Turbulent Energy Dissipation Rate Research Articles

A snapshot of turbulence in the Northeastern Magellan Strait

AbstractFirst-ever measurements of the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) dissipation rate in the northeastern Strait of Magellan (Segunda Angostura region) taken in March 2019 are reported here. At the time of microstructure measurements, the magnitude of the reversing tidal current ranged between 0.8 and 1.2 ms−1. The probability distribution of the TKE dissipation rate in the water interior above the bottom boundary layer was lognormal with a high median value $${\varepsilon }_{med}^{MS}=1.2\times {10}^{-6}$$ ε med MS = 1.2 × 10 - 6 Wkg−1. Strong vertical shear, $$\left(1-2\right)\times {10}^{-2}$$ 1 - 2 × 10 - 2 s−1, in the weakly stratified water interior ensued a sub-critical gradient Richardson number $$Ri<{10}^{-1}-{10}^{-2}$$ R i < 10 - 1 - 10 - 2 . In the bottom boundary layer (BBL), the vertical shear and the TKE dissipation rate both decreased exponentially with the distance from the seafloor $$\xi$$ ξ , leading to a turbulent regime with an eddy viscosity $${K}_{M}\sim {10}^{-3}$$ K M ∼ 10 - 3 m2/s, which varied with time and location, while being independent of the vertical coordinate in the upper part of BBL (for $$\xi >\sim 2$$ ξ > ∼ 2 meters above the bottom).

Experimental study on the effect of circulating liquid velocity on bubble size distribution and turbulence characteristic in an external loop airlift reactor

AbstractThe influence of circulating liquid velocity on bubble size distribution (BSD) and turbulence characteristics of an external loop airlift reactor was studied in this paper. The instantaneous and time‐averaged velocity in the riser were studied using particle image velocimetry (PIV), and BSDs were measured by digital image analysis technique based on machine learning. Then turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) and energy dissipation rate (EDR) were calculated through the velocity field. The results indicate that as the circulating liquid velocity increased, the peak value of BSD rapidly decreased from nearly 6 mm to approximately 2 mm. The radial velocity of the liquid gradually decreased and changed direction, eventually increasing again. TKE first decreased and then increased. Compared with bubble flow with a BSD peak of 2–6 mm, bubble flow with a BSD peak of 2 mm had larger TKE. The radial movement of bubbles had great influence on the turbulence characteristics. This study demonstrates that selecting an appropriate circulating liquid velocity can reduce the diameter of bubbles while obtaining greater TKE, thereby improving the mass transfer and reaction efficiency in external loop airlift reactors (EL‐ALR).

CFD simulation and experimental study of CO2 absorption in a rotating packed bed

The rotating packed bed (RPB), a process intensification equipment, has been widely studied and applied to chemical engineering processes such as gas absorption, nanomaterial preparation, and polymer devolatilization. In this study, we presented a typical RPB model to study the intensification mechanism of high gravity on gas-liquid mass transfer. Based on this, three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and experiments of CO2 physical absorption were conducted to investigate the gas-liquid mass transfer characteristics in the RPB. The predicted and experimental values of CO2 saturation rates of the liquid phase showed good agreement, and the errors were within ± 15 % under various operating conditions. Moreover, detailed flow field and mass transfer information that are difficult to measure experimentally, such as the distribution of CO2 mass fraction in the liquid, liquid holdup, turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate, and gas-liquid interfacial area, were analyzed by CFD simulation results. These results provide a solid foundation for the further development and application of RPB.

Bubble size distribution and turbulence characterization in a bubbly flow in the presence of surfactant

This study aimed to quantify the less explored complex multiphase hydrodynamics of a bubble swarm in the presence of surfactant which is the key to flotation process widely used in the resources and environmental engineering applications.Experiments were conducted in a rectangular column (cross-section: 100 mm × 100 mm) in batch mode by varying the gas flux (0.02 to and 0.08 cm/s) in the presence of an anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulphate (5 to 15 ppm). High-speed imaging was then used to visualise the unsteady bubble plume dispersion behaviour and estimate the bubble size distribution (BSD) which showed a reduction in the mean bubble size with the increasing gas flux and surfactant concentration.Next, particle image velocimetry (PIV) was utilised to measure the instantaneous velocity field which was used to determine the turbulence characteristics. It was shown that the bubble plume contributes to significant anisotropy in the flow field which increased in the higher surfactant concentration and gas flux cases. The energy containing turbulence length scale was characterized by the integral length scale, which was observed to increase linearly with both the gas flux and surfactant concentration. Also, the local turbulence energy dissipation rate exhibited a strong linear correlation with the bubble surface area flux parameter. In the presence of surfactant, the turbulence energy spectrum of the system exhibited a less steep slope in the inertial subrange regime compared to the Kolmogorov −5/3 slope. The spectrum also showed a leftward shift indicating energy addition to the larger turbulence length scales which was reflected in the formation of large recirculation zones around the bubble plume.

