Depositional mechanics of turbulent nuées ardentes (surges) from their grain sizes

The ability of turbulent nuées ardentes (surges) to transport coarse pyroclasts has been questioned on the basis that settling velocities of coarse fragments in the deposits are much too high for them to have been supported by turbulence in a dilute gas suspension. A computer model is used to evaluate the settling velocity of pyroclasts in suspensions of varying concentration and temperature. Since suspension of grains in low-concentration surges occurs if the shear velocity exceeds the settling velocity, the shear velocities related to the 16th and 84th percentiles, and the mean of the grain-size distribution are compared in surge deposits of the Vulsini, with the shear velocity necessary to move the coarsest grain on the bed surface (the Shields criterion). The results show that the settling velocities do not vary significantly in gaseous suspensions having volume concentrations lower than 15%, and that an increase in concentration to 25% is not sufficient to decrease the settling velocity of the coarser fraction, if it represents flow shear velocity. It is shown that the settling velocity of the mean grain size (M _z ) best depicts the shear velocity of a dilute turbulent suspension. Applying the results to the May 1902 paroxysmal nuées ardentes of Mount Pelée shows that the estimated mean velocities are well within the observed velocities, and sufficient to support all the clasts in dilute, turbulent suspensions.     

Depositional mechanics of turbulent nuées ardentes (surges) from their grain sizes

The ability of turbulent nuées ardentes (surges) to transport coarse pyroclasts has been questioned on the basis that settling velocities of coarse fragments in the deposits are much too high for them to have been supported by turbulence in a dilute gas suspension. A computer model is used to evaluate the settling velocity of pyroclasts in suspensions of varying concentration and temperature. Since suspension of grains in low-concentration surges occurs if the shear velocity exceeds the settling velocity, the shear velocities related to the 16th and 84th percentiles, and the mean of the grain-size distribution are compared in surge deposits of the Vulsini, with the shear velocity necessary to move the coarsest grain on the bed surface (the Shields criterion). The results show that the settling velocities do not vary significantly in gaseous suspensions having volume concentrations lower than 15%, and that an increase in concentration to 25% is not sufficient to decrease the settling velocity of the coarser fraction, if it represents flow shear velocity. It is shown that the settling velocity of the mean grain size (M _z ) best depicts the shear velocity of a dilute turbulent suspension. Applying the results to the May 1902 paroxysmal nuées ardentes of Mount Pelée shows that the estimated mean velocities are well within the observed velocities, and sufficient to support all the clasts in dilute, turbulent suspensions.     

SETTLING PROPERTIES OF COHESIVE AND NON-COHESIVE PARTICULATE MIXTURES IN WATER

1. INTRODUCTIONAs a wide range of size distirbution including usually a certain POrtion of cohesive material is thecommon feature of the sediment constituting hyperconcentrated flows. it is desirable to study the settling properties of mixtures of cohesive and non--cohesjve sediment particles at high concentrations.Past studies on the settling of discrete particles in a suspension of fine cohesjve sediment is scarcein the literature. The Sediment Research Laboratory of Tsinghua Universi…     

Hindered settling with an apparent particle diameter concept

In this work a new expression has been developed to predict the settling velocity of a sediment particle which is dispersed in a sediment-fluid mixture during a turbulent flow. A concept of apparent particle diameter has been introduced and is defined by the diameter of the spherical volume in which the particle can move randomly after collision with other particles in suspension. The effect of suspension concentration is studied on the mass density of the sediment-fluid mixture. It has been shown that the settling velocity of sediment particle in a sediment-fluid mixture is a function of different characteristics of the sediment particle such as settling velocity in clear fluid, suspension concentration, relative mass density and Reynolds number. The model has shown good agreement when compared with previously published experimental data and it’s prediction accuracy is superior than the other existing models.     

Grain-size distribution in suspension over a sand-gravel bed in open channel flow

Grain-size distributions of suspended load over a sand-gravel bed at two different flow velocities were studied in a laboratory flume.The experiments had been performed to study the influence of flow velocity and suspension height on grain-size distribution in suspension over a sand-gravel bed.The experimental findings show that with an increase of flow velocity,the grain-size distribution of suspended load changed from a skewed form to a bimodal one at higher suspension heights.This study focuses on the determination of the parameter β_n which is the ratio of the sediment diffusion coefficient to the momentum diffusion coefficient of n th grain-size.A new relationship has been proposed involving β_n,the normalizing settling velocity of sediment particles and suspension height,which is applicable for widest range of normalizing settling velocity available in literature so far.A similar parameter β for calculating total suspension concentration is also developed.The classical Rouse equation is modified with β_n and β and used to compute grain-size distribution and total concentration in suspension,respectively.The computed values have shown good agreement with the measured values of experimental data.     

