Diffusive modeling of aggradation and degradation in artificial channels

The unsteady flow and solid transport simulation problem in artificial channels is solved using a three-equation model, coupled with a local erosion law. The three equations are the water mass and momentum balance equations, as well as the total solid load balance equation. It is shown that even during severe hydrological events inertial terms can be neglected in the momentum equation without any substantial change in the solution sought. Empirical equilibrium formulas were used to estimate the solid load as a function of the flow variables. Local erosion, due to the scour generated at the jump between two channels connected at different bottom elevations, was estimated adapting a literature formulation. The double order approximation time and space marching scheme, previously proposed for the solution of the unsteady flow problem in the fixed-bed case, is applied to the solution of the new system. The model was validated with both literature and new laboratory experimental data. No parameter calibration was used to fit the computed results to the experimental ones. © 2008 ASCE.