Experimental investigation of near-field stream-wise flow development and spatial structure in triple buoyant plumes

Abstract

This paper presents a systematic experimental study on stream-wise flow development and spatial structure of triple buoyant plumes. Two-dimensional Particle Image Velocimetry (2-D PIV) is employed to resolve velocity fields. Stream-wise axial velocity profiles, flow structure, flow region parameters, and self-similarity properties are analyzed at different configurations that are characterized by spacing ratios S/W (source spacing S divided by source width W). From velocity fields and axial velocity profiles, a similar stream-wise developing trend is identified in different source configurations. When near-field plumes travel downstream, axial velocities increase rapidly, off-center velocity peaks get merged with the central peak, and the number of velocity peaks reduces with the downstream distance. A compact source layout, comparing with the wide one, could enhance the near-field plumes interaction and promote the plumes deflection significantly. Fundamentally, the stream-wise spatial structure of the triple plumes initially consists of a converging region, followed by a merging region, and finally a combined region. By examining the averaged velocity fields, flow recirculation with negative axial velocities is found to scarcely exist in the converging region. Merging level Zm and quasi-combined level Zqc are analyzed quantitatively and statistically. Within the studied S/W range, the normalized Zm shows a linear increase with S/W in the formula of Zm/H=2.007(S/W)+1.173 and the normalized Zqc gives a power law increase with S/W in the formula of Zqc/H=6.035(S/W)0.4959. In addition, triple plumes are found to establish self-similarity approximately at Z = 3H with S/W of 0.2 and at Z = 4.5H with S/W of 0.5. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd