Turbulent Flow

(noun)

The motion of a fluid having local velocities and pressures that fluctuate randomly.

Related Terms

Examples of Turbulent Flow in the following topics:

  • Turbulence Explained

    • It is possible to predict if flow will be laminar or turbulent.
    • The phenomenon of turbulent air flow must be accounted for in many applications.
    • When flow is turbulent, particles exhibit additional transverse motion.
    • In the transition region, the flow can oscillate chaotically between laminar and turbulent flow.
    • Turbulent flow is visible around the bridge supports of the Longtown bridge.

  • Poiseuille's Equation and Viscosity

    • This is generally split into two categories, laminar and turbulent flow.
    • Turbulent flow is characterized by irregular flow of a fluid in which there are both inconsistent flow patterns and velocity variations throughout the volume of the fluid in motion.
    • Analysis of turbulent flow can be very complex and often requires advanced mathematical analysis to simulate flow in systems on a near case-by-case basis.
    • At the lower limit of this mixed turbulent–laminar flow Reynolds number region there is another critical threshold value, below which only laminar flow is possible.
    • Laminar flow consists of a regular-flow pattern with constant-flow velocity throughout the fluid volume and is much easier to analyze than turbulent flow.

  • Factors Affecting Pulmonary Ventilation: Airway Resistance

    • The air that flows through the lungs varies considerably in the properties of the flow of air.
    • The air flow can either be turbulant, transitional or laminar based on the airway.
    • Turbulent flow is disorganized distribution of the layers of air and tends to occur in larger airways and places where the airways branch, and has a higher resistance.
    • Transitional flow occurs in places that branch within smaller airways, in which the air flow becomes in between laminar and turbulent flow and has moderate resistance.
    • Turbulent flow (b) has disorganized layers and high resistance.

  • Motionof an Object in a Viscous Field

    • Just as with flow in tubes, it is possible to predict when a moving object creates turbulence.
    • The transition to turbulent flow occurs for N′R between 1 and about 10, depending on surface roughness and so on.
    • For an N′R between 10 and 10^6, the flow may be either laminar or turbulent and may oscillate between the two.
    • For N′R greater than about 10^6, the flow is entirely turbulent, even at the surface of the object.
    • (b) At a higher speed, the flow becomes partially turbulent, creating a wake starting where the flow lines separate from the surface.

  • Flow Rate and Velocity

    • These factors affect fluid velocity depending on the nature of the fluid flow—particularly whether the flow is turbulent or laminar in nature.
    • In the case of turbulent flow, the flow velocity is complex in nature and thus hard to predict; it must be analyzed on a system per system basis.
    • In the case of Laminar flow, however, fluid flow is much simpler and flow velocity can be accurately calculated using Poiseuille's Law.
    • The magnitude of the fluid flow velocity is the fluid flow speed.
    • This figure shows the relation between flow velocity and volumetric flow rate.

  • Heart Murmurs

    • Heart murmurs are pathologic heart sounds indicative of valve and blood flow abnormalities.
    • Heart murmurs are pathologic heart sounds that are produced as a result of turbulent flow of blood sufficient to produce audible noise.
    • The term murmur only refers to a sound believed to originate within blood flow through or near the heart; rapid blood velocity is necessary to produce a murmur.
    • Murmurs may also be the result of various problems, such as narrowing or leaking of valves, or the presence of abnormal passages through which blood flows in or near the heart.
    • The general rule of thumb is that the sound radiates in the direction of the blood flow.

  • Checking Circulation

    • When blood just starts to flow in the artery, the turbulent flow creates a "whooshing" or pounding (first Korotkoff sound).

  • Accretion Disks

    • Around this radius, the accretion flow must make a transition between a spherical inflow and a disk.
    • It is likely that accretion disks are turbulent magnifying the effects of small-scale viscosity to larger scales.
    • However, without simulating the turbulence directly, it is difficult to estimate the effective viscosity.

  • A Virtuous Citizenry

    • This I should consider as the nearest approach to a pure republic, which is practicable on a large scale of country or population ... we may say with truth and meaning, that governments are more or less republican as they have more or less of the element of popular election and control in their composition; and believing, as I do, that the mass of the citizens is the safest depository of their own rights, and especially, that the evils flowing from the duperies of the people, are less injurious than those from the egoism of their agents, I am a friend to that composition of government which has in it the most of this ingredient. "
    • In New England, Adams noted, "even the Farmers and Tradesmen are addicted to Commerce. " As a result, there was "a great Danger that a Republican Government would be very factious and turbulent there. "

  • Heat as Energy Transfer

    • The misconception arises because we are sensitive to the flow of heat, rather than the temperature.
    • Gravitational potential energy (PE) (work done by the gravitational force) is converted into kinetic energy (KE), and then randomized by viscosity and turbulence into increased average kinetic energy of atoms and molecules in the system, producing a temperature increase.