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EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS ON LOW SPEED TURBULENCE USING HOT-

WIRE ANEMOMETER

Conference Paper · December 2013

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 Proceedings of the Fortieth National Conference on Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Power
December 12-14, 2013, NIT Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, India
FMFP2013 Paper No.39

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF LOW SPEED TURBULENCE USING

HOT WIRE ANEMOMETER
Sagar M. Kadam Jignesh P. Thaker Jyotirmay Banerjee
M.Tech Student Research Scholar Associate Professor
MED, SVNIT, Surat, India MED, SVNIT, Surat, India MED, SVNIT, Surat, India
sagarkadam1312@gmail.com jignesh.mtech2011@gmail.com jbaner@gmail.com

ABSTRACT fluctuations and highly disordered motion. Turbulent

Objective of this study is to measure the turbulence flow plays important role in designing of thermal,
characteristics of air flow through rectangular turbo machinery and aeronautical structures. 99% of
channel in the developing regime. IFA 300 Constant flows worldwide are turbulent flows. Therefore it is
Temperature Anemometer system is used for necessary to understand the phenomenon of
turbulence measurements. Calibration of IFA 300 turbulence. Turbulence is always associated with
Constant Temperature Anemometer is carried out in a uncertainty. Though physicist perform Direct
low speed open jet wind tunnel using known velocity Numerical solution of turbulent flows but to provide
the random data to physicists it is essential to carry
of air. Calibration constants are determined as per the
King's Law. Measurements are carried out at different out the experiment. The huge amount of work was
Reynolds Numbers for the analysis of variation of done in the history by great physicists and scientists.
velocity from wall to core region. The turbulence They provided extensive data for the circular pipe
measurement includes variation of turbulent intensity and flow over a plate but for non circular duct
and turbulence kinetic energy for different Reynolds (square, rectangular, triangular) less amount of data
Numbers. The results obtained from hot wire are available. Therefore it is necessary to carry out
anemometer are compared with analytical methods work in non circular duct. Because in most of the
engineering and scientific application non circular
available in literature. Fast Fourier Transform is also
carried out for establishing the chaotic nature of ducts are used therefore the properties of turbulent
turbulent flow. Turbulence intensity, turbulence flow should be well known in developing and
kinetic energy and normal stress are found to developed region of these noncircular ducts. In early
decrease from wall to core region of rectangular 20th century the measurements are carried out in non
channel. circular duct but they didn't provide accurate data.
Now technology has allowed measurement of flow
Keywords: Hot wire Anemometer, Turbulence, properties those were previously immeasurable.
Calibration, Fast Fourier Transform. Recent turbulent history is almost identical to that of
pipe flow. In 1950, Laufer was the first to carry
INTRODUCTION benchmark study in case of smooth wall channel flow
Research on turbulent flow is started with the using hot wire anemometry technique. Due to
discovery of Reynolds in 1883. In pipe flow the non embryonic stage of hot wire anemometry technique
dimensional number known as Reynolds number in decade of 1940, his results were not considered. In
decide the flow to be laminar or turbulent. Turbulent 1955 Agostini et al gave the spectrum analysis of
flows are always characterized by velocity turbulent flow. They carried out the spectrum

