An experimental test system for the generation, control and analysis of sinusoidal pulsatile pipe flows (An application case for time dependent flow measurements)

Abstract The hardware and software of an experimental test system which has been designed, constructed and operated for the analysis of transitional characteristics of a laminar time-dependent flow field into turbulence with comprehensive uncertainty analysis are the major contents of the paper. Therefore presentation herein aims to offer an application case in terms of time-dependent measurement and data acquisition technology using an electronic digital mass flow control (MFC) unit at laboratory site instead of previously used pressure driven mechanisms. The flow field is a sinusoidal pulsatile one in order to simulate the real practice and to utilize the simplicity in production, control and analysis of oscillation. The previous background and the updated portrait on the transitional pulsatile flow [1] , [2] are outlined to determine the relevant flow parameters and their critical ranges, the details of the measurement and data acquisition systems and the proposed methodologies. The production of the controlled pulsatile flow and the generated flow characteristics, the methodology for the analysis, accuracy and sensitivity of the measurement and data acquisition chains are given for the purpose. The overall uncertainties of the velocity and pressure measurement chains are found to be ±3.2% and ±1.3%, respectively. The range of the experimental research devised to investigate the interactive influences of oscillation frequency, f and velocity amplitude ratio, A1 in the intermediate and the inertia dominant regions of pulsatile flow field with an emphasis on transition to turbulence is presented via sample measurements of mean velocity and pressure waveforms as solid outputs without going into details on physical aspects of flow dynamics.

[1]  Daniel Hershey,et al.  Critical reynolds number for sinusoidal flow of water in rigid tubes , 1968 .

[2]  M. O. Carpinlioglu,et al.  A critical review on pulsatile pipe flow studies directing towards future research topics , 2001 .

[3]  Manabu Iguchi,et al.  Transition to Turbulence in a Pulsatile Pipe Flow : Part 2, Characteristics of Reversing Flow Accompanied by Relaminarization , 1982 .

[4]  A. Ferrero,et al.  Measurement uncertainty , 2006, IEEE Instrumentation & Measurement Magazine.

[5]  A. R. Ganji,et al.  Introduction to Engineering Experimentation , 1995 .

[6]  A. Hussain,et al.  On transition of the pulsatile pipe flow , 1986, Journal of Fluid Mechanics.

[7]  M. Iguchi,et al.  Transition to Turbulence in a Pulsatile Pipe Flow : 3rd Report, Flow Regimes and the Conditions Describing the Generation and Decay of Turbulence , 1984 .

[8]  Manabu Iguchi,et al.  Transition to Turbulence and Velocity Distribution in an Oscillating Pipe Flow , 1982 .

[9]  Hugh W. Coleman,et al.  Experimentation and Uncertainty Analysis for Engineers , 1989 .

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

[11]  F. E. Jørgensen,et al.  How to measure turbulence with hot-wire anemometers - a practical guide , 2002 .

[12]  Robert J. Lutz,et al.  The onset of turbulence in physiological pulsatile flow in a straight tube , 1998 .

[13]  B. W. Martin,et al.  Developing laminar flow in a pipe of circular cross-section , 1971, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. A. Mathematical and Physical Sciences.

[14]  Theodor Sexl,et al.  Über den von E. G. Richardson entdeckten „Annulareffekt“ , 1930 .

[15]  J. P. Holman,et al.  Experimental methods for engineers , 1971 .

[16]  F. Durst,et al.  Mass flow rate control system for time-dependent laminar and turbulent flow investigations , 2003 .

[17]  Emrah Özahi,et al.  Simple methods for low speed calibration of hot-wire anemometers , 2010 .

[18]  Manabu Iguchi,et al.  Transition to Turbulence in a Pulsatile Pipe Flow Part 1, Wave Forms and Distribution of Pulsatile Velocities near Transition Region , 1982 .

[19]  E. Özahi,et al.  An Updated Portrait of Transition to Turbulence in Laminar Pipe Flows with Periodic Time Dependence (A Correlation Study) , 2012 .

[20]  M. Clamen,et al.  An experimental investigation of flow in an oscillating pipe , 1977, Journal of Fluid Mechanics.

[21]  Mehmet Yasar Gundogdu,et al.  Present State of Art on Pulsatile Flow Theory. Part 2. Turbulent Flow Regime. , 1999 .

[22]  Turgut Sarpkaya,et al.  Experimental Determination of the Critical Reynolds Number for Pulsating Poiseuille Flow , 1966 .

[23]  Laminar flow control via utilization of pipe entrance inserts (a comment on entrance length concept) , 2011 .

[24]  J. Womersley.  Method for the calculation of velocity, rate of flow and viscous drag in arteries when the pressure gradient is known , 1955, The Journal of physiology.

[25]  I. Bajsić,et al.  Development of a liquid-flow pulsator , 2012 .

[26]  Ivan Bajsić,et al.  Response Time of a Pressure Measurement System with a Connecting Tube , 2007 .