Dynamics of Three-Dimensional Inclined Thermal

Abstract

The flow dynamics of a three-dimensional thermal is investigated experimentally and theoretically. The lateral view and the plan view of the three-dimensional thermal are recorded by video camera. Variations of the maximum height, the maximum width, and the front speed of the thermal are obtained by the experiment. The front speed and the maximum height are nondimensionalized by the characteristic length and the characteristic time, which are determined by the initial conditions for the inclined thermal. It is shown that the nondimensional height and front speed are both dependent on the nondimensional time. The fundamental equations are developed for the three-dimensional inclined thermal consisting of the mass conservation equations of water and salinity, the momentum equation, and the equation of the thermal width. The numerical integration of the basic equations is shown to describe well the experimental results of the height and the speed of the inclined thermal.