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Flume simulation of recirculating flow and sedimentation
Author(s) -
Schmidt John C.,
Rubin David M.,
Ikeda Hiroshi
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/93wr00770
Subject(s) - flume , eddy , sedimentation , geology , canyon , sediment , geomorphology , hydrology (agriculture) , sediment transport , channel (broadcasting) , flow (mathematics) , bedform , geotechnical engineering , mechanics , turbulence , engineering , physics , electrical engineering
Experiments were conducted in a 4‐m‐wide flume to simulate recirculating flow and sedimentation in a lateral eddy within a channel expansion. The percentage of main stem sediment that was captured by the eddy decreased from 37% (when the eddy was empty) to 24% (when sand filled approximately 32% of the eddy volume). The reattachment bar within the eddy grew in an upstream direction, and the finest size sediment was deposited in the lee of the obstruction; both observations are consistent with field observations. Measurements of reattachment length during sediment transport (0.5–1.0 kg/s) at constant discharge (0.60 m 3 /s) show that reattachment length depends not only on characteristics of the expanding jet, but also on the topography of the channel bed downstream; reattachment length decreased when part of the channel expansion was filled by an aggrading midchannel bar. Comparison of these results with measurements in the Colorado River in Grand Canyon suggests that downstream channel irregularities play a large role in controlling the length of eddies in natural rivers.