Mean velocity and longitudinal dispersion of heavy particles in turbulent open-channel flow

Abstract

This paper deals with the motion of a heavy particle in a turbulent flow in an open channel with a smooth bottom. For the case when the particle stays in suspension in the main body of the flow almost all the time, (a) the probability density function of the projection on a cross-sectional plane of the particle position at any instant, and (b) the mean velocity and longitudinal dispersion coefficient of particles are determined analytically by employing the Eulerian formulation and applying the Aris moment transformations. It is found that the mean particle velocity decreases and the longitudinal dispersion coefficient of particles increases with the fall velocity.