CHEN Xu-Jian, HU Chun-Hong

China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100048, China

Abstract: It is an important filed of sediment carrying capacity studies to solve it as a two dimensional problem. Using the statistical theory-based method of non-uniform sediment carrying capacity, the formulae were deduced for sediment carrying capacities of suspended load and bed load transport rate, as well as the ratio of bed load to suspended sediment based on the state probabilities and grain size distribution of effective bed material. The formulae have been validated with the data of flow and sediment in the Lower Yellow River, and are contrasted with calculations of empirical formulae. The results indicate that the grouping transportation capacity calculated with the statistical theory formulae at low and medium concentration of non-uniform sediment is more correct and reasonable, and the total transportation capacity calculated with the empirical formulae is more accurate. The ratio of bed load to suspended sediment calculated with the statistical theory formula is more stable, varying between 0.06 and 0.11 in the Lower Yellow River, and the statistical theory formula can be used to calculate the bed load quantity of lack survey.

Key words: sediment statistical theory; carrying capacity of suspended sediment; rate of transportation of bed load; ratio of bed load to suspended sediment; Lower Yellow River

Published in: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, Vol. 45, No. 10, 2014