Unsteady Transport of Suspended Load at Small Concentrations

Abstract

When suspension is the predominant mode of sediment transport, an expression for the rate of bed changes may be introduced. This equation together with the momentum equation and the continuity equations of water and sediment constitute a set of four equations for four unknowns. Characteristic directions can then be determined without solving a high‐degree algebraic equation. The solution is further simplified by adopting a small‐concentration approximation. Routing of suspended load with this method is applied to the Qiantang Estuary in Eastern China and rather close simulation has been achieved.