Difference between

laminar and turbulent

flow:
Submitted to: ma’am Ayesha Jamal
Submitted by: kashmala Rasheed (FA20-DPT-020), Maira Azrar(FA20-DPT-026)
Samia Shabbir (FA20-DPT-034), Tania Ayaz (FA20-DPT-036)
Iqra Bibi (FA20-DPT-045), Javeria zamoord (FA30-DPT-047)
Khan shagufta Muslim (FA20-DPT-048)
Difference between laminar and turbulent
flow:
 S.no Laminar Flow Turbulent Flow
1 It is a fluid flow in which the It is a fluid flow in which the
fluid layers move parallel to fluid layers cross each other
each other and do not cross and do not move parallel to
each other. each other.
2. The laminar flow generally The turbulent flow occurs
occurs in the fluid flowing with when the fluid flows with high
low velocity. velocity.
3 Laminar flow occurs in the Turbulent flow occurs in large
small diameter pipes in which diameter pipes in which fluid
fluid flows flows with high velocity.
with low velocity.
4. The fluid flow is laminar when The fluid flow is turbulent
the value of Reynolds number when the value of Reynolds
(Re) is less than 2000. number is greater than 4000.
 S.no Laminar Flow Turbulent Flow

5. Shear stress in laminar flow Shear stress in the turbulent flow

depends only on the viscosity of depends upon the density of the
the fluid and independent of the fluid.
density.
6. The fluid flow is very orderly i.e. The fluid flow is not orderly i.e.
there is no mixing of adjacent there is mixing of adjacent layers of
layers of the fluid and they move fluid with each other and they do
parallel to each other and also with not move parallel to each other and
the walls of the pipe.
also with the walls of the pipe.
 In which factors the flow of the turbulent
is dependent ?
The factors the flow of turbulent is dependent is listed below,
• Velocity
• Viscosity
• Pressure
The factors are briefly discuss:
Velocity:
• The flow of turbulent is depends on the physical property of
velocity.
• The relationship with the flow of turbulent and velocity is
proportional to each other.
• Means if the rate of velocity is increases then the value of flow of
turbulent is also increases and if the rate of velocity is decreases
then the value of flow of turbulent is also decreases.
Viscosity:
• The flow of turbulent is depends on viscosity.
• The relationship with the flow of turbulent and viscosity is indirectly proportional to
each other.
• Means if the rate of viscosity is increases then the value of flow of turbulent is decreases
and if the rate of viscosity is decreases then the value of flow of turbulent is increases.
Pressure:
• Another parameter where the flow of turbulent is depends that is pressure.
• The relationship with the flow of turbulent and pressure is directly proportional to each
other.
• Means if the rate of pressure is increases then the value of flow of turbulent is also
increases and if the rate of pressure is decreases then the value of flow oand viscosity f
turbulent is also decrease in the same way.
Examples of laminar and turbulent flow:
Blood Flow
• The blood flowing in our veins undergoes laminar flow.
• The adjacent layers of the blood get mixed with each other on a
molecular level; however, they remain separated on the
macroscopic level.
• This is the reason why the blood within the veins appears to be
flowing in a straight line.
Flow of the blood in arteries:
• In the flow of the blood in arteries the flow of turbulent is present.
• If we observe the flowing condition of the blood then we easily can
observe that when blood is flow through the arteries the particles are
not flow in a directional motion.
• The layers of the blood is mixing with each other for this particular
reason the physical parameters like velocity, pressure, viscosity is not
remain same at each of the molecules of the fluid and turbulent flow
appear.
Viscous fluid:
• Viscous fluids such as honey, glycerin, and other syrups exhibit laminar flow in the best possible way.
• When such fluids are poured into a container, the flow seems undisturbed and constant.
• This is because the layers of the viscous fluids do not merge with each other easily and stay separated
from each other, thereby flowing in straight lines, i.e., parallel to each other.
Smoke
• If you have been around smokers, you probably noticed that the cigarette smoke rises in a smooth plume for
the first few centimeters and then starts fluctuating randomly in all directions as it continues its rise.
• Other plumes behave similarly in below figure The flow regime in the first case is said to be laminar,
characterized by smooth streamlines and highly ordered motion, and turbulent in the second case, where it is
characterized by velocity fluctuations and highly disordered motion.
• The smoke coming out of a burning incense stick appears linear near the stick; however, it disperses after a certain
distance from the stick.
• This is because the particles of the smoke present close to the tip of a burning incense stick or a cigarette do not
interfere with each other, thereby allowing the individual particles to follow a smooth path or exhibit laminar flow.
Human movement through:
• Air and water Laminar and turbulent flow an object moving
through a fluid medium such as air or water with a relatively
low velocity will not disturb the flow of the fluid very much.
• The air or water will flow in smooth, parallel layers around
the object. This is called laminar flow
• When an object moves with a significantly higher velocity
through the fluid, the layers of fluid near the surface get
mixed together. This is called turbulent flow.
• Consider a swimmer moving through the water. Their hands
move slowly through the water and don’t disturb the layers
of the fluid very much.
• .However, when the swimmer begins to kick, the layers of
water are disturbed and greater turbulence is created. In
swimming, flow is not completely laminar or turbulent but
midway between the two.
• The type of flow of a fluid around an object, whether it be a
ball moving through the air or a body moving through water,
affects the forces acting on the object.
Characteristic of laminar and turbulent flow:

Characteristic Of Laminar Flow Characteristic of turbulent flow of turbulent

flowCharacteristics of Turbulent Flo
Characteristics of Turbulent Flow

Laminar is characterized by smooth streamlines and

highly ordered motion. Under most practical Turbulent flow tends to occur at higher velocities, low
conditions, the flow in a circular pipe is laminar for Re viscosity, and at higher characteristic linear
< 2000. In fully de$eloped laminar flow, each fluid dimensions.
particle moves at a constant axial velocity along a
streamline and the velocity profile remains unchanged
in the flow direction.
If the Reynolds number is greater than Re > 3500, the
The steady laminar flow of an incompressible fluid flow is turbulent.
with constant properties in the fully developed
region of a straight circular pipe.
Characteristic Of Laminar Flow Characteristic of turbulent flow

. Irregularity: The flow is characterized by the irregular

Laminar flow in a straight pipe may be considered as movement of particles of the fluid. The movement of
the relative motion of a set of concentric cylinders of fluid particles is chaotic. For this reason, turbulent flow
fluid, the outside one fixed at the pipe wall and the is normally treated statistically rather than
others moving at increasing speeds as the center of the deterministically.
pipe is approached.
Diffusivity: In turbulent flow, a fairly flat velocity
Smoke rising in a straight path from a cigarette is distribution exists across the section of the pipe. The
result is that the entire fluid flows at a given single
undergoing laminar flow. After rising a small distance, value and drops rapidly, extremely close to the walls.
the smoke usually changes to turbulent flow, as it The characteristic responsible for the enhanced mixing
eddies and swirls from its regular path. and increased rates of mass, momentum, and energy
transports in a flow is called “diffusivity”.
Characteristic of laminar flow Characteristic of turbulent flow

Laminar flow is common only in cases in which the Rotationality: Turbulent flow is characterized by
flow channel is relatively small, the fluid is moving a strong three-dimensional vortex generation
slowly , and it’s viscosity is relatively high. mechanism. This mechanism is known as vortex
stretching.

Oil flow through a thin tube Or blood flow through Dissipation: A dissipative process is when the
capillaries is laminar .mozt other kinds of fluid flow kinetic energy of the turbulent flow is transformed
are turbulent except near solid boundaries ,where into internal energy by viscous shear stress.
the flow is often laminar , especially in athin layer
just adjacent to the surface.
 Application Of Laminar and turbulent
flow:
Laminar flow:
Flow in blood vessels:
• Laminar flow is the normal condition for blood flow throughout most of the circulatory system.
• It is characterized by concentric layers of blood moving in parallel down the length of a blood
vessel.
• The highest velocity (Vmax) is found in the center of the vessel. The lowest velocity (V=0) is
found along the vessel wall.
• The flow profile is parabolic once laminar flow is fully developed.
• This occurs in long, straight blood vessels, under steady flow conditions. One practical
implication of parabolic,
•  laminar flow is that when flow velocity is measured using a Doppler flowmeter, the velocity
value represents the average velocity of a cross-section of the vessel, not the maximal velocity
found in the center of the flow stream.
 Turbulent flow:
• Generally in the body, blood flow is laminar.
• However, under conditions of high flow, particularly in the ascending aorta, laminar flow can be
disrupted and become turbulent.
• When this occurs, blood does not flow linearly and smoothly in adjacent layers, but instead the
flow can be described as being chaotic.
• The Turbulent flow also occurs in large arteries at branch points, in diseased and narrowed
(stenotic) arteries (see figure below).
• Turbulence increases the energy required to drive blood flow because turbulence increases the
loss of energy in the form of friction, which generates heat. Turbulence does not begin to occur
until the velocity of flow becomes high enough that the flow lamina break apart.
• Therefore, as blood flow velocity increases in a blood vessel or across a heart valve, there is not
a gradual increase in turbulence.
• Instead, turbulence occurs when a critical Reynolds number (Re) is exceeded.