1
analysis using mathematical formulation used for
Fourier transform. In 1970, Ahmed et al. gave the
mean properties of velocity for non-circular duct. The
isovelocity profiles were drawn for different Reynold
number from 50000 to 150000. They suggested that
there is reduction in boundary layer thickness as
Reynold number increases. They also found that
similarity exists between the mean wall isovelocity
profiles and peripheral wall shear distribution in the
developing region that compared with developed
region. Melling and Whitelaw in 1976 carried
detailed experimental study in developing regime of
rectangular duct to find out characteristics of
turbulent flow at various x/Dh ratio. In 1977, Hunt
and Joubert gave the variation of turbulence with
respect to Reynolds number and dependence of
turbulent intensity on Reynolds number. They also
emphasized distribution of total turbulence energy is
invariant of Reynolds number. In 1978, Dean
postulated that minimum aspect ratio for rectangular
channel to ensure two dimensional flow is 7:1. In
1983, Henbest provided accurate data for long pipe
free of development effects and validated the eddy
model for wall bounded turbulent flow. Murlidhar et
al. in 1996 gave analytical relationship for developing
flow through rectangular channel by using exact
solution method which can be applicable for very low
values of Reynolds number. In 2002, Zanoun carried
out extensive experimental investigation for turbulent
flow through channel and found the mean velocity
distribution of two dimensional fully developed
channel flow. In 2005, Monty carried out
experiments in long channel to understand the
turbulence. He recorded stream wise velocity profile
measured normal to side wall. He found that shear
Fig. 1 Schematic of open jet Wind tunnel
2
stress distribution from wall to core region does not
depend on Reynolds number. In all experiments
mentioned above, Reynolds number is calculated
using hydraulic diameter of rectangular/square
channel. Munson et al in 2006 and Janlik in 2008
give the analytical equation for turbulent flow in
tube.
The present study is carried out in order to measure
the turbulence at different Reynolds numbers on
open-jet wind tunnel setup using hot wire
anemometry system. Velocity profiles are generated
for experimental data and these profiles are compared
with the laminar and turbulent velocity profile
obtained analytical solution. This study is also
extended for the variation of turbulent intensity with
different Reynolds number. FFT analysis is also
carried out for chaotic nature of turbulent flow.
EXPERIMENTAL EQUIPMENT
 Open Jet Wind Tunnel
Subsonic open jet wind tunnel is used to carry out the
experiments and to measure the turbulence. The
schematic diagram of the open jet wind tunnel is
shown in figure 1. Wind tunnel is divided into four
parts; blower, diffuser, settling chamber and
rectangular test section. Blower is important part in
order to produce the air flow inside the test section. It
is operated by using Kirloskar made 3 phase
induction motor which operates at 2850 RPM and has
efficiency of 80%.. The amount of air flow is
controlled with hand operated slider. Diffuser is made
of wood and has internally smooth surface. Length of
diffuser section is 1.8 m and the angle of inclination
is110.
Diffuser is followed by the settling chamber which is
important part in producing the streamlined flow in
test section. It is also made of wooden frame
supported by wooden legs. It comprises of
honeycomb structure of the length 32 cm and total
441 square holes are present which allows
streamlined flow of air through it. Honeycomb is
followed by 2 numbers of fine mesh screens at
equidistance of 20 cm. Internal area of settling
chamber is 90×90 cm2 and length of settling chamber
is 90 cm. Last and important part of wind tunnel is
test section. Rectangular test section is used and has
area of cross section 15×30 cm2. Length of test
section is 2m.
Measurements are carried out at 1.2m from entry of
