On the front condition for compositional gravity currents

A two-dimensional potential flow is employed to derive the front condition of the gravity current. The derivation starts from the balance between the static pressure of the gravity current and the form drag imposed on the gravity current by the ambient fluid. After employing Bernoullis equation along the interface of the gravity current near the head, we end up with a front condition that is in better agreement with experiment than previous theoretical models. This condition is a function of the density ratio between current and ambient fluids, which was different from previous theoretical models, while it has been widely used in experimental studies. The present front condition suggests that the form drag may account for a significant part of the resistance force applied on the current head.     

Numerical modeling of gravity currents in inclined channels

The mixing and wave formation processes in gravity currents induced by the rupture of a vertical dam initially separating a heavy and a light liquid are studied for different channel inclination angles. The calculations are performed using the LES and RANS models. It is shown that when the heavy liquid moves down the channel slope, the longitudinal and transverse internal waves break and form turbulent mixing zones. When the heavy liquid ascends the slope, the wavy motion mode predominates.     

Simulation of gravity currents using the thermal lattice Boltzmann method

The lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is becoming an effective numerical technique of computational fluid dynamics (CFD). In this study, with some new thermal LBM schemes being proposed, the LBM is used to simulate the gravity current prior to backdraft (a particular and hazardous phenomenon in compartment fire) within laminar restrictions. The dimensionless time for gravity current traveling from the opening to the rear wall of a bench‐scale compartment is calculated under different opening geometries, respectively, including: full end opening, upside‐slot end opening, middle‐slot end opening, downside‐slot end opening, and slot ceiling opening. The application is very successful and the results show that the dimensionless time under the slot ceiling opening is the longest. Among the slot end openings, similar dimensionless time has been obtained for the upside‐slot and middle‐slot end openings, which is shorter than the downside‐slot end opening. For the full end opening, the shortest dimensionless time is obtained. Finally, some valuable advices are given for fire protection engineering. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

High Reynolds number gravity currents along V-shaped valleys

The motion of saline gravity currents propagating horizontally in a tank of rectangular upper cross section and lower V-shaped valley is investigated both by lock-exchange experiments and a box model. The experiments were performed for equal depths of heavy and light fluid on both sides of the lock gate. The density ratio of the heavy fluid to the light fluid was in the range 1.04–1.13 and the lock height to length aspect ratios ranged from 0.5 to 1.6. We show that a box model with the Froude number of the head defined using the distance from the top of the current to the bottom of the valley predicts the position of the head in close agreement with the experiments. The presence of the valley results in three major differences in the gravity current compared to that flowing along a flat bottom. These are (a) the front of the current is approximately parabolic with radius of curvature proportional to the initial depth of the current, (b) for sufficiently large time t, the velocity of the current in the V-shaped valley varies as t^−1/5 compared to t^−1/3 in the flat bottom case, and (c) the width of the current in the V-shaped valley decreases with time t according to t^−2/5. Based on the box model, we predict that the steeper the flanks of the valley the faster the flow.     

Finite volume gravity currents impinging on a stratified interface

An experimental study of two-dimensional gravity currents impinging on a stratified interface in a two-layer stratified environment is presented. The gravity currents are created by the release of a fixed volume of dense fluid along a 6° slope. The effect of the stratified interface on the entrainment and mixing processes is quantified by the use of planar laser induced fluorescence. Moreover, to understand the entrainment process and to quantify the effect of the impingement on the internal structure of the gravity current, particle image velocimetry measurements are performed. Both instantaneous velocity and vorticity fields are quantified and averages are computed over 0.2 s. The measurements are centered on the impact region between the gravity current and the stratified interface. In previous experiments we have determined the entrainment rate and studied the internal structure for a gravity current created by a continuous source under the same experimental conditions. A thorough comparison of the two cases is provided.     

Particle-driven gravity currents: asymptotic and box model solutions

We employ shallow water analysis to model the flow of particle-driven gravity currents above a horizontal boundary. While there exist similarity solutions for the propagation of a homogeneous gravity current, in which the density difference between the current and ambient is constant, there are no such similarity solutions for particle-driven currents. However, because the settling velocity of the particles is often much less than the initial velocity of propagation of these currents, we can develop an asymptotic series to obtain the deviations from the similarity solutions for homogeneous currents which describe particle-driven currents. The asymptotic results render significant insight into the dynamics of these flows and their domain of validity is determined by comparison with numerical integration of the governing equations and also with experimental measurements. An often used simplification of the governing equations leads to `box' models wherein horizontal variations within the flow are neglected. We show how to derive these models rigorously by taking horizontal averages of the governing equations. The asymptotic series are then used to explain the origin of the scaling of these `box' models and to assess their accuracy.     

