Dr Elli Mitrou

Job: Senior Environmental Consultant

Employer: chapmanbdsp

PhD Thesis: Large-eddy simulations of multi-phase plumes in crossflow and stratified flow

PhD Supervisors: Professors Shunqi Pan and Zhihua Xie

Abstract

The mixing and transport properties of multi-phase plumes make them an interesting and unique component of environmental and engineering systems. Gas bubble plumes are widely present in industrial, environmental and ocean engineering applications, such as nuclear reactors, destratification and aeration of lakes or reservoirs, ice prevention, gas release from accidental well blow-outs or from natural vents. The major difficulty in predicting multiphase turbulence is the wide range of length and time scales in which turbulent mixing occurs. Understanding the dynamic interactions among the dispersed and continuous phase in bubbly flows in order to predict more accurately the transport of mass, momentum and heat for diverse engineering and environmental applications is required. Consequently, an integrated approach of the physical mechanisms of turbulent energy dissipation and transport by small-scale bubbles in a bubble plume is required. Most Computational Fluid Dynamics models have difficulties solving and/or modelling this small scale turbulence, either because of the model initial assumptions or the tremendously high computational cost. A novel application of computational methodology, which is expected to provide a good compromise between accuracy and computational performance, will be developed.

Biography

Elli is based at Hydro-environmental Research Centre at Cardiff University. Elli’s research focuses on multi-phase plume dynamics. Building on previous work conducted at Cardiff University, a more sophisticated large-eddy simulation model is being developed in order to predict improved results compared to previous approaches and reproduce all the turbulence generated at the bubble scale.

Before joining the Hydro-environmental Research Centre, Elli worked as Project Engineer at the construction of Sewerage, Wastewater Treatment Plant & Sewage Pumping Station of Orchomenos village in Greece. Elli holds a Diploma in Civil Engineering (University of Patras, Greece) and an MSc in Science and Technology of Water Resources with specialization in Coastal Zone Management (NTUA, Greece).

Keywords: Bubbly flows, Small-scale turbulence, LES, Hydro3D

Please feel free to contact Elli directly if you see any opportunities to collaborate.