Turbulator
Appearance
A turbulator is a device that turns a laminar boundary layer into a turbulent boundary layer.
Device
Turbulent flow can be desired on parts of the surface of an
sterilizers, heat transfer ovens, mixing and pelletizing machines, and air destratification
fans for horticultural and agricultural uses, among others.
In gliders the turbulator is often a thin zig-zag strip that is placed on the lower side of the wing and sometimes on the vertical stabilizer.[1]
In wind sensors (
anemometers), the use of turbulators reduces inaccuracies in the measurement of wind speed caused by the unpredictable switching between laminar flow and turbulent flow. Therefore the calibration of the wind sensor can be accomplished more accurately. Since wind direction can be calculated from a number of wind speed measurements, the measurement of the wind direction is also improved.[2]
See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Turbulators.
References
- doi:10.2514/2.2978.
- ^ UK Patent GB2542354 Wind Sensor Housing. Inventor: Robin Strachan, Proprietor: FT Technologies Ltd. https://www.ipo.gov.uk/p-find-publication-getPDF.pdf?PatentNo=GB2542354&DocType=B&JournalNumber=6771