DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

ME LABORATORY 2

EXPERIMENT NO. 7

INVESTIGATION OF FLOW IN PIPE – REYNOLDS NUMBER

OBJECTIVES:

1. To determine the condition under which type of flow laminar, transitional, and
turbulent occurs.
2. To establish the effect on Reynolds number in these types of flow.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
At the end of the experiment the student will be able to:
1. Identify and observe the three distinct type of fluid flow- laminar, transitional, and
turbulent flow.
2. Determine the upper and lower critical velocities at transitional flow.
3. Compute the Reynolds Number at laminar, transitional, and turbulent pipe flows

THEORY:
The Reynolds number is the criterion that determines whether a flow is laminar,
transitional, and turbulent. When the Reynolds number of a fluid flowing in a closed
conduit has a value less than 2000 the flow is laminar, and when the value is greater
than 4000 the flow is turbulent. Between these two values of the Reynolds number
there exists a transition region in which the flow is neither completely laminar nor
completely turbulent. The velocity at which the change from laminar to turbulent flow
occurred was found to be higher than that which caused the change from turbulent to
laminar flow, Reynolds called these velocities the higher and the lower critical velocities,
thus a critical zone or region is established within the range 2000-4000 Reynolds
number.
The distinction between these three types of flow, the laminar, transitional, and
turbulent flow was first demonstrated in a classic experiment by Osborne Reynolds. The
equipment used by Reynolds is similar to as shown below FIGURE A ( a vertical type ). A
horizontal glass tube was immersed in a glass-walled tank filled with water. A controlled
flow of water could be drawn through the tube by opening a valve. The entrance to the
tube was flared, and provision was made to introduce a fine filament of colored water
from the overhead flask into the stream at the tube entrance. At low flow rates, the jet
of colored water flowed intact along with the mainstream and no cross mixing occurred.
The behavior of the color band showed that the water was flowing in parallel straight
lines and that the flow was laminar. When the flow rate was increased, a velocity called
the critical velocity, was reached at which the thread of color disappeared and the color
diffused uniformly throughout the entire cross-section of the stream of water. This
behavior of the colored water showed that the water no longer flowed in laminar
motion but moved erratically in the form of cross currents and eddies, this type of flow
was turbulent. When Reynolds plotted the results of this investigation of how the head

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loss varied with the velocity of flow, he obtained two distinct regions separated by a
transition zone.

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Laminar Flow
Laminar flow denoted a steady flow condition where all streamlines follow parallel paths, there being no
interaction (mixing) between shear planes. Under this condition the dye observed will remain as a solid,
straight and easily identifiable component of flow.
Transitional Flow
Transitional flow is a mixture of laminar and turbulent flow with turbulence in the centre of the pipe, and
laminar flow near the edges. Each of these flows behaves in different manners in terms of their frictional
energy loss while flowing, and have different equations that predict their behavior.
Turbulent Flow
Turbulent flow denotes an unsteady flow condition where streamlines interact causing shear plane
collapse and mixing of the fluid. In this condition the dye observed will become disperse in the water and
mix with the water. The observed dye will not be identifiable at this point.
In the laminar region the energy loss per length of pipe is directly proportional to the
mean velocity. In the turbulent flow region the energy loss per unit length of pipe is
proportional to the mean velocity V where n being influenced by the roughness of the
pipe wall and as the roughness increases, the value of n increases up to its maximum
value of 2. If the logarithms of these two variables, log HL/L and log V, are plotted on
linear scales, it will be found that, after a certain transition region has been passed, lines
will be obtained with slopes ranging from about 1.70 to 2.00 as shown below.

The transition zone lies in the region of NRe 2000-4000, point A is known as the lower
critical velocity (LCV) and point B is known as higher critical velocity (HCV).

