Stability of the flow behind a pressure pulse in a tube (Q1102798)

If a long tube with a slight overpressure is suddenly opened at one end, a pressure signal moves into the tube and a flow towards the open end is generated. The stability of this flow is investigated by solving the Orr- Sommerfeld equation for quasi-steady, onedimensional velocity profiles. Amplified disturbances are found for the boundary-layer type of flows close to the open end for a Reynolds number \(Re=u_ mR/\nu_ 0>17400\) where \(u_ m=\Delta p_ 0/\rho_ 0a_ 0\) is the maximum speed attained by the outflowing gas. A comparison of the time scales and of the amplification suggests that laminar flow can exist up to \(Re=100000\). Experiments indicate that small disturbances due to the experiment can trigger transition at much lower Reynolds numbers.