Temperature and Velocity Distribution in Non-Uniform Turbulent Flow

Citation

Berry, Virgil Jennings (1951) Temperature and Velocity Distribution in Non-Uniform Turbulent Flow. Dissertation (Ph.D.), California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/KVQC-DV23. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechETD:etd-03192009-111248

Abstract

As part of a series of investigations of the relative rates of transfer of heat and momentum in a turbulent air stream, measurements were made of temperature and air speed distributions in the wake of an 0.0318 inch diameter steel cylinder. The cylinder was electrically heated and was mounted transverse to a two-dimensional, turbulently flowing air stream. Vertical traverses were made at seven stations downstream from the cylinder at each of three bulk air speeds. The data are presented in both graphical and tabular form. Measurements were also made, of the rate of heat transfer from the cylinder as a function of average cylinder surface temperature.

The analytical problem of predicting temperature and air speed profiles downstream from a heated cylinder is considered, and a number of simple correlations are derived. These correlations are shown to describe the data with accuracy, and are extended to the prediction of temperatures in the wake of a large heated cylinder and in-the wake of a heated sphere, and to the prediction of concentrations in a turbulent diffusion flame apparatus. Agreement with experiment is excellent.

An electric analog computer was used to calculate temperature distributions in a uniformly flowing turbulent air stream for three different sets of temperature boundary conditions. The resulting profiles compare favorably with available experimental data.

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