Description:
The complex, three-dimensional flow field in the wake of a surface ship contains a highly mixed air-water turbulent region that results in a detectable wake signature.
The conservative Volume of Fluid scheme (cVOF) is used to give the first model-free predictions of entrainment in these nonlinear and turbulent wakes.
The image is of the centreline of the wake (click to expand); Black is pure water, white is pure air, and grey is the mixing region where unsteady waves and air entrainment is prevalent. Purple line is the time average free interface location. Blue lines are the average wake velocity vectors.