The first part of this thesis investigates the mixing of ambient fluid into axisymmetric high Reynolds number gravity currents. A series of laboratory experiments were conducted in which small scale gravity currents travelled along a wedge shaped channel with an increasing width in the downstream direction. The channel was filled with fresh water and the current was generated using saline solution introduced either by a rapid release of a known finite volume from behind a lock gate or by pumping at a constant rate into the apex of the channel. The distribution and evolution of the density of the flow with distance downstream was measured using a light attenuation technique. Additional experiments were performed by injecting parcels of dye in different regions of the flow in order to visualise the motion of fluid in and surrounding the gravity current. Unlike currents introduced by the release of a finite volume of fluid, where most mixing occurs in the head of the flow, currents produced from a steady source develop a steady tail region behind the front which is also found to entrain a significant amount of ambient fluid. In both types of current, we estimate the fraction of displaced ambient fluid that is entrained into the flow. We then derive a new class of self-similar solutions for gravity currents produced from a finite volume release of fluid. The second part of this thesis develops the experimental method of measuring mixing using light attenuation to investigate the mixing of liquid in a vertical conduit which results from a continuous stream of high Reynolds number gas bubbles. The experiments identify that the mixing in the wake of the bubbles leads to a net dispersive transport along the conduit. The process provides an explanation for the heat transfer within a volcanic conduit in the case of a gas-slug flow regime as occurs in the near surface region of volcanic conduits connected to surface lava lakes. We derive a theoretical model to estimate the heat flux associated with such a system using the empirical law for the dispersive mixing. The predicted heat flux associated with the bubbles is found to be comparable to the heat loss at the surface of lava lakes associated with radiative and convective heat loss. Given values for the gas flux, the lake area and the temperature at the surface of the lake, the model enables new predictions for the size of the volcanic conduit.

Liquid waste discharged from industrial outfalls is categorized into two major classes based on their density. One type is the effluent that has a higher density than that of the ambient water body. In this case, the discharged effluent has a tendency to sink as a negatively buoyant jet. The second type is the effluent that has a lower density than that of the ambient water body and is hence defined as a (positively) buoyant jet that causes the effluent to rise. Negatively/Positively buoyant jets are found in various civil and environmental engineering projects: discharges of desalination plants, discharges of cooling water from nuclear power plants turbines, mixing chambers, etc. This thesis investigated the mixing and dispersion characteristics of such jets numerically. In this thesis, mixing behavior of these jets is studied using a finite volume model (OpenFOAM). Various turbulence models have been applied in the numerical model to assess the accuracy of turbulence models in predicting the effluent discharges in submerged outfalls. Four Linear Eddy Viscosity Models (LEVMs) are used in the positively buoyant wall jet model for discharging of heated waste including: standard k-ε, RNG k-ε, realizable k-ε and SST k-ω turbulence models. It was found that RNG k-ε, and realizable k-ε turbulence models performed better among the four models chosen. Then, in the next step, numerical simulations of 30˚ and 45˚ inclined dense turbulent jets in stationary ambient water have been conducted. These two angles are examined in this study due to lower terminal rise height for 30˚ and 45˚, which is very important for discharges of effluent in shallow waters compared to higher angles. Five Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) turbulence models are applied to evaluate the accuracy of CFD predictions. These models include two LEVMs: RNG k-ε, and realizable k-ε; one Nonlinear Eddy Viscosity Model (NLEVM): Nonlinear k-ε; and two Reynolds Stress Models (RSMs): LRR and Launder-Gibson. It has been observed that the LRR turbulence model as well as the realizable k-ε model predict the flow more accurately among the various turbulence models studied herein.