Clogging of saturated porous media by silt‐sized suspended solids under varying physical conditions during managed aquifer recharge

Managed aquifer recharge is an effective method for utilizing excess flood flows, but clogging of porous media is a limiting factor in the implementation of this water storage technique. In recent years, much research on the physical clogging of porous media during artificial recharge has been conducted. However, the understanding of clogging due to silt‐sized suspended solids (SS) is still inadequate, especially under varying physical conditions. Here, we subjected sand columns to controlled rates of flow and SS suspensions to investigate the influence of media size, SS size, SS concentration, and flow velocity on the clogging of porous media by silt‐sized SS. The results show that the diameter ratio of SS particles to sand grains is the dominant factor influencing the position of physical clogging. As pore velocity increased, the mobility of silt‐sized SS was enhanced and retention in the porous media decreased noticeably. The spatial retention profiles in the porous media were found to vary greatly at different flow velocities. The SS concentration of the infiltrating suspension also dramatically influenced the mobility and deposition of silt‐sized SS particles, such that high concentrations accelerated the clogging process. As the different physical factors changed, the breakthrough curves and retention profiles of silt‐sized SS particles changed obviously and the mechanisms of retention differed. On the whole, clogging position is mainly determined by particle size ratio, but clogging rate is dominated by a variety of factors including particle size ratio, SS concentration, and flow velocity.     

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.     

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.     

Near-bottom stratified currents and sediment transport in reservoirs and lakes

Results of field and theoretical studies of suspension transport by density currents are presented. The suspension transport is described by a mathematical model taking into account turbulent roiling and involvement, sedimentation, and bed erosion, variations in the vertical component of mean velocity, the relationship between the particles’ settling velocity and the distribution of their concentrations between the near-bottom and the overlaying water, on the one hand, and flow stability and velocity, on the other hand. The theoretical distributions of suspension concentrations are compared with those measured in 20 flows in nine reservoirs and lakes.     

Multi-scale analysis for transport of fine settling particles through an ice-covered channel in a laminar flow condition

The current research deals with the dispersion of fine settling particles in a fluid flowing through an icecovered channel under the laminar flow condition. An analytical solution of the two-dimensional convection-diffusion equation, based on the multi-scale homogenization technique, is obtained. To validate the current study, analytical results for the dispersion coefficient are compared with the available earlier research work. Moreover, the proposed analytical solutions for mean concentration...     

Biofilm effects on size gradation,drag coefficient and settling velocity of sediment particles

Sediment particles are often colonized by biofilm in a natural aquatic ecological system, especially in eutrophic water body. A series of laboratory experiments on particle size gradation, drag coefficient and settling velocity were conducted after natural sediment was colonized by biofilm for 5, 10, 15 and 20 days. Particle image acquisition, particle tracking techniques of Particle Image Velocimetry and Particle Tracking Velocimetry were utilized to analyze the changes of these properties. The experimental results indicate that the size gradation, the drag force exerted on bio-particles, and the settling velocity of bio-particles underwent significant change due to the growth of biofilm onto the sediment surface. The study proposes a characteristic particle size formula and a bio-particle settling velocity formula based on the regression of experiment results, that the settling velocity is only 50% to 60% as the single particle which has the same diameter and density. However, biofilm growth causes large particle which the settling velocities are approximately 10 times larger than that of primary particles. These results may be specifically used in the low energy reservoir or lake environment.     

Field measurements of settling velocities of fine sediments in Three Gorges Reservoir using ADV

The Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) is suffering from unexpected fine sediment deposition, to better understand the fine sediment transport processes, field measurements were conducted at the Zhongxian and Fengjie reaches. A method based on the sediment diffusion equation was proposed to measure the settling velocities using the Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV). The backscatter acoustic intensities (BSI) received from the ADV were calibrated against the sediment concentrations measured via water sampling, suggesting a linear relationship in double logarithmic coordinate system. The instantaneous sediment concentration was calculated using the derived relationship, and then the settling velocity was obtained through the proposed procedure. The settling velocities of the fine particles in the TGR were found to vary with the water depth. Most of the effective settling velocities were within the range of 0.1–10 mm/s, which were larger than those of the primary particles, indicating that the flocculation was likely to occur in the TGR. Additionally, it is suggested that the turbulent motion played an important role in the flocculation in the TGR.     

