Dimensionless numbers in fluid mechanics

Dimensionless numbers in fluid mechanics are a set of dimensionless quantities that have an important role in analyzing the
behavior of fluids. Common examples include the Reynolds or the Mach numbers, which describe as ratios the relative magnitude of
fluid and physical system characteristics, such asdensity, viscosity, speed of sound, flow speed, etc.

Contents
Diffusive numbers in transport phenomena
Droplet formation
List
References

Diffusive numbers in transport phenomena

As a general example of how dimensionless numbers arise in fluid
mechanics, the classical numbers in transport phenomena of mass, Dimensionless numbers in transport phenomena
momentum, and energy are principally analyzed by the ratio of effective vs. Inertial Viscous Thermal Mass
diffusivities in each transport mechanism. The six dimensionless Inertial vd Re Pe PeAB
numbers give the relative strengths of the different phenomena of inertia,
Viscous Re−1 η, μ/ρ Pr Sc
viscosity, conductive heat transport, and diffusive mass transport. (In the
table, the diagonals give common symbols for the quantities, and the Thermal Pe−1 Pr−1 α Le
given dimensionless number is the ratio of the left column quantity over Mass PeAB −1 Sc−1 Le−1 D
top row quantity; e.g. Re = inertial force/viscous force = vd/η.) These
same quantities may alternatively be expressed as ratios of characteristic
time, length, or energy scales. Such forms are lesscommonly used in practice, but can provide insight into particular applications.

Droplet formation
Dimensionless numbers in droplet formation
vs. Momentum Viscosity Surface tension Gravity Kinetic energy
Momentum ρvd Re Fr

Viscosity Re−1 ρη, μ Oh, Ca, La−1 Ga−1

Surface tension Oh−1, Ca−1, La σ Bo−1 We−1

Gravity Fr−1 Ga Bo g

Kinetic energy We ρv2d

Droplet formation mostly depends on momentum, viscosity and surface tension.[1] In inkjet printing for example, an ink with a too
high Ohnesorge number would not jet properly, and an ink with a too low Ohnesorge number would be jetted with many satellite
drops.[2] Not all of the quantity ratios are explicitly named, though each of the unnamed ratios could be expressed as a product of two
other named dimensionless numbers.
List
All numbers are dimensionless quantities. See other article for extensive list of dimensionless quantities. Certain dimensionless
quantities of some importance tofluid mechanics are given below:
 Standard
Name Definition Field of application
symbol

Archimedes fluid mechanics (motion of fluids due to density

Ar
number differences)

Atwood fluid mechanics (onset of instabilities influid mixtures due

A
number to density differences)

Bejan number fluid mechanics (dimensionless pressure drop along a

Be
(fluid mechanics) channel)[3]

Bingham fluid mechanics, rheology (ratio of yield stress to viscous

Bm
number stress)[4]

Biot number Bi heat transfer (surface vs. volume conductivity of solids)

geology, fluid mechanics, porous media (inertial over

Blake number Bl or B
viscous forces in fluid flow through porous media)

geology, fluid mechanics, porous media (buoyant versus

Bond number Bo
capillary forces, similar to the Eötvös number) [5]

Brinkman heat transfer, fluid mechanics (conduction from a wall to a

Br
number viscous fluid)

Brownell–Katz fluid mechanics (combination of capillary number and

NBK
number Bond number) [6]

Capillary porous media, fluid mechanics (viscous forces versus

Ca
number surface tension)

Chandrasekhar
C hydromagnetics (Lorentz force versus viscosity)
number

Colburn J JM, JH, turbulence; heat, mass, and momentum transfer

factors JD (dimensionless transfer coefficients)

Damkohler
Da chemistry (reaction time scales vs. residence time)
number
Darcy friction fluid mechanics (fraction of pressure losses due to friction
Cf or fD
factor in a pipe; four times the Fanning friction factor)

Dean number D turbulent flow (vortices in curved ducts)

Deborah
De rheology (viscoelastic fluids)
number

Drag
cd aeronautics, fluid dynamics (resistance to fluid motion)
coefficient

convective heat transfer(characterizes dissipation of

Eckert number Ec
energy; ratio of kinetic energy to enthalpy)

Eötvös number Eo fluid mechanics (shape of bubbles or drops)

Ericksen fluid dynamics (liquid crystal flow behavior; viscous over

Er
number elastic forces)

Euler number Eu hydrodynamics (stream pressure versus inertia forces)

Excess heat transfer, fluid dynamics (change in internal energy
temperature versus kinetic energy)[7]
coefficient

Fanning friction fluid mechanics (fraction of pressure losses due to friction

f
factor in a pipe; 1/4th the Darcy friction factor)[8]

fluid mechanics (wave and surface behaviour; ratio of a

Froude number Fr
body's inertia to gravitational forces)

Galilei number Ga fluid mechanics (gravitational over viscous forces)

Görtler number G fluid dynamics (boundary layer flow along a concave wall)

heat transfer, fluid mechanics (laminar flow through a

Graetz number Gz
conduit; also used in mass transfer)

Grashof heat transfer, natural convection (ratio of the buoyancy to

Gr
number viscous force)

Hartmann
Ha magnetohydrodynamics(ratio of Lorentz to viscous forces)
number

heat transfer (ratio of the buoyancy to viscous force in

Hagen number Hg
forced convection)

