Mixing efficiency in run-down gravity currents
Accepted version
Peer-reviewed
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Repository DOI
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Authors
Hughes, GO
Linden, PF
Abstract
This paper presents measurements of mixing efficiency of the two counter-flowing gravity currents created by symmetric lock exchange in a channel. The novel feature of this work is that the buoyancy Reynolds number of the currents is higher than in previous experiments, so that the mixing is not significantly affected by viscosity. We find that the mixing efficiency asymptotes to 0.08 at high Reynolds numbers. We present a model of the mixing based on the evolution of idealized mean profiles of velocity and density at the interface between the two currents, the results of which are in good agreement with the measurements of mixing efficiency.
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Keywords
gravity currents, stratified flows, stratified turbulence
Journal Title
Journal of Fluid Mechanics
Conference Name
Journal ISSN
0022-1120
1469-7645
1469-7645
Volume Title
809
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Publisher DOI
Sponsorship
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/K034529/1)
G.O.H. was hosted by DAMTP and supported by Australian Research Council Future Fellowship FT100100869 during part of this work. This work was supported, in part, by EPSRC Programme Grant EP/K034529/1 and by the Royal Society