A two-class population balance equation yielding bimodal flocculation of marine or estuarine sediments

Bimodal flocculation of marine and estuarine sediments describes the aggregation and breakage process in which dense microflocs and floppy macroflocs change their relative mass fraction and develop a bimodal floc size distribution. To simulate bimodal flocculation of such sediments, a Two-Class Population Balance Equation (TCPBE), which includes both size-fixed microflocs and size-varying macroflocs, was developed. The new TCPBE was tested by a model-data fitting analysis with experimental data from 1-D column tests, in comparison with the simple Single-Class PBE (SCPBE) and the elaborate Multi-Class PBE (MCPBE). Results showed that the TCPBE was the simplest model that is capable of simulating the major aspects of the bimodal flocculation of marine and estuarine sediments. Therefore, the TCPBE can be implemented in a large-scale multi-dimensional flocculation model with least computational cost and used as a prototypic model for researchers to investigate complicated cohesive sediment transport in marine and estuarine environments. Incorporating additional biological and physicochemical aspects into the TCPBE flocculation process is straight-forward also.

Research highlights
► Bimodal flocculation causes a bimodal floc size distribution consisting of microflocs and macroflocs.
► We develop a Two-Class Population Balance Equation (TCPBE) to simulate bimodal flocculation.
► We test the TCPBE in a model-data fitting analysis with data obtained from 1-D column tests.
► The TCPBE is the simplest model capable of simulating bimodal flocculation.