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Similarity solutions of vertical plane wall plume

based on finite analytic method
ARTICLE in APPLIED MATHEMATICS AND MECHANICS APRIL 2007
Impact Factor: 0.8 DOI: 10.1007/s10483-007-0404-z

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Applied Mathematics and Mechanics (English Edition), 2007, 28(4):447454

c
Editorial
Committee of Appl. Math. Mech., ISSN 0253-4827

Similarity solutions of vertical plane wall plume based on finite

analytic method
HUAI Wen-xin (), ZENG Yu-hong ()
(State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Science,
Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China)
(Communicated by HUANG Yong-nian)

Abstract The turbulent ow of vertical plane wall plume with concentration variation
was studied with the nite analytical method. The k-epsilon model with the eect of
buoyancy on turbulent kinetic energy and its dissipation rate was adopted. There were
similarity solutions in the uniform environment for the system of equations including the
equation of continuity, the equation of momentum along the ow direction and concentration, and equations of k, epsilon. The nite analytic method was applied to obtain the
similarity solution. The calculated data of velocity, relative density dierence, the kinetic
energy of turbulence and its dissipation rate distribution for vertical plane plumes are in
good agreement with the experimental data at the turbulent Schmidt number equal to
1.0. The variations of their maximum value along the direction of main ow were also
given. It shows that the present model is good, i.e., the eect of buoyancy on turbulent
kinetic energy and its dissipation rate should be taken into account, and the nite analytic
method is eective.
Key words
eect

wall plume, similarity, turbulence model, nite analytic method, buoyancy

Chinese Library Classification O358

2000 Mathematics Subject Classification 76D25
Digital Object Identifier(DOI) 10.1007/s 10483-007-0404-z

Introduction
Wall plume in quiescent water is one of the typical ow phenomena and has many applications in practical engineering. Many researchers have studied this problem experimentally
or numerically. Ellison and Turner[1] (1959) studied variety angles of inclined wall plume experimentally. Japanese researcher Fukuoka, et al.[2] (1980), Yoshida[3] (1982) also did some
experimental investigations with the wall plume. Grella and Faeth[4] (1975) studied vertical
wall plume and gave detailed experimental investigation for velocity and density dierence
distributions, which proered excellent contrastive foundation to numerical studies. At numerical analysis aspect, Ljuboja and Rodi[5] (1981) calculated vertical wall plume with the algebra
stress model, and the result contrasted with Grella and Faeths test data is very satisfying. The
similarity solutions for the plane jets and radial jets were presented by Paully, et al.[6] (1985).
Fukushima[7] (1989) gave the similarity solutions for the plane jets and plumes, but when solving the plane plumes they did not consider the eects of buoyancy on the turbulent kinetic
energy and its dissipation rate. Huai and Li[8,9] (1992,1993) gave the similarity solutions with
Received May 19, 2006; Revised Jan.25, 2007
Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos.50479038 and 50679061)
Corresponding author HUAI Wen-xin, Professor, Doctor, E-mail: wxhuai@whu.edu.cn

448

HUAI Wen-xin and ZENG Yu-hong

the eects of buoyancy on the turbulent kinetic energy and its dissipation rate. For the wall
plume, Fukushima (1988) used k- turbulent model combined with consideration of buoyancy
ux conservation in the main ow direction, and provided the similarity solutions with the
eects of buoyancy on the turbulent kinetic energy and its dissipation rate for inclined wall
plume. But when their numerical calculations contrast with the experimental data, we can discover the dierence is evident[10] . For the numerical simulations of plumes, most researches only
consider the eects of buoyancy on the momentum equations without considering the eects
of buoyancy on the turbulent kinetic energy and its dissipation rate, which is very important
to the plume. This study takes account of the eect of buoyancy on turbulent kinetic energy
and its dissipation rate in k- turbulent model, and the nite analytic method is adopted to
obtain the more exhaustive similarity solutions for vertical wall plumes and give the formula of
physical parameters.

