VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY – HO CHI MINH CITY

INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF
Civil Engineering & Management

—------------------------------------------------------------------------

EXPERIMENT 2: REYNOLDS NUMBER AND

TRANSITIONAL FLOW
Group Number: 3

No. Name ID Contribution

1 La Nhật Khanh (leader) BTCEIU21091 100%

2 Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân BTCEIU21100 100%

3 Trần Thị Trúc Nhi BTCEIU21108 100%

Academic year: 2023 – 2024

Date of Experiment: 27/05/2024

 Table of Contents
I. INTRODUCTION·········································································2
a) OBJECTIVE··············································································· 2
b) THEORY AND EXPERIMENTAL APPARATUS········································2
THEORY··················································································· 2
EXPERIMENTAL APPARATUS··························································5
c) METHOD················································································· 7
II. PROCEDURE············································································· 7
III. RESULTS, DISCUSSION, AND CONCLUSION·······································10
RESULTS················································································ 11
DISCUSSION············································································15
CONCLUSION·········································································· 15
IV. REFERENCE·············································································16

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 EXPERIMENT 2: REYNOLDS NUMBER AND TRANSITIONAL FLOW
I. INTRODUCTION

a) Objective

The objective of an experiment on Reynolds number and transitional flow is to

investigate the behavior of fluid flow as it transitions between laminar and turbulent
regimes based on the Reynolds number. This involves understanding the concept of
Reynolds number and its significance in fluid mechanics, identifying the critical
Reynolds number at which the transition occurs, designing and setting up an
experimental apparatus to control flow conditions, collecting data on flow
characteristics at different Reynolds numbers, analyzing the data to identify trends
and correlations, discussing the results in the context of fluid mechanics principles,
and making recommendations for further study. The experiment aims to provide
insights into the factors influencing transitional flow and its implications for practical
applications in fluid transport and aerodynamics.

b) Theory and Experimental Apparatus

Theory:

Consider the case of a fluid moving along a fixed surface such as the wall of a pipe. At
some distance y from the surface the fluid has a velocity u relative to the surface. The
relative movement causes a shear stress  which tends to slow down the motion so that
the velocity close to the wall is reduced below u. It can be shown that the shear stress
produces a velocity gradient du/dy which is proportional to the applied stress. The
constant of proportionality is the coefficient of viscosity and the equation is usually
written:
du
  (1)
dy

Equation (1) is derived in most textbooks and represents a model of a situation in which
layers of fluid move smoothly over one another. This is termed 'viscous' or 'laminar' flow.
For such conditions experiments show that Equation (1) is valid and that  is a constant
for a given fluid at a given temperature.
It may be noted that the shear stress and the velocity gradient have a fixed relationship,
which is determined only by the viscosity of the fluid. However, experiments also show
that this only applies at low viscosities. If the velocity increases above a certain value,
small disturbances produce eddies in the flow causing mixing between the high energy

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and low energy layers of fluid. This is called turbulent flow and under these conditions it
is found that the relationship between shear stress and velocity gradient varies
depending on many factors in addition to the viscosity of the fluid. The nature of the
flow is entirely different since the interchange of energy between the layers now
depends on the strength of the eddies (and thus on the inertia of the fluid) rather than
simply on the viscosity. Equation (1) still applies but the coefficient  no longer
represents the viscosity of the fluid. It is now called the 'Eddy Viscosity' and is no longer
constant for a given fluid and temperature. Its value depends on the upstream
conditions in the flow and is much greater than the coefficient of viscosity for the fluid.
It may be noted that this implies an increase in shear stress for a given velocity and so
the losses in the flow are much greater than for laminar conditions.
What, then, determines whether the flow will be laminar or turbulent in a given
situation? We have seen that laminar flow is the result of viscous forces and that
turbulent flow is in some way related to inertia forces. This was realized by Reynolds
who postulated that the nature of flow depended on the ratio of inertia to viscous
forces. This led to the derivation of a non-dimensional variable, now called Reynolds
number - Re - which expresses this ratio.
On physical grounds we may say that the inertia forces are proportional to mass
multiplied by velocity change divided by time. Since mass divided by time is the mass
flow rate and this is equal to density  multiplied by cross sectional area multiplied by
velocity u we may write:

Inertia forces  d 2u.u (2)

Where d is the diameter of the pipe.

