Enhanced diffusion from a continuous point source in shallow free-surface flow with grid turbulence

Shallow flows are ubiquitous in nature and are prone to instabilities that result in the formation of large-scale, two-dimensional coherent structures that are expected to significantly enhance eddy diffusivities compared to the stable turbulent base flow. We present the results of an experimental study in free-surface flow to determine the mixing coefficient for a passive tracer plume in two-dimensional grid turbulence. The grid consists of a row of cylinders 2.5 times the water depth and spaced to achieve a porosity of 50%. Depth-averaged dye concentrations are measured using a light absorption planar concentration analysis method; turbulence statistics are calculated from measurements of horizontal flow velocity using a two-component laser Doppler velocimeter. A base case without grid turbulence (having only bottom-generated turbulence) and three cases with grid turbulence are presented. For experiments with grid turbulence, injections were made at 40 water depths downstream of the grid, at the cylinde...