Large eddy simulation of the diffusion process of nutrient-rich up-welled seawater

The diffusion process of deep seawater drawn up by a vertical pipe deployed in the ocean is investigated. This vertical pipe is based on the principal of perpetual salt fountain. Numerical simulations of seawater upwelling from the pipe are performed based on experiments conducted in the Mariana trench region. Two turbulence modeling approaches were examined: k-e model and Large Eddy Simulations (LES). The results in both models show that diffusion of the deep seawater diffusion after ejection from the pipe. The LES results show a 50% lower vertical penetration compared to the k-e model as well as well as predicting that the horizontal diffusion is stronger than the vertical one.