Similarly the viscous forces are given by shear stress multiplied by area so, using
Equation (1), we may write:
u 2
Viscous forces  d (3)
d
Dividing the inertia forces by the viscous forces we obtain Reynolds number as:

 d 2u 2  du
Re   (4)
 ud 
The term  /  is called the kinematic viscosity, v, and it is often convenient to write
Equation (4) as:
ud
Re  (5)


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Note that the previous equations can also be derived by dimensional analysis but in
either case it should be remembered that Re represents the ratio of inertia to viscous
forces.
The important discovery made by Reynolds was that for normal flow in a pipe, the
transition between laminar and turbulent flow always occurs at approximately the same
value of Re, irrespective of the fluid and the size of the pipe. This, therefore, enables
prediction of flow conditions in pipes of any size carrying the fluid. It must be
appreciated, however, that there is never a precise point at which transition between
laminar and turbulent flow occurs.
Consider the case of increasing velocity in a pipe. Initially the viscous forces dominate
and the flow is laminar. As velocity increases occasional eddies form but these are quite
quickly damped out by viscous effects. Further increase in velocity is accompanied by an
increase in the number of eddies until a point is reached where the complete flow is
subject to turbulent mixing and can be considered fully turbulent. Transition from fully
laminar to fully turbulent flow may occur interspersed with periods of quite steady
laminar flow. The final transition to fully turbulent flow tends to be more well-defined
since above a certain level of turbulence becomes self-generating and a few
disturbances will set the whole flow into turbulent motion.
Now consider the case of reducing velocity. In this case the turbulent motions tend to
continue until the velocity is below that at which turbulent flow originally started.
Eventually, however, a point is reached when the viscous forces damp out the eddies
and the flow reverts quite quickly to laminar. This behavior can be demonstrated by
flow visualization and also by measuring head losses along pipes.
As an example, Figure 1 shows the variation in head loss with velocity for a smooth pipe.
On increasing the velocity, transition occurs between points A and B, and for decreasing
flow it occurs between points C and D. There is a 'reluctance' of the flow to change from
one condition to the other and this causes the hysteresis show in Figure 1. Generally
point 0 is the most well-defined and it is normally accepted that this transition from
turbulent back to laminar flow occurs at a Reynolds number between 2000 and 2300.
The Reynolds numbers at points A, Band C depend on the entry conditions and
roughness of the pipe. Typically, point may represent a Reynolds number between 2000
and 2500 but if the entry is carefully controlled and the pipe very smooth, laminar flow
may continue up to much higher values. The range over which laminar flow occurs may
be extended by eliminating sources of turbulence but the reverse in not true:
irrespective of the level of turbulence at entry, the flow always returns to laminar below
a Reynolds number of about 2000. Thus it may be said that below this value turbulent
flow cannot exist, but above it the flow may be either laminar or turbulent depending
on the entry conditions.

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 Figure 1. Variation of head loss with velocity for flow along a pipe
This behavior is demonstrated and observed using the Reynolds Number and Turbulent
Flow apparatus. In considering the results it must be remembered that the transition
points are not always clearly defined and that values of Reynolds number must be
expected to vary somewhat from one test to another.

Experimental Apparatus:
The experimental apparatus consists of the following parts:

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 Figure 2. Reynolds number and transitional flow

Figure 3. Schematic diagram of Reynolds number and transitional flow demonstration

apparatus with optional temperature control module

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 c) Method

The experiment on Reynolds number and transitional flow involves careful

planning and execution to investigate the transition from laminar to turbulent flow. It
begins with setting up the apparatus and ensuring instrument calibration for accurate
measurements. Through systematic adjustments of flow parameters, such as velocity
or viscosity, the experiment induces flow transitions while recording data at regular
intervals. Analysis of this data reveals insights into the relationship between Reynolds
number and flow behavior. By comparing results with established theory and
literature, researchers gain a deeper understanding of transitional flow dynamics. The
experiment's conclusions are coupled with recommendations for further research,
highlighting its significance in advancing fluid mechanics knowledge.

