VORTEX FLOW FIELD IN A SCOUR HOLE AROUND ABUTMENTS

Abdul Karim BARBHUIYA1 and Subhasish DEY2

ABSTRACT
The three-dimensional flow field in a scour hole around different abutments under a clear water
regime was experimentally measured in a laboratory flume, using the Acoustic Doppler
Velocimeter (ADV). Three types of abutments used in the experiments were vertical-wall
(rectangular section), 45o wing-wall (45o polygonal section) and semicircular. The
three-dimensional time-averaged velocity components were detected at different vertical planes
for vertical-wall abutment and azimuthal planes for wing-wall and semicircular abutments. The
velocity components were also measured at different horizontal planes. In the upstream,
presentations of flow field through vector plots at vertical / azimuthal and horizontal planes show
the existence of a primary vortex associated with the downflow inside the scour hole. On the
other hand, in the downstream, the flow field shows a reversed flow near the abutments having a
subsequent recovery with a passage of flow as a part of the main flow. The data presented in this
paper would be useful to the researchers for the development and verification of mathematical
models of flow field in a scour hole at bridge abutments.
Key Words: Abutments, Three-dimensional flow, Vortex flow, Open channel flow, Scour,
Sediment transport, Fluvial hydraulics

1 INTRODUCTION
At the bridge site of a river, localized scour around piers and abutments is a common occurrence and
poses a challenging problem to the hydraulic engineers due to its detrimental effect to the foundations of
piers and abutments. Abutments, located at either end of the bridge, help to transmit the weight of the
bridge including traffic to the foundation bed. On the other hand, piers are located within the bridge span.
Based on the supply of sediment by the approaching flow, the localized scour can be classified in two
ways: clear water scour and live bed scour (Dey, 1997). Clear water scour is the situation where no
sediment is supplied by the approaching flow to the scour zone. Live bed scour, on the other hand, occurs
where there is a supply of sediment by the approaching flow to the scour zone.
The flow field around abutments embedded vertically in a sediment-bed is complex in detail, involving
separation of flow to develop three-dimensional vortex flow; and the complexity increases with the
development of the scour hole. The flow field around piers has been well researched by Hjorth (1975),
Melville (1975), Melville and Raudkivi (1977), Dey (1995), Dey et al. (1995) and Graf and Istiaro (2002).
But, research on the flow field around abutments has been very limited. Using hydrogen bubble technique,
Kwan (1989) and Kwan and Melville (1994) detected the three-dimensional flow field in a scour hole
around a wing-wall abutment. They concluded that a primary vortex, being similar to the horseshoe
vortex around piers, along with the downflow is the primary cause of scouring at abutments. Rajaratnam
and Nwachukwu (1983), and Ahmed and Rajaratnam (2000) also investigated the flow fields at groyne
and abutment, respectively, placed on a planar or unscoured bed. But, no attempt has so far been made to
study the three-dimensional flow field around a vertical-wall and semicircular abutments.
The present study aims at to investigate the three-dimensional flow field in a scour hole around
vertical-wall (rectangular section), 45o wing-wall (45o polygonal section) and semicircular abutments
under a clear water regime, using the Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV). The time-averaged velocity
1

Lecturer, Department of Applied Mechanics, National Institute of Technology, Silchar 788010, Assam, India.
Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302, West
Bengal, India. Email: sdey@civil.iitkgp.ernet.in; Fax: +91 3222 282254 (Corresponding author)
Note: The original manuscript of this paper was received in June 2003. The revised version was received in Sept.
2003. Discussion open until Dec. 2004.
International Journal of Sediment Research, Vol. 18, No. 4, 2003, pp. 310-325
- 310 2

