Thermal structure of the two-dimensional surface discharge of heated water from a nuclear power plant is investigated by a laboratory simulation with a shallow open channel and a relatively large reservoir.
Experimental study is focused on the nature of the interfacial mixing between flowing layer of the warm water and the underlying cold layer.
For various experimental conditions, measurements of temperature, surface velocity and visulization of turbulent mixing process have been conducted.
It is found that the Richardson number uniquely determines the effect of buoyancy on the mixing process.
