Experimental evidence for the theory of local isotropy

Abstract

Some new measurements of isotropic turbulence produced behind a biplane grid have been made at high Reynolds numbers, and these results are compared with the predictions of the theory of local isotropy developed by A. N. Kolmogoroff. The transverse double-velocity correlation has been measured at mesh Reynolds numbers up to 3·2 × 105, and the observed form agrees well with the predicted form. Measurements of the skewness factor of velocity differences over finite intervals have also been made, and the factor is nearly constant and equal to −0·38, if the interval is small compared with the integral scale. The invariance of dimensionless functions of the velocity derivatives has been confirmed for the flattening factor of ∂u/∂x, namely,which is nearly constant over a wide range of conditions. It is concluded that the theory of local isotropy is substantially correct for isotropic turbulence of high Reynolds number.