ME603 Advanced Fluid Mechanics

Assignment - from Fluid Mechanics, FM White

October 20, 2021

Last Date of Submission: 24 Nov 2021

1. A laboratory test tank contains seawater of salinity S and density ρ. Water
enters the tank at conditions (S1 , ρ1 , A1 , V1 ) and is assumed to mix imme-
diately in the tank. Tank water leaves through an outlet A2 at velocity V2 .
If salt is a “conservative” property (neither created nor destroyed), use the
Reynolds transport theorem to find an expression for the rate of change of
salt mass Msalt within the tank.

2. An incompressible fluid flows steadily through the rectangular duct in the

Fig. 1. The exit velocity profile is given by

y2 y2
  
u ≈ umax 1– 2 1– 2 .
b b

(a) Does this profile satisfy the correct boundary conditions for viscous fluid
flow? (b) Find an analytical expression for the volume flow Q at the exit.
(c) If the inlet flow is 300 ft3 /min, estimate umax in m/s.

Figure 1:

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3. An incompressible fluid flows past an impermeable flat plate, as in Fig. 2,
with a uniform inlet profile u = U0 and a cubic polynomial exit profile

3η − η 3
 
u ≈ U0
2

where η = yδ . Compute the volume flow Q across the top surface of the
control volume.

Figure 2:

4. Given the Eulerian velocity field

V = 3ti + xzj + ty 2 k.

Find the total acceleration of the particle. [White E4.1]

5. Take the velocity field

u = a(x2 − y 2 ) v = −2axy w=0

Determine under what conditions it is a solution to the Navier-Stokes mo-

mentum equations. Assuming that these conditions are met, determine the
resulting pressure distributions when z is ”up” (gx = 0, gy = 0, gz = −g).

6. An idealized velocity field is given by the formula

V = 4txi − 2t2 yj + 4xzk.

Is this flow field steady or unsteady? Is it two- or three-dimensional? At

the point (x, y, z) = (–1, +1, 0), compute (a) the acceleration vector and (b)
any unit vector normal to the acceleration.

7. A two-dimensional velocity field is given by

V = (x2 − y 2 + x)i − (2xy + y)j.

in arbitrary units. At (x, y) = (1, 2), compute (a) the accelerations ax and
ay , (b) the velocity component in the direction θ = 40◦ , (c) the direction of
maximum velocity, and (d) the direction of maximum acceleration.

2
 8. Consider a sphere of radius R immersed in a uniform stream Uo , as shown
in Fig. 3. According to the theory, the fluid velocity along streamline AB
is given by
R3
 
V = ui = U0 1 + 3 i.
x
Find (a) the position of maximum fluid acceleration along AB and (b) the
time required for a fluid particle to travel from A to B.

Figure 3:

9. When a valve is opened, fluid flows in the expansion duct of Fig. P4.8
according to the approximation
 x Ut
V = iU0 1 − tanh
2L L
Find (a) the fluid acceleration at (x, t) = (L, L/U ) and (b) the time for
which the fluid acceleration at x = L is zero. Why does the fluid acceleration
become negative after condition (b)?

Figure 4:

10. An idealized incompressible flow has the proposed three-dimensional velocity

distribution
V = 4xy 2 i + f (y)j − zy 2 k
Find the appropriate form of the function f(y) which satisfies the continuity
relation.

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11. After discarding any constants of integration, determine the appropriate
value of the unknown velocities u or v which satisfy the equation of two-
dimensional incompressible continuity for:

(a)u = x2 y; (b)v = x2 y; (c)u = x2 –xy; (d)v = y 2 –xy

12. A two dimensional velocity field is given by

Ky Kx
u=− ; v= 2
x2+y 2 x + y2
where K is constant. Does this field satisfy incompressible continuity?
Transform these velocities to polar components vr and vθ . What might
the flow represent?

13. A reasonable approximation for the two-dimensional incompressible laminar

boundary layer on the flat surface in Fig. 5 is

2y y 2
 
u=U − 2 for y ≤ δ
δ δ

where δ = Cx1/2 and C is constant. (a) Assuming a no-slip condition at the

wall, find an expression for the velocity component v(x, y) for y ≤ δ. (b)
Then find the maximum value of v at the station x = 1 m, for the particular
case of airflow, when U = 3 m/s and δ = 1.1 cm.

Figure 5:

14. An incompressible flow field has the cylindrical components vθ − Cr, vz =

K(R2 − r2 ), vr = 0, where C and K are constants and r ≤ R, z ≤ L. Does
the flow satisfy the continuity? What might it represent physically?

15. A two dimensional incompressible velocity field has u = K(1 − e−ay ) for
x ≤ L and 0 ≤ y ≤ ∞. What is the most general form of v(x, y) for which
continuity is satisfied and v = v0 at y = 0? What are the proper dimensions
for constants K and a?

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16. A frictionless, incompressible steady-flow field is given by

V = 2xyi–y 2 j

in arbitrary units. Let the density be ρ0 = constant and neglect gravity.

Find an expression for the pressure gradient in the x direction.

