Development of the Gravel Pressure and Voice Synchronous Observation System and Application in Bedload Transport Measurement

Abstract

Bedload sediment transport is critical in the natural river environmental and ecological system. It is quite challenging to measure the bedload sediment transport rate in rivers with any degree of accuracy. In this study, the authors developed the Gravel Pressure and Voice Synchronous observation system (GPVS) to estimate the bedload sediment transport rate in rivers. The core of the GPVS includes an underwater high-fidelity audio recorder and pressure sensor. The audio recorder is intended to monitor the low bedload sediment transport rate, whereas the pressure sensor is utilized to detect relatively substantial bedload sediment transport. The GPVS is tested by running flume experiments with natural gravel to evaluate the system’s reliability and feasibility. Results reveal that the GPVS has a very high sensitivity for detecting bedload transport. When the bedload sediment transport rate is relatively low, the audio recorder can measure it quantitatively, showing that the system is not impacted by ambient noise.