Numerical model
Q,
O

z
=0

A plume (Fig.1) with initial density , discharging into an otherwise

stagnant ambient uid with density 0  > 0 along the vertical
wall is a vertical wall plume. Assuming the uid is incompressible,
and the density dierence is very limited, so the uid property will
not change. Axis x has the same direction with the acceleration of
gravity g vertically, and axis z is vertical to the wall surface. u and v
denote the corresponding velocity components in x, z directions. The
ow is assumed to change very slowly and belong to boundary layer
ow. With the Boussinesq assumption, the buoyancy extended k-
model is used for turbulence closure. By virtue of the fact that there
is very small density dierence, the following equations are adopted:
u w
+
= 0,
x
z


u
w

u
+w
= g+
t
,
x
z
0
z
z


c
t c
c
+w
=
,
u
x
z
z t z

Fig.1

The wall plume

(1)
(2)
(3)

 2

u
t c
t k
+ Rg
+ t
,
k z
z
t z
  



2
u

t
2
2
t c

+w
=
t
C2 ,
+ (1 C3 )Rg
u
+ C1
x
z
z z
k
z
t z
k

k
+w
=
x
z
z

(4)
(5)

where g is the acceleration of gravity, R is the ratio of density dierence to concentration, Rc

2
is the relative density dierence, t is the eddy viscosity coecient, t = C k , k is turbulent
kinetic energy and is the dissipation rate.
The constants of the numerical model are
C1 = 1.44,

C2 = 1.92,

C3 = 0.08,

C = 0.09,

k = 1.0,

= 1.3,

t = 0.8 1.2.

Similarity analysis
For the plane ow, the stream function is adopted here, and its denition is
u=

,
z

w=

.
x

Similarity solutions of vertical plane wall plume based on nite analytic method

449

In the uniform surroundings, we assume a similarity variable

= zxl .
Simultaneously, we dene the similarity variables of stream function, concentration, turbulent
kinetic energy and its dissipation rate as F (), G(), K() and E(), and the following equations
are supposed,
= bxm F (),

c = c xn G(),

k = dxp K(),

= exq E().

So the following equations can be got:

l

l d

d
= ,
= xl ,
= ,
= xl ,
x
x
z
x
x d
z
d


u=
= abxm1 F , w =
= bxm1 (lF  mF )
z
x
and
a2 b2 x2m2l1 {(m l)F 2 mF F  }



K 2E 
a3 bd2 2p+mq3l
K 2 
n
 2KK
x

F
= Rgc x G + C
)+
F (
,
(6)
e
E
E2
E


C a2 c d2 2pq+n2l 2KK  K 2 E   K 2 
x

G
abc xm+nl1 (nF  G mF G ) =
)G
+
(
,
t
e
E
E2
E
(7)
abdxm+pl1 (pF  K mF K  )



K 2 E 
C a2 d3 3pq2l
K 2 
 2KK
x

K
=
K(
)+
k e
E
E2
E
a4 b2 d2 2pq+2m4l K 2 2
C ac d2 2pq+nl K 2 
x
F + Rg
x
G exq E,
+ C
e
E
t e
E
abexm+ql1 (qF  E mF E  )
 


2KK  K 2 E 
C 2 2 2p2l
K 2 

E
=
a d x
E
+
+ C1 C a4 b2 dxp+2m4l KF 2

E
E2
E
C
K2
e2
E2
+ C1 (1 C3 )Rg
ac dxnl G
C2 x2qp
.
t
E
d
K

(8)

(9)

Consider the buoyancy ux conversation along the mainstream, one has


Qc =
ucdz = const,
0

thus


Qc =

ml

abx
0

z
F c x G d = bc xm+n

F  Gd.

(10)

In order to get the similarity solution, the following equalities should be satised:
2m 2l 1 = n = n + l 1 = 2p + m q 3l,

(11)

m + n l 1 = 2p + n q 2l,
m + p l 1 = 3p q 2l = 2p q + 2m 4l = q = 2p q + n l,

(12)
(13)

m + q l 1 = 2p 2l = p + 2m 4l = 2q p = n l,
m + n = 0.

(14)
(15)

450

HUAI Wen-xin and ZENG Yu-hong

Solving Eqs.(11)(15), one has

l = 1,

m = 1,

n = 1,

p = 0,

q = 1.