Adopting molecular tagging velocimetry for high-resolution measurements of oscillating grid turbulence

AbstractSingle-component molecular tagging velocimetry (1c-MTV) experiments are conducted in an oscillating grid turbulence facility to systematically clarify the trade-offs between maximizing measurement dynamic range and minimizing measurement uncertainty. The primary aim is to obtain reliable turbulence data with the maximum possible vector resolution ($$\varDelta {x}_{1}$$ Δ x 1 ). Four optical magnifications ($$M{_{0}}$$ M 0 =0.11, 0.22, 0.45, 1.11) with four interframe time delay ($$\varDelta {t}$$ Δ t ) values, for each optical magnification case, ranging from 3 to 10 ms, are investigated. The grid oscillates with a frequency (f) of 3.2 and 4.1 Hz, and a single fixed stroke length (S) of 55 mm. The measurement quality is quantified using three important turbulence descriptors — the second-order transverse velocity correlation function $$(\langle {g(r)}\rangle )$$ ( ⟨ g ( r ) ⟩ ) , the second-order transverse velocity structure function $$([\Delta {_{g}u}]^2)$$ ( [ Δ g u ] 2 ) , and the turbulence energy dissipation rate ($$\langle \epsilon \rangle$$ ⟨ ϵ ⟩ ). Other descriptors such as the longitudinal integral length scale (l) and the longitudinal Taylor microscale ($${\lambda }$$ λ ) are also used to compare with reference values reported in literature. The degree of agreement with the reference values from literature, and insensitivity of the descriptor estimates to different MTV design parameters are used to determine the most robust means of obtaining high-resolution turbulence data from 1c-MTV. The experimental design parameters are contextualized using the Kolmogorov length ($${\eta }$$ η ), time ($${\tau _{\eta }}$$ τ η ), and velocity ($${u_{\eta }}$$ u η ) scales that are based on the most reliable $$\langle {\epsilon }\rangle$$ ⟨ ϵ ⟩ estimates from the current experiments. The pixel-displacement corresponding to $${u_{\eta }}$$ u η $$({\varDelta {x}{_{2}}{_{\eta }}})$$ ( Δ x 2 η ) describes the interdependencies between $${M_{0}}$$ M 0 and $$\varDelta {t}$$ Δ t . The data set with $${M_{0}}=0.45$$ M 0 = 0.45 ($${\eta =}18{\varDelta {x}_{1}}$$ η = 18 Δ x 1 for f=3.2 Hz, and $${\eta =}13{\varDelta {x}_{1}}$$ η = 13 Δ x 1 for f=4.1 Hz) represents the most reliable and the highest resolution case. This conclusion was deduced by taking the performance of all the turbulence descriptors into account. As far as the interframe time delay is concerned, $$\varDelta {t} \ge$$ Δ t ≥ 4 ms ($${\varDelta {x}{_{2}}{_{\eta }}}\ge 0.5 \text {pixels}$$ Δ x 2 η ≥ 0.5 pixels ) works well for all $${{M}_{0}}$$ M 0 . To the authors’ knowledge, the present study documents the first instance of a series of 1c-MTV experiments conducted for a systematic clarification of the nature of balancing the available dynamic range and the measurement uncertainty. Additionally, since the study involves turbulent flow with negligible mean-flow, it serves as an adequate representation of 1c-MTV performance in a three-dimensional flow.

Rainfall as a driver for near-surface turbulence and air-water gas exchange in freshwater aquatic systems.

