Inclined forced plume 2026-10-05
An inclined forced plume curves upward under buoyancy. In a stationary homogeneous ambient, its horizontal momentum flux is conserved and its vertical momentum flux increases. For kinematic plume fluxes, and , where and the derivative is with respect to centreline arc length.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 345 3 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
It is important to fix the mass flux convention. With literal mass units and the corresponding density-weighted buoyancy flux, the Boussinesq approximation and circular top-hat plume model giveReplacing by in inertial fluxes is the Boussinesq approximation; the density difference is retained in the buoyancy flux. Define the kinematic plume fluxesIf the symbols instead denote the customary kinematic fluxes, simply omit the factors in all conversions below. Keeping the two conventions consistent is essential for the jet length and dimensional prefactors.
The Batchelor entrainment hypothesis prescribes inward edge velocityThe constant entrainment coefficient relates ambient inflow to the local axial velocity. A centreline segment of arc length entrains volume . Hence, setting ,The buoyancy flux is conserved because the homogeneous entrained ambient has zero density deficit, and mixing has no buoyancy source or sink. The imposed zero source mass flux with nonzero source momentum flux is a singular point-source idealization, not a finite-radius nozzle with zero emitted fluid. Indeed and the plume reduced gravity diverge as with nonzero source fluxes. The Boussinesq approximation cannot remain valid arbitrarily close to that point. The top-hat plume model is applied outside the unresolved source region.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 345 3 b Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
For a neutrally buoyant horizontal turbulent round jet, a segment's horizontal momentum flux changes only if an external horizontal force or ambient momentum input exists. Neither is present, soPositive buoyancy adds a vertical force, not a horizontal one. Therefore remains true for an inclined forced plume even when ; in general .
The net upward force on a segment is . Since and , vertical momentum balance givesIn kinematic plume fluxes, the equations are , , where . The centreline geometry satisfiesFor , beyond the source, and an initially nonvertical turbulent round jet pointing right, increases and the centreline turns toward the vertical. The magnitude of momentum flux is not conserved once the tangent has a vertical component.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 345 3 d Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
For a horizontal source, throughout. Far downstream , so the kinematic plume fluxes obey the vertical pure plume equations to leading order,Set and with . Matching exponents and coefficients gives and . Consequentlyand the requested literal mass and density-weighted buoyancy fluxes areto leading order. The radius is and the axial velocity decreases as .
The centreline becomes nearly vertical but retains finite horizontal drift:Since , there is a finite positive geometric deficit , and . The equivalent vertical plume virtual origin is therefore located atFor the horizontal point-source forced plume, the virtual source is downstream and below the actual source. The horizontal turbulent round jet first entrains substantial ambient fluid while rising only a little. Thus at the height where it turns upward it already has a finite radius and volume flux; an equivalent pure plume must have begun rising from below to acquire these. The turning displacement, entrained radius divided by its far-field spreading angle, and virtual vertical depth all scale asAt fixed entrainment coefficient this is simply . The arclength origin should not be interpreted as a physical height: the curved near field supplies the additional shift . The numerical constants depend on the chosen top-hat plume model and entrainment coefficient; scaling does not fix them.
The inclined forced plume bends from a cubic near-field trajectory toward a vertical asymptote. Dashed far-field spreading lines extrapolate to the equivalent plume virtual origin; the marked location is obtained from the integral model for this illustration, not a universal numerical prediction.
