Characteristics of round thermal discharging in a flowing environment

The 3-D round thermal buoyant jets discharged from a submerged port in a flowing environment were investigated using the buoyancy extended renormalization group (RNG) based on the k-ɛ model, which was numerically solved by the finite analytic method (FAM). Laboratory experiments were conducted at different cross-to-jet velocity ratios to complement and verify the theoretical analysis with the numerical model. The simulated physical parameters such as configuration of the flow, the bifurcation phenomena, and the temperature and velocity trajectories were generally in good qualitative agreement with the experimental observation. All trends were correctly predicted: the trajectories based on maximum velocity and maximum temperature are different, the included angle of the two high temperature regions in the cross -section is proved to be in the same region as that in the air, and the most characteristic parameter for 3-D round buoyant jets in a flowing environment is the jet-to-crossflow velocity ratio. It is suggested that the buoyancy extended RNG based on the k-ɛ model combined with the FAM can be used to simulate the 3-D round heated buoyant jets discharged from a submerged port in a flowing environment.