Equilibrium relations for water and sediment transport in the Yellow River

The equilibrium relations for water and sediment transport refer to the relative balance of sediment transport and the relative stability of river courses formed by the automatic adjustment of riverbeds.This is the theoretical basis for the comprehensive management of sediment in the Yellow River.Based on the theories of sediment carrying capacity and the delayed response of riverbed evolution,in this study,the equilibrium relations for water and sediment transport in the Yellow River are established.These relations include the equilibrium relationships between water and sediment transport and bankfull discharge in the upper and lower Yellow River and between water and sediment transport and the Tongguan elevation in the middle Yellow River.The results reveal that for the Ningmeng reach,the Tongguan reach,and the lower Yellow River,erosion and deposition in the riverbeds are adjusted automatically,and water and sediment transport can form highly constrained equilibrium relationships.These newly established equilibrium relationships can be applied to calculate the optimal spatial allocation scheme for sediment in the Yellow River.     

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.     

Managing reservoir sedimentation by venting turbidity currents:A review

Reservoir sedimentation is an issue that dam operators are increasingly facing as dams are aging. Not only does it reduce a reservoir's capacity but it also affects its outlet structures such as bottom outlets and powerhouse intakes. Sedimentation may also impoverish downstream ecosystems. For these reasons, several strategies for sediment management are being investigated and applied worldwide. Among these methods, venting of turbidity currents reaching the dam can be very beneficial and economical. This measure helps in preserving a certain continuity of sediment transport in rivers obstructed by dams. However, several practical but also theoretical challenges hamper this technique, rendering its use less common and its aspects rela-tively unknown. The present paper aims to gather the actual state-of-the-art concerning turbidity currents venting and to present an outlook for future development and research in this field.     

EFFECT OF DIGITAL ELEVATION MODEL RESOLUTION ON EMPIRICAL ESTIMATION OF SOIL LOSS AND SEDIMENT TRANSPORT WITH GIS

The horizontal accuracy of topographic data represented by digital elevation model (DEM) resolution brings about uncertainties in landscape process modeling with raster GIS. This paper presents a study on the effect of topographic variability on cell-based empirical estimation of soil loss and sediment transport. An original DEM of 10m resolution for a case watershed was re-sampled to three realizations of higher grid sizes for a comparative examination. Equations based on the USLE are applied to the watershed to calculate soil loss from each cell and total sediment transport to streams. The study found that the calculated total soil loss from the watershed decreases with the increasing DEM resolution with a linear correlation as spatial variability is reduced by cell aggregation. The USLE topographic factors (LS) extracted from applied DEMs represent spatial variability, and determine the estimations as shown in the modeling results. The commonly used USGS 30m DEM appears to be able to reflect essential spatial variability and suitable for the empirical estimation. The appropriateness of a DEM resolution is dependent upon specific landscape characteristics, applied model and its parameterization. This work attempts to provide a general framework for the research in the DEM-based empirical modeling.     

DEPTH-AVERAGED 2-D CALCULATION OF FLOW AND SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN CURVED CHANNELS

The helical flow significantly affects the flow, sediment transport and morphological evolution in curved channels. A semi-empirical formula is proposed to determine the cross-stream distribution of the helical flow intensity in the developed regions of a channel bend. It is then used to evaluate the dispersion terms in the depth-averaged 2-D momentum equations and suspended-load transport equation as well as the bed-load transport angle, thus enhancing the depth-averaged 2-D model to account for the effect of helical flow. The tests in several experimental and field cases show that the enhanced depth-averaged 2-D model can much more reasonably predict the shifting of main flow from inner bank to outer bank, the erosion along outer bank and deposition along inner bank than the depth-averaged 2-D model without considering this effect.     