Convective and absolute instabilities in non-Boussinesq mixed convection

The problem of non-Boussinesq mixed convection in a vertical channel formed by two differentially heated infinite plates is investigated and the complete convective/absolute instability boundary is computed for a wide range of physical parameters. A physical insight into the mechanisms causing instabilities is given. In particular, it is shown that the appearance of absolute instability is always dictated by a flow reversal within a channel; however, existence of the flow reversal does not exclude the possibility of convective instability. It is also shown that fluid’s non-linear transport property variations have a dramatic effect on the structure and complexity of spatio-temporal instabilities of the co-existing buoyancy and shear modes as the temperature difference across the channel increases. The validity of the stability results obtained using the procedure described in Suslov (J Comp Phys 212, 188–217, 2006) is assessed using the method of steepest descent. This work was partially supported by a computing grant from the Australian Partnership for Advanced Computing, 2000–2003.     

Schlieren measurements of internal waves in non-Boussinesq fluids

Previous experiments that have examined the generation of internal gravity waves by a monochromatic source have been restricted to small amplitude forcing in Boussinesq stratified fluids. Here we present measurements of internal waves generated by a circular cylinder oscillating at large amplitude in a non-Boussinesq fluid. The ‘synthetic schlieren’ optical measurement technique (Sutherland et al. in J Fluid Mech 390:93–126, 1999) is extended to stratifications in which the index of refraction of the fluid may vary nonlinearly with density. The method is applied to examine disturbances in approximately uniformly stratified ambient fluids consisting either of sodium chloride (NaCl) or sodium iodide (NaI) solutions whose concentrations increase to near-saturation at the bottom of the tank. In particular, we report upon the first extensive measurements of the optical properties of NaI solutions as they depend upon concentration and density. Applying the results to experiments, we find that large amplitude forcing generates a patch of oscillatory turbulence surrounding the cylinder, thereby increasing the effective cylinder size and decreasing the amplitude of the waves in comparison with the predictions of linear theory. We parameterize the influence of the turbulent boundary layer in terms of an effective cylinder radius and forcing amplitude.     

Self-similar gravity currents in porous media: Linear stability of the Barenblatt–Pattle solution revisited

We study the linear stability properties of the Barenblatt–Pattle (B–P) self-similar solutions of the porous medium equation which models flow including viscous and porous media gravity currents. Grundy and McLaughlin [R.E. Grundy, R. McLaughlin, Eigenvalues of the Barenblatt–Pattle similarity solution in nonlinear diffusion, Proc. Roy. Soc. London Ser. A 383 (1982) 89–100] have shown that, in both planar and axisymmetric geometries, the B–P solutions are linearly stable to symmetric perturbations. Using a new technique that eliminates singularities in the linear stability analysis, we extend their result and establish that the axisymmetric B–P solution is linearly stable to asymmetric perturbations. This suggests that the axisymmetric B–P solution provides the intermediate asymptotics of gravity currents that evolve from a wide range of initial distributions including those that are not axisymmetric. We use the connection between the perturbation eigenfunctions and the symmetry transformations of the B–P solution to demonstrate that the leading order rate of decay of the perturbations can be maximised by redefining the volume, time and space variables. We show that, in general, radially symmetric perturbations decay faster than asymmetric perturbations of equal amplitude. These theoretical predictions are confirmed by numerical results.     

A numerical study of the frontal region of gravity currents propagating on a free-slip boundary

We investigate numerically the three-dimensional flow near the head of gravity currents propagating along a free-slip boundary. The simulations show that two states are possible: a high-mixing state, where the flow departs from the analytic inviscid solution 0.5 channel heights downstream of the front location, and with characteristics similar to the ones observed for purely two-dimensional simulations; and a low-mixing state, where billows are weaker and appear further downstream. To access the high-mixing state, it is necessary to add a source of perturbation upstream of the head in the form of turbulence. At high values of the Reynolds number, the intensity of rms turbulent fluctuations necessary to switch to the high-mixing state is small (0.5% of the speed of propagation) and may explain why the low-mixing state has so far eluded experimental detection. In the low-mixing state, the flow becomes three-dimensional near the front due to centrifugal instabilities caused by the curved streamlines. This instability of the outer flow is coupled to overturning instabilities that develop within the heavy fluid in the head, and suppresses the formation of billows. This complex behavior, which feeds on the interplay of streamline curvature and stratification, should be considered a good model to understand how instabilities occur in other types of strongly nonlinear stratified flows.      

