Equilibrium sediment transport is the condition of zero net entrainment and deposition by sediment-transporting flow (i.e. grade or regime). Here criteria for equilibrium sediment transport, or those used as proxies for equilibrium (for example, onset of erosion, onset of particle setting or suppression of turbulence) for dilute, suspended-load-dominated, turbidity currents, are tested against laboratory and natural data. The examined criteria are restricted to those describing flow over a bed of loose particulate material involving non-cohesive sediment. Models include both monodisperse and polydisperse formulations that represent sediment non-uniformity by using a single characteristic grain size or discretization of the grain-size distribution, respectively. Analysis shows that a polydisperse-type flux-balance model, that equates erosional and depositional fluxes and where erosion is related to the power used to lift sediment mass from the bed (the ‘Flow-Power Flux-Balance’ model) provides predictions most consistent with observational data. Other equilibrium models tested, monodisperse or polydisperse, fail to predict realistic bed slopes and/or flow durations for concentrations, velocities and depths within limits for natural flows. Results of the Flow-Power Flux-Balance model are used to quantify sediment transport fields, equilibrium Shields numbers and slopes for turbidity currents of variable flow and particle properties.

中文翻译：

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稀浊流的平衡泥沙输送：基于能力和基于能力的模型的比较

平衡输沙是输沙流（即品位或状态）零净夹带和沉积的条件。在这里，平衡泥沙输送的标准，或用作平衡（例如，侵蚀的开始、颗粒设置的开始或湍流的抑制）的标准，用于稀释的、以悬浮载荷为主的浊流，根据实验室和自然数据进行测试. 检查的标准仅限于那些描述在松散颗粒材料床上流动的标准，包括非粘性沉积物。模型包括单分散和多分散配方，分别通过使用单个特征粒度或粒度分布的离散化来表示沉积物的不均匀性。分析表明，多分散型通量平衡模型，这等同于侵蚀和沉积通量，并且侵蚀与用于从床中提升沉积物质量的功率有关（“流量-功率通量-平衡”模型）提供了与观测数据最一致的预测。测试的其他平衡模型，单分散或多分散，无法预测自然流动限制内的浓度、速度和深度的实际床坡度和/或流动持续时间。Flow-Power Flux-Balance 模型的结果用于量化泥沙输送场、平衡盾数和可变流量和颗粒特性的浊流的斜率。单分散或多分散，无法预测自然流动限制内的浓度、速度和深度的实际床坡度和/或流动持续时间。Flow-Power Flux-Balance 模型的结果用于量化泥沙输送场、平衡盾数和可变流量和颗粒特性的浊流的斜率。单分散或多分散，无法预测自然流动限制内的浓度、速度和深度的实际床坡度和/或流动持续时间。Flow-Power Flux-Balance 模型的结果用于量化泥沙输送场、平衡盾数和可变流量和颗粒特性的浊流的斜率。