test section. The walls of test section are of smooth
surface. Entire test section is laid on M.S support.
Aspect ratio of test section is 10 (hydraulic diameter
Dh = 0.2m). Measurements are taken at 1.2 m from
the entry of test section at 10 discrete points along x
direction keeping the y distance constant as shown in
figure 2. These discrete points are obtained by using
the equal area method of rectangular section.
Velocity is measured with the help of calibrated pitot
tube and Hot wire Anemometer.
Fig. 2 Layout of discrete points on test section
 Hot Wire Anemometer system
Hot-Film and Hot-wire Anemometry techniques have
proven a vital resource in the study of fluid
mechanics for practitioners in a wide range of field,
from physics, chemical and mechanical engineering
to aeronautics and hydraulics. Hot-Film and Hot-
Wire Anemometry systems are used for measurement
of local velocity. Hot wire anemometer provides the
perturbation in local velocity of turbulent flow
provides information related to turbulent
3
characteristics of the flow like local turbulent
intensity, turbulent kinetic energy, length and time
scale for turbulence. A Hot-Wire Anemometer
basically involves the power that is dissipated by a
Hot-Wire to an ambient fluid that is moving past
through the probe. The larger the velocity of the
fluid, larger the heat dissipation from the wire for a
fixed wire temperature. Alternately larger the
velocity of the fluid, smaller the wire temperature for
a fixed heat dissipation rate from the wire. Hot wire
anemometer can be classified as constant voltage and
constant current and constant temperature type
anemometers. Among which constant temperature
and constant current hot wire anemometers are
widely used. For the present experiment constant
temperature IFA 300 Hot wire Anemometer system is
used. Schematic diagram of hot wire anemometer is
shown in figure 3.
Fig. 3 IFA 300 Constant Temperature anemometer
system
It has total 8 no. of channels among which single
channel is used to measure the velocity component
along X direction. The film type probe is used which
has diameter of 0.005mm. Model number of probe is
1210-20W and serial number is 71105120. IFA 300
HWA is collaborated with TSI Thermal pro software
for the measurement of velocity. Experimental data is
collected at sampling frequency of 1000Hz. Software
allows to adjust the low pass filter and high pass filter
in order to minimize the electronic noise from the RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
measurement and to remove the DC signals from the The experiment is carried out at four different sets of
collected data respectively. Reynolds numbers: 49231,77916,112203 and 149915
respectively. Reynolds number is calculated using
CALIBRATION OF HOT WIRE
mean velocity and hydraulic diameter (Dh) which is
ANEMOMETER given by Dh= 4A/P. Variation of velocity is checked
Calibration of HWA is an essential part for velocity at discrete points in X direction keeping the Y
measurement. Hot Wire Anemometer probe is distance constant. Mean velocity is calculated at 10
calibrated using the calibrated pitot tube. Velocities discrete points using calibrated probe. These obtained
are measured at different opening of blower by using results are compared with the laminar profile drawn
pitot tube. Before calibration, Thermal Pro software with analytical solution. For obtaining analytical
is calculated gain and offset by placing the probe in solution in rectangular channel following equations
low and high velocity flow. The obtained velocity are used.
from pitot tube is used for generating the calibration 4 (1  (1) m ) 2 (1  (1) n ) 2
curve in the software. Calibration curve gives the plot wm   2 2 6
m n m n  m2 n2
of velocity versus voltage. This obtained plot is 
fitted with King’s Law which follows following a 2 b2 (2)
equation. where a and b are the sides parallel to X and Y
E 2  A  BV n (1) direction respectively.
where E is voltage, A, B and n are constants, V is 4
velocity. Bmn  (1  (1)m )(1  (1)n ) (3)
mn 2

