turbulence

     

In flui dynamics, turbulence or turbulent flow is a fluid regime characterized by chaotic, stochastic property changes. This includes low momentum diffusion, high momentum convection, and rapid variation of pressure and velocity in space and time. Flow that is not turbulent is called laminar flow. The (dimensionless) Reynolds number characterizes whether flow conditions lead to laminar or turbulent flow; e.g. for pipe flow, a Reynolds number above about 4000 (A Reynolds number between 2100 and 4000 is known as transitional flow) will be turbulent. At very low speeds the flow is laminar, i.e., the flow is smooth (though it may involve vortices on a large scale). As the speed increases, at some point the transition is made to turbulent flow. In turbulent flow, unsteady vortices appear on many scales and interact with each other. Drag due to boundary layer skin friction increases. The structure and location of boundary layer separation often changes, sometimes resulting in a reduction of overall drag. Because laminar-turbulent transition is governed by Reynolds number, the same transition occurs if the size of the object is gradually increased, or the viscosity of the fluid is decreased, or if the density of the fluid is increased.

Trivia about turbulence

  • (Sarah of the Clue Crew sits in a flight simulator.) The simulator is on stilts & uses hydrolic power to create a very realistic version of this condition defined as the random fluctuations of a fluid such as air
  • A bumpy plane ride is usually caused by this irregular motion of air, sometimes "clear air"
  • (Jon of the Clue Crew presents from the NCPA at Mississippi)To reduce jet engine noise, scientists study this type of air movement; it's also what your pilot might say you're about to hit, so buckle up
  • Instability in the atmosphere that means it's time to buckle your airplane seatbelt
  • Pilots are leery of CAT, or clear-air this, which often occurs over mountains & around thunderstorms

Found pages about turbulence