TWO DIMENSIONAL NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF FLOWA ND GEO-MORPHOLOGICAL PROCESSES NEAR HEADLANDS BY USING UNSTRUCTURED GRIDResearch Associate, Dept. of Comput. Hydr., Water Research Center, Tehran, Iran,

A two-dimensional mathematical model for simulating flow and sediment transport is presented. The model simulates flow and geo-morphological processes using a high order accurate, oscillation free scheme. The depth averaged Reynolds (shallow water) equations are used for flow simulation. Both equilibrium and non-equilibrium methods (by solving convection-diffusion equation) are used for sediment transport modeling while sediment carrying capacity is computed using different methods. A finite volume, flux difference splitting scheme is employed to solve the governing equations, which is able to simulate sub, super and transeritical flows with shock waves. Moreover, the numerical method is able to simulate flow over the variable topographies and it has a low level of numerical diffusion in the case of circulating flows like headlands. The computational grid of this model is triangular unstructured with variable size, which is flexible for arbitrary geometries and grid refinement. Using the model for simulating flow and sediment transport in some test cases such as a partially closed channel and comparing the results showed that the results obtained by the developed model were in a reasonable agreement with measurements and the other models cited.     

RATIONAL BASIS FOR SUSPENDED SEDIMENT MODELING

This paper presents a rational basis to model the transport of suspended sediment. The loose-boundary condition for 3D models and the adjustment coefficients for both the depth-integrated 2D and laterally integrated 1D models are treated comprehensively. A combination of Dirichlet and Neumann conditions is proposed as the loose-boundary condition. The adjustment coefficient for 2D models is obtained on the basis of the proposed boundary condition and analytical solutions developed for some simple cases of non-equilibrium transport of sediment in uniform flows. The adjustment coefficient for 1D models for natural rivers is further obtained from lateral integration. Comparisons with analytical solutions and a considerable amount of laboratory and prototype data show that mathematical models developed along the proposed line of attack would well simulate the transport of suspended sediment in practical problems.     

THREE DIMENSIONAL MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN ESTUARINE REGIONS-A CASE STUDY OF THE HAIHE RIVER MOUTH

The paper presents the 3D finite element simulation of tidal flow and sediment transport in the estuarine region of the Haihe river. The proposed model adopts sigma-transformation of the hydrodynamic and sediment transport equations. The hydrodynamic and sediment transport models are verified in case of a simple test problem for which analytical solutions are available. Finally the models are applied to muddy Haihe river estuary of North China and it is claimed that hydrodynamic and sediment…     

Vertical profiles of fluid velocity and suspended sediment concentration in nearshore

Based on the power function of velocity and the friction velocity,a velocity profile is obtained.By solving the Schmidt’s diffusion equation,an equilibrium suspended sediment concentration profile is further deduced.The profiles of velocity and suspended sediment concentration agree well with the field data,and the profile of suspended sediment concentration avoids the unreasonableness of the classical Rouse profile such as a zero value at the water surface.According to these profiles,an expression which is easy to use for calculating the suspended sediment transport rate is derived.     

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.     

An integrated suspended sediment transport monitoring and analysis concept

A new integrated suspended sediment monitoring strategy applying direct and indirect technologies is presented.Optical sensors continuously record the turbidity at one point in the channel cross section close to the river bank and are calibrated by water samples taken close to the sensor.Additionally measurements are performed to establish the distribution of suspended sediment in a cross section（bottle samples combined with acoustic devices）.Using correction factors（probe and cross-sectional factor） these monitoring methods are combined and it is,thus,possible to fully document the temporal and spatial variability of the suspended sediment transport and to estimate the suspended sediment load for certain time periods.This monitoring strategy was implemented at various measurement sites in Austria as well as at the Hainburg Road Bridge site on the Danube River.It has already been successfully applied for three years at this measurement site and suspended sediment loads during high discharges up to a 15 year flood event have been monitored.To evaluate the new monitoring methods the results were compared with load estimation methods found in the literature including averaging and ratio estimators as well as rating curves.The results prove that with the new methodology,the temporal variability of the suspended sediment transport can be detected more accurately compared with the other methods.They also demonstrate that the additional consideration of the spatial distribution of the suspended sediment concentration in the cross section is crucial as the mean concentration in the cross section can significantly exceed the concentration near the banks,especially at large rivers like the Danube River.     