II. PROCEDURE
The basic procedure, which can be use for all tests, demonstrates how the
conditions in the pipe vary with flow velocity and that the changes occur over a range of
velocity (and therefore of Reynolds number). The Reynolds number can be calculated
for each condition from the pipe diameter, velocity and the viscosity of water for the
particular temperature of test. Sample calculations are given later in this section. The
basic procedure is as follows:
1) Set up the apparatus, turn on the water supply, and partially open the discharge
valve at the base of the apparatus.
2) Adjust the water supply until the level in the constant head tank is just above the
overflow pipe and is maintained at this level by a small flow down the overflow
pipe. This is the condition required for all tests and at different flow rates
through the tube; the supply will need to be adjust to maintain it. At any given
condition the overflow should only be just sufficient to maintain a constant head
in the tank.
3) Open and adjust the dye injector valve to obtain a fine filament of dye in the
flow down the glass tube. In the dye is dispersed in the tube reduced the water
flow rate by closing the discharge valve and adjusting the supply as necessary to
maintain the constant head. A laminar flow condition should be achieved in
which the filament of dye passes down the complete length of the tube without
disturbance.
4) Slowly increase the flow rate by opening the discharge valve until disturbances
of the dye filament are noted (see Figure 4b). This can be regarded as the
starting point of transition to turbulent flow. Increase the water supply as
required to maintain constant head conditions.

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 5) Record the temperature of the water using the thermometer, then measure the
flow rate by timing the collection of 200 ml quantity of water from the discharge
pipe.
6) Further increase the flow rate as described above until the disturbances increase
such that the dye filament becomes rapidly diffused as shown in Figure 4c. Small
eddies will be note just above the point where the dye filament completely
breaks down. This can be regarded as the onset of fully turbulent flow. Record
the temperature and flow rate as in step (5).
7) Now decrease the flow rate slowly until the dye just returns to a steady filament
representing laminar

Figure 4. Typical flow patterns at various flow conditions

Effect of Varying Viscosity
The viscosity of water varies with the temperature as shown in Figure 5. The variations
are quite large over the range 10 – 40oC and this can be use to demonstrate the effect of
viscosity on the velocities at which transition occurs.

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The temperature may be varied either by using the Temperature Control Module, or by
using an existing hot water supply. The following procedure relates to use of the
temperature control module:
1) Connect the unit as shown in Figure 3. Switch on the electrical supply. Set the
temperature control to MAX. Turn on the water supply. Adjust the flow control
valve on the left of the unit, and the discharge valve on the apparatus, to achieve
turbulent flow conditions in the pipe and a consistent head in the tank. Adjust
the water supply to the unit as necessary to achieve these conditions. This
procedure will ensure that there is adequate flow to cover the required range of
flow rates at any temperature.
2) Adjust the temperature control to obtain the required temperature of water in
the apparatus. Note that the temperature control affects the flow rate. Once the
temperature has been set, the temperature control should not be adjusted;
control of flow rate is achieved by using the flow control valve.
3) When the temperature has stabilized, follow the procedure in the previous
section for determining the flow rate at each transition point. Use the flow
control valve on the temperature control module to control the supply flow to
the apparatus as necessary.
4) The procedure can be repeated for different temperatures by adjusting the
temperature control.

Figure 5. Kinematic viscosity of water at various temperatures

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III. RESULT, DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
Table 1. Collected Data Table

Temp Condition Time for 200 ml (s)

Laminar 6.97
43 Transition 10.01

Turbulent 49.3

Laminar 43.37
32 Transition 20.26

Turbulent 7.9

Laminar 15.8
52 Transition 22.58

Turbulent 7.25

Laminar 37.28

44 Transition 35.12

Turbulent 20.41

Measure and record the diameter of the glass tube: d = 0.02 (m)

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 RESULT:

Time for 200 ml Q (10-6) U v x 10-6

Temp Condition Re
(s) (m3/s) (m/s) (m2/s)

Laminar 6.97 28.7 0.091 0.64 2843.75

43 Transition 10.01 20.0 0.064 0.64 2000.00

Turbulent 49.3 4.06 0.013 0.64 406.25

Laminar 43.37 4.61 0.015 0.78 384.62

32 Transition 20.26 9.87 0.031 0.78 794.87

Turbulent 7.9 25.32 0.081 0.78 2076.92

Laminar 15.8 12.66 0.040 0.54 1481.48

52 Transition 22.58 8.86 0.028 0.54 1037.04

Turbulent 7.25 27.59 0.088 0.54 3259.26

Laminar 37.28 5.36 0.017 0.62 548.39

44 Transition 35.12 5.69 0.018 0.62 580.65

Turbulent 20.41 9.80 0.031 0.62 1000.00

This section provides an explanation of the calculated Flow (Q),

Velocity (U), Kinematic viscosity of water (v) and Reynolds number (Re):

