CE 2134 Hydraulics

2014/2015

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION 1
The dynamic pressure 𝑃 exerted by an incompressible fluid on an immersed body is a function of
the density 𝜌 and velocity 𝑉. Find the relationship for dynamic pressure 𝑃 using dimensional
analysis.
SOLUTION
Use dimensional analysis to solve this problem
Step 1:
Variables: 𝑃, 𝜌, 𝑉
Step 2: Incorporate variables into power equation
𝑃 = 𝐾𝜌𝑎 𝑉 𝑏
where 𝐾 is a dimensionless constant
Step 3:
List the units and fundamental dimensions of variables
𝑃 𝑀𝐿−1 𝑇 −2
𝜌 𝑀𝐿−3
𝑉 𝐿𝑇 −1
Step 4:
Take each fundamental dimension and equate the powers on the left and right sides of equation
𝑀𝐿−1 𝑇 −2 = (𝑀𝐿−3 )𝑎 (𝐿𝑇 −1 )𝑏
𝑀: 1=𝑎
𝐿: −1 = −3𝑎 + 𝑏
𝑇: −2 = −𝑏
Step 5: Solve set of equations for unknown powers. Since there are 3 equations and 3 unknowns,
𝑎 = 1, 𝑏 = 2
Step 6:
Substitute these powers back into original equation:
𝑃 = 𝐾𝜌1 𝑉 2
CE 2134 Hydraulics
2014/2015

QUESTION 2
A pipe is carrying water with density 𝜌 of 1000 𝑘𝑔/𝑚3. The pipe changes in diameter from 0.15
m at section A to 0.6 m at section B. Section A is 4.2 m lower than B, and the pressures are 91
kPa and 55 kPa, respectively. The flow rate is 0.12 𝑚3 /𝑠. Find
(a) Head loss between the 2 sections
(b) Direction of flow

SOLUTION
The average velocity at section A is
𝑄 0.12
𝑉𝐴 = = = 6.8 𝑚/𝑠
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎𝐴 0.152
𝜋 4

The average velocity at section B is

𝑄 0.12
𝑉𝐵 = = = 0.42 𝑚/𝑠
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎𝐵 0.62
𝜋 4

Setting section A as the datum,

At section A,

𝑉𝐴 2 𝑃𝐴 6.82 91 × 103
𝐸𝐴 = 𝑧𝐴 + + =0+ + = 11.63 𝑚
2𝑔 𝜌𝑔 2 × 9.81 1000 × 9.81
At section B,

𝑉𝐵 2 𝑃𝐵 0.422 55 × 103
𝐸𝐵 = 𝑧𝐵 + + = 4.2 + + = 9.81 𝑚
2𝑔 𝜌𝑔 2 × 9.81 1000 × 9.81
PART (a)
Head loss = 11.63 – 9.81 = 1.82 m
PART (b)
Flow from A to B since the energy at A exceeds B.
CE 2134 Hydraulics
2014/2015

QUESTION 3
The flow of water between two 10 m long horizontal fixed parallel plates takes place due to a
pressure difference of 23 m of water across the 10 m length. The parallel plates are infinitely wide
and smooth, and the spacing between the plates is 0.06. Find
(a) Velocity profile between the plates
(b) Maximum velocity
(c) Flow rate between the plates.
The density of water is 𝜌 = 1000 𝑘𝑔/𝑚3 and dynamic viscosity for water is 𝜇𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 =
0.001 𝑁𝑠/𝑚2.

SOLUTION
PART (a)
The velocity profile is
𝑦 𝜕𝑝 𝑦 𝑦 23 𝑦 𝑦
𝑢=− (𝑏 − ) = − ×− × (0.03 − ) = 2300𝑦 (0.03 − )
𝜇 𝜕𝑥 2 0.001 10 2 2
PART (b)
The maximum velocity is
0.032 23
𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑥 =− ×− = 1.035 𝑚/𝑠
2 × 0.001 10
PART (c)
The flow rate between the plates is
1 𝜕𝑝 2𝑏 3 1 23 2 × 0.033
𝑄= = ×− × = −0.0414 𝑚3 /𝑠
𝜇 𝜕𝑥 3 0.001 10 3
CE 2134 Hydraulics
2014/2015

QUESTION 4
An airplane weighs 21 KN and has a wing area of 25 𝑚2 . What angle of attack must the wings
make with the horizontal at a speed of 150 km/h? The coefficient of lift 𝐶𝐿 varies linearly from
0.32 at 0° to 0.95 at 8°. The density of air is 1.225 𝑘𝑔/𝑚3 .

