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Subcritical transition to turbulence in plane channel flowsA linear three dimensional mechanism for the transition of plane Poiseuille flows to turbulence is presented which provides good agreement with experimental observations. The mechanism is based on the evolution of states within a band of quasi-equilibria which slowly approach the stable upper branch solutions for the evolution of flow energy but which are strongly unstable to infinitesimal three-dimensional disturbances. Numerical simulation has shown that if two-dimensional flow persists long enough for the three-dimensional perturbations to attain finite amplitude, the resulting three dimensional flow quickly develops a turbulent character with nonperiodic behavior, and thus transition can be predicted from knowledge of the initial two- and three-dimensional energies and time scales. The mechanism predicts transition to turbulence at Reynolds numbers greater than 1000, as observed in experiments, and implies higher threshold three-dimensional energies in plane Couette flow.
Document ID
19800065377
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Orszag, S. A.
(Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Patera, A. T.
(MIT Cambridge, Mass., United States)
Date Acquired
August 10, 2013
Publication Date
September 22, 1980
Publication Information
Publication: Physical Review Letters
Volume: 45
Subject Category
Fluid Mechanics And Heat Transfer
Accession Number
80A49547
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: N00014-77-C-0138
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS1-15894
CONTRACT_GRANT: N0014-79-C-0478
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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