Digital copy of the thermally stratified water tank of St. Petersburg Branch of Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of Russian Academy of Sciences

Abstract

This paper focuses on the development of a digital model for a large thermally stratified water tank intended for hydro-physical studies. The model construction incorporates modern advances in computational hydrodynamics and high-performance computing to optimize and partially replace costly physical experiments. The precise establishment and maintenance of thermal stratification within the tank are achieved through fine-tuning the operation of heating/cooling systems, based on the use of the developed digital model. The digital copy is primarily viewed as a supplementary tool aimed at optimizing serial experiments. Simultaneously, the refinement of the numerical model through physical experimental data enables the extrapolation of laboratory-verified relationships to describe regimes characteristic of natural oceanic processes that are challenging to replicate in large-scale physical modeling. The digital copy serves as a constructive complement to the thermally stratified water tank, as it allows for a more efficient experimental methodology, achieving desired results while reducing both time and material costs.