Caractéristiques des structures turbulentes de l'écoulement et du transport en charge de fond en rivière à lit de graviers lors de la montée d'une crue
In gravel-bed rivers, bedload transport is an intermittent process related to many variables of the fluvial system whose prediction is still unreliable. Available models for prediction of bedload transport use mean hydraulics variables and generally do not consider turbulence even if coherent turbulent flow structures in rivers are highly energetic. New approaches to bedload transport investigation can shed light on this very important process in alluvial channels. In this thesis, we document these components of the fluvial system in a gravel-bed river during a flood. The objectives of the research are to: 1) investigate the effect of discharge on turbulent variables and turbulent coherent flow structures, 2) investigate the effect of discharge on bedload transport events statistics detected with a newly developed and tested algorithm and 3) link turbulent flow characteristics to individual bedload transport events. Turbulence data shows that at high water level, the decelerated flow has a low coherency and an isotropic turbulence where coherent turbulent flow structures have a short duration. These observations differ from those made at low water level where the accelerated flow corresponds to what is generally observed in uniform flows of gravelly channels. Frequency distributions of bedload transport events variables (mean bedload transport rate, event duration and time interval between successive bedload events) have different shapes for the two investigated flood intensity. At high water level, bedload transport is less intermittent that at low discharge where distributions are more characterised by rare events. Flow velocity acceleration on a short time scale has a positive effect on bedload transport, but mainly when the mobilizing flood is under bankfull stage. Results from the study show that turbulence properties and complex relationships between turbulence and bedload transport are a function of discharge.
Turbulence Coherent turbulent flow structures Gravel-bed rivers Bedload Flood Non-uniform flow Individual bedload transport event