Study of the Reynolds Number Effect on the Process of Instability Transition Into the Turbulent Stage

Abstract

The results of the experimental study of the Reynolds number effect on the process of the Rayleigh–Taylor (RT) instability transition into the turbulent stage are presented. The experimental liquid layer was accelerated by compressed gas. Solid particles were scattered on the layer free surface to specify the initial perturbations in some experiments. The process was recorded with the use of a highspeed motion picture camera. The following results were obtained in experiments: (1) Longwave perturbation is developed at the interface at the Reynolds numbers Re < 104. If such perturbation growth is limited by a hard wall, the jet directed in gas is developed. If there is no such limitation, this perturbation is resolved into the shortwave ones with time, and their growth results in gasliquid mixing. (2) Shortwave perturbations specified at the interface significantly reduce the Reynolds number Re for instability to pass into the turbulent mixing stage.