A process-based model for sediment transport under various wave and current conditions

The purpose of this study is to investigate the capability of a newly developed process-based model for sediment transport under a wide variety of wave and current conditions.The model is based on the first-order boundary layer equation and the sediment advection-diffusion equation.In particular,a modified low Reynolds number k-e model is coupled to provide the turbulence closure.Detailed model verifications have been performed by simulating a number of laboratory experiments,covering a considerable range of hydrodynamic conditions such as sinusoidal waves,asymmetric waves and wave-current interactions.The model provides satisfactory numerical results which agree well with the measured results,including the time-averaged/dependent sediment concentration profiles and sediment flux profiles,as well as the time series of concentration at given elevations.The observed influences of wave orbital velocity amplitude,wave period and sediment grain size are correctly reproduced,indicating that the fundamental physical mechanisms of those processes are properly represented in the model.It is revealed that the present model is capable of predicting sediment transport under a wide range of wave and current conditions,and can be used to further study the morphodynamic processes in real coastal regions.     

Physical and coupled fully three-dimensional numerical modeling of pressurized bottom outlet flushing processes in reservoirs

Sediment deposition in reservoirs is an important research topic in engineering practice. Reservoir sedimentation has the potential to affect ood levels, drainage for agricultural land, pump station and hydropower operation as well as navigation. This paper describes the development of a coupled fully three-dimensional (3D) numerical model for the prediction of the local sediment ushing scour upstream of the bottom outlet. The presented numerical model solves the Navier-Stokes equations in conjunction with the k- turbulence model which includes both sediment transport and hydrodynamic parameters. The proposed coupled fully 3D numerical model is used to simulate experimental tests based on non-cohesive sediment. The geometric features of the scour hole (temporal and spatial hole devel- opment) upstream of the bottom outlet were reasonably well predicted compared to the experimental data. Furthermore, the velocity eld upstream of the bottom outlet was in good agreement with mea- surements. The proposed numerical model for bottom outlet ushing was, therefore, validated because of its ability to accurately predict the scour hole development during the ushing process. The proposed numerical model can be considered reliable provided that the model is correctly calibrated and set up to re ect the conditions of a particular case study.     

Portable rainfall simulator for plot-scale investigation of rainfall-runoff,and transport of sediment and pollutants

A low-cost, simple to use portable rainfall simulator is developed for use over a 5 m^2 plot. The simulator is easy to transport and assemble in the field, thereby allowing for necessary experimental replicates to be done. It provides rainfall intensities of between 20 and 100 mm/h by changing the number and type of silicon nozzles used. The Christiansen coefficient of uniformities obtained in the field are appropriate and vary from 79 to 94% for rainfall intensities ranging from 30 to 70 mm/h. In addition, the median volumetric drop diameters measured for rainfall intensities of 30, 50, and 70 mm/h are in the lower range of that of natural rainfall and equal to 1.10 ± 0.08,1.69 ± 0.21, and 1.66 ± 0.20 mm, respectively. The velocities of the raindrops with diameters less than 1.2 mm reached terminal velocities, while raindrops less than 2.0 mm achieved velocities reasonably close to the terminal velocity of natural rainfall. Furthermore,the average time-specific kinetic energy(KET) for rainfall intensities of 30, 50, and 70 mm/h are 257.7,760.1, and 1645.2 J/m^2/h, respectively accounting for about 78.0 and 86.5% of the KET of natural rainfall for50 and 70 mm/h rainfall intensity, respectively. The applicability of the portable rainfall simulator for herbicide transport study is investigated using two herbicides(atrazine and metolachlor); herbicide losses in runoff and sediment samples are in the ranges reported in the literature. As a percentage of the amount of herbicide applied, 5.29% of atrazine and 2.15% of metolachlor are lost due to combined water and sediment runoff. The results show that the portable rainfall simulator can be effectively used in studying processes such as pesticide runoff, infiltration mechanisms, and sediment generation and transport at a field plot scale with an emphasis on how surface characteristics such as slope and soil properties affect these processes.     

