Transition to turbulence for flow through a dumped bed of spheres

✍ Scribed by K.R. Jolls; T.J. Hanratty

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1966
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 405 KB
• Volume: 21
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0009-2509
• DOI: 10.1016/0009-2509(66)85038-8

✦ Synopsis

A transition from laminar to turbulent flow in a dumped bed of spheres occurs over the Reynolds number range 110 to 150. (Reynolds number is based on the diameter of the particle and the fluid velocity in the empty column.) The transition was detected by measuring the local rates of mass transfer around the circumference of one of the packings. The change from a steady to an unsteady mass transfer rate occurred over the whole surface of the test sphere at approximately the same Reynolds number. These results are supported by visual studies similar to those performed by Reynolds in his studies of the stability of laminar flow in a pipe. Time averaged mass transfer rates in a packed bed do not change dramatically in the transition range.