delivered to the ocean.     

Trends in suspended sediment grain size in the upper Yangtze River and its tributaries,as influenced by human activities

Abstract

Based on data from five hydrometric stations, Pingshan station on the Jinshajiang River, Gaochang station on the Minjiang River, Wulong station on the Wujiang River, Wusheng station on the Jialingjiang River and Yichang station on the Yangtze River, a study has been made of the temporal variation in grain size of suspended sediment load in the upper Yangtze River. The results show that in the past 40 years, the grain size of the suspended sediment load in the main stem and major tributaries of the upper Yangtze River has had a decreasing trend, that can be explained by the effect of reservoir construction and implementation of soil conservation measures. The reservoirs in the upper Yangtze River Basin, all used for water storage for hydro-electric generation and/or irrigation, have trapped coarse sediment from the drainage area above the dam and, thus, the sediment released now is much finer than before the construction of the reservoirs. The downstream channels are all gravel-bedded or even in bedrock, with little fine sediment, and thus, the released flow can hardly get a supply of fine sediment through eroding the bed. Then, after the downstream adjustment, the grain size of suspended sediment is still fine. Large-scale soil conservation measures have significantly reduced sediment yield in some major sediment source areas. The relatively coarse sediment is trapped and, thus, the sediment delivered to the river becomes finer.     

2D stream hydrodynamic,sediment transport and bed morphology model for engineering applications

A 2D depth‐averaged hydrodynamic, sediment transport and bed morphology model named STREMR HySeD is presented. The depth‐averaged sediment transport equations are derived from the 3D dilute, multiphase, flow equations and are incorporated into the hydrodynamic model STREMR. The hydrodynamic model includes a two‐equation turbulence model and a correction for the mean flow due to secondary flows. The suspended sediment load can be subdivided into different size classes using the continuum (two‐fluid) approach; however, only one bed sediment size is used herein. The validation of the model is presented by comparing the suspended sediment transport module against experimental measurements and analytical solutions for the case of equilibrium sediment‐laden in a transition from a rigid bed to a porous bed where re‐suspension of sediment is prevented. On the other hand, the bed‐load sediment transport and bed evolution numerical results are compared against bed equilibrium experimental results for the case of a meander bend. A sensitivity analysis based on the correction for secondary flow on the mean flow including the effect of secondary flow on bed shear stresses direction as well as the downward acceleration effect due to gravity on transverse bed slopes is performed and discussed. In general, acceptable agreement is found when comparing the numerical results obtained with STREMR HySeD against experimental measurements and analytical solutions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Interannual variation of suspended sediment load and sediment yield in an alpine catchment

Abstract

The results are described of 16 years operation of a measuring station for the automatic recording of water discharge, bed load and suspended sediment transport in the Rio Cordon catchment, a small alpine basin (5 km²) located in northeastern Italy. Hillslope erosion processes were investigated by surveying individual sediment sources repeatedly. Annual and seasonal variations of suspended sediment load during the period 1986–2001 are analysed along with their contribution to the total sediment yield. The results show that suspended load accounted for 76% of total load and that most of the suspended sediment transport occurred during two flood events: an extreme summer flash flood in September 1994 (27% of the 16-years total suspended load) and a snowmelt-induced event in May 2001 accompanied by a mud flow which fed the stream with sediments. The role of active sediment source areas is discussed in relation to the changes in flood peak—suspended load trends which became apparent after both the 1994 and the 2001 events.     

长江中游沙质河段床沙级配调整过程计算

三峡工程运用后,长江中游荆江河段持续冲刷,床沙与推移质、悬移质泥沙不断交换,从而造成该河段床沙发生不同程度的调整,对长江中下游河床演变及非平衡输沙机理的研究具有重要影响.在新水沙条件下,总结分析了沙波运动特性及床沙交换方式,引入Markov三态转移概率及非均匀沙隐暴系数,得到基于状态转移概率的沙质河段床沙级配调整的计算模型.研究结果表明:(1)20092014年,沙市站年内床沙中值粒径有先增大后减小的趋势,而监利站年内床沙中值粒径则先减小后增大,且荆江河段年际床沙中值粒径总体呈上升趋势,粗化程度约为6.9%~9.3%;(2)20092014年,沙市站床沙组成中粒径d<0.062 mm的泥沙所占比重不变,0.062 mm≤d<0.25 mm的泥沙所占比重逐年减少(累计减少11.4%),d≥0.25 mm的泥沙所占比重逐年增加(累计增加11.4%),而监利站床沙组成均存在波动性变化;(3)荆江河段床沙转换为推移质的概率随着泥沙粒径的增大而增大,床沙转换为悬移质的概率随着泥沙粒径的增大而减小,而推移质和悬移质转换为床沙的概率均随着泥沙粒径的增大而增大,河床发生冲刷粗化时泥沙输移的主要形式为悬移质(概率为81%~87%),而淤积细化时床沙补给主要来源于推移质(概率为8%~12%).通过验证,本文概率模型的计算结果与实测资料符合较好,能够应用于长江中游沙质河段年际床沙粗化及年内床沙级配调整过程预报,为进一步开展三峡工程下游非均匀悬移质泥沙沿程恢复机理的研究提供理论基础.     

