1

Module 5:
Mass transfer in turbulant flows

Lecture 40:
Turbulent Flow in a Pipe

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

Two methods for applying the concept of the Universal Velocity Profile (UVP) to pipe flow.
a) Assume that UVP applies even though should be zero at the centerline.

2
< u z >= 2 u z r dr
R 0
u+ =

u z + yu* ( R r )u*
, y =
=
with u* = 0

u*
v
v

Then

2 R < uz >
Re =
=4
v

+
ymax

y+
u ( y )[1 + ] dy + (1)
ymax
+

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

With

+
= yr+= 0 =
ymax

Further, since:

0 = f

2 0
1
< uz >2 f =
< uz >2
2

We get

+
ymax
= Re f

(2)

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

Universal Velocity Profile (UVP)

u+ y+

y + < 20

u + 2.5ln y + + 5.5

y + > 20

u + = 2.5ln y + + 5.5
du + 2.5
+ = +
dy
y

du +
2.5
=
|
r =0
+
dy +
ymax
+
0 only if ymax
0, i.e. Re

The velocity profile shows a peak at the center of the pipe and the velocity derivative does
not go to zero there, as it shows

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

Given Re, use UVP and eq. (1) to find ymax+ and find f from eq. (2).
+
ymax

1.6 104

5.2 104

1.58

3.106

107

116

315

815

2366

6349

Re

3000

104

3.104

105

3.105

106

103 f

12.01 7.96

5.91

4.48

3.58

2.88

2.40

1.99

5.8

4.5

3.5

2.8

2.4

2.00

103 f exp. 11

7.6

Now, for pipe flow (for both turbulent and laminar flow)

rz = 0

r
R

u z ( + (t ) ) du +
=
rz = ( + )
0 +
r
dy

(t )

y+
(t ) du + r
(1 +
) + = = 1 +
R
ymax
dy
See Figure 1 below.

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

Therefore, method a) yields (t ) = at the centerline which is unreasonable.

b) Assume that the total viscosity is given by Fig. 2 (below) and utilize the actual shear stress
distribution

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

(t ) du +
y+
(1 +
) + = 1 + u+ =
dy
ymax

+
y
+ 1

1+

+
ymax

(t )

dy

+
At various values of ymax
evaluate integral (1) (Method a)) to find Re and then find f again.

The integration using u + just presented should be carried out numerically.

+
ymax

125

333

851

2455

6561

Re

3 103

104

3 104

105

3 105

103 f

13.89

8.85

6.44

4.82

3.83

1.95 104
106
3.05

5.33 104

1.62

3 106

107

2.53

2.10

The gross results are not much different, but (1+(t)/) does not go to zero at r=0. This does not
mean that the total viscosity at the center of the pipe is correct, but it seems that has a more
reasonable value than zero.
See Figures 2 and 3 below.

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering