Jet Discharge into a Stratified Reservoir

An experimental investigation of the flow induced by a line jet in a linear-density stratified reservoir fluid is reported. Both buoyant and nonbuoyant jets were discharged into the stratified model and jet discharge and model length were varied. Experimental data indicate the two-dimensional flow field can be divided into three regions: (1) Open region above equilibrium level: (2) closed region below equilibrium level; and (3) a central jet with adjacent entrainment rotors. True steady-state flow was not achieved. The pattern of induced flow showed no distinctive changes when model length or jet discharge were varied, but the induced flow pattern showed appreciable changes when jet buoyancy was varied from neutral to buoyant. Maximum flow speed, rotor size, and entrainment were significantly increased for the buoyant jet.