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A dynamic two-dimensional depth-averaged (2DH) parameterization for flocculation of cohesive sediments is proposed based on the kinetic model by Winterwerp (J Hydraul Res 36:309–326, 1998). The aim is to achieve a realistic representation of the suspended sediment field by accounting for flocculation, also taking into consideration its dependence on advection, turbulent diffusion, and turbulent shear. This formulation is evaluated in a sand-mud model of the Belgian Coast and the Western Scheldt. Results indicate that it can reproduce known sediment transport patterns: modelled floc size and suspended sediment concentrations are in the range of measurements. When evaluating the model results spatially, the extent and shape of the coastal sediment plumes are similar to the observed suspended particle matter (SPM) maps from the PROBA-V satellite. Therefore, the use of the presently proposed flocculation model has added value to improve sediment transport calculations in coastal areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presented model allows for fast simulations of the near-field behaviour of overflow dredging plumes. Overflow dredging plumes occur when dredging vessels employ a dropshaft release system to discharge the excess sea water, which is pumped into the trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) along with the dredged sediments. The fine sediment fraction in the loaded water-sediment mixture does not fully settle before it reaches the overflow shaft. By consequence, the released water contains a fine sediment fraction of time-varying concentration. The sediment grain size is in the range of clays, silt and fine sand; the sediment concentration varies roughly between 10 and 200 g/l in most cases, peaking at even higher value with short duration. In order to assess the environmental impact of the increased turbidity caused by this release, plume dispersion predictions are often carried out. These predictions are usually executed with a large-scale model covering a complete coastal zone, bay, or estuary. A source term of fine sediments is implemented in the hydrodynamic model to simulate the fine sediment dispersion. The large-scale model mesh resolution and governing equations, however, do not allow to simulate the near-field plume behaviour in the vicinity of the ship hull and propellers. Moreover, in the near-field, these plumes are under influence of buoyancy forces and air bubbles. The initial distribution of sediments is therefore unknown and has to be based on crude assumptions at present. The initial (vertical) distribution of the sediment source is indeed of great influence on the final far-field plume dispersion results. In order to study this near-field behaviour, a highly-detailed computationally fluid dynamics (CFD) model was developed. This model contains a realistic geometry of a dredging vessel, buoyancy effects, air bubbles and propeller action, and was validated earlier by comparing with field measurements. A CFD model requires significant simulation times, which is not available in all situations. For example, to allow correct representation of overflow plume dispersion in a real-time forecasting model, a fast assessment of the near-field behaviour is needed. For this reason, a semi-analytical parameter model has been developed that reproduces the near-field sediment dispersion obtained with the CFD model in a relatively accurate way. In this paper, this so-called grey-box model is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multimodal particle size distributions (PSDs) of fine-grained cohesive sediments are common in marine and coastal environments. The curve-fitting software in this study decomposed such multimodal PSDs into subordinate log-normal PSDs. Four modal peaks, consisting of four-level ordered structures of primary particles, flocculi, microflocs, and macroflocs, were identified and found to alternately rise and sink in a flow-varying tidal cycle due to shear-dependent flocculation. The four modal PSD could be simplified further into two discrete size groups of flocculi and flocs. This allowed the development of a two-class population balance equation (TCPBE) model with flocculi and flocs to simulate flocculation involving multimodal PSDs. The one-dimensional vertical (1-DV) TCPBE model further incorporated the Navier-Stokes equation with the k- ε turbulence closure and the sediment mass balance equations. Multimodal flocculation as well as turbulent flow and sediment transport in a flow-varying tidal cycle could be simulated well using the proposed model. The 1-DV TCPBE was concluded to be the simplest model that is capable of simulating multimodal flocculation in the turbulent flow field of marine and coastal zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantification and monitoring of sediment dynamics in estuaries has received plenty of attention in recent years due to both economic and environmental interests. Numerical models have been widely applied for predicting the morphodynamic evolution of these areas. However, the degree of uncertainty of these models is often very high due to the lack of measurements necessary for a complete model calibration and validation. In this paper, different methods have been integrated to overcome these limitations. The hydrodynamics and suspended sediment transport in the IJzer estuary were estimated by means of field data and with the use of a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model coupled to a morphodynamic model. Tidal pumping was recognized as the main driving mechanism of sediments inside the estuary. Erosion-deposition areas calculated with the numerical model were compared to the locations and volumes of dredged material. Model results and measurements were generally in good agreement. Additional support for the morphodynamic model results came from airborne hyperspectral images acquired in 2001 and 2005. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eulerian equations for the vertical flux and momentum of suspended particles in dilute sediment-laden open-channel flow in equilibrium have been derived using the two-fluid approach. Reynolds averaging has been applied in order to allow validation of individual terms with experimental data. Consideration of the various terms of the vertical momentum balance with experimental flume data indicates that the drag force has to be separated into a mean and a turbulent contribution with different timescales, respectively, the (gravitational) particle timescale and the integral turbulence timescale. The resulting formulation further provides a new theoretical closure for the turbulent Schmidt number. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC) method was enhanced to solve the population balance model (PBM) including aggregation and fragmentation processes for simulating the temporal evolutions of characteristic sizes and floc size distributions (FSDs) of cohesive sediments. Ideal cases with analytical solutions were firstly adopted to validate this QMC model to illustrate selected pure aggregation, pure fragmentation, and combined aggregation and fragmentation systems. Two available laboratory data sets, one with suspended kaolinite and the other with a mixture of kaolinite and montmorillonite, were further used to monitor the FSDs of cohesive sediments in controlled shear conditions. The model results show reasonable agreements with both analytical solutions and laboratory experiments. Moreover, different QMC schemes were tested and compared with the standard Monte Carlo scheme and a Latin Hypercube Sampling scheme to optimize the model performance. It shows that all QMC schemes perform better in both accuracy and time consumption than standard Monte Carlo scheme. In particular, compared with other schemes, the QMC scheme using Halton sequence requires the least particle numbers in the simulated system to reach reasonable accuracy. In the sensitivity tests, we also show that the fractal dimension and the fragmentation distribution function have large impacts on the predicted FSDs. This study indicates a great advance in employing QMC schemes to solve PBM for simulating the flocculation of cohesive sediments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]