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Estimating the value of von Kármán’s constant in turbulent pipe flow

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 May 2014

S. C. C. Bailey ,
M. Vallikivi ,
M. Hultmark  and
A. J. Smits
S. C. C. Bailey*
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
M. Vallikivi
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
M. Hultmark
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
A. J. Smits
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, VIC 3800, Australia
*
†Email address for correspondence: scbailey@engr.uky.edu
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Abstract

Five separate data sets on the mean velocity distributions in the Princeton University/ONR Superpipe are used to establish the best estimate for the value of von Kármán’s constant for the flow in a fully developed, hydraulically smooth pipe. The profiles were taken using Pitot tubes, conventional hot wires and nanoscale thermal anemometry probes. The value of the constant was found to vary significantly due to measurement uncertainties in the mean velocity, friction velocity and the wall distance, and the number of data points included in the analysis. The best estimate for the von Kármán constant in turbulent pipe flow is found to be $0.40 \pm 0.02$. A more precise estimate will require improved instrumentation.

JFM classification

Turbulent Flows: Turbulent boundary layers Turbulent Flows: Turbulent Flows
Type
Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 749 , 25 June 2014 , pp. 79 - 98
Copyright
© 2014 Cambridge University Press 

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