Liquid waste discharged from industrial outfalls is categorized into two major classes based on their density. One type is the effluent that has a higher density than that of the ambient water body. In this case, the discharged effluent has a tendency to sink as a negatively buoyant jet. The second type is the effluent that has a lower density than that of the ambient water body and is hence defined as a (positively) buoyant jet that causes the effluent to rise. Negatively/Positively buoyant jets are found in various civil and environmental engineering projects: discharges of desalination plants, discharges of cooling water from nuclear power plants turbines, mixing chambers, etc. This thesis investigated the mixing and dispersion characteristics of such jets numerically. In this thesis, mixing behavior of these jets is studied using a finite volume model (OpenFOAM). Various turbulence models have been applied in the numerical model to assess the accuracy of turbulence models in predicting the effluent discharges in submerged outfalls. Four Linear Eddy Viscosity Models (LEVMs) are used in the positively buoyant wall jet model for discharging of heated waste including: standard k-ε, RNG k-ε, realizable k-ε and SST k-ω turbulence models. It was found that RNG k-ε, and realizable k-ε turbulence models performed better among the four models chosen. Then, in the next step, numerical simulations of 30˚ and 45˚ inclined dense turbulent jets in stationary ambient water have been conducted. These two angles are examined in this study due to lower terminal rise height for 30˚ and 45˚, which is very important for discharges of effluent in shallow waters compared to higher angles. Five Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) turbulence models are applied to evaluate the accuracy of CFD predictions. These models include two LEVMs: RNG k-ε, and realizable k-ε; one Nonlinear Eddy Viscosity Model (NLEVM): Nonlinear k-ε; and two Reynolds Stress Models (RSMs): LRR and Launder-Gibson. It has been observed that the LRR turbulence model as well as the realizable k-ε model predict the flow more accurately among the various turbulence models studied herein.

Ce travail numérique porte sur le comportement de la lutocline (interface entre l'eau et la vase fluide) en écoulement cisaillé et vise à une meilleure compréhension des mécanismes de remise en suspension de sédiments cohésifs. La crème de vase, ou vase partiellement solidifiée, est modélisée par un fluide homogène équivalent miscible dans l'eau, de rhéologie newtonienne ou viscoplastique. Une étude de l'hydrodynamique de cet écoulement stratifié en densité ainsi qu'en viscosité est ensuite proposée. Considérant une crème de vase initialement non-turbulente, l'étude se focalise sur le développement des instabilités au niveau de la lutocline et de la transition vers une couche de mélange turbulente. La particularité de cet écoulement réside dans la forte viscosité de vase et son seuil de mise en mouvement lorsqu'elle présente un caractère viscoplastique. Une étude de stabilité linéaire permet d'évaluer l'influence des différents paramètres de l'écoulement, notamment les stratifications en densité et en viscosité. La stratification en viscosité augmente sensiblement le taux de croissance de l'instabilité pour des nombres de Reynolds intermédiaires. L'évolution non-linéaire de l'écoulement est ensuite étudiée en utilisant des simulations numériques directes, la stratification en viscosité entrainant un épaississement de la couche de mélange finale. Enfin, des simulations numériques directes basées sur un modèle de fluide de Bingham régularisé permettent d'étudier l'influence de la contrainte seuil sur le développement de l'instabilité. / This numerical study focuses on the behavior of the lutocline in a shear flow and aims to better understand the mechanism of resuspension of cohesive sediment. Mud flow, or mud partially consolidated, is modeled by an equivalent homogenous fluid miscible in water, with newtonian or viscoplastic rheology. A study of the hydrodynamics of this shear flow, stratified both in density and viscosity, is presented. Considering an initially laminar mud flow, the focus of the study is on the development of instabilities on the lutocline and the transition to a turbulent mixing layer. The specificity of this flow lies on the large viscosity of the mud and its threshold to be put in motion, when it presents a viscoplastic feature. A linear stability study assesses the influence of the various parameters of the flow, especially of density and viscosity stratification. The viscosity stratification slightly increases the growth rate of the instability for intermediate Reynolds numbers. Then, the non linear evolution of the flow is studied by using direct numerical simulations, viscous stratification leading to a thicker mixing layer. At last, direct numerical simulations based on a Bingham regularized model, permits to study the influence of the critical strain on the development of the instability.