 Bmn
Amn  2 (4)
2 2
2 
m n
b2
a
m x n y
w   Amn sin sin (5)
m n a b
Here the values of m and n are varying from 1 to10.
Analytical solution is solved using the mean velocity
same as of experimental mean velocity. Thus
equation 2 gives the value of alpha. This value of
alpha is used to obtain constant Bmn in equation 3 and
Amn is calculated from equation 4. With the use of
constant Amn in equation 5 velocity at any point can
Fig. 4 Calibration curve fitted in King's Law be obtained.
Figure 4, shows the variation of voltage with respect Various data are generated of velocity field in the
to velocity. This curve is known as King's Law curve rectangular channel for the Reynolds number
for calibration. In figure 4 abscissa shows values of mentioned above. Analytical and experimental results
voltage and ordinate shows the values of velocity. are compared for Re 49231, it is found that there is
Values of A, B and n are obtained from graph large difference in experimental and analytical
0.03866, 0.05569, 0.5964 respectively. laminar profile. The profile is shown in figure 5.

4
 1
1  Re  6
 1   (8)
n0  50 
The profiles obtained from both of the analytical
solution and compared with experimental data
obtained is shown in figure 6.

Fig. 5 Plot of Velocity profile of analytical and

experimental results at Re 49231
Therefore the author compared experimental results
with turbulent analytical profile which follows the
power law. Number of researchers have given the
analytical solution for turbulent flow. These profile
are known as power law velocity profile. In present
study the experimental results are compared with
analytical equation given by Munson et al. and Fig.6. Comparison of Analytical and Experimental
Janlik. Turbulent velocity profile at Re 49231
The turbulent velocity profile equation given by
In above figure experimental results are closely
Munson et.al is as follows.
1 matching with the Munson et.al analytical profile.
uavg  n  1  n  2  R  r  n However there is small amount of variation can be
u     (6) seen in Janlik analytical velocity profile.
2  n  n  R 
In above equation n is coefficient which is function Measured velocity at all points shows the nature of
of Reynolds number. It is determined on basis of turbulence. The turbulence intensity always found
experimental data. The value of n =7 is reasonable minimum at the center and maximum at wall. Figure
for many practical approximations. 7 gives the variation of turbulence with distance in x
Another equation is given by Janlik for turbulent direction of test section. In Figure 7, ordinate
flow and it is given by, indicates distance of rectangular cross section and
n0
 R2  r 2  abscissa denotes the turbulent intensity. Turbulence
u  uavg  n0  1  2  (7) intensity found minimum at the center and maximum
 R 
at wall. This variation is present due to the decrease
In equation 7 the coefficient n0 is also a function of
in friction and boundary layer from wall to core
Reynolds number and it can be expressed by the
region.
following equation.

5
Fig.7 Variation of turbulent intensity with distance at Fig. 8 Variation of average turbulent intensity with
Reynolds Number 112203 respect to Reynolds number
Table 2 shows the values of turbulent intensity for In figure 8, ordinate shows Reynolds number and
different Reynolds numbers. From the table it can be abscissa shows average turbulent intensity in percent.
clearly seen that the turbulent intensity is decreasing From figure it is clear that average distributed
as Reynolds number increases. turbulent intensity decreases as Reynolds number
Table 2 Turbulent intensity for different values of increases. Since the boundary layer thickness
Reynolds number at all ten points decreases as velocity increase, which result in
reduction of average turbulent intensity.
Distance Turbulent intensity in %
in cm
from Reynolds Number
wall 77000 112000 149000
0.8 6.337 5.519 4.96
2.5 5.025 4.23 4.681
4.6 4.369 3.949 3.231
6.6 3.586 3.621 2.9
11.65 1.629 1.663 1.212
18.35 1.335 1.704 1.104
23.4 3.528 3.239 2.699
25.4 4.141 3.8 3.789
27.4 5.165 4.2 4.431
29.2 6.51 4.863 4.637
It is also found that average distribution of turbulent Fig. 9 Variation of Normal stress with Distance for
intensity of rectangular channel decreases with Reynolds number 77916
increase in Reynolds number.

6
Normal stress also shows variation in positive x the wall of test section. The mean velocity is 3.79 m/s
direction from wall. This variation can be seen in which is calculated by using following formula,
figure 9 .In figure x axis shows the distance in cm t T
1 o
T t0
from wall of rectangular channel and abscissa shows U u (t )dt (9)
the normal stress in N/m2. These values of normal
stress are obtained from thermal pro software. The and the turbulence intensity can be calculated using
variation of normal stress is same as of variation of following formula,
turbulent intensity. Since intermolecular forces in
u  2  v 2
wall region are maximum than the core region,
I   2  
k (10)
normal stress is maximum at wall.
V V
avg avg

FAST FOURIER TRANSFORM where k is turbulence kinetic energy which can be

Turbulence shows the notion of scale. It should added calculated by,
that at a given scale each component of velocity at a
point is a function of time presenting a charecter of
1 2
k
2

