Flocculation properties of cohesive fine-grained sediment in the Three Gorges Reservoir under variable turbulent shear

Sediment flocculation is a key process for the deposition of fine-grained sediments in the Three Gorges Reservoir(TGR)of China.Sediment flocculation influences the evolution of the river regime,but also hampers the smooth navigation in the long term.However,the flocculation process and its controlling factors are poorly understood.We experimentally determined the flocculation properties of cohesive sediment of samples from the TGR(predominantly a mixture of clay and silt)over a range of turbulent shear rates and sediment concentrations.The experiments were conducted in an almost isotropic turbulence field,which was simulated by an array of horizontal oscillating grids in a water tank.Sediment flocculation was recorded by a camera and investigated by image analysis.Our new data indicate that flocculation is generally a response in equilibrium median floc size(d_(f,50))to the increase of the shear rate G.The peak value is attained at G=16.5 s^(-1),where d_(f,50) is 81.3μm(for the suspended sediment concentration(ssc)=0.4 g/L)and 107μm(for ssc=0.7 g/L),respectively.At low shear rates(G<16.5 s^(-1)),the equilibrium floc sizes d_(f,50) increase with rising shear rate G and isinversely related to the Kolmogorov micro length scale η.We attribute this variability to an insufficient deposition time of the sediment flocs in the water tank.Settling velocities,calculated from our experimental data of the floc sizes,are almost consistent with in-situ measured settling velocities,and are ten times larger than the terminal settling velocity of primary particles as calculated from Stokes'law.

Investigation of the Vibration Behavior of Fluidelastic Instability in Closely Packed Square Tube Arrays

Flow-induced vibrations in heat exchanger tubes have led to numerous accidents and economic losses in the past. Fluidelastic instability is the most critical flow-induced vibration mechanism in heat exchangers. Both experimental and computational studies conducted to determine fluidelastic instability were presented in this paper. In the experiment, a water channel was built, and a closely packed normal square tube array with a pitch-to-diameter ratio of 1.28 was tested, and significant fluidelastic instability was observed. A numerical model adopting large-eddy simulation and moving mesh was established using ANSYS CFX, and results showed good agreement with the experimental findings. The vibration behaviors of fluidelastic instability were discussed, and results showed that the dominant vibration direction of the tubes changed from streamwise to transverse beyond a critical velocity. A 180° phase lag between adjacent tubes was observed in both the experiment and simulations. Normal and rotated square array cases with pitch-to-diameter ratios of 1.28 and 1.5 were also simulated. The results of this study provide better insights into the vibration characteristics of a square tube array and will help improve the fundamental research and safety design of heat exchangers.