The Measurement of Wall Shear Stress in the Low-Viscosity Liquids

Abstract

The paper is focused on quantitative evaluation of the value of the wall shear stress in liquids with low viscosity by means of the method of the hot film anemometry in a laminar and turbulent flow. Two systems for calibration of probes are described in the paper. The first of these uses an innovative method of probe calibration using a known flow in a cylindrical gap between two concentric cylinders where the inner cylinder is rotated and a known velocity profile and shear rate, or shear stress profile, is calculated from the Navier-Stokes equations. This method is usable for lower values of the wall shear stress, particularly in the areas of laminar flow. The second method is based on direct calibration of the probes using a floating element. This element, with a size of 120x80 mm, is part of a rectangular channel. This method of calibration enables the probe calibration at higher shear rates and is applicable also to turbulent flow. Values obtained from both calibration methods are also compared with results of measurements of the wall shear stress in a straight smooth channel for a certain range of Reynolds numbers and compared with analytical calculations. The accuracy of the method and the influence of various parasitic phenomena on the accuracy of the measured results were discussed. The paper describes in particular the influence of geometric purity of the probe location, the impact of various transfer phenomena, requirements for the measured liquid and layout of the experiment.