Is there a universal log law for turbulent wall-bounded flows?
Journal article, 2007

The history and theory supporting the idea of a universal log law for turbulent wall-bounded flows are briefly reviewed. The original idea of justifying a log law from a constant Reynolds stress layer argument is found to be deficient. By contrast, it is argued that the logarithmic friction law and velocity profiles derived from matching inner and outer profiles for a pipe or channel flow are well-founded and consistent with the data. But for a boundary layer developing along a. at plate it is not, and in fact it is a power law theory that seems logically consistent. Even so, there is evidence for at least an empirical logarithmic fit to the boundary-friction data, which is indistinguishable from the power law solution. The value of kappa approximate to 0.38 obtained from a logarithmic curve fit to the boundary-layer velocity data, however, does not appear to be the same as for pipe flow for which 0.43 appears to be the best estimate. Thus, the idea of a universal log law for wall-bounded flows is not supported by either the theory or the data.

REGION

boundary layer

channel

log law

wall turbulence

pipe

PIPE-FLOW

Author

William George

Chalmers, Applied Mechanics

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences

1364-503X (ISSN) 1471-2962 (eISSN)

Vol. 365 1852 789-806

Subject Categories

Mechanical Engineering

DOI

10.1098/rsta.2006.1941

More information

Created

10/7/2017