https://doi.org/10.1140/epjs/s11734-024-01176-5
Regular Article
Stratification-induced vortex flow in a channel with topography
Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Western Ontario, N6A 5B9, London, ON, Canada
Received:
28
December
2023
Accepted:
21
April
2024
Published online:
3
May
2024
We examine the flow of a homogeneous and stratified fluid in a channel with topography. The OpenFOAM is employed as the numerical simulation tool, and the narrow-gap approximation is adopted as the theoretical approach to study the limit situation. We found that, for a homogeneous fluid, there is no flow separation for the topography considered, and there is a pressure loss at the top along the channel. In contrast, for a stratified fluid, a pair of vortices generally appears on the two sides of the obstacle. The size of the vortex on either side of the obstacle changes with the flow parameters. As the flow rate (Re) increases or density difference (Δρ) decreases, the size of the vortex shrinks. In addition, an increase in the Pe results in the extension of the width of the vortex. However, larger obstacle amplitude only leads to a stronger distortion of the streamlines near the obstacle. As for the pressure difference at the top across the channel, the flow of a stratified fluid can have pressure gain, and this pressure gain increases with the increase of flow rate (Re), density difference (Δρ), and the decrease of Pe. The influence of the amplitude of the obstacle on the pressure difference between the inlet and the outlet is more complex, as a local maximum is observed.
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© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to EDP Sciences, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
