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Title: REYNOLD NUMBER
SUBJECT : Experiment 3
PROF. : Yoon Kyunghwan
MAJOR : Mech. Engineering
STUDENT NO. : 321291910
NAME : Yolanda Putri Y
DATE : March 27
th
2014



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1. Introduction
1.1 Purpose
The aim of this experiment is to distinguish
between laminar flow and turbulent flow by
observing changing ink line through internal flow
in tube based on the critical Reynold Number.
1.1 Theory
Osborn Reynold (1883) conducted a number of
experiments to determine the types of the flow
through the Laws of Resistance in pipe. By the
Reynold Number, the flow allows to be classified
as Laminar Flow, Transition Zone, and Turbulent
Flow.
Reynold Number (R) is dimensionless parameter. It
is a ratio of inertial (destabilizing) force to the
viscous damping (stabilizing) force. When the R
increases, the inertial force will be higher and the
flow destabilizes into turbulence. Critical Reynold
number is the Reynold Number that exists
anywhere in transition region where the critical
velocity V averaged through the cross section at
which laminar pipe flow changes to transitional.









































Picture 1. Types of flow
The change from laminar flow to turbulent flow
occurs at:
Re 2000 Laminar flow
2000 Re 3500 Transition flow
Re 3500 Turbulent flow
To quantify turbulence the Reynolds number which
represents relation between inertial and viscous
forces can be calculated as:
Re =

REYNOLD NUMBER
Yolanda Putri Yuda
1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dankook University, South Korea




Key Words:
Abstract:
Reynold number (Re) is a ratio of inertial (destabilizing) force to the viscous damping (stabilizing) force. It is
observed to indicate the types of the flow whether laminar, transition, or turbulent. The aim of this experiment is to
distinguish between laminar flow and turbulent flow by observing changing ink line through internal flow in tube
based on the critical Reynold Number. Based on the data gained (Height) in both High Reynold Number and Low
Reynold Number experiment, calculation data are investigated to determine the type of the flow. The result
obtained is when the ink opens (High Reynold Number experiment), the volumentric flow rate increases. This
condition is equal to the equation Q = V / t. At that time, the Reynold Number of the fluid approaches 3912.9 ~
4891.1 which indicates that the flow is turbulent. The opposite way, when the ink valve is closed slowly (Low
Reynold Number experiment), the volumentric flow rate decreases and being constant. In this case, the Reynold
Number of the flow are less than 3500 (2934.7 ~ 3423.8) which indicates that the type of the flow is transition flow
leads to laminar flow.






2

Where:
V = flow velocity (m/s)
= density (kg/m
3
)
D = inside diameter of pipe section (m)
= dynamic viscosity of the fluid (kg/ms)
Q = volumetric flow rate (m
3
/s)
A = cross sectional area of the pipe (m
2
)
= kinematics viscosity (m
2
/s)
The average speed of the fluid is related with
Volumetric Flow Rate (Q in m
3
/s), so the Re can be
expressed as follows:
V =

So that,
Re =

2. Experiment Method
2.1 Apparatus

Picture 2: Reynold Number Experiment Apparatus
Caption:
1. Base Plate
2. Experiment Tube
3. Inlet Section for controlling the ink flow
4. Ink tube
The unit used black ink to observe and
investigate the laminar and turbulent flow which
assume that the temperature is constant.
5. Water Supply tank
6. Drain Cock
For adjusting the flow rate in the experiment
tube.
7. Measured Box with ruler (to measure the
weight).

2.2 Procedures
1. Prepare a constant temperature water bath
which has transparent wall to make easy to
observe the flow.
2. Fill the bath with water and let the water over-
flow form a certain height.
3. Open the exit-valve and control the valve of ink
tube to make a thin ink line.
For High Reynold Number
4. Increase the inner flow rate by opening the
valve slowly.
5. If the turbulent flow is detected, measure the
height of the flowed water for 10 second.
6. Repeat the steps above 3 times.
For Low Reynold Number
4. Open the exit-valve to maximum and decrease
the inner flow rate by closing the valve slowly.
5. If the laminar flow is detected, measure the
height of the flowed water for 10 second.
6. Repeat the steps above 3 times.

