Entropy-Based Modeling of Velocity Lag in Sediment-Laden Open Channel Turbulent Flow

In the last few decades, a wide variety of instruments with laser-based techniques have been developed that enable experimentally measuring particle velocity and fluid velocity separately in particle-laden flow. Experiments have revealed that stream-wise particle velocity is different from fluid velocity, and this velocity difference is commonly known as “velocity lag” in the literature. A number of experimental, as well as theoretical investigations have been carried out to formulate deterministic mathematical models of velocity lag, based on several turbulent features. However, a probabilistic study of velocity lag does not seem to have been reported, to the best of our knowledge. The present study therefore focuses on the modeling of velocity lag in open channel turbulent flow laden with sediment using the entropy theory along with a hypothesis on the cumulative distribution function. This function contains a parameter η, which is shown to be a function of specific gravity, particle diameter and shear velocity. The velocity lag model is tested using a wide range of twenty-two experimental runs collected from the literature and is also compared with other models of velocity lag. Then, an error analysis is performed to further evaluate the prediction accuracy of the proposed model, especially in comparison to other models. The model is also able to explain the physical characteristics of velocity lag caused by the interaction between the particles and the fluid.