Incipient motion criterion in sediment transport is very important, as it defines the flow condition that initiates sediment motion, and is also frequently employed in models to predict the sediment transport at higher flow conditions as well. In turbulent flows, even a reasonably accurate definition of incipient motion condition becomes very difficult due to the random nature of the turbulent process, which is responsible for sediment motion under incipient conditions. This work investigates two aspects, both of which apply to incipient sediment transport conditions. The first one deals with the role of turbulence in initiating sediment motion. The second part deals with the nature of sediment-fluid interaction for more general and complex flows where the number of sediment particles that form the rough surface is varied. The first part of this work that investigates the role of turbulence in initiating sediment motion, uses a video camera to simultaneously monitor and record the sediment (glass ball) motion and corresponding fluid velocity events measured by a three-component laser Doppler Velocimeter (LDV). The results of the single ball experiment revealed that the number of LDV flow measurements increase dramatically (more than four folds) just prior to the ball motion. The fluid mean velocity and its root-mean-square (rms) values also are significantly higher than the values that correspond to the flow conditions that yield no ball motion. The second part of the work, investigation of the fluid-sediment interaction, includes five tests with varying number of sediment particles. In order to understand the nature and extent of fluid-solid interaction, velocity profile measurements using the 3-D laser system were carried out at three locations for each of these five cases. Plots of mean velocities, rms quantities located the universal layer at about 1.5 ball diameters above the porous bed. However, at higher sediment particle concentrations, this distance reduced and the beginning of the universal layer approached the top of the porous bed. / Ph. D.

<p>A new theory for predicting the windprofile over a canopy has been evaluated. The theory was first presented by Harman and Finnigan (2007). The theory relies on the forming of a mixing-layer above the canopy, due to different mean wind in and above the canopy. Characteristics from both mixing-layer and Monin Obukhov similarity theory have been used to develop the governingequations that give the wind profile. The theory has been used to calculate wind profiles for sixdifferent atmospheric stabilities. In order to evaluate the theory, profiles from the theory have beencompared to measurements from Jädraås forest, Sweden. Profiles from Monin Obukhov similarity theory were also used for comparison.In general the mixing-layer theory gives better results than Monin Obukhov similarity theory. Agreement with measurements is good in neutral conditions, but fails when the atmospheric stability is altered, especially in convective conditions. This is believed to be due to the canopy lacking in thickness. The mean wind speed is systematically underestimated and this is also believed to be caused by insufficient thickness of the canopy. A correction for this behaviour is proposed. The theory gives higher values of the mean wind speed in convective conditions with the correction and the calculated values of mean wind speed are closer to the measurements.</p>

A new theory for predicting the windprofile over a canopy has been evaluated. The theory was first presented by Harman and Finnigan (2007). The theory relies on the forming of a mixing-layer above the canopy, due to different mean wind in and above the canopy. Characteristics from both mixing-layer and Monin Obukhov similarity theory have been used to develop the governingequations that give the wind profile. The theory has been used to calculate wind profiles for sixdifferent atmospheric stabilities. In order to evaluate the theory, profiles from the theory have beencompared to measurements from Jädraås forest, Sweden. Profiles from Monin Obukhov similarity theory were also used for comparison.In general the mixing-layer theory gives better results than Monin Obukhov similarity theory. Agreement with measurements is good in neutral conditions, but fails when the atmospheric stability is altered, especially in convective conditions. This is believed to be due to the canopy lacking in thickness. The mean wind speed is systematically underestimated and this is also believed to be caused by insufficient thickness of the canopy. A correction for this behaviour is proposed. The theory gives higher values of the mean wind speed in convective conditions with the correction and the calculated values of mean wind speed are closer to the measurements.

L'étude concerne les couches limites turbulentes dans le cas d'écoulements à surface libre sur fond rugueux homogène. Afin de réaliser cette étude, deux dispositifs de mesure PIV par stéréoscopie (PIV 2D-3C) ont été mis en place avec comme double objectif de fournir les lignes directrices au design d'un système stéréoscopique PIV in situ et d'étudier l'influence de la faible submersion des éléments rugueux sur la structure universelle de la couche limite sur fond rugueux, i.e. pour des submersions h/D comprises entre 0,33 et 0,66 (avec h la hauteur des rugosités et D la hauteur d'eau). Pour le premier objectif, le dispositif de mesure a permis un accès optique facilité par un point de vue incliné des caméras à la zone proche des rugosités dans des conditions naturelles d'écoulement (turbidité et éclairement naturels). Les mesures de vitesse ont été faites dans un canal hydraulique de petite dimension (12 m x 0,5 m x 0,25 m) rempli d'hémisphères positionnées en quinconce. Une étude paramétrique de l'influence de l'inclinaison des caméras ainsi que de la turbidité de l'eau sur la qualité des mesures de vitesse a été entreprise suivie par une nouvelle méthodologie basée sur l'analyse de l'intensité lumineuse dans le système. Il a été montré que l'écoulement est correctement résolu jusqu'à une turbidité d'environ 25 NTU avec un angle d'inclinaison par rapport au plan vertical de mesure de 25°. Pour le second objectif, les investigations expérimentales ont été réalisées dans une veine hydraulique de plus grande dimension (26 m x 1,10 m x 0,50 m), dont le fond rugueux est constitué par des cubes en PVC de 2 cm de côté comme dans l'étude de Florens et al. (2013). Les résultats mettent en évidence que l'étendue de la sous-couche rugueuse augmente avec la submersion pour finalement occuper toute la colonne d'eau dans le cas de la plus faible submersion (h/D=0,66). Malgré cela, une loi logarithmique est tout de même observée, et ce, quelle que soit la submersion étudiée. / This work deals with turbulent boundary layers in open-channel flows over rough homogeneous beds. The objectives of this work are, first, to provide some guidance for the design of an efficient in situ stereoscopic PIV measurements system (SPIV), and, second, to assess the effect of the relative submergence on the universal turbulent boundary layer structure for very high relative submergence ratios, i:e: 0.33 < h/D <0.66 (where h is the roughness height and D the water depth). For the first objective, a stereoscopic PIV configuration was set-up with steeply inclined camera viewpoints in order to improve the image quality and the optical access into the bed canopy under naturally occurring turbid conditions. Velocity measurements were undertaken in a 12 m x 0.5 m x 0.25 m open-channel flume filled with staggered hemispheres as surrogates for bed river peebles. A parametric study was then carried out to both analyze how the turbidity and camera angle impact the quality of PIV measurements. An innovative light intensity-based methodology was developed and applied to perform data analysis. The latter shows good PIV results up to 25 NTU with an optimal camera angle with respect to the vertical PIV measurements plane of 25. The SPIV measurements for the second objective were performed in a 26-m-long, 1.10-m-wide and 0.50-m-deep steep open channel filled with 2-cm cubes as in Florens et al. (2013). The results show that the extent of the roughness sublayer increases with the relative submergence to fill the entire water column for the highest relative submergence investigated. Despite this, the logarithmic law is still observed even for the highest relative submergence studied (h/D=0.66).