Logo image
Spreading rate and dispersion behavior of evaporation-suppressant monolayer on open water surfaces: Part 2 – under wind stress
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Spreading rate and dispersion behavior of evaporation-suppressant monolayer on open water surfaces: Part 2 – under wind stress

Andrew P Wandel, Gavin N Brink, Nigel H Hancock and Selvan Pather
Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, Vol.87, pp.171-181
2017
pdf
PDF - Author Accepted Version (Open Access)2.91 MBDownloadView
Accepted VersionPDF - Author Accepted Version (Open Access)CC BY-NC-ND V4.0 Open Access
url
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.expthermflusci.2017.05.006View
Published Version

Abstract

monolayer evaporation reduction wind stress spreading angle drift velocity
Wind causes migration and eventual removal (dispersal or beaching) of evaporation-suppressing monolayer on open-water storages. Hence, an autonomous system capable of adaptive re-application of monolayer according to the prevailing wind conditions is highly desirable. Key to the design and functioning of such a system is a fundamental understanding of the spatial movement/distribution characteristics of the monolayer material. To 'bridge' between centimeter-scale, clean room laboratory experimentation (e.g. Petri dish-scale in a wind tunnel) and field conditions (i.e. hectare-scale open-water storages), the drift velocity and spreading behavior of C18OH monolayer (in water-emulsion), applied continuously during constant wind stress, were investigated on a 6 m-diameter indoor water tank for wind speeds in the range 4-8 m/s. Monolayer was found to spread in a teardrop shape initially, which evolved into a wedge shape whose close-to-straight edges were detectable visually due to the wave-damping effect of the monolayer. The internal angle of the wedge decreased with increasing wind speed, consistent with the force equilibrium between the lateral force of the monolayer spreading outwards and the increasing shear imposed with increasing wind speed. The relationship between internal angle of the wedge and wind velocity was a power law. The widely-accepted spreading kinetics formula was used to derive an empirical relationship for the drift velocity that is a power law with respect to the wind speed. This model was compared with the experimental data, with a modest degree of agreement.

Details

Metrics

34 File views/ downloads
317 Record Views

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Web Of Science research areas
Engineering, Mechanical
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Thermodynamics

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#13 Climate Action
#14 Life Below Water

Source: InCites

Logo image