Measurements of Transitional and Turbulent Flow in a Randomly Packed Bed of Spheres with Particle Image Velocimetry

• Particle image velocimetry (PIV) has been used to investigate transitional and turbulent flow in a randomly packed bed of mono-sized transparent spheres at particle Reynolds number, (Formula presented.). The refractive index of the liquid is matched with the spheres to provide optical access to the flow within the bed without distortions. Integrated pressure drop data yield that Darcy law is valid at (Formula presented.). The PIV measurements show that the velocity fluctuations increase and that the time-averaged velocity distribution start to change at lower (Formula presented.). The probability for relatively low and high velocities decreases with (Formula presented.) and recirculation zones that appear in inertia dominated flows are suppressed by the turbulent flow at higher (Formula presented.). Hence there is a maximum of recirculation at about (Formula presented.). Finally, statistical analysis of the spatial distribution of time-averaged velocities shows that the velocity distribution is clearly and weakly self-similar with respect to (Formula presented.) for turbulent and laminar flow, respectively

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Maskinteknik -- Strömningsmekanik och akustik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Mechanical Engineering -- Fluid Mechanics and Acoustics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Strömningslära

Fluid Mechanics

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)