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Near-wall velocity distributions within a straight conical diffuser

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Abstract

The measured mean velocity profiles at the various stations along a conical diffuser (8° total divergence angle) were found to consist of log regions, half-power law regions and linear regions. The describing coefficients for the inner half-power law region (which followed a rather narrow log region) differed from the standard values due to the axi-symmetric geometry and lack of moving equilibrium of the flow as it attempted to adjust to a varying adverse pressure gradient. However, these coefficients (like those for the linear region) correlated with the local wall shear stress and the kinematic pressure gradient.

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Abbreviations

A, B :

coefficients in logarithmic law velocity distribution (Eq. (1))

C, D :

coefficients in half-power law velocity distribution (Eq. (5))

Di :

inside diameter of feed pipe (10.16 cm)

d p :

outer diameter of Preston tube

E, F :

coefficients in linear law velocity distribution (Eq. (10))

P s :

local static pressure

R :

local radius of diffuser, (D i /2) + x w sin 4°

Re :

Reynolds number, D i U b /v

U :

local mean velocity in the x w direction

U b :

cross-sectional average mean velocity (x-direction) in feed pipe

U c :

mean velocity at the diffuser centerline

u * :

local friction velocity

u + :

dimensionless local mean velocity, U/u *

χ:

axial distance along diffuser centerline (measured from inlet to diffuser) Fig. (2)

χw :

distance along diffuser wall (measured from inlet to difusser (Fig. 2)

y w :

distance from wall in direction orthogonal to wall (Fig. 2)

y + :

dimensionless position, y w u */v

α:

kinematic (axial static) pressure gradient, (1/g9) dP s/dx

δ* :

displacement thickness (Eq. (4))

Δ:

dimensionless pressure gradient parameter, x v/(u*) 3

χ:

Von Karman constant (0.41)

ϱ:

density

ν:

kinematic viscosity

τ:

shear stress

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Trupp, A.C., Azad, R.S. & Kassab, S.Z. Near-wall velocity distributions within a straight conical diffuser. Experiments in Fluids 4, 319–331 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00266297

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