Dynamics of Air/Water Two-phase Flows in Environmental Hydraulics

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Understanding the dynamics of air/water two-phase flows is of fundamental importance in many areas of science and engineering, including environmental hydraulics. Our knowledge in this area is still limited due to the complex nature of flows as well as limitations in measurement devices, computing power and field study difficulties. The proposed study will take advantage of the excellent laboratory facilities available at the University of Alberta to conduct experimental studies and numerical modeling of water jet breakup in air and air entrainment and mass transfer by falling water jet into water pools. A number of research projects will be conducted: (1) Water jet breakup in air will be studied for single jets of different geometries and multiple jets. The characteristics of the water drops after their breakup will be measured, and numerical modeling of the jet breakup process will be conducted. (2) The dynamics of air bubbles in a water pool generated by a plunging jet will be studied, and the amount of air/water mass transfer will be measured. The results of these studies will be generalized and developed for engineering use. (3) Additional exploratory studies will be conducted on a novel engineering design for improving oxygenation and utilizing water jets for preventing bridge collapse during extreme flood events. The proposed research will provide excellent training opportunities for four PhD students and five summer undergraduate students. This research will allow the development of practical tools including numerical models for various types of engineering applications, such as design improvement for dam spillways to prevent gas supersaturation and fish kill (i.e., bubble diseases), ventilation and odour control in sewer systems. This research will also allow us to design effective oxygen injection system to improve dissolved oxygen levels in rivers and lakes as well as in wastewater treatment facilities.