Question

Give the practical examples of laminar and turbulent flow

Answer 1

Laminar Flow - is the flow of a liquid or a fluid in a way that each particle of the fluid will follow a smooth path. The paths of these particles will never interfere with each another. A steady flow of fluid in a pipe or in a closed channel at a constant velocity without fluctuations is an example of Laminar flow.

Turbulent flow - is an irregular flow of a fluid which is characterized by tiny regions of the fluid having excessive kinetic energy and fluctuating velocity. The most common examples of turbulent flows are the wake of a submarine or a ship, the swirls in a fast flowing river, high air currents in the atmosphere, etc.

Answer 2

Laminar flow simply means that the turbulence (Eddie motion) of fluid inside a conduit is very very little. In a closed system, laminar flow is best described as fluid with Reynolds number lesser than 2.2k.

Please note that turbulence is caused by eddies inside a conduit from friction between fluid and pipe wall, hence ‘stirring’ the fluid.

Turbulence flow, type of Fluid (gas or liquid) flow in which the fluid undergoes irregular fluctuations, or mixing, in contrast to Laminar flow, in which the fluid moves in smooth paths or layers. In turbulent flow the speed of the fluid at a point is continuously undergoing changes in both magnitude and direction.