Turbulent Flow Dynamics of Buoyant Jets and Plumes

Turbulent flow dynamics of buoyant jets and plumes describe the interaction between an issuing fluid with excess density or temperature and the surrounding ambient medium. In a buoyant jet, both momentum and buoyancy drive the initial flow, whereas in a plume buoyancy dominates and the flow accelerates or decelerates according to the density contrast. Turbulent entrainment at the interface promotes mixing, controls the spread of contaminants or heat, and determines the rise height and dilution characteristics. Key parameters include the buoyancy flux, momentum flux and the Richardson number, which expresses the ratio of buoyant to inertial forces. Near-field behaviour is governed by complex vortical structures that enhance mixing, while far-field evolution approaches self-similar profiles for velocity and scalar fields. Recent advances have combined high-resolution experiments, theoretical entrainment models and three-dimensional numerical simulations to achieve improved prediction of jet trajectories, plume rise, ambient stratification effects and the transition between forced, pure and lazy regimes. Applications range from industrial discharges and cooling tower plumes to volcanic eruption columns and atmospheric convection, highlighting the global significance of understanding these flows for environmental management and engineering design.

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Turbulent Flow Dynamics of Buoyant Jets and Plumes publication trend

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Technical terms

Buoyancy flux: A measure of the rate at which buoyancy is supplied to a flow, combining density or temperature contrast with volumetric flow rate.

Entrainment: The process by which ambient fluid is incorporated into the jet or plume, driven by turbulent mixing at the flow boundary.

Richardson number: A dimensionless ratio expressing the relative importance of buoyant forces to inertial forces in a stratified flow.

Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS): A modelling approach that averages turbulent fluctuations and employs closure schemes to represent their effect on mean flow.

Large eddy simulation (LES): A computational technique that resolves large-scale turbulent structures while modelling smaller scales to capture transient mixing dynamics.

Virtual origin: A theoretical location upstream of the physical source where the plume or jet can be considered to originate for self-similar scaling.

References

1. Buoyant Jets in Cross-Flows: Review, Developments, and Applications. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (2021).
2. CFD Modeling of Effluent Discharges: A Review of Past Numerical Studies. Water (2020).
3. Analytical solutions and virtual origin corrections for forced, pure and lazy turbulent plumes based on a universal entrainment function. Journal of Fluid Mechanics (2020).