Sediment Transport Calculator – Engelund-Hansen & Meyer-Peter Müller with Grain Size Curve

Sediment Transport Calculator – Engelund-Hansen & Meyer-Peter Müller

Bed load & total load · Grain size distribution curve · PDF report · Batch CSV · Trend chart

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📐 1. Sediment Transport in Rivers

Sediment transport is the movement of solid particles (sand, gravel) by flowing water. It is critical for river morphology, reservoir sedimentation, and coastal engineering. The two most widely used formulas for bed load are Meyer-Peter Müller (1948) and Engelund-Hansen (1967) (total load). This calculator implements both, allowing direct comparison.

Meyer-Peter Müller: q_b = 8 × (θ – θ_c)^1.5 × √(Δ·g·D₅₀³)
Engelund-Hansen: q_total = 0.05 × ρ_s × (√(τ/ρ))³ / (Δ²·√(g·D₅₀))
Where θ = Shields parameter, Δ = (ρ_s/ρ) – 1.

You can also upload a grain size distribution (CSV with sieve sizes and percent passing) to generate a grain size curve and compute D₅₀ automatically.

🚀 2. Live Sediment Transport Calculator

Channel Width (B) m

Flow Depth (h) m

Energy Slope (S)

Median Grain Size D50 mm

Specific Gravity of Sediment (ρ_s)

Water Density (ρ) kg/m³

Critical Shields parameter (θ_c)

Upload Grain Size CSV (size_mm, percent_passing)

✅ CSV: first col grain size (mm), second col % finer

Batch CSV Upload

✅ CSV: Width, Depth, Slope, D50, RhoSed

Get PDF Report via Email

CSV Template

📊 Grain Size Distribution (PSD Curve)

📊 Transport Rate Comparison (M-PM vs Engelund-Hansen)

📈 Sediment Transport Trend & History

📂 3. How to Use the Calculator

1. Enter channel geometry: width, flow depth, energy slope.
2. Enter sediment properties: D50 (mm), specific gravity (2.65 for quartz).
3. Optionally upload a grain size curve (CSV) – the tool computes D50 and displays the curve.
4. Compute: Click "Compute Transport" – the tool calculates bed load (M-PM) and total load (Engelund-Hansen).
5. Compare: The bar chart compares both formulas for the given parameters.
6. Grain size curve: Visualises the particle size distribution.
7. Batch CSV: Upload multiple designs for bulk analysis.
8. PDF Report: Download a detailed report with the grain size curve.
9. History: All calculations saved locally; export or clear anytime.

📈 4. Real‑World Example

Jamuna River, Bangladesh
Width = 500 m, Depth = 6 m, Slope = 0.0001, D50 = 0.3 mm, specific gravity = 2.65.
Bed load (M-PM) ≈ 0.8 kg/s/m → total 400 kg/s across the channel.
Engelund-Hansen total load ≈ 2.5 kg/s/m → total 1250 kg/s.
The calculator will show both and allow you to adjust parameters.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Why do Engelund-Hansen and M-PM give different results?

M-PM is for bed load only; Engelund-Hansen estimates total load (bed + suspended). The choice depends on your sediment transport regime.

❓ How to obtain grain size data?

From sieve analysis or laser diffraction. You can upload a CSV with two columns: grain size (mm) and percent finer.

❓ Is the tool free?

Yes, completely free. Batch processing supports up to 100 rows per CSV.

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© ERH Sediment Transport Calculator – Based on Meyer-Peter Müller (1948) and Engelund-Hansen (1967).