THE COPPERBELT UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

FIRSTNAME: SIMON

SURNAME: MWALE

COMPUTERNUMBER: 05067659

COURSECODE: CE 330

TASK: LABORATORY REPORT # 4

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 9 – MAY – 2007

SUPERVISOR: MR MUNDIKE
TITLE: OSBORNE REYNOLDS’ EXPERIMENT.
AIM: To determine whether flow is laminar, transitional or turbulent using the calculated
Reynolds number.
INTRODUCTION:
By the middle of the 19th century much information relating to flow in pipes and open
channels had been obtained. Practically, nothing was then known about the laws
governing the influence of viscosity i.e. the results of individual experiments could not be
brought together to form a universal law. The motion of a fluid is usually extremely
complex. Unlike in static fluids, shear stresses are developed. Here particles of the fluid
move relative to each other so that they have different velocities, causing the original
shape of the fluid to be distorted. When a fluid pass a solid boundary, the fluid in contact
with the boundary adheres to it, therefore, has the same velocity as the boundary. The
velocity of the fluid will then vary from layer to layer as the distance from the boundary
increases and will be zero at the wall to a maximum at the center. This gives rise to shear
stresses in the fluid hence the velocity profile is a curved surface. If an individual particle
of fluid is colored, or otherwise rendered visible, it will describe a pattern showing the
position of a particle at successive intervals of time. If instead of coloring a particle, the
flow pattern is made visible by injecting a stream of dye into the liquid, the results will be
a filament line, which gives an instantaneous picture of the position of all the particles
which passes a particular point. Conditions in a body of fluid can vary from point to point
and at any given point, can vary from one moment of time to the next. There are
therefore, 4 possible types of flow:
1) Steady uniform flow, were the velocity and cross sectional area of the stream of
fluid are the same at each cross section.
2) Steady non uniform flow, were velocity and cross sectional area of the stream
may vary with time.
3) Unsteady uniform flow, were at a given instant of time, the velocity at each
point is the same but changes with time.
4) Unsteady non uniform flow, were the cross sectional area and velocity vary
from point to point and also change with time.
For some years, however, it had been realized that the flow of a fluid could be of two
quite different kinds (laminar and turbulent).
APPARATUS:
 Hydraulic bench, which allowed us to measure flow by timed volume
collection.
 Reynolds’ apparatus.
 Stop watch
 Measuring cylinder.
 Thermometer.
THEORY:
Observation shows that two entirely different types of fluid flow exits. This was
demonstrated by Osborne Reynolds through an experiment in which water was
discharged from a tank through a glass tube. A flow can behave in different ways
depending upon which forces predominate within it. Slow flows are dominated by
viscous forces and tend to be well ordered and predictable and are described as laminar.
In laminar pipe flow, the fluid behaves as if concentric layers are sliding over each other
with a maximum velocity on the axis and a parabolic velocity distribution. The fluid is
considered to move in layers parallel to the axis of the glass tube. A dye injected at a
point in a laminar pipe flow will be stretched out by the flow to form a clear well defined
line. The velocity may vary in all directions and not just in the direction perpendicular to
the “laminae”. The only mixing that can occur is by molecular diffusion.
As the velocity in the tube increases a point is eventually reached were the flow behavior
is altered (i.e. when the dye filament at first begins to oscillate and then broken) as the
inertia of the fluid due to its density becomes more significant than the viscous force; this
is then turbulent flow. The path of individual particles of fluid are no longer everywhere
straight but are in sinuous, intertwining and crossing each other in a disorderly manner so
that a thorough mixing takes place. It is important to note that any particle of fluid will
obey the normal laws of mechanics in the same way as a solid body i.e. when a force is
applied, its behavior can be predicted from Newton’s laws, which are:
1. A body will remain at rest or in a state of uniform motion in a straight line until
acted upon by an external force.
 2. The rate of change of momentum of a body is proportional to the force applied
and takes place in the direction of action of that force.
3. Action and reaction are equal and opposite.
In turbulent pipe flow, the dye injected at a point is rapidly mixed due to the substantial
lateral motion in the flow and the dye behavior appears chaotic. These motions appear
random and arise from the growth of instabilities in the flow. There is an in-between
stage, transitional flow, in which a dye stream will appear to wander about and will show
intermittent bursts of mixing, followed by a more laminar behavior.
The criterion which determines whether flow is viscous or turbulent is the quantity
(ρvl / μ), known as the Reynolds’ number (Re).
Re = vl / v,
Where: v = mean velocity given in terms of volumetric flow rate (m³/s)
l = diameter of pipe (m)
v = kinematic viscosity (v = μ/ρ) (m²/s)
ρ = density.
If Re is calculated, then, below a critical value of Re = vl / v = 2000, flow will normally
be laminar, this value only applies to flow in pipes. At values of Re above 2000, flow will
not necessarily be turbulent but transition. In straight pipes of constant diameter, floe can
be assumed to be turbulent if the Reynolds’ number exceeds 4000.
METHOD:
Diagram;

