79 research outputs found

    Modelling the settling of suspended sediments for concentrations close to the gelling concentration

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    This paper deals with the sedimentation of highly concentrated sediment suspensions (cohesive as well as non-cohesive) and the beginning of the consolidation of cohesive sediments. Based on a comparison of existing empirical formulas and experimental data, the particle Reynolds number was shown to be of importance for the behaviour of particularly non-cohesive sediments. In addition it plays a role in determining whether one or two interfaces develop during the sedimentation phase. In the case of cohesive sediments, the estimation of the gelling concentration, although difficult, seems to be fundamental. Some suggestions on the estimation of the permeability coefficient and total settling function are then given in order to improve the modelling of the sedimentation and consolidation behaviour for concentrations close to the gelling concentration

    The role of collective motion in the ultrafast charge transfer in van der Waals heterostructures.

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    The success of van der Waals heterostructures made of graphene, metal dichalcogenides and other layered materials, hinges on the understanding of charge transfer across the interface as the foundation for new device concepts and applications. In contrast to conventional heterostructures, where a strong interfacial coupling is essential to charge transfer, recent experimental findings indicate that van der Waals heterostructues can exhibit ultrafast charge transfer despite the weak binding of these heterostructures. Here we find, using time-dependent density functional theory molecular dynamics, that the collective motion of excitons at the interface leads to plasma oscillations associated with optical excitation. By constructing a simple model of the van der Waals heterostructure, we show that there exists an unexpected criticality of the oscillations, yielding rapid charge transfer across the interface. Application to the MoS2/WS2 heterostructure yields good agreement with experiments, indicating near complete charge transfer within a timescale of 100 fs

    Bridge scour monitoring technique using the vibratory response of rods embedded in the riverbed

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    Proceedings of 7th Transport Research Arena : TRA 2018, VIENNE, AUTRICHE, 16-/04/2018 - 16/09/2018; Local scour is a major risk threatening the stability and sustainability of bridges across rivers and in coastal areas. The main purpose of this paper is to propose a monitoring technique based on the dynamic response of rods embedded in the riverbed. First, extensive laboratory tests are conducted to investigate the effect of scour on the vibratory response of different rods in sand and in saturated clay soil. Secondly, a numerical finite element model is developed and validated with these laboratory tests. This model is then used to assess the effect of the added mass of water on the sensor. Finally, based on the numerical and experimental results, a simplified analytical cantilever model is proposed to correlate the dynamic response of the rods to the current scour depth. Document type: Conference objec

    Bathymetric data integration approach to study bedforms in the estuary of the Saint‐Lawrence River

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    The identification of bedforms has an important role in the study of seafloor morphology. The presence of these dynamic structures on the seafloor represents a hazard for navigation. They also influence the hydrodynamic simulation models used in the context, for example, of coastal flooding. Generally, MultiBeam EchoSounders (MBES) are used to survey these bedforms. Unfortunately, the coverage of the MBES is limited to small areas per survey. Therefore, the analysis of large areas of interest (like navigation channels) requires the integration of different datasets acquired over overlapping areas at different times. The presence of spatial and temporal inconsistencies between these datasets may significantly affect the study of bedforms, which are subject to many natural processes (e.g., Tides; flow). This paper proposes a novel approach to integrate multisource bathymetric datasets to study bedforms. The proposed approach is based on consolidating multisource datasets and applying the Empirical Bayesian Kriging interpolation for the creation of a multisource Digital Bathymetric Model (DBM). It has been designed to be adapted for estuarine areas with a high dynamism of the seafloor, characteristic of the fluvio-marine regime of the Estuary of the Saint-Lawrence River. This area is distinguished by a high tidal cycle and the presence of fields of dunes. The study involves MBES data that was acquired daily over a field of dunes in this area over the span of 4 days for the purpose of monitoring the morphology and migration of dunes. The proposed approach performs well with a resulting surface with a reduced error relative to the original data compared to existing approaches and the conservation of the dune shape through the integration of the data sets despite the highly dynamic fluvio-marine environments
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