u   v2  (11)
periodicity without fundamental period. The
turbulence is not a periodic function but a sum of Values of turbulent intensity obtained analytically are
harmonics, the frequencies of which are not multiple compared with the values obtained from hot wire
of an identical fundamental frequency. anemometer and are tabulated in table 3.
In the present experiment since the velocity is
Table 3 Comparison of Experimental and Analytical
measured with the help of hot wire anemometer and
the variation of velocity at a single point can be easily Turbulent intensity
captured. While measuring the velocity, the
sampling frequency is set at 1000Hz and the probe is Turbulent Intensity in
Distance percentage
held at perticular point. It gives the data for 1024 in cm
distributed velocity at a point. Figure 10 shows the Experimental Analytical
variation of velocity with respect to time. 0.8 9.967 8.4
2.5 8.013 7.66
4.6 5.298 4.93
6.6 3.71 3.25
11.65 1.506 1.006
18.35 1.495 1.054
23.4 3.952 3.258
25.4 5.518 4.9081
27.4 7.19 6.426
29.2 9.213 8.256
Fig. 10 Variation of velocity with time
In figure 10, x axis shows the time in second and  Power Spectrum
abscissa shows the velocity in m/s. The perturbution Power spectrum shows the variation of power versus
of velocity can be easily noticed from figure 8. The frequency. As the Reynold's number tends to increase
plotted graph is for Re 49231 at 2.5 cm distance from the power of the zeroth harmonics increases. This can

7
be well illustrated with help of following graph
which are plotted at the values of 49231 and 112203.
Fig.11 Variation of power from frequency for Re 49231
Fig. 12 Variation of power with frequency for
Reynolds number 112203
In both the figure 11 and 12 ordinate shows
frequency in Hz and absisca shows power in
decible(dB).For both cases the power spectrum of
first 100 points were plotted at reynolds number
49231 the value of zeroth harmonics 13.35dB and for
Reynold number 112203 power is 164.5dB. At wall
side there is lot of turbulence which is created due to
the release of energy so the amount of energy at wall
side will be very less.With traverse from wall to core
region the velocity is going to increse. In this region
the dissipation rate of energy is lesser threfore the
8
amount of power content is maximum at the core
region.
 Phase Plot
The FFT analysis allows to study the nature of
frquency with respect to phase angle.Turbulence
always related with the chaotic motion.The chaotic
motion is maximum at the wall region and minimum
at core region. Once again this can be well illustrated
with the help of phase plot. This variation is present
in the wall and core region of rectangular channel
since the perturbation of velocity are maximum at
wall region as compared to core region. Which are
always separated from next velocity with some phase
change. But in central part of rectangular channel the
perturbation of velocity are minimum due to steady
flow which reduces the chaos in center. The chaotic
nature of velocity is responsible for turbulence.
CONCLUSION
Experiment is carried out to establish turbulence
characteristics of air flow through developing region
of rectangular channel using IFA 300 constant
temperature Hot Wire Anemometer. Velocity profile
obtained from experiment is compared with the
analytical laminar profile and analytical turbulent
profile. The experimental and analytical turbulent
profile of Munson et al overlap each other except at
core region. Experimental results shows that the
average turbulence intensity decreases with increase
in Reynolds number. Turbulent characteristics such
Turbulent intensity, turbulent kinetic energy, normal
stress are decreases from wall to core region of test
section for all values of Reynolds number. This can
be verified by using the FFT analysis. It also reveals
the chaotic nature of turbulence is prominent near the
wall than the core region.
REFERENCES
King, L.V. "On the convection of heat from small
cylinders in stream of fluid",Phil.Trans.of Royal
Society (London), Ser.A.1914 Vol.214,No.14,pp373-
432.
Laufer, J. Investigation of turbulent flow in a two-
dimensional channel.1950 Technical Report 2123 N.
A. C. A.
Dean, R. B. "Reynolds number dependence of skin
friction and other bulk flow variables in two-
dimensional rectangular duct flow." J. Fluids
Engineering;1978 vol.100, 215–223.
S. Ahmed and E. Brundrett " Mean Flow Properties
in the Developing Region of a Square Duct",
International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer,
1971, Vol.14, pp 365-375.
Zanoun, E.S., Durst, F., & Nagib, H. "Evaluating the
law of the wall in two-dimensional fully developed
turbulent channel flows".2003 Journal of Physics of
Fluids Vol.15(10) pp3079-3089.
Hunt, I. A., Joubert, P. N. "Turbulent flow in
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248-1910-5
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