Variation of the Plume Structure

The sample data presented in this chapter were collected for fairly simple flow conditions. The flow was a unidirectional open-channel flow without large-scale flow meander, and the release condition was isokinetic in the direction of the bulk flow. Thus, chemical filaments were advected by the bulk flow in the stream-wise direction, while turbulent mixing acted to expand the plume size and dilute the chemical concentration. Changes in the flow and release conditions lead to significant variation in the plume characteristics and structure. 

Several laboratory studies have contributed to our understanding of turbulent chemical plumes and the effects of various flow configurations. Fackrell and Robins [25] released an isokinetic neutrally buoyant plume in a wind tunnel at elevated and bed-level locations. Bara et al. [26], Yee et al. [27], Crimaldi and Koseff [28], and Crimaldi et al. [29] studied plumes released in water channels from bed-level and elevated positions. Airborne plumes in atmospheric boundary layers also have been studied in the field by Murlis and Jones [30], Jones [31], Murlis [32], Hanna and Insley [33], Mylne [34, 35], and Yee et al. [36, 37], In addition, aqueous plumes in coastal environments have been studied by Stacey et al. [38] and Fong and Stacey [39], The combined information of these and other studies reveals that the plume structure is influenced by several factors including the bulk velocity, fluid environment, release conditions, bed conditions, flow meander, and surface waves. 

The release location influences the vertical distribution of the time-averaged concentration and fluctuations. For a bed-level release, vertical profiles of the time-averaged concentration are self-similar and agreed well with gradient diffusion theory [26], In contrast, the vertical profiles for an elevated release have a peak value above the bed and are not self-similar because the distance from the source to the bed introduces a finite length scale [3, 25, 37], Additionally, it is clear that the size and relative velocity of the chemical release affects both the mean and fluctuating concentration [4], The orientation of the release also appears to influence the plume structure. The shape of the profiles of the standard deviation of the concentration fluctuations is different in the study of Crimaldi et al. [29] compared with those of Fackrell and Robins [25] and Bara et al. [26], Crimaldi et al. [29] attributed the difference to the release orientation, which was vertically upward from a flush-mounted orifice at the bed in their study. 

The Reynolds number is the ratio of inertial to viscous forces and depends on the fluid properties, bulk velocity, and boundary layer thickness. Turbulence characteristics vary with Reynolds number in boundary layers [40], Thus, variation in the contributing factors for the Reynolds number ultimately influences the turbulent mixing and plume structure. Further, the fluid environment, air or water, affects both the Reynolds number and the molecular diffusivity of the chemical compounds. 

Based on the discussed example parameters that influence the turbulent mixing process, it is clear that plume structure can be described in general terms, but the specific characteristics are likely to be case dependent. Nevertheless, certain characteristics, such as those employed by the odor-gated rheotaxis with bilateral comparison strategy, may be similar enough to allow animals and engineered systems to track chemical plumes for a wide range of flow conditions. 

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