Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
A model of a suspension of noncohesive sediment grains in a turbulent water flow is described which takes as its basis the Liouville equation. This equation, which is normally associated with statistical mechanics, is proposed as a suitable continuity equation for particles in suspension. Under the assumption of a diffusive process, as a description of the effect of fluid turbulence on the grains in the flow, an equation comparable with the convective diffusion equation is derived, differing from it only in the way in which the settling of grains due to gravity is represented. This diffusion equation can be applied to suspension problems in natural flows, and here its Fourier series solution is found in a first-order modelling of the suspended sediment concentration profile in a one-dimensional uniform idealized tidal flow. The solution is compared with data obtained in a vertically mixed tidal estuary having a mean water depth of 17 m, although concentration profiles in only the bottom 12 m have been modelled. The concentration data has been broken down into six grain-size ranges, and constants characterizing the profiles have been estimated for five of these ranges. It is thought that the consistent pattern emerging in these results justifies the modelling method used.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
A.G. Davies (1977) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: