Turbulent ow

PHYSICS

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T urbulent ow, type of uid (gas or liquid) ow in which the uid undergoes irregular uctuations, or mixing, in
contrast to laminar ow, in which the uid moves in smooth paths or layers. In turbulent ow the speed of the uid at
a point is continuously undergoing changes in both magnitude and direction. The ow of wind and rivers is generally
turbulent in this sense, even if the currents are gentle. The air or water swirls and eddies while its overall bulk moves
along a specic direction.

Turbulent ow of a boat wake.

Entheta

Most kinds of uid ow are turbulent, except for laminar ow at the leading edge of solids moving relative to uids or
extremely close to solid surfaces, such as the inside wall of a pipe, or in cases of uids of high viscosity (relatively great
sluggishness) owing slowly through small channels. Common examples of turbulent ow are blood ow in arteries,
oil transport in pipelines, lava ow, atmosphere and ocean currents, the ow through pumps and turbines, and the
ow in boat wakes and around aircraft-wing tips.

LEARN MORE in these related articles:

uid mechanics: Turbulence

science concerned with the response of uids to forces exerted upon them. It is a branch
of classical physics with applications of great importance in hydraulic and aeronautical
engineering, chemical engineering, meteorology, and zoology.
READ MORE

laminar ow
type of uid (gas or liquid) ow in which the uid travels smoothly or in regular paths, in
contrast to turbulent ow, in which the uid undergoes irregular uctuations and mixing. In
laminar ow, sometimes called streamline ow, the velocity, pressure, and other ow
properties at each...
READ MORE

in ice in lakes and rivers: Ice particles

The formation of ice in rivers is more complex than in lakes, largely because of the
effects of water velocity and turbulence. As in lakes, the surface temperature drops in
response to cooling by the air above. Unlike lakes, however, the turbulent mixing in
rivers causes the entire water depth to cool uniformly even after its temperature has
fallen below the temperature of maximum density...
READ MORE

MORE ABOUT turbulent ow

7 REFERENCES FOUND IN BRITANNICA ARTICLES

Assorted References

major reference (in uid mechanics: Turbulence)

boundary layer (in boundary layer)

contrast to laminar ow (in laminar ow)

eddies (in eddy)

Reynolds number (in Reynolds number)

river ice (in ice in lakes and rivers: Ice particles)

streamlining (in streamlining)

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