Experimental Study of Mixing of Two-Layer Density-Stratified Fluid by a Vortex Ring

Abstract

This study experimentally investigates the mixing of a two-layer density-stratified fluid of water (upper layer) and aqueous sodium chloride (NaCl) solution (lower layer) induced by the interaction between a vortex ring and the density interface. The vortex ring, which consists of water, is launched from an orifice in the upper layer toward the density interface, after which its motion, along with the behavior of the lower fluid, is visualized through a planar laser-induced fluorescence method. The Atwood number that expresses the nondimensional density jump across the density interface is set at 0.0055, and the Reynolds number Re of the vortex ring is varied from 2050 to 3070. The visualization experiment clarifies that the vortex ring penetrating the density interface is bounced while collapsing in the lower fluid. Furthermore, it elucidates that the bounced upper fluid entrains the lower fluid into the upper layer by inducing a second vortex ring consisting of the lower fluid. Thus, this study reveals the effect of Re on the mixing of the upper and lower fluid induced by the launched vortex ring.