First International workshop on CICLoPE (Center for International Cooperations in Long Pipe Experiments)

The symposium was organised to introduce the project CICLoPE (Center for International Cooperation in Long Pipe Experiments) to scientist from the physics community with interest in turbulence. CICLoPE is focused on fundamental issues in high Reynolds number turbulence. At the mini symposium, scheduled for 29 and 30 September, 2005, near Bologna, the main objectives of the project have been introduced and the future plans have been discussed. Wall-bounded flows present a variety of interesting problems in turbulence, and where controversies and uncertainties over fundamental issues remain unresolved. During the symposium we could collectively review the objectives of CICLoPE with leading scientists, as we reviewed recent highlights from fundamental research in high Reynolds number turbulence. One of the main outcomes of the discussions, concerned the plans to construct a very large high Reynolds number pipe flow facility where fully developed flow can be achieved, and detailed and accurate measurements of the turbulence can be documented. To achieve these goals, the facility would utilize air as the working fluid, and be operated at atmospheric conditions. The fully developed pipe was selected among other wall-bounded flows to insure the best quality physical, analytical and computational modeling and correspondence. Preliminary design considerations led us to an overall length of approximately 120 meters with a pipe diameter between 60 and 90 cm. The pipe will be built and operated inside one of two huge tunnels available in Predappio, near Forlì (south of Bologna) in Italy. The tunnels, excavated within the mountain to protect the manufacturing of the Caproni Airplanes from bombing during World War II, are an ideal location, given their large dimensions, the low level of disturbances and the stable temperature all year long