Numerical modeling of turbulent buoyant wall jets in stationary ambient water

Abstract

The main focus of this study is on the near-field flow and mixing characteristics of the thermal and saline wall jets. A numerical study of the buoyant wall jets discharged from submerged outfalls (e.g., from desalination plants) has been conducted. The performance of different Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) turbulence models has been investigated and various 𝑘-𝜀, 𝑘-𝜔, and other turbulence models have been studied. The results of cling length, plume trajectory, temperature dilutions, and temperature and velocity profiles are compared to both available experimental and numerical data. It was found that two models perform best among the seven models chosen in this paper. According to the results from different simulations, the paper proposes corresponding relationships and comparative graphs that are helpful for a better understanding of buoyant wall jets.