Estimation of Turbulent Kinetic Energy Dissipation

Abstract

Several studies have suggested that small-scale fluid motion, of scales smaller than a centimeter, influences the kinetics of biological and chemical particles in aquatic environments (O’Melia and Tiller, 1993; Denman and Gargett, 1995; Hondzo and Lyn, 1999). The direct interaction of fluid motion and particles exists if there is an overlap in length scales or gradients produced by the fluid flow and particles in an aquatic environment. One of the key intrinsic fluid flow parameters is the kinetic energy dissipation rate ε This parameter provides an estimate for the smallest length and time scales relevant to interaction among small scale fluid motion, biological, and chemical particles.