Development of axisymmetric laminar to turbulent free jets from initially parabolic profiles

Experiments were carried out on air in air axisymmetric free jets having parabolic profiles at the nozzle exit. The range of Reynolds numbers investigated was from 2342 to 11,000 and transition from laminar to turbulent flow was observed. The development of the laminar mean velocity profiles agrees well with that predicted from solution of the continuity and momentum equations using an explicit finite-difference technique of the Dufort-Frankel type. Some observations are made of the transition from laminar to turbulent flow using hot-wire turbulence measurements, and an empirical equation for the location of the transition is given.