(16)

Equations (6)(10) have the similarity solution, which demands

c Rg
a3 bd
e
ad2
Qc
= 2 2 =
=
=
= 1.
bc I
a b
be
e
abd

(17)

The solution of Eq.(17) is

a = 1,

b = (RgQc /I)1/3 ,

d = (RgQc /I)2/3 ,
where I =

c = (Qc /I)2/3 /(Rg)1/3 ,

e = RgQc /I,

(18)
(19)

F  Gd. So the expressions of similarity variable and similarity function are

z
,
x
u = (RgQc /I)1/3 F  () = U0 F  (),
=

(20)
(21)

2/3

c=

(Qc /I)
G(),
x(Rg)1/3

(22)

k = (RgQc /I)2/3 K() = U02 K(),

1
= (RgQc /I) E().
x

(23)
(24)

The similarity function derived from functions (6)(9) should satisfy the ordinary dierential
equation group:
F F  + (t F  ) + G = 0,
1
F  G + F G + (t G ) = 0,
t
1
1

FK +
(t K  ) + t F 2 + t G E = 0,
k
t
E
E2
1
1
= 0,
F  E + F E  + (t E  ) + C1 t [F 2 + (1 C3 ) ] C2

K
t
K

(25)
(26)
(27)
(28)

where t = C KE .

Boundary condition
The wall function is adopted in the region near the wall, i.e., when z = z0 ,
if z0+ < 10,

u
= z +;
u

if 10 < z0+ < 50,

u
1
= ln(E0 z + ),
u

where u is the friction velocity, and the constant = 0.45, E0 = 9.1, z + = zu /.

w = 0,
z ,

c
= 0,
z

u2
k =
,
C

u = k = = c = 0.

u3
.
z0
(29)

The above boundary conditions can be easily translated into similarity functional form, so
it is omitted here.

Similarity solutions of vertical plane wall plume based on nite analytic method

451

Mathematical solution method

Transform functions (25)(28), and set F  = H, d = t d, then the ordinary dierential

equations mentioned above can be written as the generalized form:
= 2B + f.

(30)

Function (30) is a nonlinear one and can be linearized as

n+1
= 2B n n+1
+ f n.

(31)

The superscripts n + 1 and n denote the n + 1th and nth calculated values, respectively, and
for convenience, they will be omitted in the following.
Finite analytic method is used to solve Eq.(31)[11] , and the calculated domain is taken as
0 (which is set by the numerical test, and when = 500 the full development of the
plume is satised). In the subdomian |h|, where h is the dimensionless space step-length,
the solution of function (31) is
f
.
(32)
2B
into the above function to solve a1 and b1 ,

= a1 (e2B 1) + b1
Substituting = h, = i+1 and = h, = i1
then

i = Ci1 i1 + Ci+1 i+1 + Cf f,

i = 2, ,

,
h

(33)

where
Ci1 =

eBh
,
eBh + eBh

Ci+1 =

eBh
,
eBh + eBh

Cf = (Ci+1 Ci1 )

h
.
2B

In the full calculation region, the matrix of coecients is a triple diagonal one, so it will be
solved by using the stepwise method.

Results and discussion

5.1 Calculated results

To verify the reliability of the model and the calculating method, the calculated parameter
is the same as the four runs of Grella and Faeths experiments[4] (shown in Table 1). The
similarity functions of the physical parameters are shown in Fig.2. To analyze the eects of t
on the velocity and the relative density dierence, the calculated and tested similarity functions
from Grella and Faeths experiment[4] under four dierent runs and three dierent value of t
are also shown in Fig.2, and they are in good agreement. Fukushimas[10] (1988) calculated
result (t = 1.0) of run 4 can also be found in the gure, and the dierence of the velocity from
the tested data adjacent to the wall is evidently compared with the calculated results of this
paper. So the eects of buoyancy on the turbulent kinetic energy and dissipation rate can not
be neglected by using k- turbulent model to calculate the wall plume, and the model combined
with the nite analytical method adopted in this paper is eective.
Table 1

Grella and Faeths[4] experimental parameters

Run

Inclined angle /(o )

Initial ow Qc /(cm3 /s)

R = (/)0

Distance x/m

90.0

11.06

0.082 3

0.61

90.0

4.26

0.020 0

1.22

90.0

10.11

0.033 3

1.22

90.0

24.93

0.059 9

1.22

HUAI Wen-xin and ZENG Yu-hong

3.00

t
1.00
1.20
0.80
Grellas data

u/(RgQc)1/3

2.50
2.00
1.50
1.00

10.0
8.0
c(x3RgQc)1/3/Qc

452

0.06 0.08 0.10 0.12 0.14

z/x
(a) Velocity distribution for Run 1
t
1.00
1.20
0.80
Grellas data

2.50
u/(RgQc)1/3

0.0
0.00 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.10 0.12 0.14 0.16
z/x
(b) Relation density difference for Run 1

