Author(s): L. Marcon; C. O. Horita; T. Bleninger
Linked Author(s): Tobias Bleninger
Keywords: Cormix; Momentum flux; Buoyancy flux; Dimensionless numbers
Abstract: Developing of new tools and advanced computational software have contributed for engineering problems solving and to understand different processes that happen in the environment. CORMIX is an expert system that allows simulating mixing of outfalls discharge into water bodies. This software focuses on the processes that occur in the so-called near field region and coupling with a far field model result in a modeling of the entire mixing region. The main objective of this research was to assess the behavior of the jet/plume at the end of near field region through the analysis of the flow parameters. The simulations were performed for simplified outfalls situations and for Cartagena outfall which is located in Colombia. The months modeled for Cartagena outfall were February and November of 1998. The steps followed was to perform simulations using the software CORMIX applying the post -processing tool CorTime and with the results, to calculate buoyancy, momentum and mass fluxes over the near field region and to determine the dimensionless numbers Richardson, Froude and Brunt-Väisäla at the end of the near field. The flow's buoyancy and mass fluxes increased as the plume traveled away from its source while the momentum flux had a diversified behavior. For Cartagena outfall the Brunt-Väisäla frequency varied from 0 to 0.02 in both months modeled, the Richardson number had a great range with the highest values in the classes MU1V and MU1H and the Froude number remained between 0.2 and 1 in February and less than 1 for the most of the time in November.
Year: 2016