Plug flow

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search In fluid mechanics, plug flow is a simple model of the velocity profile of a fluid flowing in a pipe. In plug flow, the velocity of the fluid is assumed to be constant across any cross-section of the pipe perpendicular to the a is of the pipe. !he plug flow model assumes there is no boundary layer ad"acent to the inner wall of the pipe. !he plug flow model has many practical applications. #ne e ample is in the design of chemical reactors. $ssentially no back mi ing is assumed with %plugs% of fluid passing through the reactor. !his results in differential e&uations that need to be integrated to find the reactor conversion and outlet temperatures. #ther simplifications used are perfect radial mi ing and a homogeneous bed structure. 'n advantage of the plug flow model is that no part of the solution of the problem can be perpetuated %upstream%. !his allows one to calculate the e act solution to the differential e&uation knowing only the initial conditions. (o further iteration is re&uired. $ach %plug% can be solved independently provided the previous plug)s state is known.

!he flow model in which the velocity profile consists of the fully developed boundary layer is known as pipe flow. In laminar pipe flow, the velocity profile is parabolic.*+,

Determination of Plug Flow

For flows in pipes, if flow is turbulent then the laminar sublayer caused by the pipe wall is so thin that it is negligible. -lug flow will be achieved if the sublayer thickness is much less than the pipe diameter . //01.

*2,

*3,

where f is the 0arcy friction factor .from the above e&uation or the 4oody 5hart1, is the sublayer thickness, 0 is the pipe diameter, is the density, u6 is the friction velocity .not an actual velocity of the fluid1, is the shear on the wall, and is the pressure loss down the length 7 of the pipe. is the relative roughness of the pipe. In this regime the pressure drop is a result of inertia-dominated turbulent shear stress rather than viscosity-dominated laminar shear stress.