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Turbulence spectra from a tidal channel

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2006

H. L. Grant
Affiliation:
Pacific Naval Laboratory of the Defence Research Board of Canada, Esquimalt, B.C. Canada
R. W. Stewart
Affiliation:
Pacific Naval Laboratory of the Defence Research Board of Canada, Esquimalt, B.C. Canada
A. Moilliet
Affiliation:
Pacific Naval Laboratory of the Defence Research Board of Canada, Esquimalt, B.C. Canada

Abstract

This paper describes the use of a hot film flowmeter in the sea and presents experimental measurements of the ‘downstream’ component of turbulent velocity in a tidal channel. The Reynolds number of the flow is about 108 and the scale of the turbulence is so large that a ship is carried about to a considerable extent by the energy-containing eddies. Under these conditions, a velocity measuring probe attached to a ship cannot be used for reliable measurements in the energy-containing range of the spectrum. It is possible, however, to observe the intertial and dissipation ranges. Records have been made at various stages of the tide. The one-dimensional spectra are found to be proportional to $k|^{-{\frac {5}{3}}}$ for several decades in k as predicted by Kolmogoroff, and a value is given for Kolmogoroff's constant. In the dissipation range there is close agreement with both Kovasznay's theory and Heisenberg's theory. These two theories are not very different in the low wave-number end of the range and the observations do not extend to high enough wave-numbers to distinguish between them.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 1962 Cambridge University Press

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References

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