components were measured at different locations on vertical planes for vertical-wall abutment and
azimuthal planes for wing-wall and semicircular abutments. The velocity components were also measured
at different horizontal planes. The flow fields are represented using the measured velocity data through
the vector plots at different azimuthal / vertical and horizontal planes.
2 EXPERIMENTATION
2.1 Experimental Setup
Experiments were conducted in a 20 m long, 0.9 m wide and 0.7 m deep laboratory flume of Water
Resources Engineering Laboratory, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. Perspex made
vertical-wall, 45o wing-wall and semicircular abutments, whose dimensions are given in Table 1, were
used for the tests. A sediment recess of 2.4 m long, 0.9 m wide and 0.3 m deep, which contained
uniformly graded sediment (g = 1.21) of median diameter 0.52 mm, was located at 10 m downstream of
the flume inlet. It ensured that at the test section, a fully developed turbulent flow was achieved. A false
floor of 0.3 m high was laid at the upstream of sediment recess along the length of the flume to maintain
the same level of the sediment-bed in the sediment recess. In order to simulate the turbulent flow over a
rough planar sediment-bed, uniform sediment having same size used for the scouring test was glued over
the false floor. Abutment was embedded in the sediment-bed of the sediment recess, attaching it to the
side glass-wall of the flume with a protruding length of l (that is the transverse length of the abutment) in
the flow. The flow discharge, regulated by an inlet valve, was measured using a calibrated V-notch weir
fitted at the flume inlet. The flow depth, adjusted by a tailgate, was measured by a Vernier point gage
with an accuracy of 0.1 mm. Initially, the flume was slowly filled up with the water by a pipe. Once the
desirable flow depth reached, the experiment was run under clear water scour regime by adjusting the
discharge to a desired value. The approaching flow depth h was set at 0.2 m; and the experiments were
run for an average approaching flow velocity U of 0.294 m/s that maintained a clear water scour regime
having u*/u*c = 0.95; where u* is the approaching shear velocity and u*c is the critical shear velocity of
sediment particles. The critical shear velocity u*c of sediment particles was estimated from the Shields
diagram. The average approaching flow velocity U was determined from the measured vertical
distribution of approaching flow velocity at the mid-section of the flume, which was located at 2 m
upstream of the center of the abutment, where the free flow occurred. The semi-logarithmic plot of the
approaching flow velocity distribution was used to evaluate approaching shear velocity u*.
2.2 Experimental Procedure
Experiments were run under a clear water scour regime for a period of more than 48 h when an
equilibrium state of scour was achieved. The maximum depth of scour around the abutment was
measured instantaneously by observing the position of the lower level of scour hole from a scale fixed
inside the abutment with an accuracy of 1 mm. An intense light focused at the scouring zone improved
the visibility. When no difference of scour depth was observed at an interval of two hours after 48 h, it
was assumed that an equilibrium state of scour was attained. Then the flow discharge was slowly reduced
to zero, and water in the flume was allowed to drain out through an upstream opening and a downstream
outlet in such a way that a minimum flow occurred in the scoured zone. The water levels were recorded
and the contour lines were marked by placing a wet thread along the periphery of the contact water line in
the scoured zone and on the sediment deposition. Once the water was completely drained out, the
photograph of the contour lines formed by the threads were taken. The contours of the scour holes around
abutments are shown in Fig. 1. After completely draining out the water from the scour hole, when it was
reasonably dry, a synthetic resin mixed with water (1:3 by volume) was sprayed uniformly over the
scoured bed to stabilize it. The sediment-bed was sufficiently impregnated with the resin when it was left
to set for a period of 12 h. Having dried further up to 24 h, the scoured bed profile became rock-hard,
facilitating the acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV) measurements. In order to determine the scour
profiles at various vertical or azimuthal sections, the scour depths at different sections were measured by
a Vernier point gage. In this study, the maximum equilibrium scour depths ds measured below the original
bed are furnished in Table 1.
International Journal of Sediment Research, Vol. 18, No. 4, 2003, pp. 310-325
- 311 -

Fig. 1

Type of
abutment
Vertical-wall
45o wing-wall
Semicircular

Photographs of the scour holes around different abutments (contour lines positive
for scour and negative for deposition, in mm)
Table 1 Dimensions of abutments used in the experiments
Streamwise length
Transverse length
Maximum equilibrium scour depth
b (m)
l (m)
ds (m)
0.24
0.12
0.201
0.36
0.12
0.170
0.26
0.13
0.162

