TITLE:
Criteria for Distinguishing Floc Sedimentation and Gel-Like Network Sedimentation of Cohesive Fine-Grained Sediment in a Turbulent Flow
AUTHORS:
Zhongfan Zhu
KEYWORDS:
Criteria, Floc Sedimentation, Gel-Like Network Sedimentation, Cohesive Sediment, Turbulent Flow
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.2 No.5,
December
18,
2014
ABSTRACT: The study on the criteria used to distinguish
floc sedimentation and gel-like network sedimentation of cohesive fine-grained sediment
in a turbulent flow has rarely been carried out. In this preliminary study, we derive
three criteria to distinguish these two different sedimentation phases by considering
the comparison of the time that a characteristic floc takes to settle through mean
distance between characteristic flocs and the time that it takes to move through
the same distance under the influence of a turbulent flow. These criteria incorporate
physical and chemical factors that have been verified to have some influences on
the sediment flocculation in some published literatures, and a simple analysis result
is found to be consistent with our qualitative understandings of flocculation phenomenon
of cohesive fine-grained sediment.