Numerical Simulation of the Transportation of Cohesive Bank-Collapsed Materials in a Sharply Curved Channel

Abstract

This study presents an integrated analysis of cohesive bank-collapsed material transportation in a high-curvature channel with a non-cohesive riverbed. A numerical model was established to simulate the erosion and transportation of collapsed materials in a 180° U-bend channel after verification. The novel aspect of this study is that the quantities of the collapsed materials that transformed into suspended and bed loads were comprehensively analyzed. The results show that finer collapsed sediments were only transformed into suspended loads after being eroded, while the coarser particles transformed into both suspended loads and bed loads. When the flow charge was 30 L/s, the quantity of collapsed materials (S1 and S2) that transported downstream was smaller, and coarser materials transformed into suspended loads with a ratio of 88.12–99.86% and bed loads with a ratio of 11.18–0.14%. When the flow charge was 55 L/s, due to the greater shear stress, the quantity of collapsed materials (S1 and S2) that transported downstream was greater, and the ratio ranged from 46.65% to 49.88% and from 50.12% to 53.35%, respectively. This research provides theoretical and practical benefits that reveal the mechanisms of channel bend evolution.