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Velocity Profile in Turbulent Flow

Unlike laminar flow, the

expressions for the velocity profile in a
turbulent flow are based on both analysis
and measurements, and thus they are
semi-empirical in nature with constants
determined from experimental data.
Engineers and scientists model The velocity profile in fully developed pipe
turbulent flow by using an empirical flow is parabolic in laminar flow, but much fuller in
approach. This is because the complex turbulent flow, with a sharp drop near the pipe wall.
nature of turbulent flow has prevented
researchers from establishing a
mathematical solution of general utility.
Still, the empirical information has been
used successfully and extensively in
system design.

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Velocity Profile in Turbulent Flow Turbulent flow along a wall can be considered to
consist of four regions, characterized by the distance
from the wall.
Known as laminar or linear or wall sublayer. This is the very
thin layer next to the wall where viscous effects are dominant.
The velocity profile in this layer is very nearly linear, and the
flow is streamlined.

In which turbulent effects are becoming significant, but the

flow is still dominated by viscous effects.

Known as transition layer, also called the inertial sublayer, in

which the turbulent effects are much more significant, but still
not dominant

Known as outer layer in the remaining part of the flow in which

turbulent effects dominate over molecular diffusion (viscous)
effects.

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Velocity Profile in Turbulent Flow There are two methods commonly used to describe
the turbulent velocity profile in a pipe.
Because of the chaotic motion of fluid
particles, turbulent flow produces high levels of
mixing and has a velocity profile that is more
uniform or flatter than the corresponding
laminar velocity profile.
Flow characteristics are quite different
in different regions, and thus it is difficult to
come up with an analytic relation for the
velocity profile for the entire flow as the same
for laminar flow. The best approach in the
turbulent case turns out to be to identify the key
variables and functional forms using
dimensional analysis, and then to use
experimental data to determine the numerical
values of any constants.
The Semi-Log Profile
The first method of empirically expressing the
velocity distribution involves flows in smooth walls and flows
with rough walls.
First, let us describe what we mean by a ‘‘smooth’’
wall. Sketched in the figure below is a ‘‘smooth’’ wall and a
‘‘rough’’ wall. The viscous wall layer is a thin layer near the
pipe wall in which the viscous effects are significant.
If the roughness elements
If this viscous layer covers the wall
protrude out from the
roughness elements
Where: viscous layer
e = the average wall roughness height
𝜹𝒗 = thickness of viscous wall layer

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Velocity Profile in Turbulent Flow
The Semi-Log Profile

Empirical relations for turbulent flow in a smooth

pipe.

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Velocity Profile in Turbulent Flow
The velocity profile in the viscous wall layer can be
The Semi-Log Profile expressed in dimensionless form as
If the flow has a smooth wall, there are two regions of the
flow, the wall region and the outer region.
Where: y = distance from the wall = r0 – r
In the wall region the characteristic
velocity and length are the: This equation is known as the law of the wall.

A fictitious velocity and has Therefore, the thickness of the viscous sublayer is
𝝉𝟎
𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚, 𝒖𝝉 = no relationship to an actual roughly
𝝆 velocity in the flow.
𝟓𝝊
𝝊 𝜹𝒗 =
𝒖𝝉
𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉 =
𝒖𝝉 A fictitious length.

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Velocity Profile in Turbulent Flow
The Semi-Log Profile

The velocity profile in turbulent region is

𝒖𝝉 𝒚
The interval 𝟓 < < 𝟑𝟎 is a buffer zone in which the experimental data do not fit either of the curves.
𝝊

The wall region and the outer region overlap. In this overlap region, an expression for the maximum velocity can
be obtain

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Velocity Profile in Turbulent Flow
The outer region is independent of the wall
The Semi-Log Profile effects and thus is normalized for both smooth
and rough walls using the radius as the
The viscous wall layer plays no role for a rough pipe. The characteristic length and is given by
characteristic length is the average roughness height e and
the wall region is represented by

This equation is known as the velocity defect law.

Where: 𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒙 − 𝒖 = velocity defect
For the overlap region for a rough pipe,

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Velocity Profile in Turbulent Flow
The Semi-Log Profile

We do not often desire the velocity at a particular location, but if we do, before umax can be found u𝝉
must be known. To find u𝝉 we must know 𝝉0.To find 𝝉0 we can use,

The friction factor f can be estimated using the power-law profile that follows if the pressure drop is
not known.

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Velocity Profile in Turbulent Flow The average velocity is found to be
The Power-Law Profile

An alternative, and simpler form that 𝑽

adequately describes the turbulent flow
velocity distribution in a pipe The value of n in the exponent is related to the
friction factor f by the empirical expression
Although not quite as accurate, it is given by
𝟏
𝒏 =
𝒇
Where:
n = an integer between 5 and 10
For smooth pipes, n is related to the Reynolds
The exponent n is a constant whose value number as shown in table below:
depends on the Reynolds number. The value of n
increases with increasing Reynolds number. The
value n = 7 generally approximates many flows in
practice, giving rise to the term one-seventh
power-law velocity profile

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EXAMPLE: ANSWERS:
Water at 20°C flows in a 10-cm The wall is smooth.
diameter pipe at an average
velocity of 1.6 m/s. If the
roughness elements are 0.046
mm high, would the wall be
rough or smooth?

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EXAMPLE: ANSWERS:
The 4-cm diameter smooth, horizontal a. 0.018
pipe of the given figure transports 0.004 b. 3.84 m/s
m3/s of water at 20°C (𝝊 = 10-6 m2/s). c. 1.51 cm
Using the power-law profile, d. 23 Pa
approximate e. 23 kPa
(A) The friction factor f. 3.84 m/s
(B) The maximum velocity
(C) The radial position where u = V
(D) The wall shear
(E) The pressure drop over a 10-m
length
(F) The maximum velocity using semi-
log profile

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EXAMPLE: ANSWERS:
Water at 20°C (𝝊 = 10-6 m2/s) flows in a 4- a. 23.2 Pa
cm-diameter pipe with a flow rate of b. 1.80 m/s
0.002 m3/s. Estimate c. 46.4 kPa
(a) the wall shear stress d. 0.0329 mm
(b) the maximum velocity e. The wall is smooth
(c) the pressure drop over 20 m
(d) the viscous layer thickness
(e) determine if the wall is smooth or
rough assuming the roughness elements
to have a height of 0.0015 mm.

Use the power-law profile.