Sediment transport during unsteady settling in an inclined channel

Abstract

Settling of a dilute, monodisperse suspension between two inclined, narrowly spaced parallel plates is considered. Effects of sediment motion are accounted for. Lubrication theory and a simplified model for the particle motion lead to a system of two coupled nonlinear hyperbolic equations for the evolution of the two interfaces between clear fluid, suspension and sediment. Two problems are solved: batch settling and the filling of a channel that initially contains clear fluid. In the batch-settling case, the sediment has no major qualitative effect on the motion. In the filling problem, however, effects of sediment are important.