One of the most famous and enduring of all fluid dynamics experiments is Osborne Reynolds’ pipe flow experiment, first published in 1883 and recreated in the video above. At the Keep reading
Tag: laminar-turbulent transition
The Boundary Layer Visualized
Any time there is relative motion between a solid and a fluid, a small region near the surface will see a large change in velocity. This region, shown with smoke Keep reading
Transition to Turbulence
Smoke introduced into the boundary layer of a cone rotating in a stream highlights the transition from laminar to turbulent flow. On the left side of the picture, the boundary Keep reading
Osborne Reynolds and Transition
How and when flow through a pipe becomes turbulent has been a conundrum for fluid mechanicians since the days of Osbourne Reynolds (~1870s): Typically, the laminar-to-turbulence transition is studied mathematically Keep reading
Laminar Flow Control
On Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 3:00 EDT NASA engineers are holding an online chat about a current project to achieve laminar flow control on business jet-class airplanes. Keeping flow Keep reading
Three Flows in One
These plumes of smoke demonstrate the three types of fluid flow: laminar, transitional, and turbulent. At the bottom of the photo, the plumes are smooth and orderly, as is typical Keep reading