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Mechanical Engineering vocabulary · Fluid Mechanics, Pumps and Valves

Turbulent flow

Meaning in mechanical engineering, with examples

nounCommon term

In mechanical engineering, turbulent flow means: Fluid flow in which the particles move in irregular, mixing paths. It happens at higher speeds and is the opposite of smooth, layered laminar flow.

In Turkish: türbülanslı akış, çalkantılı akış

How it is used

Used in fluid mechanics, pipe and duct design and CFD. The Reynolds number tells whether flow is laminar or turbulent: in pipes, flow is usually laminar below about 2,300 and turbulent above about 4,000. Turbulent flow increases both heat transfer and pressure drop.

Example sentences

  1. At this velocity the Reynolds number is about 50,000, so we have fully turbulent flow.

  2. Turbulent flow inside the tubes improves heat transfer in the exchanger.

Common collocations

  • laminar flow
  • Reynolds number
  • fully turbulent
  • turbulence model
  • pressure dropThe loss of pressure as a fluid flows through a pipe, filter, valve or other component, caused by friction and by changes in direction or cross-section.
  • viscosityA measure of how thick a fluid is and how strongly it resists flowing. Honey has a high viscosity and water has a low one.
  • CFDShort for computational fluid dynamics: computer simulation of how liquids and gases flow, together with the pressure, temperature and heat transfer that come with the flow.
  • heat transferThe movement of thermal energy from a hotter place to a colder one. It happens in three ways: conduction, convection and radiation.
  • flow rateThe amount of fluid that passes a point in a given time, given as a volume (for example m³/h or L/min) or as a mass (kg/s).

More terms: Fluid Mechanics, Pumps and Valves

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