Experimental investigation of flocculation settlement in the Yellow River Estuary for viscous sediment considering the impact of turbulence and salinity

This study aimed to investigate the impact of various factors on the flocculation settlement of viscous sediment in the Yellow River Estuary. A series of experiments were conducted using a settling barrel that simultaneously controlled salinity, temperature and turbulent shear rate. The study analyzed and elucidated the influence of salinity and turbulent shear rate on the flocculation settlement of viscous sediment in the Yellow River Estuary. By employing a multivariate nonlinear regression model based on the normal distribution, the relationship between flocculation settling velocity and turbulent shear rate and salinity was established. The findings revealed that the flocculation settling velocity and particle size initially increased and then decreased with an increase in turbulent shear rate and salinity. Optimal flocculation conditions for sediment in the Yellow River Estuary were found to be a turbulent shear rate of 15/s and a salinity range of 7‰ to 10‰. The research results provide a reliable reference for better understanding the development of flocs and the settling process of fine viscous sediment particles in the Yellow River Estuary.