3. The mathematical model
The model employed here consists of the classical one-dimensional
mass and momentum equations:
@A
@t þ
@Q
@x ¼ 0; ð1Þ
@Q
@t þ
@
@x
aQ2
A
!
þ gA @H
@x þ
Q2
AC2Rh
¼ 0 ð2Þ
and the one-dimensional Exner sediment balance equation
ð1 pÞBb
@g
@t þ
@
@x ðBbqsÞ ¼ 0; ð3Þ
where x is the longitudinal coordinate, t denotes time, g is gravity,
Aðx; tÞ is the cross-sectional area, Rhðx; tÞ is the corresponding
hydraulic radius, Qðx; tÞ is the water discharge flowing through
A; Hðx; tÞ is the water surface elevation, Cðx; tÞ is the flow conductance
(i.e., the dimensionless Chezy resistance coefficient), gðx; tÞ
is the cross sectionally averaged bed elevation, Bb is the active
bed width, and qsðx; tÞ is the sediment discharge per unit channel
width. Moreover, a is the coefficient accounting for the deviation
of local values of fluid momentum from its cross-sectional average
and p is the sediment porosity.
The sediment discharge Qs (¼ Bbqs) is, in general, a function of
the cross-sectionally averaged bed shear stress sb ¼ qQ2=ðC2A2Þ
and of the sediment grain size ds, i.e. of their dimensionless
counterparts, the Shields stress, s ¼ sb=ðDqgdsÞ, and the particle
Reynolds number Rp ¼
ffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
Dgd3
s
q
=m (where D ¼ qs=q 1; qs and q
are sediment and water density, respectively, and m is the kinematic
viscosity of water). In the present work, owing to the sandy
character of the river bed, we have estimated qs by means of the
total load predictor proposed by Engelund and Hansen [12].
Since we are looking for the equilibrium bed topography of the
investigated reach, we require that the bed does not aggrade or
degrade, @g=@t ¼ 0. Recalling that the river banks are fixed, this