Author(s)

Masaya Endo, Qianqian Shao, Takahiro Tsukahara, Yasuo Kawaguchi

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba, Japan.

To evaluate the pollutant dispersion in background turbulent flows, most researches focus on statistical variation of concentrations or its fluctuations. However, those time-averaged quantities may be insufficient for risk assessment, because there emerge many high-intensity pollutant areas in the instantaneous concentration field. In this study, we tried to estimate the frequency of appearance of the high concentration areas in a turbulent flow based on the Probability Density Function (PDF) of concentration. The high concentration area was recognized by two conditions based on the concentration and the concentration gradient values. We considered that the estimation equation for the frequency of appearance of the recognized areas consisted of two terms based on each condition. In order to represent the two terms with physical quantities of velocity and concentration fields, simultaneous PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry) and PLIF (Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence) measurement and PLIF time-serial measurement were performed in a quasi-homogeneous turbulent flow. According to the experimental results, one of the terms, related to the condition of the concentration, was found to be represented by the concentration PDF, while the other term, by the streamwise mean velocity and the integral length scale of the turbulent flow. Based on the results, we developed an estimation equation including the concentration PDF and the flow features of mean velocity and integral scale of turbulence. In the area where the concentration PDF was a Gaussian one, the difference between the frequencies of appearance estimated by the equation and calculated from the experimental data was within 25%, which showed good accuracy of our proposed estimation equation. Therefore, our proposed equation is feasible for estimating the frequency of appearance of high concentration areas in a limited area in turbulent mass diffusion.

High Concentration Spikes, Quasi-Homogeneous Turbulence, Turbulent Mass Diffusion, Concentration PDF Transport Equation, PIV and PLIF Simultaneous Measurement

Endo, M. , Shao, Q. , Tsukahara, T. and Kawaguchi, Y. (2016) Analysis of High Concentration Spikes Appearing in Mass Plume in Nearly Homogeneous Turbulent Flow Based on the PDF Transport Equation. Open Journal of Fluid Dynamics, 6, 472-495. doi: 10.4236/ojfd.2016.64034.