Sand settling through bedform-generated turbulence in rivers

Fluvial bedforms generate a turbulent wake that can impact suspended-sediment settling in the passing flow. This impact has implications for local suspended-sediment transport, bedform stability, and channel evolution; however, it is typically not well-considered in geomorphologic models. Our study uses a three-dimensional OpenFOAM hydrodynamic and particle-tracking model to investigate how turbulence generated from bedforms and the channel bed influences medium sand-sized particle settling, in terms of the distribution of suspended particles within the flow field and particle-settling velocities. The model resolved the effect of an engineered bedform, which altered the flow field in a manner similar to a natural dune. The modelling scenarios alternated bed morphology and the simulation of turbulence, using detached eddy simulation (DES), to differentiate the influence of bedform-generated turbulence relative to that of turbulence generated from the channel bed. The bedform generated a turbulent wake that was composed of eddies with significant anisotropic properties. The eddies and, to a lesser degree, turbulence arising from velocity shear at the bed substantially reduced settling velocities relative to the settling velocities predicted in the absence of turbulence. The eddies tended to advect sediment particles in their primary direction, diffuse particles throughout the flow column, and reduced settling likely due to production of a positively skewed vertical-velocity fluctuation distribution. Study results suggest that the bedform wake has a significant impact on particle-settling behaviour (up to a 50% reduction in settling velocity) at a scale capable of modulating local suspended transport rates and bedform dynamics. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Particle travel distances and bed and sediment compositions associated with rain‐impacted flows

Laboratory experiments were performed with rain of uniform drop size (2·7 mm, 5·1 mm) impacting flows over non‐cohesive beds of uniform sized sand (0·11–0·9 mm) and coal (0·2–0·9 mm) particles with flow velocities (20 mm s^?1, 40 mm s^?1) that were insufficient for the flow to entrain the particles without the aid of raindrop impact. Measurement of particle travel distance under rain made up of 2·7 mm drops confirmed a theoretical relationship between settling velocity and the distance particles travel after being disturbed by drop impact. Although, in theory, a relationship between settling velocity and particle travel distance exists, settling velocity by itself was unable to account for the effect of changes in both particle size and density on sediment discharge from beds of uniform non‐cohesive material. Particle density was also a factor. Further study of how particle characteristics influence sediment discharge will aid modelling of the impact of the soil in process‐based models of erosion by rain‐impacted flow. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Flocculation settling characteristics of mud: sand mixtures

When natural muds become mixed with sandy sediments in estuaries, it has a direct effect on the flocculation process and resultant sediment transport regime. Much research has been completed on the erosion and consolidation of mud/sand mixtures, but very little is known quantitatively about how mixed sediments interact whilst in suspension, particularly in terms of flocculation. This paper presents the settling velocity findings from a recent laboratory study which examined the flocculation dynamics for three different mud/sand mixtures at different concentrations (0.2–5 g.l^?1) and turbulent shear stresses (0.06–0.9 Pa) in a mini-annular flume. The low intrusive video-based Laboratory Spectral Flocculation Characteristics instrument was used to determine floc/aggregate properties (e.g., size, settling velocity, density and mass) for each population. Settling data was assessed in terms of macrofloc (>160 μm) and microfloc (<160 μm) settling parameters: Ws_macro and Ws_micro, respectively. For pure muds, the macroflocs are regarded as the most dominant contributors to the total depositional flux. The parameterised settling data indicates that by adding more sand to a mud/sand mixture, the fall velocity of the macrofloc fraction slows and the settling velocity of microflocs quickens. Generally, a mainly sandy suspension comprising 25% mud and 75% sand (25M:75S), will produce resultant Ws_macro which are slower than Ws_micro. The quickest Ws_micro appears to consistently occur at a higher level of turbulent shear stress (τ?～?0.6 Pa) than both the macrofloc and microfloc fractions from suspensions of pure natural muds. Flocculation within a more cohesively dominant muddy-sand suspension (i.e., 75M:25S) produced macroflocs which fell at similar speeds (±10%) to pure mud suspensions at both low (200 mg l^?1) and intermediate (1 g?l^?1) concentrations at all shear stress increments. Also, low sand content suspensions produced Ws_macro values that were faster than the Ws_micro rates. In summary, the experimental results of the macrofloc and microfloc settling velocities have demonstrated that flocculation is an extremely important factor with regards to the depositional behaviour of mud/sand mixtures, and these factors must be considered when modelling mixed sediment transport in the estuarine or marine environment.     