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- 312 -

The instantaneous three-dimensional velocity components were detected by a SonTek made 5 cm

downlooking acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV). The ADV functioned on a pulse-to-pulse coherent
Doppler shift to provide instantaneous 3D velocity components at a rate of 50 Hz. The acoustic sensor
consisted of one transmitting and three receiving transducers. The receiving transducers were mounted on
short arms around the transmitting transducer at 120o azimuth intervals. The transmitting transducer sent
out acoustic beams with a frequency of 10 MHz. The beams traveling through the water arrived at the
measuring point (5 cm below the transducer), where they were reflected by the ambient particles within
the flow being received by the receiving transducers. The processing module executed the digital signal
processing required to measure the Doppler shifts. The data acquisition software provided a real-time
display of the data in graphical and tabular forms. There was no requirement of seeding of the flow
during experiments, as the signal-noise ratio (SNR) was in the range of 12 to 16. Because of the
interference due to echoes from the flume bed, the receiving signal might be disturbed, which may result
in inaccurate velocity measurement. In this study, a few points near the bed were found to be influenced
in this way. The velocity measurement by the ADV probe was not possible in the zone, which was 5 cm
below the free surface. The probe was capable to measure velocity in the range of 0.03 m/s to 2.5 m/s.
The ADV readings were taken along several vertical lines at different vertical and azimuthal planes,
shown in Fig. 2. Also, the ADV readings were taken at different locations at horizontal sections of
z = -0.5ds, 0 and 0.5h in order to plot flow vectors at different horizontal sections. It is important to
mention that the time-averaged velocity components were take for a period of 3 min in order to ensure
that the velocity components were independent of time. Comprehensive description of experimental
procedure and data are available in Barbhuiya (2003).
3 FLOW FIELD
3.1 Coordinate Systems
The time-averaged velocity components (u, v, w) are represented in Cartesian coordinates (x, y, z) for
vertical-wall abutment. On the other hand, cylindrical polar coordinates (, r, z) are used to represent
velocity components (u, v, w) for wing-wall and semicircular abutments (Fig. 3). All linear dimensions
and velocity components are normalized by the transverse length of the abutment l and average
approaching flow velocity U, respectively. For vertical-wall abutment, the flow fields are shown in xz and yz -planes at different vertical sections; where x is x/l, y is y/l and z is z/l. On the other hand,
the flow fields are depicted in rz -plane at different azimuthal angles for wing-wall and semicircular
abutments; where r is r/l. Also, the flow fields are displayed on nondimensional horizontal planes at
different elevations. It is important to point out that the velocity readings were confined to the region
5 cm below the free surface due to the limitation of the ADV. Therefore, the flow field near the free
surface is beyond the realm of this study.
3.2 Flow Field at Vertical and Azimuthal Planes
For vertical-wall abutment, Fig. 4 exhibits the normalized time-averaged velocity vectors, whose
magnitudes and directions, at sections A, B and F, are

u 2 + w 2 and arc tan( w / u ), respectively; and

at sections D-E, v 2 + w 2 and arc tan( w / v ); where u is u/U, v is v/U and w is w/U. The
characteristic feature of the circulatory flow, termed primary vortex, inside the scour hole along with the
strong downflow along the upstream face of the abutment is displayed. It is evident from the flow pattern
upstream of the abutment that the flow separation at the edge of the scour hole produces a reversal nature
of flow field inside the scour hole. This confirms a strong helicoidal flow (primary vortex) inside the
scour hole upstream of the abutment. This may be compared with the horseshoe vortex inside the scour
hole around a pier (Dey, 1995). The primary vortex is strong at the upstream of the abutment (see
sections A-C) and decreases by the side of the abutment (see sections D and E). In addition, the
downflow at the upstream face of the abutment adds fluid to make primary vortex stronger. To be more
explicit, at the upstream face of the abutment, an adverse pressure gradient creates a downflow being
returned at the base of the scour hole, showing a strong counter-clockwise vortex, which is already
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referred to as primary vortex. However, at section C, the deflection of flow at the outer edge of the
abutment is prominent. Above the scour hole, the flow is almost horizontal for x > 3.5l, and then the flow
gradually curves down towards the abutment. At sections D and E, the vortex motion is very feeble,
confirming its attenuation. In the downstream (at section F), the flow field shows an upward flow near
the abutment causing suction; and further downstream, the flow directed outward is becoming a part of
the main flow.
E

C
Flow
B

Abutment

(a)

12 cm

6 cm

4 cm
Flume wall
24 cm

= 90o
= 63.4o

= 116.6

Flow
= 30o

= 160o
(b)

12 cm

Abutment
= 10o

45o

Flume wall
36 cm

= 90o
= 120o

= 45o
Flow
= 30o

(c)

