Experiments relating to the flow induced by a vibrating quartz tuning fork and similar structures in a classical fluid

D Schmoranzer, M Kral'ova, V Pilcova, William Vinen, L Skrbek

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18 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We report on an experimental study of the behavior of a number of commercially available quartz tuning forks oscillating in a classical cryogenic fluid, in the form of either liquid helium I or gaseous helium, extending our previous studies [M. Blazkova et al. Phys. Rev. E 75, 025302 (2007)]. Measurements of the damping of the oscillations allowed us to deduce the drag on the prong of a fork, as a function of the velocity with which the prong moves, for various sizes of fork and various oscillation frequencies. Transitions to turbulent flow have been identified, and the dependence of the critical velocity, expressed as a dimensionless critical Keulegan-Carpenter number, on the dimensionless Stokes number has been established. These measurements have not allowed us to visualize the flow, so we have carried out visualization experiments with oscillating rods in water, the rod dimensions, and the frequencies of oscillation, being chosen so that the relevant dimensionless parameters are similar to those for the prongs of the forks. Some information about the nature of the instability that leads to turbulence has been obtained in this way, and the results for the critical Keulegan-Carpenter number for the rods in water have been compared with values for the tuning forks in a cryogenic fluid.
Original languageEnglish
Article number066316
Pages (from-to)066316
Number of pages1
JournalPhysical Review E (Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics)
Volume81
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2010

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