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Dimensionless Numbers & Their Application
Dimensionless Numbers & Their Application
The concept was introduced by Gabriel Stokes in 1851. But Reynolds number is named after Osborne Reynolds who popularized its use in 1883.
Definition
Reynolds Number is a dimensionless number that gives a measure of the ratio of inertial forces to viscous forces.
inertialforces Re viscousforces
Mathematical form:
Re
Dup
D= diameter of the pipe u= velocity of the fluid p= density of the fluid = viscosity of the fluid
It is primarily used to analyze different flow regimes namely laminar, turbulent or both. If
Re<2100 2100<Re<4000 Re>4000 Flow of fluid is Laminar Transition Flow Flow is turbulent
Ar
gL3 pl ( p pl )
Where
g=gravitational acceleration (9.8 m/s2). l = density of the fluid. = density of the body. = dynamic viscosity. L = characteristic length of body.
It is used to determine the motion of fluid due to density differences When analyzing potentially mixed convection of a liquid, the Archimedes number parameterizes the relative strength of free and forced convection.
When Ar>> 1 natural convection dominates, i.e. less dense bodies rise and denser bodies sink, when Ar<< 1 forced convection dominates
Where
g = acceleration due to Earths gravity = volumetric thermal expansion coefficient Ts = surface temperature T = bulk temperature L = length ofchoosen scale
v= Kinematic viscosity
For Pipe
g (TS T) D 3 GrD v2
Where
g = acceleration due to Earths gravity. = volumetric thermal expansion coefficient. Ts = surface temperature. T = bulk temperature. D = diameter of chosen scale.
v = Kinematic Viscosity
It used in analyzing the velocity distribution in free convection systems. When Gr >> 1, the viscous force is negligible compared to the buoyancy and inertial forces. When buoyant forces overcome the viscous forces, the flow starts a transition to the turbulent. At higher Grashof numbers, the boundary layer is turbulent; at lower Grashof numbers, the boundary layer is laminar.
Where
M is the Mach number, v is the velocity of the source relative to the medium. vsound is the speed of sound in the medium.
The Mach number can be used to determine if a flow can be treated as an incompressible flow. If M < 0.20.3 and the flow is steady, compressibility effects will be small and fluid is incompressible. The Mach number is commonly used both with objects traveling at high speed in a fluid, and with high-speed fluid flows inside channels such as nozzles
If
Mach no =1 then condition is sonic Mach no <1 then condition is subsonic Mach no 1.2-5 then condition is supersonic
Pr
Cp k
Where
The prandtl number controls the relative thickness of the momentum and thermal boundary layer. When Pr is small, it means that the heat diffuses very quickly compared to the velocity.