Fluvial oral exam prep

Q1 ) Types and characteristics of bedforms - Exner theory for the evolution of dunes

ANS) A bedform is a morphological feature formed by the interaction between a flow and
cohesion less sediment on a bed. Bedforms form only in sand or sand-rich sediment
because fine-grained muddy sediments are transported in suspension by
water/wind

Plane Bed is when Fr is 1. Ripples

occur when discharge is small small
sedminets reppels and irregularity
occurs. Dunes Travel slowly in the
down stream direction. While
amtitudes travel upstream

When the velocities are somewhat larger (10%-20%) than the critical velocity for initiation of motion
and the median particle size is smaller than about 0.5 mm, small (mini) ripples are generated at the
bed surface. Ripples that are developed during this stage remain small with a ripple length much
smaller than the water depth.

Dunes have an asymmetrical (triangular) profile with a rather steep lee-side and a gentle stoss-side.
A general feature of dune type bed forms is lee-side flow separation resulting in strong eddy motions
downstream of the dune crest.v formation of dunes are linked with the presence of
obstaclesWhen the wind transporting the sand encounters an obstacle, its
flow vectors break and separate, producing local turbulent flow with areas
where sand is eroded and areas where it is deposited

In the supercritical (flow velocity exceeds the wave velocity)upper regime the bed form types will
be plane bed and/or anti-dunes. The latter type of bed forms are sand waves with a nearly
symmetrical shape in phase with the water surface waves. The anti-dunes do not exist as a
continuous train of bed waves, but they gradually build up locally from a flat bed. Anti-dunes move
upstream due to strong lee-side erosion and stoss-side deposition. Anti-dunes are bed forms with a
length scale of less than 10 times the water depth. When the flow velocity further increases, finally a
stage with chute and pools may be generated.

Exner theory :

Time evolution as a function of stream velocity. a higher velocity results in a higher erosion thus
more sediments moving and a lower time evolution. It is based on uniform flow thus discharge is
constant also if the the surface is not disturbed we assume horizontal free surface. A lesser depth
means the sediments propagate faster

Q2. Velocity criteria for the initiation of sediment movement and link with the longitudinal profile of a
natural river

Q3 Velocity profile in turbulent flows and link with the depth-averaged velocity

ANS)

Q5) Shields diagram

Traction force is the force that is resisted by friction force and, while in equilibrium, is equal and
opposite in magnitude and direction. What happening in the bed The permissible tractive force is the
maximum shear stress that will not cause erosion of the material forming the channel bed on a level
surface Tractive force is the force needed to overcome the resistance caused by friction when two
bodies slide or roll on each othe

Schoklitsch is not directly the speed of the flow which is responsible for the erosion but the protruding
stress which acts on the bed

Shields : a more convincing criterion because it is adimensional relative to the tractive force at the start
of erosion and the diameter of the grains

shear stress derived from the flowing fluid must overcome the opposing
gravitational, viscous, and friction forces acting on each grain At high Re
values inertial forces exceed viscous forces and flow is turbulent. the grains do
not suffer any effect from turbulence they are stuck in a laminar flow

we have a laminar behavior of the grains of the bed, the complete flow is not
laminar (the grains are in a laminar layer)

shear stress is large because the grains remain in the laminar layer and are difficult to move

zone 3 on low velocity: the strength/force remains attached to the elements and therefore we have a lot
of friction force along the grains. the point of application of the resultant of the forces will be higher
because of the friction forces and therefore this destabilize the forces.

High velocity the friction forces along the grains will become increasingly negligible, the speed passes
through the elements we have a detachment of the flow

we consider that in water the flow does not instantly load with sediments it is progressive

Q6
Sediment transport often creates bedforms such as dunes. These bedforms are accompanied by form
drag, and so reduce the ability of the flow to transport sediment

Skin friction is generated by the viscous shear stress acting tangentially to the body.

Form drag by the normal stress (mostly pressure) acting on a body

Drag a type of friction or fluid resistance. It is a force acting opposite to the relative
motion of any object moving with respect to a surrounding fluid. This can exist between
two fluid layers (or surfaces) or a fluid and a solid surface. While dry friction is nearly
independent of velocity, drag force depends on velocity.

skin friction drag is caused by the viscosity of fluids and is developed from laminar drag to
turbulent drag as a fluid moves on the surface. Skin friction drag is generally expressed in terms
of the Reynolds number,
This means that the velocity gradient throughout the boundary layer gives rise to internal shear
stresses that are similar to friction acting on a surface . This type of friction is rightly called
skin-
in what is decisive here for the speed profile is the friction on the grains and not form drag
The Engelund-Hansen relation is applied only for sand bed river with relatively uniform bed sediment