Streamline flow

Streamline flow in fluids is defined as the flow in which the fluids flow in parallel layers such that there is no
disruption or intermixing of the layers and at a given point, the velocity of each fluid particle passing by re -
mains constant with time. Here, at low fluid velocities, there are no turbulent velocity fluctuations and the
fluid tends to flow without lateral mixing. Here, the motion of particles of the fluid follows a particular order
with respect to the particles moving in a straight line parallel to the wall of the pipe such that the adjacent
layers slide past each other like playing cards.
A streamline flow or laminar flow is defined as one in which there are no turbulent velocity fluctuations. In
consequence, the only agitation of the fluid particles occurs at a molecular level. In this case the fluid flow
can be represented by a streamline pattern defined within an Eulerian description of the flow field. These
streamlines are drawn such that, at any instant in time, the tangent to the streamline at any one point in space
is aligned with the instantaneous velocity vector at that point. In a steady flow, this streamline pattern is
identical to the flow-lines or path-lines which describe the trajectory of the fluid particles within a La-
grangian description of the flow field, whereas in an unsteady flow this equivalence does not arise.
The definition of a streamline is such that at one instant in time streamlines cannot cross; if one streamline
forms a closed curve, this represents a boundary across which fluid particles cannot pass. Although a stream -
line has no associated cross-sectional area, adjacent streamlines may be used to define a so-called stream -
tube. This concept is widely used in fluid mechanics since the flow within a given streamtube may be treated
as if it is isolated from the surrounding flow. As a result, the conservation equations may be applied to the
flow within a given streamtube, and consequently the streamline pattern provides considerable insight into
the velocity and pressure changes. For example, if the streamlines describing an incompressible fluid flow
converge (i.e. the cross-sectional area of the streamtube contracts), this implies that the velocity increases
and the associated pressure reduces.
Figures 1a and 1b describe two well known examples of streamline flow. These and other cases are further
examined by Batchlor (1967) and Duncan et al. (1970).

Streamlines are defined as the path taken by particles of fluid under steady flow conditions. If we represent
the flow lines as curves, then the tangent at any point on the curve gives the direction of the fluid velocity at
that point.
As can be seen in the image above, the curves describe how the fluid particles move with respect to time.
The curve provides a map for the flow of this given fluid, and for a steady flow. This map is stationary with
time i.e., every particle passing a point behaves exactly like the previous particle that has just passed that
point.
The streamlines in a laminar flow follow the equation of continuity, i.e., Av = constant, where, A is the
cross-sectional area of the fluid flow, and v is the velocity of the fluid at that point. Av is defined as the vol -
ume flux or the flow rate of the fluid, which remains constant for steady flow. When the area of the cross-
section is greater, the velocity of the liquid is lesser and vice versa.

Turbulent Flow

In fluid dynamics, turbulence or turbulent flow is fluid motion characterized by chaotic changes in pressure
and flow velocity. It is in contrast to a laminar flow, which occurs when a fluid flows in parallel layers, with
no disruption between those layers.[1]
Turbulence is commonly observed in everyday phenomena such as surf, fast flowing rivers, billowing storm
clouds, or smoke from a chimney, and most fluid flows occurring in nature or created in engineering applica -
tions are turbulent.[2][3]:2 Turbulence is caused by excessive kinetic energy in parts of a fluid flow, which
overcomes the damping effect of the fluid's viscosity. For this reason turbulence is commonly realized in low
viscosity fluids. In general terms, in turbulent flow, unsteady vortices appear of many sizes which interact
with each other, consequently drag due to friction effects increases. This increases the energy needed to
pump fluid through a pipe.
The onset of turbulence can be predicted by the dimensionless Reynolds number, the ratio of kinetic energy
to viscous damping in a fluid flow. However, turbulence has long resisted detailed physical analysis, and the
interactions within turbulence create a very complex phenomenon. Richard Feynman has described turbu-
lence as the most important unsolved problem in classical physics.

Some examples of turbulent flow are

• Most of the terrestrial atmospheric circulation.

• The oceanic and atmospheric mixed layers and intense oceanic currents.
• The flow conditions in many industrial equipment (such as pipes, ducts, precipitators, gas scrubbers,
dynamic scraped surface heat exchangers, etc.) and machines (for instance, internal combustion en-
gines and gas turbines).

Turbulence is characterized by the following features:

Irregularity
Turbulent flows are always highly irregular. For this reason, turbulence problems are normally treated statis-
tically rather than deterministically. Turbulent flow is chaotic. However, not all chaotic flows are turbulent.
Diffusivity
The readily available supply of energy in turbulent flows tends to accelerate the homogenization (mixing) of
fluid mixtures. The characteristic which is responsible for the enhanced mixing and increased rates of mass,
momentum and energy transports in a flow is called “diffusivity".
Onset of turbulence

The plume from this candle flame goes from laminar to turbulent. The Reynolds number can be used to pre -
dict where this transition will take place

The onset of turbulence can be, to some extent, predicted by the Reynolds number, which is the ratio of iner-
tial forces to viscous forces within a fluid which is subject to relative internal movement due to different
fluid velocities, in what is known as a boundary layer in the case of a bounding surface such as the interior of
a pipe. A similar effect is created by the introduction of a stream of higher velocity fluid, such as the hot
gases from a flame in air. This relative movement generates fluid friction, which is a factor in developing
turbulent flow. Counteracting this effect is the viscosity of the fluid, which as it increases, progressively in -
hibits turbulence, as more kinetic energy is absorbed by a more viscous fluid. The Reynolds number quanti -
fies the relative importance of these two types of forces for given flow conditions, and is a guide to when tur -
bulent flow will occur in a particular situation.[16]
This ability to predict the onset of turbulent flow is an important design tool for equipment such as piping
systems or aircraft wings, but the Reynolds number is also used in scaling of fluid dynamics problems, and is
used to determine dynamic similitude between two different cases of fluid flow, such as between a model
aircraft, and its full size version. Such scaling is not always linear and the application of Reynolds numbers
to both situations allows scaling factors to be developed. A flow situation in which the kinetic energy is sig-
nificantly absorbed due to the action of fluid molecular viscosity gives rise to a laminar flow regime. For this
the dimensionless quantity the Reynolds number (Re) is used as a guide.
With respect to laminar and turbulent flow regimes:
• laminar flow occurs at low Reynolds numbers, where viscous forces are dominant, and is character-
ized by smooth, constant fluid motion;
• turbulent flow occurs at high Reynolds numbers and is dominated by inertial forces, which tend to
produce chaotic eddies, vortices and other flow instabilities.
The Reynolds number is defined as[17]
Re=ρvL/μ,
where:
 • ρ is the density of the fluid (SI units: kg/m3)
• v is a characteristic velocity of the fluid with respect to the object (m/s)
• L is a characteristic linear dimension (m)
• μ is the dynamic viscosity of the fluid (Pa·s or N·s/m2 or kg/(m·s)).
While there is no theorem directly relating the non-dimensional Reynolds number to turbulence, flows at
Reynolds numbers larger than 5000 are typically (but not necessarily) turbulent, while those at low Reynolds
numbers usually remain laminar. In Poiseuille flow, for example, turbulence can first be sustained if the
Reynolds number is larger than a critical value of about 2040; moreover, the turbulence is generally inter-
spersed with laminar flow until a larger Reynolds number of about 4000.
The 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.