A unified theory of turbulent flow

Summary A general theory of turbulent flow is applied to incompressible flow in a circular pipe. The theoretical mean velocity distribution is found to be in good agreement with experiment, but there is some discrepancy in the normal stress distribution. The available pressure drop data are used to estimate the value of the apparent wall velocity as a function of Reynolds number and roughness. It is found that the results can be represented by simple expressions which in turn imply simple expressions for the pressure drop as a function of Reynolds number and roughness. However, it has not been possible to derive these results from fundamental considerations. The basis of Reynolds analogy and the application of the theory to channel flow are also discussed.