|
 |
"A New Theory of Turbulence Causes a Stir Among Experts," by Barry Cipra. Science, 17 May 1996, page 951.
"The Wall Falls: A half-century-old equation for fluid dynamics is in doubt," by Paul Wallich. Scientific American, August 1996, pages 21-22.
The mathematical problem of trying to analyze and predict turbulence is currently beyond the scope of both theoretical and computational means. One of the mathematical tools that has been a mainstay in this area is "the logarithmic law of the wall," which provides an approximate description of the shear forces that occur in turbulent flows near boundaries, such the flow of air along an airplane wing. Now two Berkeley mathematicians, Grigory Barenblatt and Alexandre Chorin, have come up with a theoretical approach they claim provides a better approximation than the logarithmic law. If correct, this work could have important implications not only for the theoretical study of turbulence, but also for the design of such devices as high pressure pipelines. Some turbulence experts are hailing this work is an important advance, but others are not yet willing to foresake the logarithmic law.
-Allyn Jackson
 |
Comments: Email Webmaster |