Gas fluxes from aquatic ecosystems are a significant component of the carbon cycle. Gas exchange across the air-water interface is regulated by near-surface turbulence and can be controlled by different atmospheric forcing conditions, with wind speed and surface buoyancy flux being the most recognized drivers in empirical studies and modeling approaches. The effect of rainfall on near-surface turbulence has rarely been studied and a consistent relationship between rain rate and near-surface turbulence has not yet been established. In this study, we addressed some limitations still present in the quantitative understanding of the effect of rain rate on near-surface turbulence and on the resulting gas transfer velocity in freshwater. We performed controlled laboratory experiments over a wide range of rain rates (7 to 90 mm h-1) and estimated gas transfer velocities from high-resolution measurements of O2 concentration, while rain-induced turbulence was characterized based on particle image velocimetry. We found that the rain-induced dissipation rates of turbulent kinetic energy declined with depth following a consistent power-law relationship. Both energy dissipation rates and gas transfer velocity increased systematically with the rain rate. The results confirm a causal relationship between rainfall, turbulence, and gas exchange. We propose a power-law relationship between near-surface turbulent dissipation rates and rain rate. In combination with surface renewal theory, we derived a direct relationship between gas transfer velocity and rain rate, which can be used to assess the importance of short-term drivers, such as rain events, on gas dynamics and biogeochemical cycling in aquatic ecosystems.

Prandtl number effects on extreme mixing events in forced stratified turbulence

Relatively strongly stratified turbulent flows tend to self-organise into a ‘layered anisotropic stratified turbulence’ (LAST) regime, characterised by relatively deep and well-mixed density ‘layers’ separated by relatively thin ‘interfaces’ of enhanced density gradient. Understanding the associated mixing dynamics is a central problem in geophysical fluid dynamics. It is challenging to study LAST mixing, as it is associated with Reynolds numbers $Re := UL/\nu \gg 1$ and Froude numbers $Fr :=(2{\rm \pi} U)/(L N) \ll 1$ ( $U$ and $L$ being characteristic velocity and length scales, $\nu$ the kinematic viscosity and $N$ the buoyancy frequency). Since a sufficiently large dynamic range (largely) unaffected by stratification and viscosity is required, it is also necessary for the buoyancy Reynolds number $Re_{b} := \epsilon /(\nu N^{2}) \gg 1$ , where $\epsilon$ is the (appropriately volume-averaged) turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate. This requirement is exacerbated for oceanically relevant flows, as the Prandtl number $Pr := \nu /\kappa = {O}(10)$ in thermally stratified water (where $\kappa$ is the thermal diffusivity), thus leading (potentially) to even finer density field structures. We report here on four forced fully resolved direct numerical simulations of stratified turbulence at various Froude ( $Fr=0.5, 2$ ) and Prandtl ( $Pr=1, 7$ ) numbers forced so that $Re_{b}=50$ , with resolutions up to $30\,240 \times 30\,240 \times 3780$ . We find that, as $Pr$ increases, emergent ‘interfaces’ become finer and their contribution to bulk mixing characteristics decreases at the expense of the small-scale density structures populating the well-mixed ‘layers’. However, extreme mixing events (as quantified by significantly elevated local destruction rates of buoyancy variance $\chi _0$ ) are always preferentially found in the (statically stable) interfaces, irrespective of the value of $Pr$ .

Field observations of the wake from a full-scale tidal turbine array

Wake measurements are critical for quantifying the hydrodynamic effects of tidal energy extraction and for designing arrays of tidal turbines. In this investigation field measurements from the wake of PLAT-I, a commercial-scale floating array of four tidal turbines, are presented. Instrumented surface-following drifters are used to measure velocity and turbulence in the wake of PLAT-I while deployed in Grand Passage, an energetic tidal channel in the Bay of Fundy, NS, Canada. Field measurements were obtained when the turbines where fully operational under optimal conditions during spring tides. The collected data are used to construct tridimensional maps of acoustic backscatter, mean velocity, vertical velocity variance and turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate downstream of the platform at different stages of the tide. The operational turbine array wake was captured for ebb and flood tides. For both ebb and flood, reduced velocities are observed in the upper water column at the depths spanned by the turbine rotors. Vertical profiles of velocity mix quickly during flood tide but velocities remain slower than the undisturbed flow outside of the wake up to 20 effective diameters downstream of the platform. In contrast, during ebb, the velocity deficit persists farther downstream, and the reduced velocity increases slightly. Elevated turbulence levels peak at 2 effective diameters downstream of the turbines and recover to undisturbed flow levels at approximately 10 effective diameters downstream of the platform for both ebb and flood tides. Total energy dissipated through turbulence within the wake is estimated to be less than 10% of the energy extracted for electricity production.

