Particle Tracking Model (PTM): II. Overview of Features and Capabilities

摘要

This Dredging Operations and Engineering Research (DOER) Technical Note (TN) is the second in a series. It describes the features and capabilities of a new Particle Tracking Model (PTM) for analysis of sediment transport and sediment pathways in coastal waters, estuaries, rivers, and waterways. This note is applicable to Version 1.0 of PTM. The PTM graphical user interface is described in the first TN (Demirbilek et al. 2005a) in this series. A tutorial with examples is described in the third TN (Demirbilek et al. 2005b). PTM has been designed to meet the needs of two U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) research programs, the Coastal Inlets Research Program (CIRP) and the DOER Program. Examples are presented that illustrate key features of the PTM s application in coastal and estuarine environments. Accurate prediction of the fate of sediments and other waterborne particulates is a key element in coastal engineering and dredging operations. The PTM simulates sediment movement in a flow field, including erosion, transport, settling, and deposition. In addition to predicting sediment transport pathways and sediment fate, the model produces maps of sediment transport processes, such as sediment mobility, which can be useful in understanding sediment behavior. The reader is referred to MacDonald and Davies (2005) for a comprehensive description of the theoretical formulation and numerical implementation aspects of the PTM.