A bi-modal structure imposed on gravity driven boundary currents in rotating systems by effects of the bottom topography

 An experimental observation related to the influence of the bottom topography on the development of gravity driven surface boundary currents in rotating systems is described and discussed. The results presented concern the local flow geometry in the vicinity of the head of the current. It is observed that, depending on the values of the independent experimental variables and the inclination angle of the bottom topography, the current propagates along the boundary with its head being either attached to or detached from the coastline. An appropriate scaling of the experimental data reveals that the attached and detached head mode occur in two distinct parameter regimes which are separated from each other by a well defined border. The discussion of the results suggests that this border identifies the division between two flow regimes in which the local flow structure in the vicinity of the head of the gravity current is and where it is not significantly influenced by the bottom topography. Received: 15 September 1997/Accepted: 23 January 1998     

Primary and secondary bifurcation in baroclinic instability

In modelling atmospheric flows the baroclinic instability of the flow in a differentially heated rotating annulus plays a central role. This paper deals with an experimental study using LDV and flow visualization techniques. Usually the temperature difference, T, was kept fixed while the angular velocity, , was varied. On crossing the stability boundary, the primary bifurcation, the basic flow gives way to a baroclinic wave flow. For a given annulus geometry the wave number, m, of the first wave pattern was found to be uniquely defined by T. The measured critical values of , _crit, agree reasonably well with those obtained by other authors. On increasing above _crit the wave number changed, this process showing hysteresis. The situation might indicate secondary bifurcation phenomena. Flow visualization using aluminium particles shows surface flow details.This paper is dedicated to Prof. Dr. K. Gersten on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

Suspended load and bed-load transport of particle-laden gravity currents: the role of particle–bed interaction

The development of particle-enriched regions (bed-load) at the base of particle-laden gravity currents has been widely observed, yet the controls and relative partitioning of material into the bed-load is poorly understood. We examine particle-laden gravity currents whose initial mixture (particle and fluid) density is greater than the ambient fluid, but whose interstitial fluid density is less than the ambient fluid (such as occurs in pyroclastic flows produced during volcanic eruptions or when sediment-enriched river discharge enters the ocean, generating hyperpycnal turbidity currents). A multifluid numerical approach is employed to assess suspended load and bed-load transport in particle-laden gravity currents under varying boundary conditions. Particle-laden flows that traverse denser fluid (such as pyroclastic flows crossing water) have leaky boundaries that provide the conceptual framework to study suspended load in isolation from bed-load transport. We develop leaky and saltation boundary conditions to study the influence of flow substrate on the development of bed-load. Flows with saltating boundaries develop particle–enriched basal layers (bed-load) where momentum transfer is primarily a result of particle–particle collisions. The grain size distribution is more homogeneous in the bed-load and the saltation boundaries increase the run-out distance and residence time of particles in the flow by as much as 25% over leaky boundary conditions. Transport over a leaky substrate removes particles that reach the bottom boundary and only the suspended load remains. Particle transport to the boundary is proportional to the settling velocity of particles, and flow dilution results in shear and buoyancy instabilities at the upper interface of these flows. These instabilities entrain ambient fluid, and the continued dilution ultimately results in these currents becoming less dense than the ambient fluid. A unifying concept is energy dissipation due to particle–boundary interaction: leaky boundaries dissipate energy more efficiently at the boundary than their saltating counterparts and have smaller run-out distance.

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Equilibrium states in homogeneous turbulence with baroclinic instability

The evolution of energies and fluxes in homogeneous turbulence with baroclinic instability is analyzed using the linear theory. The mean flow corresponds to a vertical shear having a uniform mean velocity gradient, ?U _i /?x _j  = S δ _i1 δ _j3, a system rotation about the vertical axis with rate Ω, Ω _i  = Ωδ _i3, and uniform buoyancy gradients in the spanwise ${(\partial B{/}\partial x_2\,{=}\, N_h^2\,{=}\,-2\Omega S)}The evolution of energies and fluxes in homogeneous turbulence with baroclinic instability is analyzed using the linear theory. The mean flow corresponds to a vertical shear having a uniform mean velocity gradient, ∂U _i /∂x _j  = S δ _i1 δ _j3, a system rotation about the vertical axis with rate Ω, Ω _i  = Ωδ _i3, and uniform buoyancy gradients in the spanwise (?B/?x₂ = N_h² = -2WS){(\partial B{/}\partial x_2\,{=}\, N_h^2\,{=}\,-2\Omega S)} and vertical (?B/?x₃ = N_v²){(\partial B{/}\partial x_3\,{=}\,N_v^2)} directions. Computations based on the rapid distortion theory (RDT) are performed for several values of the rotation number R = 2Ω/S and the Richardson number R_i = N_v²/S² < 1{R_i\,{=}\,N_v^2/S^2 <1 }. It is shown that, during an initial phase, the energies and the buoyancy fluxes are sensitive to the effects of pressure and viscosity. At large time, the ratios of energies, as well as the normalized fluxes, evolve to an asymptotically constant value, while the pressure–strain correlation scaled with the product of the turbulent kinetic energy by the shear rate approaches zero. Accordingly, an analytical parametric study based on the “pressure-less” approach (PLA) is also presented. The analytical study indicates that, when R _i  < 1, there is an exponential instability and equilibrium states of turbulence, in agreement with RDT. The energies and the buoyancy fluxes grow exponentially for large times with the same rate (γ in St units). The asymptotic value of the ratios of energies yielded by RDT is well described by its PLA counterpart derived analytically. At R _i  = 0, the asymptotic value of γ increases with increasing R approaching 2 for high rotation rates. At low rotation rates, an important contribution to the kinetic energy comes from the streamwise kinetic energy, whereas, at high rotation rates, the contribution of the vertical kinetic energy is dominant. When 0 < R _i  < 1 and R 1 0{R\ne 0}, the asymptotic value of γ decreases as R _i increases so as it becomes zero at R _i  = 1.     

