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Tutorial 1

This document contains a tutorial for a fluid mechanics course. It includes 6 practice problems related to fluid mechanics concepts like viscosity, surface tension, boundary layers, and more. Example problems include calculating the force required to pull a plate through two fluids, determining the torque and power needed to rotate a circular plate, deriving an expression for capillary rise between two parallel plates, and calculating the length of hair needed for a water strider insect to support its weight on water.

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Shaon Sen
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271 views

Tutorial 1

This document contains a tutorial for a fluid mechanics course. It includes 6 practice problems related to fluid mechanics concepts like viscosity, surface tension, boundary layers, and more. Example problems include calculating the force required to pull a plate through two fluids, determining the torque and power needed to rotate a circular plate, deriving an expression for capillary rise between two parallel plates, and calculating the length of hair needed for a water strider insect to support its weight on water.

Uploaded by

Shaon Sen
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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ME2134 Fluid Mechanics I Tutorial 1

National University of Singapore


Department of Mechanical Engineering

ME2134 Fluid Mechanics I

Tutorial 1

1. As shown in Figure P1, a thin flat plate is sandwiched between two parallel
plates. The thin flat plate is separated from the top stationary plate by a
constant gap h1 filled with a fluid of viscosity 1. A constant gap h2 filled with
another fluid of viscosity 2 separates the thin flat plate from the bottom flat
plate moving to the left at a velocity of 0.5V. The contact area between the thin
flat plate and each fluid is A. Determined in terms of the given quantities
(i) the force F required to pull the thin flat plate to the right at a
velocity of V. Clearly reason out to yourself the direction to the
force.
(ii) the location in the fluid of viscosity 2 where the fluid velocity is
zero.

Figure P1

2. As shown in Figure P2, a 30 cm diameter circular plate rotates above a fixed


bottom plate. The two plates are separated by a constant gap of 2 mm filled
with glycerin (dynamic viscosity = 1.52 Pas). Determine the torque and
power required to rotate the circular plate at 100 rpm. Assume a linear velocity
distribution in the gap and that the shear stress on the edge of the rotating plate
is negligible.

Figure P2

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ME2134 Fluid Mechanics I Tutorial 1

3. A cone-and-plate viscometer as shown in Figure P3 is a devise used mainly to


measure viscosity of a fluid (it can do more than just measuring viscosity).

Figure P3: cone-and-plate viscometer

A student did an experiment with a cone-and-plate apparatus, choosing R =


15.0 cm, = 4o. She obtained a torque of T = 1.00 N.m at = 300 RPM.
Derive the expression for the torque exerted on the cone and then derive the
fluid viscosity.

4. As shown in Figure P4, two vertical parallel plates spaced a distance a apart
are placed in a liquid with density , surface tension and contact angle ( <
90). Derive an expression for the capillary rise h.

Figure P4

5. Figure P5(a) shows a water strider, or pond skater, which is a slender insect,
about 0.5 cm long, that runs or skates on the surfaces of ponds and
streams. It stays easily on the surface because its feet are equipped with
numerous hairs which are non-wetting.
Suppose we model one of these non-wetting hairs as a long cylinder of radius
R (assume contact angle to be 180), and assume that it is set down on the
water with its axis parallel to the surface, as shown in Figure P5(b). The
surface tension is 0.073 N/m.
Show that as the cylinder, or hair, is brought into contact with the water and
then depressed into it, the lift (upward) force exerted on it by surface tension
first increases, then reaches a maximum at a certain depression, and finally
decreases as the cylinder is depressed further. In short, as the hair is depressed

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ME2134 Fluid Mechanics I Tutorial 1

onto the water surface, the lift force L increases, reaches a maximum, then
decreases.
It is known that the average mass of the insect is 0.05 grams. What is the total
length of hair the insect must at least possess on its feet to support its own
weight?

(a)

(b)
Figure P5

6. Supplementary problem: This problem introduces you to the concept of a


boundary layer, which you will learn in greater detail when you take ME2135.
When a viscous fluid flows past a thin sharp-edged flat plate, a thin layer
adjacent to the plate surface develops in which the velocity, u, changes rapidly
from zero to the approach velocity, U, in a small distance, . This layer is
called a boundary layer. The thickness of this layer increases with the distance
x along the plate as shown in Figure P6. Assume that u U y and
3.5 x U , where is the kinematic viscosity of the fluid. Determine an
expression for the force (drag) that would be developed on one side of the
plate of length L and width b. Express your answer in terms of L, b, and ,
where is the fluid density.

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ME2134 Fluid Mechanics I Tutorial 1

Figure P4

7. Supplementary problem:

Show that the torque required to rotate the cone-in-cone device is (R is the radius of
the base of the cone)
R 4
T
2h sin

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ME2134 Fluid Mechanics I Tutorial 1

Answers:
1 32 h2
1. (i) F AV ; (ii) h
h1 2h2 3
2. 6.329 Nm; 66.28 W
2 R 3
3. T , 0.314 Pa.s
3
4. D 0.571b LU 3
2 cos
5. h
ga
6. 3.36 mm

AY2010/2011 5

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