7. Data Analysis
Table 1. Data record

Table 2. Main data given
Water Temperature 18.6
0
C
Coefficient of
Viscosity
1.04 x 10
-3
N.S/m
2

Density of the Water 998.28 kg/m
3

Inner diameter of Tube 25 mm
Time 10 second
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
3

Based on the record and main data above, the other
parameters such as Volume of flowed water,
Weight of flowed water, Q, and Re can be
calculated manually with the sample calculation
equation below (first data record for High Reynold
Number):
Known:
H (Height) = 40 mm
= 0.04 m
D = 25 mm
= 0.025 m
T = 10 second
= 1.04 x 10
-3
N.S/m
2

= 998.28 kg/m
3

Ask:
V, W, Q, Re
Answer:
1. V = 0.2 x 0.1 x H
= 0.2 x 0.1 x 0.04
= 8 x 10
-4
m
3

2. W = V x
= 8 x 10
-4
m
3
x 998.28 kg/m
3


= 798.624 kg
3. Q =

= 8 x 10
-5
m
3
/s
4. Re =

= 3912.905439 (Transition to
Turbulent)

Tabel 3. Calculation Data
Re Number of
Experiment
H (m) T (s) D (m)
High
Reynold
Number
1 0.04 10 0.025
2 0.05 10 0.025
3 0.05 10 0.025
Low
Reynold
Number
1 0.03 10 0.025
2 0.035 10 0.025
3 0.035 10 0.025

V (m
3
) W (kg) Q (m
3
/s)
High
Reynold
Number
1 0.0008 0.7986 0.00008
2 0.001 0.9982 0.0001
3 0.001 0.9982 0.0001
Low
Reynold
Number
1 0.0006 0.5989 0.00006
2 0.0007 0.6987 0.00007
3 0.0007 0.6987 0.00007

Re Type of Flow
High
Reynold
Number
1
3912.905
Turbulent
2
4891.132
Turbulent
3
4891.132
Turbulent
Low
Reynold
Number
1
2934.679
Transition to
Laminar
2
3423.792
Transition to
Laminar
3
3423.792
Transition to
Laminar

From the data calculation above, graphs are
established to distinguish between laminar and
turbulent flow.

Picture 3. Relation between Volumentric Flow Rate
with Reynold Number
1 2 3 1 2 3
Re 3912.9 4891.1 4891.1 2934.7 3423.8 3423.8
Q 0.00008 0.0001 0.0001 0.00006 0.00007 0.00007
Relation between Q and
Re
4

Based on picture 3 above, the relation of
Volumentric flow rate (Q) with Reynold Number
(Re) is directly proportional. It means that if
volumentric flow rate of the fluid is higher, the
Reynold Number of the flow will increase
according to the Volumentric Flow Rate. The
Volumentric Flow Rate increases when the ink
valve opens. So that if the Reynold Number is
higher, the flow of the fluid might be turbulent (in a
steady state / ideal condition).

Picture 4. Distinguish Between High Reynold
Number and Low Reynold Number
According to the relation between Volumentric
Flow Rate and Reynold number, the graph in
picture 4. states the high reynold number shows Re
3912.9 ~ 4891.1. It means that the Flow indicates
that it is turbulent flow which basically has Re
3500. In the other hand, the Low Reynold Number
shows that Re are less than 3500 (2934.7 ~ 3423.8)
which indicate that the flow belongs to transition
flow leads to laminar flow.

4. Conclusion
From the result obtained and the plotted graphs, it
can be concluded that when the ink opens, it will
add the volume of the water flow and make the
volumentric flow rate increases. This condition is
equal to the equation Q = V / t. At that time, the
Reynold Number of the fluid approaches 3912.9 ~
4891.1 which indicates that the flow is turbulent.
The opposite way, when the ink valve is closed
slowly, the volumentric flow rate decreases and
being constant. In this case, based on the
calculation data, the Reynold Number of the flow
are less than 3500 (2934.7 ~ 3423.8) which
indicates that the type of the flow is transition flow
leads to laminar flow. So, to distinguish whether
the flow of the fluid is laminar or turbulent, can be
seen by observing the critical Reynold Number of
the flow.

Recommendation:
In this experiment, it is better if use potassium
permanganate to the water to give a brighter visible
ink line so that it will be easier to indicate whether
the ink line is laminar or turbulent.

5. Reference

1. J.P. Holman. 2010. Heat Transfer 10h Edition.
Southern Methodist University : McGraw-Hill.
2. O. Reynolds, On the dynamical theory of
incompressible viscous fluids and the
determination of the criterion, Phil. Trans. Roy.
Soc., A 186, 123164 (1895).
3. Experiments modul of Marine Machinery and
System Laboratory. 2012. Department of
Marine Engineering, Institut Teknoogi Sepuluh
Nopember Surabaya, Indonesia.
4. Guidelines of Reynold Number experiment.
2014. Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Dankook University, South Korea.
1 2 3
HRN 3912.9 4891.1 4891.1
LRN 2934.7 3423.8 3423.8
High Reynold Number VS Low
Reynold Number