Shear flow laminarization and acceleration by suspended heavy particles: a mathematical model and geophysical applications (Q1043372)

The paper presents a modified model of turbulent shear flow of a suspension of small heavy particles in a fluid, and proposes a modified model for ocean spray based on the assumption that in ocean spray there are droplets of different sizes: small and large ones. The first part, introductory in nature, discusses the Kolmogorov examples of laminar and turbulent flows in a river. The second part concerns turbulent shear flows and the Kolmogorov-Prandtl model. The averaged Navier-Stokes equations and the Reynolds stress are used to close the system of equations. The author introduces the kinematic eddy viscosity and the dissipation rate, giving their expressions in terms of the mean scale of vortices and turbulent energy of the unit mass. The author also presents the Reynolds-number-dependent logarithmic law for the mean velocity distribution outside the boundary layer. The third part focuses on the shear flow laminarization by suspended heavy particles and on the mono-disperse particle size distribution. Following the lines of Kolmogorov-Prandtl analysis of turbulent shear flow, the author obtains a closed system of equations which can be reduced to a single equation of first order. The main result is in establishing a two-layered flow structure. The lower layer -- the lubrication layer -- is characterized by a decreasing Kolmogorov number, while for the upper one -- the suspension layer -- the Kolmogorov number increases after reaching a minimum. The final fourth part applies the above modified model to a flow in the oceanic spray of a tropical hurricane, giving a more realistic structure of the flow than the mono-disperse mixture model.