Featuresof velocity distribution in a turbulent flow

Abstract

In this article the questions of kinematic structure of steady turbulent flow near a solid boundary are considered. It has been established that due to friction the value of the local Reynolds number decreases and always becomes smaller than the critical value of the Reynolds number, which leads to formation of viscous flow near a wall. Velocity profiles for the area of viscous flow with constant and variable shear stress are obtained. The experimental investigations of different authors showed that in this area the flow is of unsteady character, where viscous flow occurs intermittently with turbulent flow. With increasing distance from the wall the flow becomes fully turbulent. In the area where generation and dissipation of turbulence are very intensive, there is a developed turbulent flow with increasing distance from the wall. Dissipation of turbulence is an action of viscous force. The logarithmic velocity profile was obtained by L. Prandtl disregarding the viscous component and the linear variation of the shear stress in the depth flow. The profile parameters C and k were determined from Nikuradze’s experiments. The detailed investigations of Nikuradze’s experiments established the part of the flow where the logarithmic velocity profile is correctly confirmed.This part of the flow was called “Prandtl layer”. The measured velocity distribution above this layer deviates in the direction of greater values. Processing of experimental data revealed that the thickness of the “Prandtl layer”, normalized to the radius of a pipe, depend on a drag coefficient. The formula for determining the thickness of the “Prandtl layer” with the known value of the drag coefficient is obtained. It is shown that the thickness of “Prandtl layer” almost coincides with the boundary layer displacement thickness formed on the wall of the pipe.