Controls on effective settling velocities of mud flocs in the Changjiang Estuary,China

Theoretical and experimental studies were undertaken to gain insight into physical parameters controlling the flocculation and settling properties of mud flocs in the Changjiang Estuary, China. The Rouse equation is applied to vertical profiles of suspended sediment concentration to determine the bulk mean settling velocity (w_s) of sediment suspended in the Changjiang Estuary. Both in situ point‐sampled and acoustically measured profiles of suspended mud concentrations were fit selectively. The calculated settling velocities w_s mainly ranged from 0·4 to 4·1 mm s^?1 for the point‐sampled data set, and from 1·0 to 3·0 mm s^?1 for the acoustically measured data set. Furthermore, the settling velocities of mud flocs increased with mean concentration (C?) of mud flocs in suspension and were proportional to increasing bottom shear stress (τ_b) of tidal flow. The best equation for the field settling velocity of mud flocs in the Changjiang Estuary can be expressed by the power law: w_s = mC?ⁿ (m, 1·14–2·37; n, 0·84–1·03). It is suggested that C? and τ_b were the dominant physical parameters controlling the flocculation and w_s of mud flocs in suspension. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Significance of particle interaction to the modelling of cohesive sediment transport in rivers

Aggregation processes of fine sediments have rarely been integrated in numerical simulations of cohesive sediment transport in riverine systems. These processes, however, can significantly alter the hydrodynamic characteristics of suspended particulate matter (SPM), modifying the particle settling velocity, which is one of the most important parameters in modelling suspended sediment dynamics. The present paper presents data from field measurements and an approach to integrate particle aggregation in a hydrodynamic sediment transport model. The aggregation term used represents the interaction of multiple sediment classes (fractions) with corresponding multiple deposition behaviour. The k–ε–turbulence model was used to calculate the coefficient of vertical turbulent mixing needed for the two‐dimensional vertical‐plane simulations. The model has been applied to transport and deposition of tracer particles and natural SPM in a lake‐outlet lowland river (Spree River, Germany). The results of simulations were evaluated by comparison with field data obtained for two levels of river discharge. Experimental data for both discharge levels showed that under the prevailing uniform hydraulic conditions along the river reach, the settling velocity distribution did not change significantly downstream, whereas the amount of SPM declined. It was also shown that higher flow velocities (higher fluid shear) resulted in higher proportions of fast settling SPM fractions. We conclude that in accordance with the respective prevailing turbulence structures, typical aggregation mechanisms occur that continuously generate similar distribution patterns, including particles that settle toward the river bed and thus mainly contribute to the observed decline in the total SPM concentration. In order to determine time‐scales of aggregation and related mass fluxes between the settling velocity fractions, results of model simulations were fitted to experimental data for total SPM concentration and of settling velocity frequency distributions. The comparison with simulations for the case of non‐interacting fractions clearly demonstrated the practical significance of particle interaction for a more realistic modelling of cohesive sediment and contaminant transport. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON FALL VELOCITY OF NON-UNIFORM SEDIMENT IN FLOWING WATER

I INTRODUCTIONThe settlement of particles in fluid has been studied in many fields such as hydraulics, metallurgy andchemistry since the middle of 19 century because of its great importance. Although the settlement ofsingle particle and group settling velocity of uniform particles in still water are relatively well-studied, yetthe settlement of non-uniform particles in flowing water lacks understanding. For instance, Cunningham(1910), Richardson (1954) and Batchelor (1972), have obtained…     

Evaluation of a laser‐assisted particle sizing/settling velocity determination technique

The use of predictive models for the understanding and management of sediment and contaminant transport generally requires knowledge of particle size and settling velocity. Particle size is often obtained by direct measurements, and the settling velocities are usually predicted using the Stokes' law (or a modification thereof) for single‐grained spherical particles. Such measurements and estimates are not satisfactory measures for cohesive sediments, which exist as agglomerated particles called flocs and whose behaviour is significantly different from that of the single‐grained particles. Direct measurement of settling velocity and size using optical methods in settling columns has also been employed to improve these predictions; however, the subjectivity in determining which particles are in focus results in unreliable size data. An out‐of‐focus particle will generally possess a larger size than in reality. This paper evaluates a laser‐assisted particle sizing/settling velocity determination technique's ability to eliminate the subjectivity and improve particle‐sizing accuracy during settling column experiments. Although the diffraction of light by the translucent standard beads (used for evaluating the technique's accuracy for determining particle size) posed a problem, the results suggest that this technique has potential for assisting researchers to obtain the most accurate settling particle size data possible. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.