Flow of Real Fluid

Lecture 19
 Laminar and Turbulent Flow

„ Flow Regimes
„ Laminar Flow
„ Turbulent Flow

„ The amount of fluid friction, which

determines the amount of energy required
to maintain the desired flow, depends upon the
mode of flow
 Laminar Flow
„ Laminar flow is also referred to as
streamline or viscous flow.
„ layers of water flowing over one another
at different speeds with virtually no mixing
between layers
„ fl id particles
fluid ti l move ini definite
d fi it and d
observable paths or streamlines, and
„ the flow is characteristic of viscous (thick)
fluid
 Turbulent Flow

„ Turbulent flow is characterized by the

irregular movement of particles of the fluid

„ There is
Th i no definite
d fi it frequency
f as there
th i
is
in wave motion

„ The particles travel in irregular paths with

no observable
b bl pattern
tt andd no d
definite
fi it llayers
 Viscous Pipe Flow: Flow Regime
Osborne Reynolds Experiment to
show the three regimes Laminar, Laminar
Transitional, or Turbulent:

Transitional

Turbulent
Reynolds Experiment
⎧ < 2000 Laminar flow hf ∝V
„ Reynolds Number ρVD ⎪
Re = ⎨2000 − 4000 Transition flow
μ ⎪
⎩ > 4000 Turbulent f low h f ∝ V 2
„ Laminar flow: Fluid moves in smooth
streamlines
„ Turbulent flow: Violent mixing, fluid
velocity at a point varies randomly with
time
„ Transition to turbulence in a 2 in. pipe is
at V =2 ft/s, so most pipe flows are
turbulent

Laminar Turbulent
 Reynolds Number
„ The Reynolds Number is important in
analyzing
l i any ttype off flow
fl when
h th
there iis
substantial velocity gradient - shear force.
„ Th Reynolds
The R ld Number
N b indicates
i di t th
the relative
l ti
significance of the viscous effect compared to
the inertia effect
effect.
„ The Reynolds number is defined as the ratio
of the inertial force and the viscous force
force.
 Reynolds Number
„ Reynolds Number can be expressed as:
LVρ LV
Re = =
μ ν

L : characteri
h t ictic
ti length
l th

V : velocity

ρ : density

μ : dynamic viscosity or obsolute viscosity

ν : kinematic viscosity
Critical Reynolds Number
LVρ LV
Re = = (1)
μ ν
True critical Reynolds Number
Rcrit ≅ 2000 (2)

„ For water at 59oF (15oC)

„ When D = 1 in Vcrit = 0.3 fps
„ Wh V = 3 ffps Dcrit = 0.1
When 0 1 iin
Example
In a refinery oil (s=0.85, υ=1.8x10-5 m2/s) flows
through a 100-mm-diameter
100 mm diameter pipe at 0 0.5
5 L/s
L/s. Is the
flow laminar or turbulent?
Q 4(0.0005m 3 / s )
V= = = 0.0637m / s
D 2
π (0.1m) 2
π
4
DV 0.1m(0.0637m / s )
Re = = = 354
υ −5 2
1.8 x10 m / s

Re < Rcrit = 2000 → the flow is laminar