0.04

2.00
1.50
1.00

10.0
8.0
c(x3RgQc)1/3/Qc

0.02

3.00

0.06 0.08 0.10 0.12 0.14

z/x
(c) Velocity distribution for Run 2
t
1.00
1.20
0.80
Grellas data

u/(RgQc)1/3

3.00
2.50
2.00
1.50
1.00

10.0
8.0

2.50
2.00
1.50
1.00

10.0
8.0
c(x3RgQc)1/3/Qc

t
1.00
1.20
0.80
Grellas data
Fukushima

3.00
u/(RgQc)1/3

4.0

0.0
0.00 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.10 0.12 0.14 0.16
z/x
(f) Relation density difference for Run 3

0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.10 0.12 0.14 0.16

z/x
(e) Velocity distribution for Run 3

3.50

6.0

t
1.00
1.20
0.80
Grellas data

4.0
2.0

0.50

Fig.2

6.0

t
1.00
1.20
0.80
Grellas data

2.0

0.50

0.00
0.00

4.0

0.0
0.00 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.10 0.12 0.14 0.16
z/x
(d) Relation density difference for Run 2

0.04

c(x3RgQc)1/3/Qc

0.02

3.50

0.00
0.00

6.0

t
1.00
1.20
0.80
Grellas data

2.0

0.50
0.00
0.00

4.0
2.0

0.50
0.00
0.00

6.0

t
1.00
1.20
0.80
Grellas data

0.02

0.04 0.06 0.08 0.10 0.12

z/x
(g) Velocity distribution for Run 4

0.14

0.0
0.00 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.10 0.12 0.14 0.16
z/x
(h) Relation density difference for Run 4

Comparison of calculated velocity and relative density dierence distribution with the tested
data

Similarity solutions of vertical plane wall plume based on nite analytic method

453

From Fig.2 we can also nd that the velocity distribution is not sensitive to the change of
t , which is dierent from the distribution of relative dierence of density. At t = 1.0, the
calculated results are mostly close to the tested data.
The distributions of turbulent kinetic energy, dissipation rate, and the coecient of turbulent
viscosity of the wall plume are shown in Figs.3 and 4 under Run 4 and t = 0, which shows
that the changing law conforms with the physical mechanics.
0.5

0.040

0.3
x/(20RgQc)

0.2

0.032

t /(x3RgQc)1/3

k/(RgQc)2/3

0.4

0.024
0.016

0.1

0.008

0.0
0.00 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.10 0.12 0.14 0.16
z/x

0.000
0.00 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.10 0.12 0.14 0.16
z/x

Fig.3

Distribution of turbulent kinetic energy and its dissipation rate

Fig.4

Distribution of turbulent viscosity

5.2 Changing law of maximum value along main flow

Analysis of functions (20)(24) and Figs.24 show that the maximum values of F  , G, K,
E, t appear at = z/x = 0.01, 0.00, 0.055, 0.000, 0.066, respectively. So the distribution law
of those maximal values changing along the main ow can be expressed as
um = 2.75(RgQc)1/3 ,
3
1/3
cm = 8.5Q2/3
,
c /(x Rg)

km = 0.47(RgQc)2/3 ,
m = 5.3RgQc/x,
tm = 0.035x(RgQc)1/3 .
5.3 Thickness of boundary layer and width of plume
The thickness of the boundary layer is dened as the distance from the rigid surface to the
point at which the maximum velocity appears. From Fig.2 we can get that /x = 0.01, and
will increase with the distance from the nozzle (x direction). The overall width of the plume is
characterized by the distance b from the rigid surface to the point at which the axial velocity
falls to one half of its maximum value, and it is easy to get b 0.07x from Fig.2. The value of
b will also increase with the distance from the nozzle (x direction), and b/7.

Conclusions

The similarity solutions of vertical wall plume for 4 dierent runs are calculated by adopting
the k- model combined with the eects of buoyancy on turbulent kinetic energy and its dissipation rate. Compared with Fukushimas[10] calculated results, the calculated data of velocity,
relative density dierence, the turbulent kinetic energy and its dissipation rate in this paper
are in better agreement with the experimental data of Grella and Faeths. It shows that the
present model combined with the nite analytical method is eective in analyzing the solutions
of vertical wall plumes, i.e., the eect of buoyancy on turbulent kinetic energy and its dissipation rate should be taken into account. Furthermore the owing characteristic of vertical wall
plume is analyzed, and the formulas of their distribution along the main ow are suggested.

454

HUAI Wen-xin and ZENG Yu-hong

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