DEPARTMENT: MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

INSTITUTION: DEDAN KIMATHI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

NAME: KIBET COLLINS

REG NO: E034-01-0941/2017

SIGN:

UNIT: ECH 3201 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY

TASK: REYNOLD’S NUMBER:

 OBJECTIVES
To observe laminar, transitional and turbulent pipe flow.
To determine Reynold’s number for the flows.

ABSTRACT

This was experiment was designed to study the different flow patterns; that is the laminar,
transition and turbulent flows and the application of the Reynold’s number in the flows. We used
different flow rates by collecting different volumes of the fluid at altered times. The discharge
was calculated which aided in the determination of the velocity at the different instants since we
had the area of the pipe. Determination of values above facilitated the determination of the
Reynolds number after the kinematic viscosity was determined. We concluded that at different
velocities or flow rates, the Reynold’s number altered and from the theoretical knowledge of the
Reynold’s value at different rates, we identified the type of flow and the conditions of their
existence. We encountered errors and therefore we found that when determining flow rates,
accurate measurements of the volume and time should be carried simultaneously.

INTRODUCTION
Several dimensionless groups exist during the analysis of fluid mechanics problems. The most
prominent dimensionless group that emerges from these analyses is the Reynolds number, named
after Osborne Reynolds. One problem Reynolds investigated experimentally is the transition of
flow from the orderly kind that we call “laminar flow” “turbulent flow.”
Reynolds published the results of his study and is of great importance in this study. This study
changed the way in which knowledge about the transition between the two types of flows,
namely, laminar and turbulent, is organized. It was known from earlier studies that turbulent
flow occurs in conduits of large cross-sectional dimensions and flows at high velocities, whereas
laminar flow occurs in slow flows in conduits of relatively small cross sectional dimensions.
The role of viscosity and density in affecting the type of motion was not as well-characterized.
In laminar flow, the pressure drop for flow is linear in the average velocity of the fluid, as we
learned earlier, whereas in turbulent flow Reynolds observed that it was approximately
proportional to 1.72 V, where V is the average velocity, in his experiments.
The actual dependence of the pressure drop on the velocity for turbulent flow in circular tubes is
more complicated. For instance the roughness of the interior pipe wall in contact with the fluid
profoundly affects the pressure drop, even if it is so minute as not to be visible to the naked eye.
We shall learn more about this topic soon in this course.

THEORY
Different types of flows exist depending on the type of forces driving or existing within the flow.
Laminar forces occur at low velocities due to the high viscous forces and are considered slow
and occur in a straight line. Dye injected carefully at a point in a laminar pipe flow will be
stretched out by the flow to form a clear well defined line.
Turbulent flows occur at the highest velocities.
Laminar flow or streamline flow in pipes (or tubes) occurs when a fluid flows in parallel layers,
with no disruption between the layers.  At low velocities, the fluid tends to flow without lateral
mixing, and adjacent layers slide past one another like playing cards. There are no cross-currents
perpendicular to the direction of flow, nor eddies or swirls of fluids.  In laminar flow, the motion
of the particles of the fluid is very orderly with all particles moving in straight lines parallel to
the pipe walls.   Any lateral mixing (mixing at right angles to the flow direction) occurs by the
action of diffusion between layers of the liquid.  Diffusion mixing can be slow however if the
diameter of the pipe of tube is small then this diffusive mixing can be very significant.

Turbulent flow is a flow regime characterized by chaotic property changes. This includes rapid
variation of pressure and flow velocity in space and time.  In contrast to laminar flow the fluid no
longer travels in layers and mixing across the tube is highly efficient.  Flows at Reynolds
numbers larger than 4000 are typically (but not necessarily) turbulent, while those at low
Reynolds numbers below 2300 usually remain laminar. Flow in the range of Reynolds numbers
2300 to 4000 and known as transition.

The Reynold’s number

Through careful experimentation, Reynolds established that the change in the nature of the flow
occurs when a certain combination of the parameters in the flow crosses a threshold. Later, this
combination was named the “Reynolds number.” For flow in a circular tube of diameter D at an
average velocity V, the Reynolds number Re is defined as follows;
Re= DV ρ/µ = DV/V
Where v is the kinematic viscosity, u is the mean velocity given in terms of the volume flow rate
and ρ is the density of the liquid.
For circular tubes, the transition from laminar to turbulent flow occurs over a range of Reynolds
numbers from approximately 2,300 to 4,000, regardless of the nature of the fluid or the
dimensions of the pipe or the average velocity. All that matters is that this specific combination
of the parameters, known as the Reynolds number, fall in the range indicated. So, when the
Reynolds number is below 2,300, we can expect the flow to be laminar, and when it is above
approximately 4,000, the flow will be turbulent

APPARATUS
Reynold’s apparatus

PROCEDURE
With the apparatus flow control valve opened slightly, and the bench valve adjusted to produce a
slow trickle through the overflow pipe, the dye control valve was adjusted until a slow flow with
a clear dye indication was achieved. In order to observe the velocity profile in laminar flow, the
bench valve was closed and the dye control valve opened to deposit a drop of dye at the bell
mouth entry. When the outlet control valve was opened, the dye was observed as it deformed to
take up a three dimensional parabolic profile.
The volume flow rate was measured by timed collection, and the outflow temperature measured
(the temperature of the water gathered in the measuring cylinder) The flow rate was increased by
opening the apparatus flow control valve and the dye injections repeated to visualize transitional
flow and then, at the highest flow rates, turbulent flow, as characterized by continuous and very
rapid mixing of the dye. As the test section flow rate was reduced, the bench valve was adjusted
to keep the overflow rate at a low level.

