A 2-DIMENSIONAL ACOUSTIC SEDIMENT FLUX PROFILER

Instantaneous sediment flux measurement is important for the study of the detailed effects of turbulent currents and their relation to the t ransport of sedimentary materials. This paper presents a novel acousti c sediment flux profiler which is able to measure the instantaneous se diment flux profile directly. Three 1 MHz ultrasonic transducers are e mployed to measure the instantaneous concentration profile and the cor responding 2D velocity profile simultaneously. The principle of operat ion of the system and its realization are discussed. Experimental resu lts obtained in an open-channel sediment-laden flow are reported.