17. A proposed three-dimensional incompressible flow field has the following

vector form:
V = Kxi + Kyj–2Kzk
(a) Determine if this field is a valid solution to continuity and Navier-Stokes.
(b) If g = –gk, find the pressure field p(x, y, z). (c) Is the flow irrotational?

18. A constant-thickness film of viscous liquid flows in laminar motion down a

plate inclined at angle θ, as in Fig. 6. The velocity profile is

u = Cy(2h–y) v=w=0

Find the constant C in terms of the specific weight and viscosity and the
angle θ. Find the volume flux Q per unit width in terms of these parameters.

Figure 6:

19. An oil film drains steadily down the side of a vertical wall, as shown in Fig.
7. After an initial development at the top of the wall, the film becomes
independent of z and of constant thickness. Assume that w = w(x) only
that the atmosphere offers no shear resistance to the film. (a) Solve Navier-
Stokes for w(x). (b) Suppose that film thickness and [∂w/∂x] at the wall
are measured. Find an expression which relates µ to this slope [∂w/∂x].

5
 Figure 7:

20. A solid circular cylinder of radius R rotates at angular velocity Ω in a viscous

incompressible fluid which is at rest far from the cylinder, as in Fig. 8. Make
simplifying assumptions and derive the governing differential equation and
boundary conditions for the velocity field vθ in the fluid. Do not solve unless
you are obsessed with this problem. What is the steady-state flow field for
this problem?

Figure 8:

21. Consider a viscous film of liquid draining uniformly down the side of a verti-
cal rod of radius a, as in Fig. 9. At some distance down the rod the film will
approach a terminal or fully developed draining flow of constant outer radius
b, with vz = vz (r), vθ = vr = 0. Assume that the atmosphere offers no shear
resistance to the film motion. Derive a differential equation for vz , state
the proper boundary conditions, and solve for the film velocity distribution.
How does the film radius b relate to the total film volume flow rate Q?

6
 Figure 9:

22. A flat plate of essentially infinite width and breadth oscillates sinusoidally in
its own plane beneath a viscous fluid, as in Fig. 10. The fluid is at rest far
above the plate. Making as many simplifying assumptions as you can, set up
the governing differential equation and boundary conditions for finding the
velocity field u in the fluid. Do not solve (if you can solve it immediately, you
might be able to get exempted from the balance of this course with credit).

Figure 10:

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23. The viscous oil in Fig. 11 is set into steady motion by a concentric inner
cylinder moving axially at velocity U inside a fixed outer cylinder. Assum-
ing constant pressure and density and a purely axial fluid motion, find the
velocity distribution uz (r). What are the proper boundary conditions?

Figure 11:

24. The velocity profile for the flat plate is given as

u πy
= sin
U 2δ
Compute the momentum integral estimates of cf , θ/x, δ ∗ /x, and H.

25. The velocity profile for the flat plate is given by

u y y2 y3
≈2 −2 2 + 3
U δ δ δ
Compute the momentum integral estimates of cf , θ/x, δ ∗ /x, and H.

26. The velocity profile shape u/U ≈ 1 − exp(−4.605y/δ) is a smooth curve

with u = 0 at y = 0 and u = 0.99U at y = δ and thus would seem to
be a reasonable substitute for the parabolic flat-plate profile. Yet when
this new profile is used in the integral analysis, we get the lousy result
1/2
δ/x ≈ 9.2/Rex , which is 80 percent high. What is the reason for the
inaccuracy? [Hint: The answer lies in evaluating the laminar boundary-
layer momentum equation (7.19b) at the wall, y = 0.]

27. Show that the two-dimensional laminar-flow pattern with dp/dx = 0

u = Uo (1 − eCy ) v = v0 < 0

is an exact solution to the boundary-layer equations. Find the value of the

constant C in terms of the flow parameters. Are the boundary conditions
satisfied? What might this flow represent?

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28. Discuss whether fully developed laminar incompressible flow between parallel
plates, Eq. (4.143) and Fig. 4.16b, represents an exact solution to the
boundary-layer equations (7.19) and the boundary conditions (7.20). In
what sense, if any, are duct flows also boundary-layer flows?

29. A flat plate of length L and height δ is placed at a wall and is parallel to an
approaching boundary layer, as in Fig. 12. Assume that the flow over the
plate is fully turbulent and that the approaching flow is a one-seventh-power
law  y 1/7
u(y) = U0
δ
Using strip theory, derive a formula for the drag coefficient of this plate.
Compare this result with the drag of the same plate immersed in a uniform
stream Uo . An alternate analysis of turbulent flat-plate flow was given by

Figure 12:

Prandtl in 1927, using a wall shear-stress formula from pipe flow

 ν 1/4
2
τw = 00225ρU
Uδ
Show that this formula can be combined with Eqs. (7.32) and (7.40) to
derive the following relations for turbulent flat-plate flow.
δ 0.37 0.0.0577 0.072
= 1/5
cf = 1/5
CD = 1/5
x Rex Rex ReL

These formulas are limited to Rex between 5 × 105 and 107 .