A detailed investigation of fully developed transient flow in a pipe has been undertaken
using water as the working fluid. Linearly increasing or decreasing excursions of
flow rate were imposed between steady initial and final values. A three-beam, two-component laser Doppler anemometer was used to make simultaneous measurements
of either axial and radial, or axial and circumferential, components of local velocity.
Values of ensemble-averaged mean velocity, root-mean-square velocity fluctuation
and turbulent shear stress were found from the measurements.Being the first really detailed study of ramp-type transient turbulent flow, the
present investigation has yielded new information and valuable insight into certain
fundamental aspects of turbulence dynamics. Some striking features are evident in
the response of the turbulence field to the imposed excursions of flow rate. Three
different delays have been identified: a delay in the response of turbulence production;
a delay in turbulence energy redistribution among its three components; and
a delay associated with the propagation of turbulence radially. The last of these is the most
pronounced under the conditions of the present study. A dimensionless delay parameter
τ+[= √2τUτ0/D] is
proposed to describe it. The first response of
turbulence is found to occur in the region near the wall where turbulence production
peaks. The axial component of turbulence responds earlier than the other two components
and builds up faster. The response propagates towards the centre of the pipe
through the action of turbulent diffusion at a speed which depends on the Reynolds
number at the start of the excursion. In the core region, the three components of
turbulence energy respond in a similar manner. Turbulence intensity is reduced in
the case of accelerating flow and increased in decelerating flow. This is mainly as a
result of the delayed response of turbulence. A dimensionless ramp rate parameter
γ[= (dUb/dt)
(1/Ub0)(D/Uτ0]
is proposed, which determines the extent to which the
turbulence energy differs from that of pseudo-steady flow as a result of the delay in
the propagation of turbulence.
The problem of the squeezing of a film of liquid between two parallel surfaces is considered. Approximate expressions are deduced for the instantaneous distribution of velocity within the fluid and the reaction on the surfaces. These are obtained by an approximate iterative solution of the continuity and momentum equations. The radial pressure distribution in a squeezed film is found to be due partly to the action of viscosity and partly to inertia effects. The latter cause the relationship between the reaction on the surfaces and their relative velocity to be non-linear. This effect is significant for conditions where the Reynolds number based upon the distance between the surfaces and their rclative velocity is greater than unity. The results obtained should be of interest in connection with the study of the performance of transiently loaded bearings in reciprocating engines, arid a possible application in the field of chemical engineering might arise in connection with the phenomenon of adhesion.
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