Line plumes in a filling box

Results are presented from a series of experiments that measured the stratification formed by a line plume that spans the full width of a rectangular enclosure. Experiments were run with the line plume centered in the enclosure, against one wall, and at several intermediate locations. The light attenuation technique was used to track the stratification that developed on either side of the plume. When the plume was centered the flow was symmetric and the stratification was well described by the standard filling box model. When the plume source was placed adjacent to a wall it attached to the wall so that there was only one developing stratification. When the plume was asymmetrically located the front position on either side of the plume was also asymmetric. Further, after the initial outflow had reached the end wall and the first fronts had formed on either side of the plume, the plume was strongly deflected toward the closest wall even though that side had a thicker dense layer such that there was a net hydrostatic pressure force driving the plume in the other direction. Our experimental results are compared to a modified filling-box model.