Two-dimension coupling model to simulate water flow, sediment transport and bed evolution

Abstract

Abstract Catastrophic flood events worldwide have become increasingly more frequent and their dynamics mechanism has attracted much interest as how to predict them by numerical method. As the most common phenomenon occurs in the flowing process, entrainment and deposition can significantly influence flow mobility by increasing in mass and changing in flow character. In this paper, a two-dimension coupling model is presented to simulate water flow, sediment transport and bed evolution based on the shallow water assumption, depth-averaged integration as well as morphological evolution. A new term accounting for the sediment effect on the momentum conservation of water–sediment mixture is added to the model equations by assuming that the flow and the fixed bed is connected by an infinitesimally thin boundary layer, in which the erodible material gains the necessary velocity to enter the flow above. Comparison of numerical results and experimental data indicate the presented model can adequately describe the complex dynamic process, sediment transport and bed evolution. The velocity profile of flow can influence the momentum transfer between the water column and the erodible bottom boundary due to sediment exchange, further influencing flow mobility. Moreover, the velocity profile of flow changes with variations of sediment concentration, bed surface and friction resistance.