Evolution of erosion and deposition induced by an impinging jet to manage sediment
Author(s)
Buffon, P
Uijttewaal, WSJ
Valero, D
Franca, MJ
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Dams are important water infrastructure whose main purposes can be compromised by sedimentation. This causes loss of storage volume, affecting river sediment fluxes and morphology. However, sediment management strategies can be implemented to reduce these impacts. Our goal is to characterize and quantify key processes of an idealized and reduced physical model of water injection dredging, applicable as a sediment management technique. Three sets of experiments were conducted, varying the following parameters: (a) jet discharge; (b) jet angle; (c) bed angle. The spatio-temporal evolution of the main physical processes (scour hole formation, sediment suspension development, and downstream deposition) was analyzed using images of profiles acquired during the experiments. We identified two distinct transport modes depending on how the jet flow connects with the turbidity current, each associated with different stages of scour hole development. In our experiments, the bed-perpendicular component of the exit velocity (momentum) of the jet is the primary driver of the morphological evolution. We demonstrate self-similarity in the longitudinal profiles of the scour hole and downstream deposit. Finally, we discuss practical implications of this study, such as the net displacement of the material, scaling, and limitations. This research contributes to the development of innovative sediment management strategies for water reservoirs and other hydraulic structures.
Date Issued
2025-05-01
Date Acceptance
2025-03-14
Citation
Water Resources Research, 2025, 61 (5)
ISSN
0043-1397
Publisher
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Journal / Book Title
Water Resources Research
Volume
61
Issue
5
Copyright Statement
© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
License URL
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
e2024WR038657
Date Publish Online
2025-05-03