The Flow Rate (Q) is calculated by,

Volume (m3 ) 200 × 10−6
Q= = = 2.87 × 10−5 (m3 /s)
Time (s) 6.97

The Velocity (U) is calculated by,

Q 2.87 × 10−5
U= = = 0.091 (m/s)
A 3.14 × 10−4

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Where:
u: Velocity (m/s)
Q: Flow (m3/s)
d2
A : Area of glass tube (m2)
4

π × (20x10−3 )2
A= = 3.14 × 10−4 (m2 )
4
The Kinematic viscosity of water (v) is taken from the figure 5.
Kinematic viscosity of water at various temperatures, then:
At temperature 43oC: v =0.64 (m2/s)
At temperature 32oC: v =0.78 (m2/s)
At temperature 52oC: v = 0.54 (m2/s)
At temperature 44oC: v =0.62 (m2/s)
Calculate Reynolds number from Equation:
U × d 0.091 × 0.02
Re = = = 2843.75
v 0.64 × 10−6
Where:
Re: Reynolds number
u: Velocity (m/s)
d: Diameter of glass tube (m) d= 20mm = 0.02m
v : Kinematic viscosity of water (m2/s)

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Figure 6. the graph of kinematic viscosity against Reynolds number at 43oc

Figure 7. the graph of kinematic viscosity against Reynolds number at 32oc

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Figure 8. the graph of kinematic viscosity against Reynolds number at 52oc

Figure 9. the graph of kinematic viscosity against Reynolds number at 44oc

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 DISCUSSION:
The equation y=0.00x appears in all charts, likely due to the
gradient's small value. However, the root mean square at 43°C and 32°C
yields a negative result, indicating a lack of fit for this experiment.
Conversely, the root mean square at 52°C and 44°C yields a positive result,
demonstrating the relationship between kinematic viscosity and Reynolds
number. More importantly, the result of the Reynolds number could not be
perfect with the values expected. For example, the Reynolds number of the
laminar must be lower than the transition, and the transition must be lower
than the turbulent. Both of these values must be lower than the turbulent.
There might be plenty of reasons for this, such as the fact that the
experiment was carried out incorrect which can cause it to take an
excessive amount of time to reach the right answer based on the time and
volume, but the temperature also plays a role in the influence that the
Reynolds number result has. It is possible for a lower Reynolds number to
result from a lower temperature because the temperature corresponds to
the value of kinematic viscosity, and a high temperature can create
appropriate values for the Reynolds number. In order to get an exact
determination of the Reynolds number value, it is essential to carry out this
experiment at high temperatures.
CONCLUSION:
The table shows the time for 200 ml of a solution to react under
different conditions. The conditions include temperature (Temp), flow
(Laminar, Transition, Turbulent), and Q, U, v, and Re, which are likely
properties of the fluid flow. The data reveals that reaction time is faster
under turbulent flow conditions and slower under laminar flow conditions,
indicating mixing plays a role in reaction rate. The Reynolds number, a
dimensionless quantity, reflects the transition zone between laminar and
turbulent flow regimes, with laminar flow having a lower Reynolds number
than turbulent flow. We found diverse flow patterns at different Reynolds
numbers using dye injection or particle tracking. The dye dispersed rapidly
in the turbulent regime, indicating chaotic mixing, but it remained in a
smooth, ordered line in the laminar regime. These visual patterns

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confirmed our quantitative results qualitatively. The transition from laminar
to turbulent flow was also affected by surface roughness, flow
perturbations, and test section shape. Controlled experimental
circumstances are needed to accurately determine the crucial Reynolds
number since these factors can alter it. Understanding laminar-turbulent
flow transition has important engineering and fluid dynamics applications.
Laminar flow is essential for low friction losses and heat transfer efficiency,
while turbulent flow improves mixing and momentum transfer. The findings
emphasize the relevance of Reynolds number in fluid dynamics and the
need for exact experimental conditions to witness flow changes. These
findings benefit academic research and engineering applications.

IV. REFERENCE
Figure 4-Kinematic viscosity ν versus temperature T for pure water. (n.d.). ResearchGate.
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Kinematic-viscosity-n-versus-temperature-T-for-
pure-water_fig2_255652109

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