On the universality of the velocity profiles of a turbulent flow in an axially rotating pipe

If a fluid enters an axially rotating pipe, it receives a tangential component of velocity from the moving wall, and the flow pattern change according to the rotational speed. A flow relaminarization is set up by an increase in the rotational speed of the pipe. It will be shown that the tangential- and the axial velocity distribution adopt a quite universal shape in the case of fully developed flow for a fixed value of a new defined rotation parameter. By taking into account the universal character of the velocity profiles, a formula is derived for describing the velocity distribution in an axially rotating pipe. The resulting velocity profiles are compared with measurements of Reich 10] and generally good agreement is found.Nomenclature b constant, equation (34) - D pipe diameter - l mixing length - l ₀ mixing length in a non-rotating pipe - N rotation rate,N=Re /Re _D - p pressure - R pipe radius - Re _D flow-rate Reynolds number, - Re rotational Reynolds number, Re =v _w D/ - Re* Reynolds number based on the friction velocity, Re*=v*R/ - (Re*)₀ Reynolds number based on the friction velocity in a non-rotating pipe - Ri Richardson number, equation (10) - r coordinate in radial direction - dimensionless coordinate in radial direction, - v _r ,v ,v _z time mean velocity components - v _r ,v ,v _z velocity fluctations - v _w tangential velocity of the pipe wall - v* friction velocity, - axial mean velocity - v _ZM maximum axial velocity - dimensionless radial distance from pipe wall, - y ⁺ dimensionless radial distance from pipe wall - y ₁ ⁺ constant - Z rotation parameter,Z =v _w/v _* =N Re _D /2Re* - _m eddy viscosity - ( _m )₀ eddy viscosity in a non-rotating pipe - coefficient of friction loss - von Karman constant - ₁ constant, equation (31) - density - dynamic viscosity - kinematic viscosity