A theory of turbulence mechanics based on material failure

Considerable effort has been expended over the last two centuries into explaining the behavior of fluid flow after the onset of turbulence. While perturbations in the velocity field have been shown to explain turbulent transitions, a physical explanation of why flows become turbulent, based on the forces felt by fluid particles, has remained elusive. This work proposes a new theory that elucidates the transition of fluid flow from laminar to turbulent through the concept of fluid material failure. Analogous to how fractures occur in solids when momentum balance exceeds the material's capacity, the model suggests that, after achieving sufficient kinetic energy, the fluid parcels transition from laminar to turbulent as viscous forces lose their dominance. By analyzing the forces on mass elements and applying the theory to commonly-known turbulent flows, it is shown that the predicted flow profiles align with experimental observations of averaged flow profiles. Furthermore, a novel equation for predicting the onset of turbulence across any flow is introduced. This theory is envisioned as a natural extension of the traditional turbulence approaches when approached from a new perspective.