On the determination of the dissipation rate of turbulence kinetic energy

Abstract The paper presents a comparison of the dissipation rate obtained from numerical differentiation time-resolved velocity, analog hot-wire signal, integration velocity derivative spectra spectra, and application power decay law. Hot-wire measurements downstream an active-grid provide with Taylor Reynolds number in range 200–470, turbulence intensities 5.8–11%, nominal mean velocities 4, 6, 8 m s $$^{-1}$$ - 1 . calculated using ninth-order central-difference scheme differs at most by $${\pm }$$ ± 4% value differentiation. For comparison, 23rd-order offers negligible (0.02%) difference relative to scheme. Correction for apparent uncertainty calibration differentiator reduces 2.5%. In contrast, leads 14–45% larger than corresponding values Results law kinetic energy nonzero virtual origin determine deviate 1.7%, 1.6%, 3.6% based on ensemble average locations 5.6% scatter about average. Graphic abstract