Shallow sediment transport flow computation using time-varying sediment adaptation length

Based on the common approach,the adaptation length in sediment transport is normally estimated astemporally independent.However,this approach might not be theoretically justified as the process of reaching the sediment transport equilibrium stage is affected by the flow conditions in time,especially for fast moving flows,such as scour-hole developing flows.In this study,the two-dimensional（2D） shallow water formulation together with a sediment continuity-concentration（SCC） model were applied to flow with mobile sediment boundary.A timevarying approach was proposed to determine the sediment transport adaptation length to simulate the sediment erosion-deposition rate.The proposed computational model was based on the Finite Volume（FV） method.The Monotone Upwind Scheme of Conservative Laws（MUSCL）-Hancock scheme was used with the Harten Lax van Leer-contact（HLLC） approximate Riemann solver to discretize the FV model.In the flow applications of this paper,a highly discontinuous dam-break,fast sediment transport flow was used to calibrate the proposed timevarying sediment adaptation length model.Then the calibrated model was further applied to two separate experimental sediment transport flow applications documented in the literature,i.e.a highly concentrated sediment transport flow in a wide alluvial channel and a sediment aggradation flow.Good agreement with the experimental data were obtained with the proposed model simulations.The tests prove that the proposed model,which was calibrated by the discontinuous dam-break bed scouring flow,also performed well to represent rapid bed change and steady sediment mobility conditions.     

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.     

Muskingum equation based downstream sediment flow simulation models for a river system

Applications of sediment transport and water flow characteristics based sediment transport simulation models for a river system are presented in this study. An existing water–sediment model and a new sediment–water model are used to formulate the simulation models representing water and sediment movement in a river system. The sediment–water model parameters account for water flow characteristics embodying sediment transport properties of a section. The models are revised formulations of the multiple water inflows model describing water movement through a river system as given by the Muskingum principle. The models are applied to a river system in Mississippi River basin to estimate downstream sediment concentration, sediment discharge, and water discharge. River system and the river section parameters are estimated using a revised and the original multiple water inflows models by applying the genetic algorithm. The models estimate downstream sediment transport rates on the basis of upstream sediment/water flow rates to a system. Model performance is evaluated by using standard statistical criteria;downstream water discharge resulting from the original multiple water inflows model using the estimated river system parameters indicate that the revised models satisfactorily describe water movement through a river system. Results obtained in the study demonstrate the applicability of the sediment transport and water flow characteristics-based simulation models in predicting downstream sediment transport and water flow rates in a river system.     

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.     

Evaluation of total load sediment transport formulas using ANN

The calculated results from various sediment transport formulas often differ from each other and from measured data. Some parameters in the sediment transport formulas are more effective than others to estimate total sediment load. In this study, an Artificial Neural Network （ANN） model is trained using four dominant parameters of sediment transport formulas. ANN models are able to reveal hidden laws of natural phenomena such as sediment transport process. The results of ANN and some total bed material load sediment transport formulas have been compared to indicate the importance of variables which can be used in developing sediment transport formulas. To train ANN, average flow velocity, water surface slopes, average flow depth, and median particle diameter are used as dominant parameters to estimate total bed material load. Two hundreds and fifty samples are used to train the ANN model. Twenty-four sets of field data not used in the training nor calibration of ANN are used to compare or verify the accuracy of ANN and some well-known total bed material load formulas. The test results show that the ANN model developed in this study using minimum number of dominant factors is a reliable and uncomplicated method to predict total sediment transport rate or total bed material load transport rate. Results show that the accuracy of formulas in descending order are those by Yang （1973）, Laursen （1958）, Engelund and Hansen （1972）, Ackers and White （1973）, and Toffaleti （1969）. These results are similar to those made by ASCE （1982） based on laboratory and field data not used in this paper. Study results also show that the formulas based on physical laws of sediment transport, like those formulas that were developed based on power concept, are more accurate than other formulas for estimating total bed material sediment load in rivers.