Linear and Weakly Nonlinear Instabilities of Sand Waves Caused by a Turbulent Flow
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 150, Issue 3
Abstract
This study examines the instability of sand waves (dunes and antidunes) from both linear and weakly nonlinear perspectives. The linear and weakly nonlinear analyses use the standard linearization and the center manifold-projection technique, respectively. The mathematical framework includes the depth-averaged continuity and momentum equations, the advection–diffusion equation for suspended sediment concentration, and Exner’s equation for bed evolution. The streamline curvature is treated using the Boussinesq approximation. The model considers the departure of the pressure distribution from the hydrostatic law. Both modes of sediment transport, as bedload and as suspended load, are taken into consideration. The perturbations characterize the maximum growth rate for a selected wave number, called the resonant wave number, which is the most favorable wave number for the formation of sand waves. As the flow Froude number and the relative roughness number increase, the dimensionless resonant wave number decreases. The dimensionless amplitude of sand waves increases as the flow Froude number and the relative roughness number increase to achieve a maximum, and subsequently it decreases. The predicted wave number and amplitude of sand waves satisfactorily match the available experimental data.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request, including an Excel file of the tabular data presented in Figs. 2–7.
Acknowledgments
The first author acknowledges the JC Bose Fellowship Award [Funded by DST | Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Grant reference number JCB/2018/000004] in pursuing this work.
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© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 23, 2023
Accepted: Oct 29, 2023
Published online: Feb 10, 2024
Published in print: May 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Jul 10, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Coastal engineering
- Coasts, oceans, ports, and waterways engineering
- Continuum mechanics
- Dynamics (solid mechanics)
- Engineering fundamentals
- Engineering mechanics
- Flow (fluid dynamics)
- Fluid dynamics
- Fluid mechanics
- Geomechanics
- Geotechnical engineering
- Hydrologic engineering
- Hydrology
- Linear analysis
- Linear functions
- Mathematical functions
- Mathematics
- Nonlinear waves
- River engineering
- Sand (hydraulic)
- Sand waves
- Sandy soils
- Sediment
- Sediment transport
- Shores
- Soil mechanics
- Soils (by type)
- Solid mechanics
- Structural analysis
- Structural engineering
- Turbulent flow
- Water and water resources
- Waves (mechanics)
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