Promotive Effects of Siltfence on Deposition of Suspended Particles: Evaluations of Diffusion Suppression of Radionuclides in Rectangular Open Channel via Numerical Simulations

Abstract

A siltfence is installed to prevent the spread of suspended sediments generated by engineering construction works in rivers and on the coast. Thus, the siltfence is regarded to be a tool to prevent radioactive materials adsorbed on suspended sediments from diffusing into the sea in ports of nuclear power plants during nuclear accidents. However, the prevention effects of the siltfence as sediment control structures have not yet been fully evaluated. Therefore, in this paper, we simulate the behaviors of suspended sediment particles using a coupled simulation scheme composed of water flow and deformation of the siltfence in a rectangular open channel under uniform steady flow, and evaluate the promotive effects of the installed siltfence on suspended sediment deposition. The results demonstrate that the installation of the siltfence significantly promotes deposition, especially of particles with low settling velocities. However, it should be noted that the opposite case is also possible, i.e., the siltfence promotes the diffusion of suspended sediments under particular conditions. These results suggest that a careful installation strategy is necessary. The present simulation scheme is useful in assessing the prevention effects of siltfences prior to their installation.