Study on the effect of flow field optimization on flotation efficiency

ABSTRACT With the help of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methodology, the Eulerian model was used for numerical simulation of XFD type flotation machine. By altering the flow field pattern, analyzing the internal flow characteristics of the flotation machine in terms of velocity field and turbulivity, and optimizing its structure, the relationship between turbulence intensity and turbulent energy dissipation rate in the flotation machine is investigated. The findings demonstrate that altering the flow field pattern enhances the turbulence in the flotation machine’s mixing zone, enhances the velocity distribution of the three-phase fluid at the bottom of the flotation tank, and fosters bubble-particle contact, collision, and adhesion. This can successfully reduce the clean coal ash content.

Climatology of turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate in the middle troposphere using the 205 MHz S–T radar at Kochi, India

Turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate (ɛ) in the mid-troposphere (5–12 km) using data obtained from the S–T wind profiler radar located at Kochi (10.04°N, 76.33°E) is analyzed for a period of 1595 days, ranging from March 2017 to December 2022, at a vertical resolution of 180 m. The spectral width method was employed for the estimation of ɛ after initial data filtering, and corrections for beam and shear broadening. Monthly variations in ɛ exhibited a marginal decrease with height. The background wind conditions, such as horizontal wind speed, vertical shear of horizontal wind, and wind direction, have minimal impact vertically. It is found that turbulence is more significantly affected by wind speed and wind direction. Westerly winds, despite being infrequent in the mid-troposphere, emerged as the primary contributors to elevated turbulence values. This observation was attributed to the unique topographical characteristics, creating an interplay of land–sea contrast and orography, leading to enhanced turbulence during westerly winds. During the monsoon season, enhanced turbulence is observed throughout the altitude. The presence of the tropical easterly jet was identified as a significant contributor to the increased wind speed and shear observed during the monsoon season and this alignment correlates with an increase in turbulence.

Turbulent Diffusivity Profiles on the Shelf and Slope at the Southern Edge of the Canada Basin

AbstractVertical profiles of temperature microstructure at 95 stations were obtained over the Beaufort shelf and shelfbreak in the southern Canada Basin during a November 2018 research cruise. Two methods for estimating the dissipation rates of temperature variance and turbulent kinetic energy were compared using this data set. Both methods require fitting a theoretical spectrum to observed temperature gradient spectra, but differ in their assumptions. The two methods agree for calculations of the dissipation rate of temperature variance, but not for that of turbulent kinetic energy. After applying a rigorous data rejection framework, estimates of turbulent diffusivity and heat flux are made across different depth ranges. The turbulent diffusivity of temperature is typically enhanced by about one order of magnitude in profiles on the shelf compared to near the shelfbreak, and similarly near the shelfbreak compared to profiles with bottom depth >1,000 m. Depth bin means are shown to vary depending on the averaging method (geometric means tend to be smaller than arithmetic means and maximum likelihood estimates). The statistical distributions of heat flux within the surface, cold halocline, and Atlantic water layer change with depth. Heat fluxes are typically <1 Wm−2, but are greater than 50 Wm−2 in ∼8% of the overall data. These largest fluxes are located almost exclusively within the surface layer, where temperature gradients can be large.

Shortcomings of the dissipation rate for understanding the turbulent environment of plankton—And a potential solution

AbstractFundamental marine ecosystem dynamics such as mating, predation, and infection require individual plankton to move relative to one another. Ambient turbulence is often invoked as a mechanism to facilitate such interactions. The local intensity of turbulence is quantified as the dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy. While the dissipation rate is central to understanding large‐scale fluxes of heat, salt, and nutrients in the ocean, we show that it can be a poor descriptor of the turbulent environment experienced by individual plankton. A dissipation rate is a single integrated quantity representing all the complex motions in a turbulent region; the instantaneous turbulent environment of plankton may bear little resemblance to that predicted by the dissipation rate or quantities derived from it. Most importantly, the statistics (probabilities) of the relative motions of plankton in turbulence cannot be recovered from the dissipation rate or its spectrum: the probabilities of the plankton experiencing any given turbulent relative velocity are lost in the calculation. This presents a fundamental barrier to our understanding of the effects of ambient turbulence on planktonic ecosystem dynamics in the ocean. Rather than relying on dissipation rates, we show that quantifying the probability distributions of the microscale turbulent motions can provide much richer insights into the turbulent environment of individual plankton. Expanding such statistical analyses, and improving our understanding of the Lagrangian properties of ocean turbulence as experienced by plankton in the ocean will lead to significant increases in our ability to understand and quantify the effects of turbulence on plankton.