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PROCEDURE:
A. Reynolds Apparatus Horizontal Type
Set the Hydraulic Bench Machine in a single pump operation. Position the constant
head and variable head tank as described in the preceding experiment. Mount the
transparent pipe and then clamped to the inlet constant head tank and outlet
variable head tank. Connect the tubes from the manometer taps to the manometer
panel. Place the injector into the transparent tube/pipe and connect properly the
connectors from the dye container to the injector tube. Switch on the water pump
and regulate the volumetric flow rate by adjusting or swiveling the overflow pipe of
the variable head outlet tank. Allow the water to flow thru the transparent pipe and
allow 2 to 3 minutes for the flow to stabilize. At this point, the flow regulating valve
of the colored dye is still closed. Starting from a low velocity flow, open the flow
regulating valve of the colored dye. Observe the behavior of the flow pattern, it
should be stream line flow. Measure the rate of flow by timing the collection of
known volume of water with steeped measuring tank ( or graduated cylinder may be
used to collect known volume of water ). Read and record the manometer readings.
Be sure no air bubbles are present in manometer tubes. Record the diameter and
length of the transparent pipe or tube, and the temperature of water at test
condition. Make several runs at different volumetric flow rate and record the
velocity of the flow until the streamline flow is transformed to turbulent flow. Do
several trials at different velocity, at least fifteen runs until behavior is established
from laminar to completely turbulent flow. Plot the logarithm of head loss per unit
length against velocity. Compute the Reynolds number of each trial run. Redo the
same procedures as described in backward manner. Start from high velocity and
retrace the path of the graphical plotting of head loss per unit length versus velocity
of flow.
Caution: Avoid touching the Hydraulic bench that may cause vibration to
the unit. Slight disturbance may transform the laminar flow to
turbulent flow untimely which will result erroneous result.

B. Reynolds Apparatus Vertical Type

Set the pump from Hydraulic Bench Machine to connect the inflow pipeline of the
Reynolds apparatus. Switch on the pump to allow water to the apparatus head tank.
Allow a small overflow spillage through the overflow tube/pipe to maintain a
constant level. Water was allowed to stabilize for few minutes. Lower the dye
injector until it is seen in the glass tube. Open the valve of the outflow tube/pipe to
allow water flow through the visualizing tube. Slowly open the dye control valve
until slow injection with the dye is achieve. Regulate inflow and outflow valves until
a straight identifiable dye line is achieve, the flow is laminar. Slowly increase the
flow rate until the laminar flow produce small disturbance or eddies, this is the
lower critical velocity. Slowly repeat steps by increasing the flow by regulating the
inflow and outflow valve to achieve transitional and turbulent flow. Measure
and record the volumetric flow rate of water. From turbulent flow, slowly decrease
flow rate until the flow become transitional, this is upper critical velocity. Compute
the Reynolds number of each trial run. Plot the logarithm of head loss per unit
length against velocity.

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DETAILED PROCEDURE:

Horizontal Pipe Reynolds Apparatus

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Vertical Pipe Reynolds Apparatus

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TABULATED DATA AND RESULTS:

1. Download video file and use your own designated video.

Group# Video#
1 Animation 1
2 Animation 2
3 Animation 3
4 Animation 4
5 Animation 5
6 Animation 6
7 Animation 7
8 Animation 8
9 Animation 9

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2. Record and follow the glass tube pipe and dye pipe measurements when tracing.

3. Use the indicated time bar. Divide time into four equal intervals with plus minus
0.2 milliseconds tolerance.

Time bar

4. Divide the inner cross section of the glass tube into 8 equal areas.

5. Get the center point and make a reading circle of 2mm diameter.

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 6. Label the 8 areas accordingly.

7. At time 1, ID = 1/2 inch = 12.7 mm and L = 1 mm, trace and plot for velocity
inside the reading diameters.

Volume
time Q V HL loge HL Flow
Area collected loge V NRe
sec m³/s m/s mm L Behavior
liters
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

8. At time 2, ID = 1/2 inch = 12.7 mm and L = 1 mm, trace and plot for velocity
inside the reading diameters.

Volume
time Q V HL loge HL Flow
Area collected loge V NRe
sec m³/s m/s mm L Behavior
liters
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

9. At time 3, ID = 1/2 inch = 12.7 mm and L = 1 mm, trace and plot for velocity
inside the reading diameters.

Volume
time Q V HL loge HL Flow
Area collected loge V NRe
sec m³/s m/s mm L Behavior
liters
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

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 10. At time 4, ID = 1/2 inch = 12.7 mm and L = 1 mm, trace and plot for velocity
inside the reading diameters.

Volume
time Q V HL loge HL Flow
Area collected loge V NRe
sec m³/s m/s mm L Behavior
liters
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

COMPUTATION AND ANALYSIS:

1. Compute the volumetric flow rate, Q

Volume collected
Q = time m³/s

2. Compute the velocity of water flow, V

Q
V= m/s
A
3. Compute the Reynold’s Number of each trial.

4. Compare the results in this experiment with the accepted figures in the
textbook and comment on any discrepancies.

GRAPH:
1. Plot the logarithm of HL / L against the logarithm of the water velocity.
2. Indicate the lower critical point and the upper/higher critical point.