Turbulent Flows

Stephen B. Pope
Cambridge University Press (2000)

Solution to Exercise 7.11

Prepared by: Michael Stumpf Date: 12/17/17

In fully developed turbulent pipe flow, the mean temporal derivatives van-
ish and velocity statistics only depend on the radial coordinate. Hence,
Eq. (5.45) reduces to
∂
(rhV i) = 0,
∂r
which, with the boundary condition hV ir=R , integrates to

hV i = 0.

The radial momentum equation (5.47) then simplifies to

1 ∂hpi 1 ∂ hw2 i
0 = − − (rhv 2 i) +
ρ ∂r r ∂r r
1 ∂hpi ∂hv i hw i − hv 2 i
2 2
= − − + .
ρ ∂r ∂r r
Differentiating in the streamwise direction yields

1 ∂ 2 hpi
0=− ,
ρ ∂x∂r
and thus
∂hpi dpw
= = const.
∂x dx
The axial momentum equation (5.46) simplifies to

1 ∂hpi 1 ∂ ∂ 2 hU i
0 = − − (rhuvi) + ν
ρ ∂x r ∂r ∂r2
dpw ∂ ∂ 2 hU i
= −r − ρ (rhuvi) + rνρ ,
dx ∂r ∂r2

1
which, using integration by parts, can be integrated to
 
1 2 dpw ∂hU i
0=− r − ρrhuvi + νρ r − hU i + C,
2 dx ∂r

where C is a constant of integration. At r = 0, symmetry implies that

∂hU i
∂r
= 0, and hence C = νρhU i, leading to

1 dpw ∂hU i
2
r = −ρhuvi + νρ ≡ τ (r).
dx ∂r
At r = R, huvi vanishes and thus

dpw 2 ∂hU i  τw
= νρ ≡ −2 .
dx R ∂r r=R
 R

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