RESULTS

Volume collected Time to collect Temperature

 L 104 14.34 23.0
L170 14.80 23.0
Tr 244 6.15 23.0
Tu 86 2.22 23.0
L 84 5.33 23.0
Tr 160 3.17 23.0
Tu 170 2.24 23.0
Tr 84 2.44 23.0
Tu 202 1.94 23.0

DATA ANALYSIS
Diameter of the pipe = 0.01m
Area = πd2/4 = π*0*01*0*01/4= 7.854*10-5m2
Density = 1000kg/m3
Q= V/T
Q= 0.000104/14.34= 7.2524*10-6M3/S

Therefore, to find velocity, we use continuity equation;

Q=AU
U = (7.2524*10-6M3/S)/( 7.854*10-5m2 )
= 0.092341M/S

Kinematic viscosity = Dynamic viscosity/ density

The dynamic viscosity of water at 23 degrees is 0.000931Pa
Therefore, kinematic viscosity= 0.000931/1000= 0.000000931 m2/s

Reynolds number therefore =

From the above calculations, the methodology was conceptualized and Reynold number
determined for the different volumes collected per time and the results below obtained;
 Time
Volume to Temperature Kinematic Reynolds
Q A Velocity Density
collected collec Q velocity number
t
0.0001 14.34 23 7.25244E-06 0.00007854 0.092341 0.000000931 1000 991.8445
0.00017 14.8 23 1.14865E-05 0.00007854 0.14625 9.31E-07 1000 1570.893
0.00024 6.15 23 3.96748E-05 0.00007854 0.505154 9.31E-07 1000 5425.929
0.00038738
0.00086 2.22 23 0.00007854 9.31E-07
7 4.932358 1000 52979.14
8.4E-05 5.33 23 1.57598E-05 0.00007854 0.20066 9.31E-07 1000 2155.319
0.00016 3.17 23 5.04732E-05 0.00007854 0.642643 9.31E-07 1000 6902.718
0.00017 2.24 23 7.58929E-05 0.00007854 0.966296 9.31E-07 1000 10379.12
8.4E-05 2.44 23 3.44262E-05 0.00007854 0.438327 9.31E-07 1000 4708.135
0.00010412
0.0002 1.94 23 0.00007854 9.31E-07
4 1.325741 1000 14239.97

DISCUSSION
Reynold’s number is a ratio of inertial and viscous forces in a fluid. Viscosity is the resistance to
flow which is resistance to shear stress between the layers. From the results above, several levels
of flows had Reynolds number of less than 2100 and others more than 4000. Laminar flows
occurred at Reynold’s number of less than 2100 and turbulent flows occurred in flows of more
than 4000. Transitional flow prevailed in numbers ranging between the two figures.
Measurements of volume with respect to time should be done simultaneously. This is to provide
the exact discharge required and subsequently the velocity of the flow regiment. In this
experiment, the diameter of the pipe was kept constant.

We discovered that calculation of the Reynold’s number aids in the determination of how much
energy loss could occur in the pipe.

In the experiment, the values obtained were not expected since fluid flow is generally chaotic
and very small errors during volume collection or poor timing led to very different flows
SOURCES OF ERRORS
Several errors were obtained during the experiment. These were instrumental, procedural and
human. There was errors in the procedure which could lead to visible errors in the overall
experiment. The instrumental errors arose from poor calibration and visibility of the
experimental fluid. Poor workmanship was also an error which all led to errors in values which
do not agree with the theoretical or expected results. Such should be avoided in future
experiments.

CONCLUSION
It was concluded that the Reynolds number provides a measure of the conditions or range of
conditions at which a boundary layer becomes turbulent depending on the density, viscosity and
velocity of a fluid in motion with respect to a surface and for a characteristic length defined for
the particular geometry such as a wing surface or the ID of a tube. The turbulent transition may
also depend on surface roughness. Reynold’s number is an important dimensionless quantity in
fluid mechanics used to predict flow patterns in different flow situations. Laminar flows exist at
low Reynold’s number while turbulent flows occur at high Reynold’s number. Reynold’s
number has different applications. It is used to predict transition from laminar to turbulent flows
in pipes and is og great significance in scaling piping systems. The ability to predict the onset of
turbulence and calculations easily facilitates the knowledge of the behavior of fluids during flow
and helps during design processes.

REFERENCES

Munson, B.R. (2006). Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics (5 ed.). Hoboken, NJ:

Wiley & Sons.
https://www.johnmorrisgroup.com/AU/Product/91454/Dwyer-490-2-WetWet-
Handheld-Digital-Manometer-0-to-30-psi
https://www.sensorsmag.com/components/manometer-basics
https://www.astro.rug.nl/weygaert/tim1publication/astrohydro2014/astrohydro2014