Erodible bed turbulence modulation driven by transition between longitudinal and transverse bedforms at varying Shields numbers

Abstract

The mechanism of turbulence modulation in particle-laden flow over erodible beds remains an open question. Using particle-resolved direct numerical simulations, this study realises a longitudinal-to-transverse bedform transition by varying the Shields number, revealing non-monotonic modulation of near-wall turbulence. At low Shields numbers, streamwise sediment ridges generate form-induced streaks that produce a distinct secondary peak in the premultiplied energy spectra, exceeding the conventional near-wall turbulent peak and enhancing the turbulent kinetic energy. As the Shields number increases, saltation intensifies and disrupts these structures, causing the secondary peak to vanish in the streamwise direction and weaken in the spanwise direction, thereby suppressing turbulence. Proper orthogonal decomposition of the bed surface reveals a redistribution of modal contribution from a single dominant mode to higher-order modes, with longitudinal features persisting as remnants, directly linking bedform evolution to turbulence modulation.