Hostname: page-component-7b7567c8c-2rsb6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-11-13T08:06:03.421Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A closed-loop gravity-driven water channel for density-stratified shear flows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 April 2006

D. C. Stillinger,
M. J. Head,
K. N. Helland and
C. W. Van Atta
D. C. Stillinger
Affiliation:
Institute for Pure and Applied Physical Sciences and Department of Applied Mechanics and Engineering Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
M. J. Head
Affiliation:
Institute for Pure and Applied Physical Sciences and Department of Applied Mechanics and Engineering Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
K. N. Helland
Affiliation:
Institute for Pure and Applied Physical Sciences and Department of Applied Mechanics and Engineering Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
C. W. Van Atta
Affiliation:
Institute for Pure and Applied Physical Sciences and Department of Applied Mechanics and Engineering Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
Get accessRights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A closed-loop multilayer salt-stratified water channel allowing independent adjustment of velocity and density profiles has been developed for the study of stably stratified shear flows. Each of ten gravity-driven layers are adjustable for velocities from 0 to 30 cm/s and densities from 1.0 to 1.1 g/cm3. A turbulence-management section located at the inlet manifold successfully suppresses undesired turbulence due to the ten mixing layers generated at this inlet. This management section also smooths the inherent step structure of the initial velocity and density profiles. Velocity profiles can be maintained throughout an experiment, whereas density profiles change slowly in time. An inner core region of linear stable density gradient will remain stationary for a time dependent on the initial stratification, velocity profile and mixing conditions. Temperature is observed to increase at a rate near 1 °C per hour due to internal heating in the system. A description of calibration techniques and temperature-correction methods for the velocity and conductivity instrumentation is described.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 131 , June 1983, pp. 73 - 89
Copyright
© 1983 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Castaldini, M., Helland, K. N. & Malvestuto, V. 1980 Hot film anemometry in aqueous NaCl solutions Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer 24, 133.Google Scholar
Dickey, T. D. & Mellor, G. L. 1980 Decaying turbulence in neutral and stratified fluids J. Fluid Mech. 99, 13.Google Scholar
Gibson, C. H. 1980 Fossil temperature, salinity, and vorticity in the ocean. In Marine Turbulence (ed. J. C. T. Nihoul), p. 221. Elsevier.
Gibson, C. H. 1981 Buoyancy effects in turbulent mixing: sampling turbulence in the stratified ocean. AIAA J. 19, 1394.Google Scholar
Grant, H. L., Stewart, R. W. & Moilliet, A. 1962 Turbulent spectra from a tidal channel J. Fluid Mech. 12, 241.Google Scholar
Head, M. J. 1983 The use of miniature four-electrode conductivity probes for high resolution measurement of turbulent density or temperature variations in salt-stratified water flows. Ph.D. thesis, University of California, San Diego.
Koop, G. C. 1976 Instability and turbulence in a stratified shear layer. Ph.D. thesis, University of Southern California.
Lange, R. E. 1974 Decay of turbulence in stratified water. Ph.D. thesis, University of California, San Diego.
Lin, J. T. & Binder, G. J. 1967 Simulation of mountain in a wind tunnel. College of Engng, Colorado State Univ. Int. Rep. CER67–88 JTL-6JB24.Google Scholar
Lin, J. T. & Veenhuizen, S. D. 1974 Measurements of the decay of grid generated turbulence in a stably stratified fluid Bull. Am. Phys. Soc. 19, 1142.Google Scholar
Montgomery, R. D. 1974 An experimental study of grid turbulence in a thermally-stratified flow. Ph.D. thesis, University of Michigan.
Odell, G. M. & Kovasznay, L. G. 1971 A new type of water channel with density stratification J. Fluid Mech. 50, 335.Google Scholar
Osborn, T. R. 1980 Estimates of the local rate of vertical diffusion from dissipation measurements J. Phys. Oceanogr. 10, 83.Google Scholar
Pao, Y. H. 1973 Measurements of internal waves and turbulence in two dimensional stratified shear flows Boundary Layer Met. 5, 177.Google Scholar
Scotti, R. S. 1969 An experimental study of a stratified shear layer. Aero. Sci. Div., Univ. of California Int. Tech. Rep. A5–69–1.Google Scholar
Stillinger, D. C. 1981 An experimental study of the transition of grid turbulence to internal waves in a salt-stratified water channel. Ph.D. thesis, University of California, San Diego.
Stillinger, D. C., Helland, K. N. & VAN ATTA, C. W. 1983 Experiments on the transition of homogeneous turbulence to internal waves in a stratified fluid J. Fluid Mech. 131, 91–122.Google Scholar
Webster, C. A. G. 1964 An experimental study of turbulence in a density-stratified shear flow J. Fluid Mech. 19, 221.Google Scholar