Correction to: Estimate of turbulent energy dissipation rate using free-fall and CTD-attached fast-response thermistors in weak ocean turbulence

Correction to: Estimate of turbulent energy dissipation rate using free-fall and CTD-attached fast-response thermistors in weak ocean turbulence

Turbulence Across the Antarctic Circumpolar Current in the Indian Southern Ocean: Micro‐Temperature Measurements and Finescale Parameterizations

AbstractTurbulence structures across the Antarctic circumpolar current (ACC) in the Indian Ocean at around 50°E were revealed using microstructure measurements. Depth‐averaged turbulent energy dissipation rates (ε) in 320 m segments estimated using a conductivity‐temperature‐depth (CTD)‐attached micro‐temperature fast‐response thermistor (FP07) were well reproduced using existing finescale parameterizations excluding near‐surface and near‐bottom 160 m. The spatial variations of ε are explained by density stratification N2, bottom topographic roughness, and depth‐averaged current speed U. Diapycnal diffusivity Kρ(=0.2εN−2) is found proportional to the squared internal wave energy () and increases toward the bottom, especially over rough bottom topography. The decay scale height is >1000m and the turbulence remains large even in the upper pycnocline. Existing shear‐based finescale parameterizations were generally consistent with the FP07 measurements but tended to overestimate in the areas with large shear‐strain ratio Rω and low ε in the Continental Zone (CZ) south of the ACC fronts (58–65°S). This overestimation is improved by using the strain‐based finescale parameterization with a constant Rω = 3.

Energetic Stratified Turbulence Generated by Kuroshio–Seamount Interactions in Tokara Strait

Abstract Generating mechanisms and parameterizations for enhanced turbulence in the wake of a seamount in the path of the Kuroshio are investigated. Full-depth profiles of finescale temperature, salinity, horizontal velocity, and microscale thermal-variance dissipation rate up- and downstream of the ∼10-km-wide seamount were measured with EM-APEX profiling floats and ADCP moorings. Energetic turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rates and diapycnal diffusivities above the seamount flanks extend at least 20 km downstream. This extended turbulent wake length is inconsistent with isotropic turbulence, which is expected to decay in less than 100 m based on turbulence decay time of N−1 ∼ 100 s and the 0.5 m s−1 Kuroshio flow speed. Thus, the turbulent wake must be maintained by continuous replenishment which might arise from (i) nonlinear instability of a marginally unstable vortex wake, (ii) anisotropic stratified turbulence with expected downstream decay scales of 10–100 km, and/or (iii) lee-wave critical-layer trapping at the base of the Kuroshio. Three turbulence parameterizations operating on different scales, (i) finescale, (ii) large-eddy, and (iii) reduced-shear, are tested. Average ε vertical profiles are well reproduced by all three parameterizations. Vertical wavenumber spectra for shear and strain are saturated over 10–100 m vertical wavelengths comparable to water depth with spectral levels independent of ε and spectral slopes of −1, indicating that the wake flows are strongly nonlinear. In contrast, vertical divergence spectral levels increase with ε.

Estimating the turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate from one-dimensional velocity measurements in time

Abstract. The turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate is one of the most important quantities characterizing turbulence. Experimental studies of a turbulent flow in terms of the energy dissipation rate often rely on one-dimensional measurements of the flow velocity fluctuations in time. In this work, we first use direct numerical simulation of stationary homogeneous isotropic turbulence at Taylor-scale Reynolds numbers 74≤Rλ≤321 to evaluate different methods for inferring the energy dissipation rate from one-dimensional velocity time records. We systematically investigate the influence of the finite turbulence intensity and the misalignment between the mean flow direction and the measurement probe, and we derive analytical expressions for the errors associated with these parameters. We further investigate how statistical averaging for different time windows affects the results as a function of Rλ. The results are then combined with Max Planck Variable Density Turbulence Tunnel hot-wire measurements at 147≤Rλ≤5864 to investigate flow conditions similar to those in the atmospheric boundary layer. Finally, practical guidelines for estimating the energy dissipation rate from one-dimensional atmospheric velocity records are given.

