Experimental Measurement of Sediment Suspension and Particle Kinetic Stress Transport Within a Horizontal Channel Flow

Abstract

One of the important objectives in the science of sediment transport is to be able to predict the evolution of the sediment flux suspended within a turbulent carrier fluid. Unfortunately, this task is complicated by a multitude of difficulties that stem from how the particles are organized within the flow structure, and how the dynamics of the particle feedback alters the turbulence characteristics of the carrier flow. The goal of the current work is to utilize novel optical methods to experimentally characterize the instantaneous interaction between the particles and the fluid within a prototypical, fully developed, turbulent channel flow. This information can then be used to understand how the particle/turbulence interaction is manifested within such flows and to act as a database for comparison with model development and simulation within a well-posed and controlled environment.