Wake Induced Mixing in a Stably Stratified Environment

Stably stratified flows are encountered in different natural and industrial settings. The current research quantifies the effect three-dimensional wakes from a cylinder have on mixing downstream in a unidirectional stably stratified flow. The flows are simulated using open source spectral-element based high-order Navier-Stokes solver Nek5000. The direction of the flow is orthogonal to the direction of stratification, with stratification being out of plane with the cylinder. The effect of stratification on the drag, lift, and Strouhal number is quantified. Additionally, the effect of increasing stratification on the wake is quantified, including how the stratification changes the coherent structures downstream of the cylinder.