Turbulent Flow

Experimental Data and Results

Height (in)

Pressure Difference (KPa)

0.005
0.010
0.015
0.020
0.025
0.030
0.035
0.040
0.045
0.050
0.055
0.060
0.065
0.070
0.075
0.080
0.085
0.100
0.110
0.120
0.130
0.150
0.160
0.180
0.200
0.250
0.300
0.500
1.650

Real Pressure Difference (KPa) Stream Velocity (m/s) Height (m)

0.60
0.120
14.261
0.70
0.140
15.404
0.75
0.150
15.945
0.79
0.158
16.364
0.82
0.164
16.672
0.84
0.168
16.874
0.88
0.176
17.272
0.90
0.180
17.467
0.92
0.184
17.660
0.95
0.190
17.945
0.97
0.194
18.133
1.00
0.200
18.411
1.02
0.204
18.595
1.05
0.210
18.866
1.07
0.214
19.045
1.09
0.218
19.222
1.11
0.222
19.398
1.15
0.230
19.744
1.19
0.238
20.085
1.23
0.246
20.419
1.26
0.252
20.667
1.31
0.262
21.073
1.35
0.270
21.392
1.40
0.280
21.785
1.45
0.290
22.170
1.53
0.306
22.774
1.56
0.312
22.996
1.56
0.312
22.996
1.56
0.312
22.996

Height vs Velocity
0.00700
0.00600

Height (m)

0.00500
0.00400
0.00300
0.00200
0.00100
0.00000
12.000

14.000

16.000

18.000
Velocity (m/s)

20.000

22.000

24.000

0.00013
0.00025
0.00038
0.00051
0.00064
0.00076
0.00089
0.00102
0.00114
0.00127
0.00140
0.00152
0.00165
0.00178
0.00191
0.00203
0.00216
0.00254
0.00279
0.00305
0.00330
0.00381
0.00406
0.00457
0.00508
0.00635
0.00762
0.01270
0.04191

Theoretical prediction of Height gradient vs Velocity gradient distribution

Free stream velocity (m/s) Boundary layer thickness (m)

Height (m)
23
0.00635

0.00013
0.00025
0.00038
0.00051
0.00064
0.00076
0.00089
0.00102
0.00114
0.00127
0.00140
0.00152
0.00165
0.00178
0.00191
0.00203
0.00216
0.00254
0.00279
0.00305
0.00330
0.00381
0.00406
0.00457
0.00508
0.00635

Normalised Velocity
Normalised Height
0.457
0.02
0.525
0.04
0.570
0.06
0.603
0.08
0.631
0.10
0.654
0.12
0.675
0.14
0.693
0.16
0.710
0.18
0.725
0.20
0.739
0.22
0.752
0.24
0.764
0.26
0.775
0.28
0.786
0.30
0.796
0.32
0.806
0.34
0.833
0.40
0.849
0.44
0.863
0.48
0.877
0.52
0.903
0.60
0.915
0.64
0.936
0.72
0.956
0.80
1.000
1.00

Normalised Height vs Normalised Velocity

1.20

Normalised Height

1.00
0.80
0.60
0.40
0.20
0.00
0.400

0.500

0.600

0.700

0.800

Normalised Velocity

0.900

1.000

1.100

Free Stream Velocity (m/s)

0.99*Free Stream Velocity (m/s)

23

Boundary Layer Thickness (m)

22.77

Normalised Velocity

0.00635

Normalised Height

0.620
0.670
0.693
0.712
0.725
0.734
0.751
0.760
0.768
0.780
0.789
0.801
0.809
0.820
0.828
0.836
0.844
0.859
0.873
0.888
0.899
0.916
0.930
0.947
0.964
0.990
1.000
1.000
1.000

0.02
0.04
0.06
0.08
0.10
0.12
0.14
0.16
0.18
0.20
0.22
0.24
0.26
0.28
0.30
0.32
0.34
0.40
0.44
0.48
0.52
0.60
0.64
0.72
0.80
1.00
1.20
2.00
6.60

Normalised Height vs Normalised Velocity

1.20

Normalised
Height

1.00
0.80
0.60
0.40
0.20
0.00
0.600

0.650

0.700

0.750

0.800

0.850

Normalised Velocity

0.900

0.950

1.000

1.050

Distance from leading edge x Re

(m)x
0.2

Re
315013.7

Theoretical
10001.68

0.01

In the turbulent flow case, the thickness is greater, as a glass paper was attached to the leading edge in order to trip the boundary layer. In addition, as it can be infered from the first table,
the velocity increases more smoothly, as the pitot tube gets further away from the tunnel's bottom surface. The graph is again shifted to the right as it is virtually impossible to measure
the pressure difference from h=0. Sources of errors that were present during the experiment were the fact that the free stream velocity was not constant throughout, there were also
errors in reading the measurements, and also, the temperature of the air inside the lab rose during the 3 hours in which the experiment was held, so the pressure also didn't remain
constant.
The difference between the theoretical prediction of the boundary layer thickness and the experimental value is of -3.9*10*-4, which shows clearly the high accuracy of the conditions in
which the experiment was held.