Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-18T18:49:12.317Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Transition to turbulence in oscillating pipe flow

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 March 2006

P. Merkli
Affiliation:
Institute of Aerodynamics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich
H. Thomann
Affiliation:
Institute of Aerodynamics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich

Abstract

Published results on transition in a Stokes layer indicate a wide range of transition Reynolds numbers. As thermal effects in a resonance tube (Merkli & Thomann 1975) depend on the state of the boundary layer, the transition Reynolds number was determined, and a critical Reynolds number Ac ≈ 400 was found. The observations were made with hot wires and with flow visualization by means of smoke, and provide new details on turbulence in a Stokes layer. With this knowledge an explanation of the large discrepancies between some stability theories and the experiments is suggested. The main point is that turbulence occurs in the form of periodic bursts which are followed by relaminarimtion in the same cycle and do not lead to turbulent flow during the whole cycle.

A further, unexpected result of the present investigation is the discovery of vortex patterns superimposed on the normal laminar acoustic motion.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 1975 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Chester W. 1964 Resonant oscillations in closed tubes. J. Fluid Mech. 18, 44.Google Scholar
Collins J. I. 1963 J. Geophys. Res. 18, 6007.
Kerczek C. VON 1973 On the stability of Stokes layers. Ph.D. thesis, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
Kerczek, C. VON & Davis S. H. 1972 The stability of oscillatory Stokes layers. Studies in Appl. Math. 2, 239.Google Scholar
Li H. 1954 Beach Erosion Board, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, D.C., Tech. Memo. no. 47.
Merkli P. 1973 Theoretische und experimentelle thermoakustische Untersuchungen am kolbengetriebenen Resonanzrohr. Dissertation, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, Zürich, no. 5151.
Merkli, P. & Thomann H. 1975 Thermoacoustic effects in a resonance tube. J. Fluid Mech. (to appear).Google Scholar
Pélissier T. 1973 Mouvement pseudo-péroidique d'une colonne liquide, critéres de transition. Thesis, Université de Provence. (See also C.N.R.S. Rep. A 0 7780.)
Rayleigh Lord 1965 Theory of Sound, vol. 2. Macmillan.
Sergeev S. I. 1966 Fluid oscillations in pipes at moderate Re-numbers. Fluid Dyn. 1, 121.Google Scholar
Vincent G. E. 1957 Proc. Conf. Coastal Engng, vol. 16. University of Florida.