Characterization of flow turbulence in large-scale bubble-plume experiments

Flow turbulence generated by a bubble plume in a large tank is characterized. Two different turbulence mechanisms contributing to the mixing and transport process are identified on velocity signals recorded outside of the bubble-plume core: a macro-scale process governed by the wandering motion of the bubble-plume; and an intermediate- and micro-scale process represented by the Kolmogorov power spectrum. A methodology is presented to characterize the different processes and their contributions to the turbulence parameters. The results help to understand the bubble-plume phenomenon and provide a basis to validate numerical models of bubble-plumes used in the design of combined-sewer-overflow reservoirs.