University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Transition from laminar to turbulent flow in liquid filled microtubes

Sharp, Kendra V.; Adrian, Ronald J.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/297

Description

Title
Transition from laminar to turbulent flow in liquid filled microtubes
Author(s)
  • Sharp, Kendra V.
  • Adrian, Ronald J.
Issue Date
2003-07
Keyword(s)
  • turbulent flow
  • turbulence physics
Abstract
The transition to turbulent flow is studied for liquids of different polarities in glass microtubes having diameters between 50 and 247 µm. The onset of transition occurs at Reynolds number ~1800–2000, as indicated by greater-than-laminar pressure drop and micro-PIV measurements of mean velocity and root-mean-square velocity fluctuations at the centerline. Transition at anomalously low values of Reynolds number was never observed. Additionally, the results of more than 1500 measurements of pressure drop versus flow rate confirm the macroscopic Poiseuille flow result for laminar flow resistance to within -1% systematic and ±2.5% rms random error for Reynolds numbers less than 1800.
Publisher
Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (UIUC)
Series/Report Name or Number
TAM Reports 1030
ISSN
0073-5264
Type of Resource
text
Language
en
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/297

Owning Collections

Technical Reports - Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (TAM) PRIMARY
TAM technical reports include manuscripts intended for publication, theses judged to have general interest, notes prepared for short courses, symposia compiled from outstanding undergraduate projects, and reports prepared for research-sponsoring agencies.