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Fuid Mechanics Problem Solving On Non-Dimensional Analysis

This document discusses three problems involving non-dimensional analysis and dynamic similitude for fluid mechanics models. Problem 1 involves calculating drag force and power for a full-scale automobile based on scale model wind tunnel testing. Problem 2 looks at force measurement on a weir model tested under equal Froude number conditions and calculates discharge and force for the full-scale prototype. Problem 3 notes that it is not possible to simultaneously satisfy equal Reynolds and Froude numbers between a model and prototype, and discusses the implications of neglecting Reynolds number influence for the weir model testing.

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Dante Lau Jing Teck
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142 views2 pages

Fuid Mechanics Problem Solving On Non-Dimensional Analysis

This document discusses three problems involving non-dimensional analysis and dynamic similitude for fluid mechanics models. Problem 1 involves calculating drag force and power for a full-scale automobile based on scale model wind tunnel testing. Problem 2 looks at force measurement on a weir model tested under equal Froude number conditions and calculates discharge and force for the full-scale prototype. Problem 3 notes that it is not possible to simultaneously satisfy equal Reynolds and Froude numbers between a model and prototype, and discusses the implications of neglecting Reynolds number influence for the weir model testing.

Uploaded by

Dante Lau Jing Teck
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Fuid Mechanics

Problem Solving on Non-dimensional


Analysis
Problem 1
A 1:5 scale model of an automobile was tested in a wind tunnel with air under such conditions
that represented those of the full-scale prototype at 50 km/h. Under these conditions of
dynamic similitude the drag force in the model was of 350 N.
1. Compute the drag force of the full-scale automobile in the road at 50 km/h.
2. Compute the power required to overcome the automobile drag.
3. Compute the drag coefficient based in the frontal area, knowing that this is 2,5 m 2 for
the automobile and for an air density of 1.2 kg/m3.

Solutions
The drag for the full-scale automobile is Fx=350 N (based on an equal Reynolds number for the
scale model and the prototype); the required power in the automobile wheels is P=4860 W;
the drag coefficient is CD=1.08.

Problem 3
A weir is going to be tested with a 1:30 scale model based in equal Froude number

, where V is a characteristic velocity and L a characteristic length of the weir. For a


discharge of 0.05 m3/s the mean water velocity upstream the weir is 0.6 m/s. The force
measured in the weir model is 15 N.
1. Compute the velocity and the discharge in the full-scale prototype.
2. Compute the force in the prototype assuming that the Reynolds number influence is
negligible.
3. Show that it is not possible to have simultaneously the same Reynolds and Froude
numbers in the prototype and scale model.
4. What are the implications of neglecting Reynolds number influence?

Solutions
Imposing the same Froude number in the model and prototype we get 3.29 m/s for the
characteristic velocity in the prototype. The discharge flow results in 246 m3/s.
The force on the prototype is Fp=4.05 x 105 N.
This is a water flow both for the model and prototype conditions and both are subjected to the
same gravitational accelaration. So
are the same in the two cases. Thus for equal
Reynolds and Froude numbers we have:

It is obvious that the these two conditions between Vp and Vm cannot be simultaneously
satisfied.
When satisfying Froude similitude the effects related to the free-surface deformation are
correctly modelled in the scale model. By having different Reynolds numbers in the scale
model and in the prototype the effects related to the visous diffusion and dissipation are not
properly modelled. However as the energy dissipation in the fluid film over the weir is
relatively small, the difference in Reynolds number between the scale tests and the full-scale
conditions do not affect significantly the results obtained in the scale tests.
As a matter of fact, downstream the weirs there is a zone to dissipate the flow kinetic energy.
The extrapolation of scale test results for this zone requires great care and in some cases can
only be done qualitatively as the full-scale and partial-scale flows are not strictly dynamically
similar.

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