Turbulent jet through porous obstructions under Coriolis effect: an experimental investigation

The present study has the main purpose to experimentally investigate a turbulent momentum jet issued in a basin affected by rotation and in presence of porous obstructions. The experiments were carried out at the Coriolis Platform at LEGI Grenoble (FR). A large and unique set of velocity data was obtained by means of a Particle Image Velocimetry measurement technique while varying the rotation rate of the tank and the density of the canopy. The main differences in jet behavior in various flow configurations were assessed in terms of mean flow, turbulent kinetic energy and jet spreading. The jet trajectory was also detected. The results prove that obstructions with increasing density and increased rotation rates induce a more rapid abatement of both jet velocity and turbulent kinetic energy. The jet trajectories can be scaled by a characteristic length, which is found to be a function of the jet initial momentum, the rotation rate, and the drag exerted by the obstacles. An empirical expression for the latter is also proposed and validated.