The dynamics of flows in density-stratified fluids has been and remains now an important topic for scientific enquiry. Such flows arise in many contexts, ranging from industrial settings to the oceanic and atmospheric environments. It is the latter topic which is the focus of this book. Both the ocean and atmosphere are characterised by the basic vertical density stratification, and this feature can affect the dynamics on all scales ranging from the micro-scale to the planetary scale. The aim of this book is to provide a “state-of-the-art” account of stratified flows as they are relevant to the ocean and atmosphere with a primary focus on meso-scale phenomena; that is, on phenomena whose time and space scales are such that the density stratification is a dominant effect, so that frictional and diffusive effects on the one hand and the effects of the earth’s rotation on the other hand can be regarded as of less importance. This in turn leads to an emphasis on internal waves.

The purpose of this book is to introduce researchers and graduate students to a broad range of applications of computational simulations, with a particular emphasis on those involving computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The book is divided into three parts: Part I covers some basic research topics and development in numerical algorithms for CFD simulations, including Reynolds stress transport modeling, central difference schemes for convection-diffusion equations, and flow simulations involving simple geometries such as a flat plate or a vertical channel. Part II covers a variety of important applications in which CFD simulations play a crucial role, including combustion process and automobile engine design, fluid heat exchange, airborne contaminant dispersion over buildings and atmospheric flow around a re-entry capsule, gas-solid two phase flow in long pipes, free surface flow around a ship hull, and hydrodynamic analysis of electrochemical cells. Part III covers applications of non-CFD based computational simulations, including atmospheric optical communications, climate system simulations, porous media flow, combustion, solidification, and sound field simulations for optimal acoustic effects.

Environmental Fluid Dynamics provides an introduction to the principles of environmental fluid dynamics, i.e., nature's use of air and water to transport and transform waste into nutrients for various organisms. The author, a Professor of Environmental Engineering and the Director of the Centre for Water Research at the University of Western Australia, is careful to include the appropriate mathematical expressions for the fundamentals of fluid dynamics without overburdening the reader with difficult or extensive notation. Starting with a discussion of the basics of fluid dynamics for undergraduates, the book moves on to more detailed material for graduate students and specialists in environmental engineering and/or science, physical limnology, estuarine dynamics, and coastal oceanography. Topics covered include equations of motion, fluid viscosity, environmental hydraulics, mixing and dispersion, surface waves, and environmental flows. The materials presented are based on the author's 40 years of teaching fluid dynamics at Berkeley, Caltech, Karlsruhe, Padova, and Western Australia. The book provides a basic overview, while specialists needing more in-depth information can to turn to advanced texts in their specific areas of interest. - Introduces the principles of fluid dynamics, follows with simple applications, and builds to more complex applications experienced in the field - Offers a unique, authoritative, and accessible treatment of the subject - Includes appropriate mathematical expressions without overburdening the reader with difficult or extensive notation