= 170

Abutment

13 cm
= 10

Flume wall
26 cm

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Fig. 2 Sections of flow measurements: (a) vertical-wall abutment,

(b) 45o wing-wall abutment and (c) semicircular abutment

b
l

z
x

(a)

b
l

z
(b)

b
l

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- 315 -

(c)

Fig. 3

Coordinate systems and schematic diagrams of scour holes around (a) vertical-wall abutment,
(b) 45o wing-wall abutment and (c) semicircular abutment
1.8

^
z

0.9

0.0

-0.9
U

-1.8
1

0
4

(b)

(a)
5

^
x

^
x
1.8

^
z

0.9

0.0

-0.9

(d)

(c)
-1.8
1

^
y

^
y

1.8

^
z

0.9

0.0

-0.9

(e)

(f)

-1.8
1

-5

-4

^
y

Fig. 4

-3

-2

-1

^
x

Normalized velocity vectors at vertical sections of a vertical-wall abutment:

(a) A, (b) B, (c) C, (d) D, (e) E and (f) F

Figs. 5 and 6 display the normalized time-averaged velocity vectors at different azimuthal planes,
having magnitude v 2 + w 2 and direction arc tan( w / v ), for 45o wing-wall and semicircular abutments,
respectively. The nature of the flow field around wing-wall and semicircular abutments are almost similar,
where the characteristics of the vortex flow inside the scour hole together with the downflow along the
upstream face of the abutments are depicted. The circulation is strong at the upstream of the abutment
and decreases with increase in . Above the scour hole, the flow is horizontal for r > 3l in case of
wing-wall abutment and for r > 3.5l in case of semicircular abutment; and then the flow gradually curves
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- 316 -

down towards the abutment. At 90o, the vortex motion is very feeble. In the downstream, the flow is
directed outwards with further increase in beyond 90o. At 160o (for 45o wing-wall abutment) and 170o
(semicircular abutment), it shows an upward flow near the abutment causing suction; and further
downstream, the flow is becoming a part of the main flow.
1.8

^
z

0.9

0.0

-0.9
U

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

(f)

-1.8

1.8

^
z

0.9

0.0

-0.9

-1.8
1.8

^
z

0.9

0.0

-0.9

-1.8
1

^r

^
r

Fig. 5 Normalized velocity vectors at azimuthal sections of a 45o wing-wall abutment:

(a) = 10o, (b) = 30o, (c) = 63.4o, (d) = 90o, (e) = 116.6o and (f) = 160o

3.3 Flow Field at Horizontal Planes

For vertical-wall abutment, the normalized time-averaged velocity vectors, whose magnitude and
direction are u 2 + v 2 and arc tan( v / u ), respectively, at different horizontal sections are exhibited in
Fig. 7. The velocity vectors inside the scour hole (z = -0.5ds) mainly show the passage of flow in the
scour hole. There is an evidence of reversed flow at the border of the scour hole. For z = 0, the flow
velocity adjacent to the abutment is relatively strong, because the passage of downflow adjacent to the
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- 317 -

abutment enhances flow velocity substantially by the side of the abutment. To be more explicit, the
fluid-flux due downflow pushes the fluid in the sideward direction. The velocity vectors at z = 0.5h show
a smooth passage of the flow by the side of the abutment with a feeble backflow adjacent to the abutment
in the downstream. The deflection of flow at the outer edge of the abutment is very prominent.
1.6

^
z

0.8

0.0

-0.8
U

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

(f)

-1.6

1.6

^
z

0.8

0.0

-0.8

-1.6

1.6

^
z

0.8

0.0

-0.8

-1.6
1

^r

^
r

Fig. 6 Normalized velocity vectors at azimuthal sections of a semicircular abutment:

(a) = 10o, (b) = 30o, (c) = 45o, (d) = 90o, (e) = 120o and (f) = 170o

The normalized time-averaged velocity vectors, having magnitude

u 2 + v 2 and direction
arc tan( v / u ), at different horizontal planes for 45o wing-wall and semicircular abutments are presented
International Journal of Sediment Research, Vol. 18, No. 4, 2003, pp. 310-325
- 318 -

in Figs. 8 and 9, respectively. The characteristics of flow field for 45o wing-wall and semicircular
abutments are similar to that for vertical-wall abutment.
3.4 Absolute Velocity Contours
The normalized time-averaged absolute velocity V (= V/U = u 2 + v 2 + w 2 ) contours at different
vertical and azimuthal sections are displayed in Figs. 10, 11 and 12 for vertical-wall, 45o wing-wall and
semicircular abutments, respectively. Having feeble transverse or radial velocity component at section A
or 10o, the absolute velocity is strongly circulatory. At sections D and E or 90o, streamwise or tangential
velocity component dominates and vortex flow becomes weak. At sections B-E or 45o-120o, the
concentration of contour lines close to the abutment refers to the zone of rapid change of intensity of
velocity. The velocity contours in the downstream of the abutment show a continuous change of flow
velocity, becoming a part of the main flow as it leaves the scour hole.
5
(a)
4

z = -0.5ds

^
y

3
2
1
U

5
(b)

z=0

(c)

z = 0.5h

^
y

3
2
1
0
5
4

^
y

3
2
1
0
-5

Fig. 7

-4

-3

-2

-1

0
^
x

Normalized velocity vectors at horizontal sections of a vertical-wall abutment:

(a) z = -0.5ds, (b) z = 0 and (c) z = 0.5h

3.5 Physics of Vortex Flow

Using the preceding findings, the physics of the flow in the scour hole around an abutment can be
explained. The main characteristic feature of the flow around an abutment is a relatively large primary
International Journal of Sediment Research, Vol. 18, No. 4, 2003, pp. 310-325
- 319 -

vortex flow and skewed flow velocity distributions by the side of the abutment. A primary vortex, which
is almost similar to a ground roller downstream of a dune crest, is formed inside the scour hole due to the
flow separation at the upstream edge of the scour hole, known to be the line of separation. Thus, the
scour hole acts as a zone of separation. The downflow is developed due to the downward negative
stagnation pressure gradient of the nonuniform approaching flow velocity (maximum at the free surface
and zero at the bed) adjacent to the vertical face of the abutment upstream and is pushed up by the vortex.
The process of flow separation can be explained using the concept of limiting streamline (Maskell, 1955).
The two limiting streamlines along the original bed upstream (due to the approaching flow) and the
sloping bed (due to the reversed flow) merge at the edge of the scour hole, forming a separated streamline.
Thus, a surface of separation is produced in the form of an envelope by the separated streamlines. In this
process, the approaching flow curves down into the scour hole and rolls to form a primary vortex, which
migrates downstream by the side of the abutment. The migration of the primary vortex by side of the
abutment towards the downstream in the scour hole (which is a triangular section) may partially be
compared with the passage of helicoidal flow in a right-angled triangular bend of a channel (Rozovksii,
1961). However, unlike the flow in the right-angled triangular channel bends, the vertical velocity
component is substantially high due to a strong three-dimensional vortex flow inside the scour hole
associated with a downflow in front of the abutment. In the downstream, the flow characteristic becomes
reversed (towards the abutment). This is due to the flow separation at the abutment side, which produces
a shedding of wakes downstream of the abutment.
4
Transverse length / l

(a)
3
z = -0.5ds
2

Transverse length / l

4
(b)
3
z=0
2

0
4
Transverse length / l

(c)
z = 0.5h
3

0 Sediment Research, Vol. 18, No. 4, 2003, pp. 310-325

International Journal of
- 320 -5
-4
-3
-2
-1
0
1
Longitudinal length / l

Normalized velocity vectors at horizontal sections of a 45o wing-wall abutment:

(a) z = -0.5ds, (b) z = 0 and (c) z = 0.5h

Fig. 8

4
Transverse length / l

(a)
3
z = -0.5ds
2

1
U

Transverse length / l

4
(b)
3
z=0
2

0
4
Transverse length / l

(c)
z = 0.5h
3

0
-5

-4

-3

-2

-1

Longitudinal length / l

Fig. 9

Normalized velocity vectors at horizontal sections of a semicircular abutment:

(a) z = -0.5ds, (b) z = 0 and (c) z = 0.5h

International Journal of Sediment Research, Vol. 18, No. 4, 2003, pp. 310-325
- 321 -

4 CONCLUSIONS
In a laboratory flume, experimental detections were made by the Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV)
to determine the three-dimensional flow field in a scour hole around vertical-wall, 45o wing-wall and
semicircular abutments under a clear water regime. In the upstream, the time-averaged flow velocity
vectors at vertical / azimuthal and horizontal planes show the existence of a primary vortex associated
with the downflow inside the scour hole. On the other hand, in the downstream, the flow field is
essentially reversed due to the flow separation. The data presented in this paper would be useful to the
researchers for the development of mathematical models of flow field in a scour hole around bridge
abutments.