Flow inlet tube

Over flow tube

Apparatus control valve

marbles

Bench outflow connection

Collecting cylinder
Outflow control valve
The Reynolds’ apparatus was placed on a vibrating-free surface. Then the bell-mouth
entry was attached to the head tank. Carefully, marbles were added in the head tank. A
straight, circular glass tube with a smoothly rounded inlet was connected to the outlet.
The bench outflow connection was then connected to the head tank inlet pipe to supply
the water, after which the over flow tube was attached to the head tank, in order to
maintain a constant head, hence a constant pressure at the outlet. This was then placed at
a fixed position above the volumetric tank, allowing enough space for insertion of a
measuring cylinder. The pump was switched on, and then we slightly opened the
apparatus flow control valve and allowed the system to fill with water. After the head
tank was filled to the outflow tube level, the bench control valve was adjusted to produce
a low over flow rate. The outflow connection valve was then set to produce a constant
outlet flow and the stopwatch was then set. We then collected the volume of water
discharged at the outlet tube by placing a measuring cylinder under the flow at the same
time stating the stopwatch. The volume of water collected was fixed to 1000ml and the
time for which this volume was collected, was noted. The temperature of the outflow
water was also noted. Then the outflow control valve was then adjusted to produce an
increased outflow rate. Again, the time for the collection of a volume of 1000ml was
noted. The experiment was repeated, each time adjusting the outflow rate, collecting a
volume of 1000ml and noting the time taken. The internal diameter of the pipe was then
noted. The results were tabulated as below.

RESULTS:
Internal diameter of the pipe; 1.14cm = 0.01m
Kinematic viscosity of water at 22(°c) = 0.963 × 10-6…...(m²/s)
Table of results
Trial No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Time (s) 110 43 33 29 25 23 15
Volume (m³) 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001
Temperature(°c) 22 22 22 22 22 22 22
CALCULATION:
Area (A) of the pipe = πr² (m²)
= π × (0.01/2)²m² = 0.0000785m²
Volumetric flow (Q) = volume / time (m³/s);
Velocity at each head (v) = Q/A (m/s)
Reynolds number at each head (Re) = vl / v;
Where; ρ = density of the fluid
v= velocity at the head
l= diameter of the tube
v = kinematic viscosity (v = μ/ρ) (m²/s).

1) For trial 1;
Volumetric flow (Q) = 0.001m³ ÷ 110s = ……………………..( m³/s)
Velocity at each head (v) = …………………...(m³/s) ÷ 0.0000785(m²) = 0.116(m/s)
Re = (0.116m/s ×0.01 m) / (0.963×10 m²/s) = 1204.57.
2) For trial 2;
Volumetric flow (Q) = 0.001m³ ÷ 43s = ………………………( m³/s)
Velocity at each head (v) = …………………..(m³/s) ÷ 0.0000785(m²) = 0.296 (m/s)
Re = (0.296m/s ×0.01 m) / (0.963×10 m²/s) = 3073.73.
3) For trial 3;
Volumetric flow (Q) = 0.001m³ ÷ 33s = ………………………( m³/s)
Velocity at each head (v) = …………………..(m³/s) ÷ 0.0000785(m²) = 0.386 (m/s)
Re = (0.386m/s×0.01 m) / (0.963×10 m²/s) = 4008.31.
4) For trial 4;
Volumetric flow (Q) = 0.001m³ ÷ 29s = ………………………..( m³/s)
Velocity at each head (v) = …………………..(m³/s) ÷ 0.0000785(m²) = 0.439 (m/s)
Re = (0.439m/s ×0.01 m) / 0.963×10 m²/s) = 4558.67.
5) For trial 5;
Volumetric flow (Q) = 0.001m³ ÷ 25s = ………………………..( m³/s)
Velocity at each head (v) = ……………… ..(m³/s) ÷ 0.0000785(m²) = 0.509 (m/s)
Re = (0.509(m/s×0.01 m) / 0.963×10 m²/s) = 5285.57.
 Table
Trial No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Area ( m²) 7.85×10 7.85×10 7.85×10 7.85×10 7.85×10 7.85×10 7.85×10
Volumetric
flow(m³/s)
Velocity 0.116 0.296 0.386 0.439 0.509 0.554 0.849
(m/s)
Re 1204.57 3073.73 4008.31 4558.67 5285.57 5752.87 8816.2

DISCUSSION:
The experiment was interesting, simple and straight forward. The only problems were in
the measuring of the internal diameter of the out flow pipe, because the pipe was fixed
and in the determination of the volumetric flow rate. Otherwise the objective of the
experiment was achieved.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Although the straight forward, we would have achieved more accurate results if the
control valve was calibrated to give the volumetric flow rate. This would have helped us
get even more accurate velocities hence more accurate Reynolds’ numbers. In calculating
the velocity, we used the volume collected in a given time of which errors might have
occurred when getting these readings. For the internal diameter, it was necessary that we
use the precise diameter .i.e. we were supposed to be given the actual diameter. The
diameter we used was just an approximation because we approximated the thickness of
the pipe.
CONCLUSION:
We were able to determine all the three flows (i.e. laminar, transitional and turbulent)
from the calculated Reynolds number. For laminar flow, Re is > 2000, for transitional Re
is between 2000 and 4000 and for turbulent flow, Re is < 4000. The graph of Re vs.
velocity is a straight line originating from zero. Therefore, Re varies linearly with the
velocity.

REFEENCE:
1 Fluid mechanics;
4th edition by;
John F. Douglas, Janusz M. Gasiorek and John A. Swaffield;
Pages 27 to 33 and 43.
2. Mechanics of fluid 5th edition by;
B. S. Massey 1983;
Published by Van Nostrand Reinhold (UK) Co. Ltd.
Molly milars lane, Wokingham, Berkshire, England.
Pages 129 to 134