Sediment transport in ice-covered channels

The existence of ice cover has important effects on sediment transport and channel morphology for rivers in areas with an annual occurrence of an ice season. The interaction of sediment transport and s...     

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.     

A discontinuous finite element suspended sediment transport model for water quality assessments in river networks

Suspended sediment plays an important role in the distribution and transport of many pollutants (such as radionuclides) in rivers. Pollutants may adsorb on fine suspended particles (e.g. clay) and spread according to the suspended sediment movement. Hence, the simulation of the suspended sediment mechanism is indispensable for realistic transport modelling. This paper presents and tests a simple mathematical model for predicting the suspended sediment transport in river networks. The model is based on the van Rijn suspended load formula and the advection–diffusion equation with a source or sink term that represents the erosion or deposition fluxes. The transport equation is solved numerically with the discontinuous finite element method. The model evaluation was performed in two steps, first by comparing model simulations with the measured suspended sediment concentrations in the Grote Nete–Molse Nete River in Belgium, and second by a model intercomparison with the sediment transport model NST MIKE 11. The simulations reflect the measurements with a Nash‐Sutcliffe model efficiency of 0.6, while the efficiency between the proposed model and the NST MIKE 11 simulations is 0.96. Both evaluations indicate that the proposed sediment transport model, that is sufficiently simple to be practical, is providing realistic results.     

Modeling river dune development and dune transition to upper stage plane bed

Large asymmetric bedforms known as dunes commonly dominate the bed of sand rivers. Due to the turbulence generation over their stoss and lee sides, dunes are of central importance in predicting hydraulic roughness and water levels. During floods in steep alluvial rivers, dunes are observed to grow rapidly as flow strength increases, undergoing an unstable transition regime, after which they are washed out in what is called upper stage plane bed. This transition of dunes to upper stage plane bed is associated with high transport of bed sediment in suspension and large decrease in bedform roughness. In the present study, we aim to improve the prediction of dune development and dune transition to upper stage plane bed by introducing the transport of suspended sediment in an existing dune evolution model. In addition, flume experiments are carried out to investigate dune development under bed load and suspended load dominated transport regimes, and to get insight in the time scales related to the transition of dunes to upper stage plane bed. Simulations with the extended model including the transport of suspended sediment show significant improvement in the prediction of equilibrium dune parameters (e.g. dune height, dune length, dune steepness, dune migration rate, dune lee side slope) both under bed load dominant and suspended load dominant transport regimes. The chosen modeling approach also allows us to model the transition of dunes to upper stage plane bed which was not possible with the original dune evolution model. The extended model predicts change in the dune shapes as was observed in the flume experiments with decreasing dune heights and dune lee slopes. Furthermore, the time scale of dune transition to upper stage plane bed was quite well predicted by the extended model. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

River ice cover influence on sediment transportation at present and under projected hydroclimatic conditions

A large number of rivers are frozen annually, and the river ice cover has an influence on the geomorphological processes. These processes in cohesive sediment rivers are not fully understood. Therefore, this paper demonstrates the impact of river ice cover on sediment transport, i.e. turbidity, suspended sediment loads and erosion potential, compared with a river with ice‐free flow conditions. The present sediment transportation conditions during the annual cycle are analysed, and the implications of climate change on wintertime geomorphological processes are estimated. A one‐dimensional hydrodynamic model has been applied to the Kokemäenjoki River in Southwest Finland. The shear stress forces directed to the river bed are simulated with present and projected hydroclimatic conditions. The results of shear stress simulations indicate that a thermally formed smooth ice cover diminishes river bed erosion, compared with an ice‐free river with similar discharges. Based on long‐term field data, the river ice cover reduces turbidity statistically significantly. Furthermore, suspended sediment concentrations measured in ice‐free and ice‐covered river water reveal a diminishing effect of ice cover on riverine sediment load. The hydrodynamic simulations suggest that the influence of rippled ice cover on shear stress is varying. Climate change is projected to increase the winter discharges by 27–77% on average by 2070–2099. Thus, the increasing winter discharges and possible diminishing ice cover periods both increase the erosion potential of the river bed. Hence, the wintertime sediment load of the river is expected to become larger in the future. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.