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Gas transfer at the air–water interface: experiments with different turbulence forcing mechanisms

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Abstract

Most environmentally important gases (such as oxygen or carbon dioxide) have low solubility. The transfer process of such gases across the air–water interface is controlled by molecular diffusion and turbulence, concentrated within a very thin layer in the water side. A challenge for a better understanding of the problem is to be able to elucidate the transport processes happening within this thin layer. We used non-invasive measurement techniques to study the interaction between the gas transfer process and the hydrodynamic condition in the water phase with two different turbulence forcing mechanisms, namely grid-stirred and buoyant-convective turbulence. The experimental setup for the turbulence generation and the measurement techniques are described. The different dominating turbulent transport mechanisms of the two cases were discussed, and a comparison of the different measured scales between the two cases is also presented.

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Acknowledgments

The project was funded by the “German Science Foundation” (DFG Grant No. Ji18/7-1, Ji18/7-2, Ji18/13-1, and He5609/1-1).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Hydromechanics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Kaiserstr. 12, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Gerhard H. Jirka, H. Herlina & Anne Niepelt

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  1. Gerhard H. Jirka
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  2. H. Herlina
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  3. Anne Niepelt
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Correspondence to H. Herlina.

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Jirka, G.H., Herlina, H. & Niepelt, A. Gas transfer at the air–water interface: experiments with different turbulence forcing mechanisms. Exp Fluids 49, 319–327 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-010-0874-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-010-0874-4

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