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Flushing of buoyant fluid from a ventilated box<br />
C. J. Coffey ∗ and G. R. Hunt ∗<br />
We consider the buoyancy-driven flushing of dense fluid from a box connected to a<br />
quiescent exterior environment of constant and uniform density. With connections at<br />
high and low levels and an interior environment initially stratified in two layers, the<br />
results of our experimental programme using saline solutions to produce density differences<br />
in water tanks show that a range of different flow patterns are possible. These<br />
include flows with and without significant interfacial mixing, and flows that exhibit<br />
either uni-directional or bi-directional flow through the lower openings. Restricting<br />
our attention to density differences that are small compared with the ambient density<br />
we develop simplified theoretical models of these different flows. These highlight<br />
the controlling parameters and enable us to predict the time-dependent stratification.<br />
Additionally, we consider the transitions between the different flows observed. Comparisons<br />
of our predictions with our experimental results show good agreement. An<br />
application of this work to the flushing of heat from ventilated buildings is considered.<br />
∗ Imperial College London, London, UK.<br />
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