High-Schmidt-number mass transport mechanisms from a turbulent flow to absorbing sediments

We have investigated the mechanisms involved in dissolved oxygen (DO) transfer from a turbulent flow to an underlying organic sediment bed populated with DO-absorbing bacteria. Our numerical study relies on a previously developed and tested computational tool that couples a bio-geochemical model for the sediment layer and large-eddy simulation for transport on the water side. Simulations have been carried out in an open channel configuration for different Reynolds numbers (Reτ = 180–1000), Schmidt numbers (Sc = 400–1000), and bacterial populations (χ* = 100–700 mg l−1). We show that the average oxygen flux across the sediment-water interface (SWI) changes with Reτ and Sc, in good agreement with classic heat-and-mass-transfer parametrizations. Time correlations at the SWI show that intermittent peaks in the wall-shear stress initiate the mass transfer and modulate its distribution in space and time. The diffusive sublayer acts as a de-noising filter with respect to the overlying turbulence; the instantaneo...

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