UNDERSTANDING THE REYNOLDS NUMBER
Clovis R Maliska
Since several posts have addressed the definition of the Reynolds number, I would like to add
some comments about this very important number used in fluid flow. This number, perhaps
the most used dimensionless number in fluid mechanics, is always defined as the ratio
among inertial forces and viscous forces, and it appears, magically, in the textbooks, as
Re = uL / , (1)
stating that L is a characteristic length defined according to the problem.
Rarely it is defined accompanied by a correct physical interpretation and, for
beginners in fluid mechanics, it is difficult to see in this expression the
connection with the physics involved. The definition, besides not carrying a
clear physical interpretation, it can be misleading in certain situations.
Consider, for example, the fully developed flow inside a duct, in which there are
no longer inertial forces, since in this region there is no fluid acceleration and,
consequently, no forces. Therefore, this definition doesn’t apply, since the
Reynolds number would be zero in this situation. A physical-based approach to
interpret this number, and many other dimensionless numbers, on a strong
physical basis, is to use the ratio of advection and diffusion fluxes of
momentum. To this end, consider the flow over a flat plate. Writing the
advective and diffusive fluxes in the x direction one gets, for the advective flux
of momentum,
AxM = mu = uu, (2)
and for the diffusive one,
u
DxM = . (3)
x
Recall that when it is said just momentum, it means in this document, the x -
component of the momentum vector (see that the transported quantity is
momentum/unit of mass, which is u ). Therefore, defining the Reynolds
number as the ratio of advective and diffusive fluxes one gets,
AxM uu
Re = M = .
Dx u (4)
x
Applying scale analysis (see Bejan’s Convection Heat Transfer book), taking
x L and u u , the Reynolds number reads,
Re = uL / . (5)
Now the physical significance of the Reynolds number is clear, it is a measure
on how larger the advective flux is than the diffusive flux, both calculated along
the x direction. Therefore, if Re = 1000 , means that the x -momentum
component is transported by advection a thousand times greater than by
diffusion. The characteristic length appeared, naturally, as a result of the
definition. Since one has the freedom to play with this ratio, as in Eq. (4), for
different situations, one can take the ratio among the advective flux in the x
direction by the diffusive flux in the y direction, giving,
AxM uu
= . (6)
DyM
u
y
If the flow is inside a duct, the y coordinate scales with D , the diameter of the
duct. Applying again scale analysis in which now y D , the usual Reynolds
number for flows inside a duct appears,
Re = uD / . (7)
The diameter D arises, instead of L because we have used the diffusion flux in
the y direction. At this point, therefore, it is possible to understand why Eq. (7)
is an indicator of the flow condition, laminar or turbulent. As is known from the
fluid mechanics lessons, the advection flux in the streamwise direction tends
to turn the flow into turbulent, while the diffusive flux in the cross-stream
direction tends to damp this tendency. It is easy, therefore, to understand that
when the diffusive flux created by the stress at the wall is strong enough, it may
damp the turbulence caused by the advective flux. That is, the smaller the
Reynolds number, the greater the chance of the diffusion of momentum
dominating the flow, keeping the flow laminar. This explains why the Reynolds
number based on the diameter of the duct measures if the flow is laminar or
turbulent. Usually the student just memorize a number (usually 2300) without
knowing why the diameter appeared as a characteristic length. The beauty of
using the momentum fluxes relations to obtain dimensionless numbers is the
clear physical significance and the appearance of the right characteristic
length.
The Peclet number has the same reasoning considering the advective and
diffusive heat fluxes. This and others important dimensionless number in heat
transfer and fluid flow can be seen in the paper " On the physical significance
of some dimensionless numbers in heat transfer and fluid flow” found in
https://abcm.org.br/anais/encit/2000/arquivos/s06/s06p28.pdf.
