On the study of boundary layer sediment transport processes using new developmental acoustic techniques

Abstract

This study aims at presenting a set of novel acoustic flow and sediment measuring tools used in a complementary way for the investigation of fine-scale flow and sediment transport processes above a rippled sand bed under waves. Measurements were conducted in the 100m long wave channel at UPC-LIM with surface gravity waves generating migrating ripples on a mobile sand bed. The set of acoustic instrumentation consisted of an Acoustic 3D Ripple Profiler (3D-ARP), a novel Bedform And Suspended Sediment Imager (BASSI) and three Acoustic Concentration and Velocity Profilers (ACVP). Here we assess the ACVP’s and the BASSI