Predicting the vertical low suspended sediment concentration in vegetated flow using a random displacement model

Abstract

Based on the Lagrangian approach, this study proposes a random displacement model (RDM) to predict the concentration of suspended sediment in vegetated steady open channel flow. Validation of the method was conducted by comparing the simulated results by using the RDM with available experimental measurements for uniform open-channel flows. The method is further validated with the classical Rouse formula. To simulate the important vertical dispersion caused by vegetation in the sediment-laden open channel flow, a new integrated sediment diffusion coefficient is introduced in this study, which is equal to a coefficient β multiplying the turbulent diffusion coefficient. As such, the RDM approach for sandy flow with vegetation was established for predicting the suspended sediment concentration in low-sediment-concentration flow with both the emergent and submerged vegetation. The study shows that the value of β for submerged vegetation flow is larger than that for emergent vegetation flow. The simulated result using the RDM is in good agreement with the available experimental data, indicating that the proposed sediment diffusion coefficient model can be accurately used to investigate the sediment concentration in vegetated steady open channel flow.