Problem 5A.1 Pressure drop needed for laminar-turbulent transition.

A fluid with viscosity 18.3 cp and density 1.32 g/cm3 is flowing in a long horizontal tube of radius 1.05 in.
(2.67 cm). For what pressure gradient with the flow become turbulent?
Solution
4
The minimum value of = needed to produce turbulent flow in a long, smooth tube is 2100.
Poiseuille's Law, Equation 2.3-21 holds until this critical Re value, giving,
=

0 4
8

for Re < Recrit

So the pressure gradient needed to initiate the laminar-turbulent transition is:

8
=

4
4
where D=2R and =

Thus,

42

2100

3
4

In a very similar manner, we could also say that with Re= , : = 4 ,

=
Rearranging,

4
8

8
8
8 16 42
=
=

=
=
= 3

4
4
4
4
44 4

With Re=2100, = 18.3 cp and = 1.32 g/cm3 and R=2.67 cm,

4 0.183 / 2 (2100)
=
= 11.2 /3

2.67 2 1.32/2
Unit conversion (see Appendix F),
11.2

0.1
3
/3

105
= 1.1105 /

5A.2 Velocity distribution in turbulent pipe flow

Water is flowing through a long, straight, level run of smooth 6.00 in. i.d. pipe, at a temperature of 68 oF.
The pressure gradient along the length of the pipe is 1.0 psi/mi.
(a) Determine the wall shear stress o in psi (lbf/in. 2) and Pa.
Solution (similar to Example 5.5-2)
=

=
2

1.0 0.25
2 5280

= 2.367105

Convert the units to Pa,

2.367105 (6.8947103 /) = 0.1633 Pa
(b) Assume the flow to be turbulent and determine the radial distances from the pipe wall at which

= 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.7, 0.85, 1.0.

,

Solution
We need some values to solve this problem which can be looked up in numerous places for water at 68 oF.
Here are the values used in this solution:
viscosity = =1.0019x10-3 Pa-s, kinematic viscosity = = 1.0037x10-2 cm2/s = 1. 0037x10-6 m2/s, density =
= 0.9992 g/cm3=0.9992x103 kg/m3.
=

0
=

0.1633 / 2
= 0.01278 /
0.0002103 /3

0.01278 /
=
= 1.273104 1

1. 0037x106 m2 /s
R = 3 inches/(39.37 inches/mi) = 0.0762 mi

At the tube center, + = = 0.0762 1.27104 = 970.

Using this value and looking at Figure 5.5-3 on page 166 of the text, we can determine
As a result we can now calculate the other parameters:
, = 22.7 = 0.290
+ = 22.7

= 22.7.

+
+
=
=

970
We can now tabulate the time-smoothed velocity profile. Extra values of
calculation of the mass flow rate in part (d).

are added to give a better

+ (from Figure 55.3)

0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.85
0.9
1

0
2.27
4.54
6.81
9.08
11.35
13.62
15.89
18.16
19.295
20.43
22.7

0
2.27
4.55
7.3
12
18
27.5
62
170
250
392
970

(c) Plot the complete velocity profile,

y/R
0.0000
0.0023
0.0047
0.0075
0.0124
0.0186
0.0284
0.0639
0.1753
0.2577
0.4041
1.0000

r/R
1.0000
0.9977
0.9953
0.9925
0.9876
0.9814
0.9716
0.9360
0.8250
0.7420
0.5960
0.0000

vs. y/R.

Velocity profile in Problem 5A.2

1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0

Vx/Vz,max

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

(d) Is the assumption of turbulent flow justified?

Solution
To answer this question we need to calculate the Reynolds Number.
We estimate the 0.8 , (0.85)(0.290 /).
So, =

20.0762 0.85 0.290 /

1.0037 10 6 2 /

= 3.7 104 so this is definitely turbulent flow in pipe.

(e) What is the mass flow rate?

Solution
The mean value of + over the flow cross-section is:
+ =

+ /

Applying the trapezoidal quadrature to the values calculated in part (b), we get the following:
1
0

+ /

0 + 2.27
2.27 + 4.54
1.02 0.99772 +
0. 99772 0.99532
2
2
4.54 + 6.81
6.81 + 9.08
+
0.99532 0.99252 +
0.99252 0.98762
2
2
9.08 + 11.35
11.35 + 13.62
+
0.98762 0.98142 +
0.98142 0.97162
2
2
13.62 + 15.89
15.89 + 18.16
+
0.97162 0.9362 +
0.9362 0.8252
2
2
18.16 + 19.30
19.30 + 20.43
+
0. .8252 0. .7422 +
0.7422 0.5962
2
2
20.43 + 22.70
+
0.5962 0.02 = 18.8 /
2

So, we can no calculate = + = (18.8)(0.01278 /) = 0.241 /

And,
= 2 = (0.0762)2 (999.2 /3 )(0.241 /) = 4.4 / = 9.7 /