Visualization on the Mixing Process of Heated Water Discharged Horizontally at the Water Surface

Abstract

Turbulent diffusion plays a pricipal role in the mixing process of heated water discharged horizontally at the water surface. Experiments of visualization on the spread of heated water discharged at the water surface were conducted at the laboratory. It is observed that turbulent plumes have a sharp boundary separating nearly uniform turbulent buoyant fluid from the surroundings. This boundary is indented by large eddies and the mixing process takes place in two stages, the engulfing of external fluid by the large eddies, followed by rapid smaller scale mixing across the center core.