Influence of particles on the transition to turbulence in pipe flow.

We investigate by experiment the influence of suspended solids upon the transition to turbulence in pipe flow. The particles are monodisperse and neutrally buoyant with the liquid. The role of the particles on the transition depends upon both the volume fraction, phi, and particle size. Below a critical particle diameter, particles alter the transition to larger critical Reynolds numbers for all phi. In contrast to this, larger particles move the transition to smaller Reynolds numbers for small phi, but they delay the transition at larger concentration.