SOLUTION
In the vertical direction,
𝐿𝑖𝑓𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 − 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 = 0
1
𝐶 𝜌𝐴𝑉 2 = 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡
2 𝐿
1 1000 2
× 𝐶𝐿 × 1.225 × 25 × (150 × ) = 21,000
2 3600
𝐶𝐿 = 0.79

By linear interpolation between 0° and 8°,

0.95 − 0.32 0.79 − 0.32
=
8 𝜃
Angle of attack 𝜃 = 5.96°
CE 2134 Hydraulics
2014/2015

QUESTION 5
A rectangular plate is 1.2 m wide and 25 m long. The plate moves through water in the direction
of its length. The drag force on the plate (two sides) is 12 kN. The drag coefficient 𝐶𝐷 is 0.005.
Find
(a) Velocity of the plate
(b) Thickness of the boundary layer at the trailing edge
(c) Critical length 𝑥𝑐 at which the boundary layer flow changes from laminar to turbulent
The density of water is 𝜌 = 1000 𝑘𝑔/𝑚3 and dynamic viscosity for water is 𝜇𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 =
0.001 𝑁𝑠/𝑚2.

SOLUTION
PART (a)
𝐹𝐷 = 2𝐶𝐷 𝜌𝐴𝑉 2 /2
Rearranging,
𝐹𝐷 12,000
𝑉2 = =
𝐶𝐷 𝜌𝐴 0.005 × 1000 × 1.2 × 25
𝑉 = 8.9 𝑚/𝑠
PART (b)
The Reynolds number is

𝜌𝑉𝐿 1000 × 8.9 × 25

𝑅𝑒 = = = 2.2 × 108 > 500,000
𝜇 0.001

The boundary layer is turbulent at the trailing edge.

The thickness of the boundary layer is

𝛿 0.38
=
𝑥 𝑅𝑒𝑥 0.20

0.38
𝛿= × 25 = 0.203 𝑚
(2.2 × 108 )0.20

PART (c)
The transition from laminar to turbulent boundary layer occurs at
1000 × 8.9 × 𝑥𝑐
500,000 =
0.001
𝑥𝑐 = 0.056 𝑚
CE 2134 Hydraulics
2014/2015

QUESTION 6
Water of density 1000 𝑘𝑔/𝑚3 flows through a turbine with the flow rate 𝑄 of 0.25 𝑚3 /𝑠. Water
enters the turbine through a pipe with diameter 0.3 m and pressure 145 kPa. Water exits the turbine
through a pipe with diameter 0.6 m and pressure 9 kPa. The elevation difference between the points
at which water enters and exits the turbine is 1.2 m. The efficiency of the turbine is 0.86. Find the
power output.

SOLUTION
The points at which water enters and exits the turbine are denoted as A and B, respectively.
The velocity at A is
𝑄 0.25
𝑉𝐴 = = = 3.53 𝑚/𝑠
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎𝐴 0.32
𝜋 4

The velocity at B is
𝑄 0.25
𝑉𝐵 = = = 0.88 𝑚/𝑠
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎𝐵 0.62
𝜋 4

Use Bernoulli equation,

𝑉𝐴 2 𝑃𝐴 𝑉𝐵 2 𝑃𝐵
(𝑧𝐴 + + ) = (𝑧𝐵 + + ) + 𝐻𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑏𝑖𝑛𝑒
2𝑔 𝜌𝑔 2𝑔 𝜌𝑔

3.532 145,000 0.882 9000

(1.2 + + ) = (0 + + ) + 𝐻𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑏𝑖𝑛𝑒
2 × 9.81 1000 × 9.81 2 × 9.81 1000 × 9.81

𝐻𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑏𝑖𝑛𝑒 = 15.6 𝑚
The power output is
𝑃𝑜𝑤 = 𝜀𝑇 𝜌𝑔𝑄𝐻 = 0.86 × 1000 × 9.81 × 0.25 × 15.6 = 32 𝑘𝑊