International Journal of Sediment Research, Vol. 18, No. 4, 2003, pp. 310-325
- 322 -

1.6

0.8

^
z

-0.8

(b)

(a)
-1.6

1.1

1.6

0.8
1.1

^
z

0.2

-0.8

(d)

(c)
-1.6
1.6
0 .2

1.2

1.1

1.2

^
z

0.8

0.2

-0.8

(f)

(e)
-1.6
1

^
x

Fig. 10

^
x

Normalized absolute velocity V contours at vertical sections of a vertical-wall abutment:

(a) A, (b) B, (c) C, (d) D, (e) E and (f) F

International Journal of Sediment Research, Vol. 18, No. 4, 2003, pp. 310-325
- 323 -

1.8

0.9

^
z

0 .9

0.9
0.8
.2
0.6 0.4 0

0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2

-0.9

(b)

(a)
-1.8
1.8

1.3

2
1.

1.1

1.4

1.1

^
z

1.5

1.3

0.9

0.8
0.6

0.8 .6
0
0 .4 0 .2

0.4 0.2

-0.9

(d)

(c)
-1.8
1.8

0.9

1.2

1.1

0.2

^
z

1.3

1. 2

0 .4

0.6

0 .9

0.8

1.1

.2
0.4 0

8
0.
0.6

-0.9

(e)

(f)

-1.8
1

^
r

Fig. 11

^
r

Nondimensional absolute velocity V contours at azimuthal sections of a 45o wing-wall abutment:

(a) = 10o, (b) = 30o, (c) = 63.4o, (d) = 90o, (e) = 116.6o and (f) = 160o

International Journal of Sediment Research, Vol. 18, No. 4, 2003, pp. 310-325
- 324 -

1.6

0.8

^
z

-0.8

(b)

(a)
-1.6

1.1

1.6

0.8
1 .1

^
z

0.2

-0.8

(d)

(c)
-1.6
1.6

0.2

1.2

1.1

1.2

^
z

0.8

0 .2

-0.8

(f)

(e)
-1.6
1

^
x

^
x

Fig. 12 Normalized absolute velocity V contours at azimuthal sections of a semicircular abutment:

(a) = 10o, (b) = 30o, (c) = 45o, (d) = 90o, (e) = 120o and (f) = 170o
International Journal of Sediment Research, Vol. 18, No. 4, 2003, pp. 310-325
- 325 -

REFERENCE
Ahmed, F. and Rajaratnam, N. 2000, Observations on flow around bridge abutment. J. Hydr. Engrg., ASCE, Vol. 126,
No. 1, pp. 51-59.
Barbhuiya, A. K. 2003, Clear water scour at abutments. PhD thesis, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute
of Technology, Kharagpur, India.
Dey, S. 1995, Three-dimensional vortex flow field around a circular cylinder in a quasi-equilibrium scour hole.
Sadhana, Proc. Indian Acad. Sci., Vol. 20, No. December, pp. 771-785.
Dey, S. 1997, Local scour at piers, part 1: a review of development of research. Int. J. Sediment Res., Vol. 12, No. 2,
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NOTATIONS
The following symbols are used in this paper:
b
streamwise length of abutment;
depth of scour;
ds
h
approaching flow depth;
l
transverse length of abutment;
r
r/l;
U
average approaching flow velocity;
u
u/U;
shear velocity of approaching flow;
u*
u*c
critical shear velocity of bed sediment;
u, v, w
time-averaged velocity components in Cartesian or cylindrical polar coordinates;
V
time-averaged absolute velocity;

V
v
w
x
x, y, z

y
z

, r, z
g

u 2 + v 2 + w 2 ;
v/U;
w/U;
x/l;
Cartesian coordinates;
y/l;
z/l;
cylindrical polar coordinates; and
geometric standard deviation.

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