Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
197,768 studies31 sourcesUpdated 26 min ago
PreprintarXiv licencearXiv

On the size and shape of condensing steam jets and plumes

  • N. Fourcade
  • F. Poydenot
  • P. Langlois
  • F. Barbe
  • N. Sinnathamby
  • P. Claudin
  • B. Andreotti
Open at sourcePDFDOICite

Abstract

Droplet-laden cloud dynamics emerge from coupled phase transitions and turbulent mixing. Combining experiments and mean-field theory, we establish scaling laws for steam-injected clouds in unsaturated air seeded with condensation nuclei. Depending on whether the cloud is confined to the initial momentum-dominated zone of the jet or extends into the buoyancy-dominated plume, two asymptotic regimes arise. In the momentum regime, cloud dimensions scale with the injector radius. In the buoyancy regime, size follows a ṁ2/5 scaling, where ṁ is the injected steam mass flow rate. Assuming inter-droplet air remains humidity-saturated, our mean-field analysis predicts cloud persistence governed by enthalpy and humidity mixing. These findings bridge microphysical processes and macroscale dynamics, offering a quantitative framework for atmospheric cloud evolution.

Versions

Related

  1. Advancing Spatial Pattern Integration in Species Distribution Modelling With Computer Vision: How Grain Size and Extent Concepts Shape Predictions of Emerging Aquatic Insects
    Augustin de la Brosse, Aimi Okabayashi, Thomas Corpetti +1
    HALPreprintCC BY 4.0Full textEcologyEnvironmental science & pollutionHALbioRxiv
  2. Mapping ammonia emission plumes using shortwave infrared imaging spectroscopy
    Nicholas Balasus, Daniel Cusworth, Jinsol Kim +3
    Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesPeer-reviewedCC BYFull text5 citedAtmospheric science & meteorologyOpenAlex
  3. Unlocking the potential: multi-task deep learning for spaceborne quantitative monitoring of fugitive methane plumes
    Guoxin Si, Shiliang Fu, Wei Yao
    Geo-spatial Information SciencePeer-reviewedCC BY6 citedClimate scienceOpenAlex
  4. Stable Sediment Plumes Despite Tidewater Glacier Retreat in a South Greenland Fjord
    Sydney J. N. Baratta, Kristin M. Schild, Lee Karp-Boss +3
    Journal of Geophysical Research. OceansPeer-reviewedCC BYAtmospheric science & meteorologyHAL
  5. Morphology, interactions, and evolution of laminar thermal plumes revealed by time-resolved volumetric velocity measurements and analysis: Application to Earth's mantle
    Xiyuan Bao, Carolina Lithgow-Bertelloni
    arXivPreprintCC BY 4.0Full textGeophysics & seismologyFluid dynamicsarXiv

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@misc{fourcade2026size,
  title = {{On the size and shape of condensing steam jets and plumes}},
  author = {N. Fourcade and F. Poydenot and P. Langlois and F. Barbe and N. Sinnathamby and P. Claudin and B. Andreotti},
  howpublished = {arXiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.14787},
  eprint = {2609.14787},
  archivePrefix = {arXiv},
  url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.14787},
}
RIS
TY  - UNPB
TI  - On the size and shape of condensing steam jets and plumes
AU  - N. Fourcade
AU  - F. Poydenot
AU  - P. Langlois
AU  - F. Barbe
AU  - N. Sinnathamby
AU  - P. Claudin
AU  - B. Andreotti
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/13
PB  - arXiv
DO  - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.14787
UR  - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.14787
AB  - Droplet-laden cloud dynamics emerge from coupled phase transitions and turbulent mixing. Combining experiments and mean-field theory, we establish scaling laws for steam-injected clouds in unsaturated air seeded with condensation nuclei. Depending on whether the cloud is confined to the initial momentum-dominated zone of the jet or extends into the buoyancy-dominated plume, two asymptotic regimes arise. In the momentum regime, cloud dimensions scale with the injector radius. In the buoyancy regime, size follows a ṁ^2/5 scaling, where ṁ is the injected steam mass flow rate. Assuming inter-droplet air remains humidity-saturated, our mean-field analysis predicts cloud persistence governed by enthalpy and humidity mixing. These findings bridge microphysical processes and macroscale dynamics, offering a quantitative framework for atmospheric cloud evolution.
SN  - 0031-9007
SN  - 1079-7114
ER  -