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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
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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.

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

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