Sediment Transport Modelling in Flow 3D

THEORY

The sediment model in FLOW 3D can predict the movement of packed and suspended sediment, which
applies to the erosion around bridge piers and other interested structures. The model has two important
modules, drifting and lifting. Drifting models produces the diving force on the sediment particle to be
suspended in te flow, which is called drift-flux model. Liffting model functions as the lift force produced
by the local bed shear stresss to separate the particle from sediment bed. The sediment beha viour is
controlled by drag model. when the sediment concentration exceeds a cohesive solid fraction defined by
users it behaves as the solid and drag model is activated.

In FLOW 3D, the distribution of sediment in the flow consists of the suspended and packed sediment.
Suspended sediment particles are advectional and drifting . Packed sediment particles without the
advection can move only if they become lifting and drag models initialed particles. The fluid viscosity
increases as the concentration of suspended sediment increases. When the solid or sediment
concentration reaches or exceeds the cohesive solid fraction, it will not have any influence on the
alternation of the fluid viscosity. At that point , the solid like behaviour of sediment occurs, which is
reflected by the interaction among particles.

SCOPE

Three evaluation criteria were applied to the output of sediment transport modeling: reservoir
sedimentation, sediment loading, and downstream sediment concentration.

Reservoir Sedimentation
Reservoir sedimentation was evaluated from the simulated total sediment load retained in the reservoir
and also by the reservoir trap efficiency. The 41-year simulation is used for this analysis. Trap efficiency
refers to the amount of sediment entering the reservoir that is trapped within the reservoir area. The
computation is based on the long-term simulation of sediment transport through the reservoir. The trap
efficiency was estimated by summing the total sediment retained in the reservoir area divided by the
total sediment inflow to the reservoir. In recent years the trap efficiency was about 75 percent but
declines to about 35 percent as the reservoir fills.

Reservoir sedimentation was assessed for sluicing under the Proponent’s Proposed Project, using a one-
year simulation as explained above.

Over the long term, sedimentation of the reservoir may be affected by unanticipated events such as
wildfires or landslides. Such events can produce large amounts of sediment that enters the river and
moves downstream to the reservoir. These events occur randomly and therefore no modeling was
performed for them.
Downstream Sediment Loading
The sediment transport modeling simulated the total amount of sediment passing the dam to the lower
river for the 41-year simulation period under the four alternatives, and includes sediment grain size
distribution.

Downstream sediment loading was also assessed for sluicing under the Proponent’s Proposed Project.
Simulations were performed for the change in channel bed elevation as a result of the downstream
sediment loading.

Downstream Sediment Concentration

Using the modeled sediment loading results, MEI estimated suspended sediment concentrations in the
lower river water column. Suspended sediment concentrations were estimated from 0.5 feet above the
river bed to the water surface.

LIMITATIONS

Since it helps for modelling in sediment, there are several limitations in the sediment scour model in
FLOW 3D although it can be adopted to simulate the phenomena of scour.

1. Too large sediment diameter fails the drifting model, successful prediction become impossible.

2. No bed load model available to simulate the saltation load.

3. Non-uniform sediment particles are not included in the range of the simulation.