An Experimental Investigation Into the Breakdown of Low Reynolds Number Pulsed Flows at a Pipe Orifice

An experimental investigation into the behavior of pulsed vortex flows in water at a pipe orifice is outlined. An experimental apparatus is described whereby flow pulsations are generated using an electronically controlled motor-piston arrangement. Preliminary investigations are made into the unpulsed system to determine the natural vortex shedding frequency for various Reynolds numbers and orifice diameters. The downstream development of initially axisymmetric, periodically pulsed vortices shed from the orifice plate are then examined. The growth, evolution, and eventual breakdown of the initially axisymmetric vortices are investigated for a range of flow control parameters. Various flow regimes are discerned and an attempt is made to categorize them.

[1]  F. C. Johansen.  Flow through Pipe Orifices at Low Reynolds Numbers , 1930 .

[2]  J.-P. Prenel,et al.  Three-dimensional flow analysis by means of sequential and volumic laser sheet illumination , 1989 .

[3]  Wolfgang Merzkirch,et al.  Flow Visualization, Second Edition , 1987 .

[4]  F. S. Henry,et al.  Formation and travel of vortices in model ventricles: application to the design of skeletal muscle ventricles. , 1996, Journal of biomechanics.

[5]  W. Schneider,et al.  Free and confined jets at low Reynolds numbers , 1993 .

[6]  D. Weaver,et al.  Divergence and limit cycle oscillations in valves operating at small openings , 1987 .

[7]  J. Kestin,et al.  Viscosity of Liquid Water in the Range - 8 C to 150 C, , 1978 .

[8]  J. Gillis,et al.  Laminar flow in a pipe at low and moderate reynolds numbers , 1968 .

[9]  R. A. Bajura,et al.  A Numerical Analysis of Pulsating Laminar Flow Through a Pipe Orifice , 1991 .

[10]  Wolfgang Merzkirch,et al.  3 – Optical Flow Visualization , 1987 .

[11]  J Fisher,et al.  A three-dimensional, time-dependent analysis of flow through a bileaflet mechanical heart valve: comparison of experimental and numerical results. , 1996, Journal of biomechanics.

[12]  Tariq S. Durrani,et al.  Laser Systems in Flow Measurement , 1977 .

[13]  Robert L. Street,et al.  Flow visualization of a recirculating flow by rheoscopic liquid and liquid crystal techniques , 1984 .

[14]  R. J. Leite.  An experimental investigation of the stability of Poiseuille flow , 1959, Journal of Fluid Mechanics.

[15]  I. Gursul,et al.  On interpretation of flow visualization of unsteady shear flows , 1990 .

[16]  T. Sarpkaya.  Brief Reviews of Some Time-Dependent Flows , 1992 .

[17]  A. M. Kuethe.  Some Features of Boundary Layers and Transition to Turbulent Flow , 1956 .

[18]  D. S. Weaver,et al.  Flow Induced Vibrations of a Hydraulic Valve and Their Elimination , 1978 .

[19]  J. Sellars,et al.  On the stability of fully developed flow in a pipe , 1959, Journal of Fluid Mechanics.

[20]  R. Nerem,et al.  An experimental study of the velocity distribution and transition to turbulence in the aorta , 1972, Journal of Fluid Mechanics.

[21]  A. W. Marris.  A Review on Vortex Streets, Periodic Wakes, and Induced Vibration Phenomena , 1964 .

[22]  G. Banfi,et al.  Velocity fluctuation enhancement in the transition to turbulence in a pipe , 1981 .

[23]  S Einav,et al.  An experimental study of pulsatile pipe flow in the transition range. , 1993, Journal of biomechanical engineering.

[24]  D B Geselowitz,et al.  LDA measurements of mean velocity and Reynolds stress fields within an artificial heart ventricle. , 1994, Journal of biomechanical engineering.

[25]  D H van Campen,et al.  Experimental and numerical analyses of the steady flow field around an aortic Björk-Shiley standard valve prosthesis. , 1992, Journal of biomechanics.

[26]  M. Gorman,et al.  Neutrally buoyant anisotropic particles for flow visualization , 1984 .

[27]  M. M. Zdravkovich,et al.  Smoke observations of the formation of a Kármán vortex street , 1969, Journal of Fluid Mechanics.