Effect of hemispherical roughness spacing on double-averaged turbulence characteristics for different flow submergence

The double-averaged (DA) turbulence characteristics over rough bed comprising of hemispherical elements with different spacing ( p/ r = 2, 4, 6, and 8; p = pitch distance; r = height of hemisphere) is quantified for three flow-submergences ( h/ r = 7.14, 5.35, 3.57; mean flow-depth ( h) = 20 cm, 15 cm, and 10 cm). The production and dissipation rates of turbulent kinetic energy are maximum at and below the crest level. Within interfacial sublayer, the degree of anisotropy is observed to be maximum for p/ r = 4 and the tendency for the return to isotropy is strongest for p/ r = 8 in the outer layer. The turbulence generated in the bottom region is still present in the outer region for low flow-submergences. The turbulence strength is maintained in the roughness order (descending) as p/ r = 4 > 2 > 6 > 8 > plane bed; wherein the change in flow-submergence does not change this order.

Mixing of North Pacific water masses in the Bali Sea

As part of the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) from western route, water masses in the Bali Sea are fed by North Pacific water masses. We examined the mixing strength in the Bali Sea which contributes to reducing the core layer S-max of the North Pacific Subtropical Water (NPSW) from 34. 8 – 35 psu in the source region to 34.5 psu in the Bali Sea. Using Thorpe method, we found the mixing strength in the Bali Sea is relatively low. The turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate (ɛ) of O( 10-11 - 10-6 ) WKg-1 and density turbulent diffusivity (Kρ) are O (10-5 10-3) m-2s-1 were similar to typical open ocean values. However, mixing in the eastern region of the Bali Sea is relatively stronger than in the western region. Based on the critical Ri #, we found the Thorpe scale (LT) under Ri# < 0.25 in the eastern region, which is contrary to other parts. It indicated the turbulent mixing was dominantly caused by shear instability. Shear from the strong outflow of ITF towards the Lombok Strait and the reversal northward current in the lower layer forces a strong turbulent layer.

High-pressure homogenizer valve design modifications allowing intensified drop breakup without increasing power consumption. I. Optimization of current design-principle

This study uses a model-based design approach (CFD coupled to well-established emulsification correlations) to investigate how to choose the valve dimensions of a high-pressure homogenizer so as to achieve intensified drop breakup without increasing the power consumption. Results show how design modifications influence the thermodynamic efficiency of the homogenizer via two effects, a friction factor and a factor related to how high a dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy that the design delivers in the centre of the jet. By simple design modifications, thermodynamic efficiency can be increased by 4 % (compared to a representative contemporary valve design) by decreasing the inlet chamber angle, and an additional 5 % by carefully adjusting the outlet chamber angles so as to ensure that the jet exits the gap free of the wall, but then bends and re-attaches to the wall further downstream. The modifications are predicted to allow for achieving the same resulting drop size but with a 17 % lower power draw, compared to a standard contemporary valve, or alternatively a smaller resulting drop diameter at constant power draw.

Dynamic characteristics of two-vent submarine hydrothermal plumes: A case study of Longqi hydrothermal field

Submarine hydrothermal plumes play an important role in the process of material and energy exchange in the deep sea. Due to the influence of complex environmental factors (multiple vents, deep-sea stratified environment) and the limitation of observation capabilities, the dynamic characteristics of submarine hydrothermal plumes have not been fully understood, and it is urgent to study the diffusion and evolution process of submarine hydrothermal plumes by the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. In this paper, a CFD model was established to effectively simulate the diffusion and evolution process of two-vent submarine hydrothermal plumes under the deep-sea stratified environment, obtained the three-dimensional plume flow field structure of two-vent submarine hydrothermal plumes, and obtained the spatial distribution of dynamic characteristics parameters such as velocity, turbulent viscosity, turbulent kinetic energy and turbulence dissipation rate of two-vent submarine hydrothermal plumes. The equations for calculating the maximum plume rise height and the neutrally buoyant plume height of a two-vent submarine hydrothermal plume were deduced and established. In addition, a comparative analysis of the single-vent submarine hydrothermal plume revealed the mechanism of the influence of the key characteristics of the two-vent submarine hydrothermal plumes such as the maximum plume rise height. It was applied to analyze the dynamic characteristics of the plume occurred in Longqi hydrothermal field in the southwest Indian Ocean, and the results were verified by the field observation data. The spatial distribution of mass concentration of hydrothermal plume particles was further analyzed, and the difference of mass concentration in different hydrothermal plume structures was compared to study the exchange mechanism of material and energy between submarine hydrothermal plume and surrounding seawater. The results are of guiding significance for the tracing of submarine hydrothermal vents, the study of marine material exchange and energy transport processes, and the exploration and environmental evaluation of submarine polymetallic sulfide resources.