Capturing the cross-terms in multidimensional advection schemes

Solving the advection equation is an important part of numerically modeling the atmosphere. Both accuracy and efficiency are desirable traits of an advection scheme. For multidimensional flow, forward-in-time advection schemes must properly capture the cross-terms. Failure to capture the cross-terms can result in reduced accuracy and even instabilities. We show how multidimensional forward-in-time schemes successfully capture the cross-terms of two-dimensional (2D) flow. We then introduce a method to improve the efficiency of the forward-in-time schemes for 2D flow. This method stacks the duplicated cross-terms from one flux into the other, creating asymmetrized fluxes. Numerical testing shows that these asymmetrized flux calculation schemes perform to the same accuracy as the original forwards-in-time schemes but with a significant improvement in computational time. Finally, we show extensions of the method to three-dimensional (3D) flow.     

A front‐capture scheme for the simulation of homogeneous and particle‐laden gravity currents

This paper presents a new finite volume scheme to efficiently simulate gravity currents flowing over complex surfaces. The two‐dimensional shallow‐water equations, with terms to account for friction and particle transport, are solved using a non‐oscillatory technique. By applying a form drag at the front or head of the dense current, the scheme also implicitly captures the correct Froude number condition at the moving front as it intrudes into the less dense ambient fluid. The Froude number of the head region predicted by the numerical simulation is in good agreement with experimental results for a homogeneous current over a horizontal surface if a realistic profile drag coefficient is chosen. This new scheme avoids the development complexities of a general front‐tracking scheme (e.g., handling merging fronts and multiple currents) and the computational cost of solving the full three‐dimensional Euler equations while providing a fast, accurate simulation of gravity currents. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Noise effect on convection generation in a modulated gravity field

The noise effect on the stability of equilibrium in systems with slowly varying parameters is investigated. With reference to some model examples and for the case of convection in a closed region in the presence of gravity modulation it is shown that taking the noise into account is of key importance at low modulation frequencies, since it can even change the sign of the effect: modulation leads to equilibrium stabilization in the absence of the noise and to destabilization in its presence.     

The effect of unsteady and history forces in the gravity convection of suspensions

The effect of unsteady and history forces on the motion of a particle is studied in the case of gravitational sedimentation (rise) of a spherical particle in the harmonic velocity field of a viscous carrier phase. An algorithm is proposed to calculate the history Basset-Boussinesq force. A parameter range is found for the case when the consideration of unsteady and history forces is required to correctly describe the mesoscale motions in a settling (rising) suspension.     

On the effect of gravity on the bifurcation of rectangular closed-loop thermosyphon

Closed-loop thermosyphons are systems in which heat is transferred from a source to a sink by means of a natural convective flow, i.e. without the help of mechanical pumping. In fact, the dynamics of such systems strongly depend both on the thermal boundary conditions and on the gravitational field in which they operate. While the effect of variations of the boundary conditions has been extensively analysed in the last decades, the dependence on gravity has never been explicitly studied.The aim of this paper is to examine the effect of variations of gravity as well as that of thermal boundary conditions on the dynamics of natural circulation loops. Such an analysis might point out some useful applications for the cooling of a generic source in reduced gravity conditions.To this purpose an experimental campaign was performed on a natural circulation operating under a gravity field varying in the range between 10^–2 g and 1.8 g, with g = 9.81 ms^–2. The dynamical behaviour detected during the experiment was used for the validation of a mathematical model, previously validated under terrestrial gravity conditions. Model simulations were found to satisfactorily reproduce the dynamics of the system under variable gravity. This proved the possibility to use the model for the construction of bifurcation diagrams describing the behaviours of natural circulation loops under variations of both the gravitational field and the thermal boundaries.