205124446

Transition to Turbulence
Chris Jones

-Experiment Abstract

This experiment aims to find the Reynolds number for which turbulence starts in a
pipe which will provide the difference in the Reynolds number between laminar and
turbulent flow in the pipe in the transition between these flow types. The friction
factor in the pipe will then be calculated as a function of the Reynolds number. Dye
will be injected into the pipe indicating which of three different flow types; laminar,
transitional and turbulent, will be occurring in the pipe. The difference in head will
be read off of a manometer connected to the pipe once a time interval has been
used to measure the time it takes to fill a certain amount in a tube that the pipe will
drain into. This information will then be used to calculate the Reynolds numbers for
each instance, thus providing a Reynolds number for each flow type and allowing a
difference in the Reynolds numbers to be calculated between these flow types and
hence allowing the calculation of a friction factor.

Run 1 2 3 4 5 6

H1 (Cylinder) (cm)

H2 (Cylinder) (cm)

∆t (s)

∆h (manometer)
(cm)

Observation

Laminar

Transitional

Turbulent

Reynolds Number

Friction Factor

Run 7 8 9 10 11 12

H1 (Cylinder) (cm)

H2 (Cylinder) (cm)

∆t (s)

∆h (manometer)
(cm)
205124446
Transition to Turbulence
Chris Jones

Observation

Laminar

Transitional

Turbulent

Reynolds Number

Friction Factor