Determination of Statistical Characteristics of Isotropic Turbulence

T. A. Andreeva, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
William W. Durgin, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
F. J. Weber, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Hamid Johari, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

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Copyright 2001 American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Publisher website: http://store.asme.org

NOTE: At the time of publication, the author William W. Durgin was affiliated with Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Currently, February 2008, he is Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.

Abstract

Ultrasonic flow measurement technology has the potential to significantly improve flow measurement accuracy beyond that presently achieved. However, current applications fail to achieve theoretical accuracies because of turbulence effects on ultrasonic wave transit time. Herein, the ultrasonic flowmeter equation is reconsidered, where the effects of turbulent velocity and sound speed fluctuations are included. The result is an integral equation for the corresponding correlation functions. In this paper experimental velocity data are used to solve this integral equation analytically. As a result, some statistical characteristics of the turbulent flow are developed and can explain the limitations of measurement accuracy observed in applications.