Formation of the Thermocline in Storage Tanks

Abstract

In this paper, a numerical analysis of the influence of the supplying a cold coolant in a cylindrical storage tank technical device`s parameters on the size and structure of the emerging thermocline is performed. Modeling of thermal and hydrodynamic processes was carried out on the basis of solving the non-stationary system of Navier-Stokes equations for an incompressible thermocline fluid and the heat transfer equation at Reynolds numbers ~ 3·10⁴. The initial stage of thermocline formation is considered: from the beginning of the cold coolant inflow to the moment of formation of linear density (temperature) stratification. The stages of thermocline formation on the horizontal bottom of the storage tank are demonstrated depending on the distance of the cold coolant supply device from the bottom of the tank. The dependence of the thermocline thickness on this distance is shown for a fixed ratio of the horizontal cross-sectional area of the tank to the flow area of the feeder.