68th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics (November 22, 2015 — November 24, 2015)

P0024: Morphodynamics of a granular bed in a water-filled oscillating cylinder

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Authors

• Thijs van Gorp, Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, Eindhoven University of Technology
• Matias Duran-Matute, Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, Eindhoven University of Technology
• GertJan van Heijst, Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, Eindhoven University of Technology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/APS.DFD.2015.GFM.P0024

Oscillating fluid motion over a sandy bed can result in the formation of bedforms. This happens, for example, at small scales due to wave driven currents that form ripples and at large scales due to tidal currents that form sand waves. 
evolution of the bedforms is relevant in maritime engineering, but it is difficult due to the complex interaction of water and sand. We study this interaction experimentally, by using a water-filled cylindrical tank, with a layer of translucent plastic particles, that simulates sand, at the bottom. The experiment starts with a flat sediment bed. Then, by setting the tank to oscillate in rotating motion around its axis, radial ripples are generated. The amount of ripples and their evolution depends on the signal describing the oscillation. The bedforms are measured in real-time by shining light trough the bed and capturing the transmitted light intensity with a camera.