Iribarren wave mechanics (breaking surface gravity waves on a

Ir
number slope)

Karlovitz turbulent combustion (characteristic flow time times flame

Ka
number stretch rate)
Keulegan–
fluid dynamics (ratio of drag force to inertia for a bluff
Carpenter KC
object in oscillatory fluid flow)
number

Knudsen gas dynamics (ratio of the molecularmean free path length

Kn
number to a representative physical length scale)

Kutateladze
number
Ku fluid mechanics (counter-current two-phase flow)[9]

Laplace fluid dynamics (free convection within immiscible fluids;

La
number ratio of surface tension to momentum-transport)

Lewis number Le heat and mass transfer (ratio of thermal to mass diffusivity)

aerodynamics (lift available from an airfoil at a given angle

Lift coefficient CL
of attack)

Lockhart–
Martinelli two-phase flow (flow of wet gases; liquid fraction)[10]
parameter

Mach number M or Ma gas dynamics (compressible flow; dimensionless velocity)

Manning
roughness n open channel flow (flow driven by gravity)[11]
coefficient

Marangoni fluid mechanics (Marangoni flow; thermal surface tension

Mg
number forces over viscous forces)
Markstein Ma turbulence, combustion (Markstein length to laminar flame
number thickness)

Morton number Mo fluid dynamics (determination of bubble/drop shape)

Nusselt heat transfer (forced convection; ratio of convective to

Nu
number conductive heat transfer)

Ohnesorge
Oh fluid dynamics (atomization of liquids,Marangoni flow)
number

fluid mechanics (ratio of advective transport rate over

molecular diffusive transport rate), heat transfer (ratio of
Péclet number Pe or
advective transport rate over thermal diffusive transport
rate)

heat transfer (ratio of viscous diffusion rate over thermal

Prandtl number Pr
diffusion rate)

Pressure aerodynamics, hydrodynamics (pressure experienced at a

CP
coefficient point on an airfoil; dimensionless pressure variable)

Rayleigh heat transfer (buoyancy versus viscous forces in free

Ra
number convection)

Reynolds
Re fluid mechanics (ratio of fluid inertial and viscous forces)[4]
number

Richardson fluid dynamics (effect of buoyancy on flow stability; ratio of

Ri
number potential over kinetic energy)[12]

Roshko
Ro fluid dynamics (oscillating flow, vortex shedding)
number

Schmidt
Sc mass transfer (viscous over molecular diffusion rate)[13]
number

boundary layer flow (ratio of displacement thickness to

Shape factor H
momentum thickness)

Sherwood mass transfer (forced convection; ratio of convective to

Sh
number diffusive mass transport)

Sommerfeld
number
S hydrodynamic lubrication(boundary lubrication)[14]

Stanton
St heat transfer and fluid dynamics (forced convection)
number

particles suspensions (ratio of characteristictime of

Stokes number Stk or Sk
particle to time of flow)

Strouhal Vortex shedding (ratio of characteristic oscillatory velocity

St
number to ambient flow velocity)

magnetohydrodynamics(ratio of electromagnetic to inertial

Stuart number N
forces)

fluid dynamics (rotating fluid flows; inertial forces due to

Taylor number Ta
rotation of a fluid versus viscous forces)

wave mechanics (nonlinearity ofsurface gravity waves on

Ursell number U
a shallow fluid layer)

Wallis j* multiphase flows (nondimensional superficial velocity)[15]

parameter
Weaver flame combustion (laminar burning velocity relative to hydrogen
Wea
speed number gas)[16]

multiphase flow (strongly curved surfaces; ratio ofinertia to

Weber number We
surface tension)

Weissenberg
Wi viscoelastic flows (shear rate times the relaxation time)[17]
number

Womersley biofluid mechanics (continuous and pulsating flows; ratio of

number pulsatile flow frequency to viscous effects)[18]

Zel'dovich
fluid dynamics, Combustion (Measure of activation energy)
number

References
1. Dijksman, J. Frits; Pierik, Anke (2014). "Dynamics of Piezoelectric Print-Heads": 45–86.
doi:10.1002/9781118452943.ch3(https://doi.org/10.1002%2F9781118452943.ch3) .
2. Derby, Brian (2010). "Inkjet Printing of Functional and Structural Materials: Fluid Property Requirements, Feature
Stability, and Resolution". Annual Review of Materials Research. 40 (1): 395–414. doi:10.1146/annurev-matsci-
070909-104502 (https://doi.org/10.1146%2Fannurev-matsci-070909-104502) . ISSN 1531-7331 (https://www.worldca
t.org/issn/1531-7331).
3. Bhattacharjee S., Grosshandler W.L. (1988). "The formation of wall jet near a high temperature wall under
microgravity environment".ASME MTD. 96: 711–6.
4. "Table of Dimensionless Numbers"(http://www.cchem.berkeley.edu/gsac/grad_info/prelims/binders/dimensionless_n
umbers.pdf) (PDF). Retrieved 2009-11-05.
5. Bond number (http://ising.phys.cwru.edu/plt/PapersInPdf/181BridgeCollapse.pdf)Archived (https://web.archive.org/w
eb/20120305114521/http://ising.phys.cwru.edu/plt/PapersInPdf/181BridgeCollapse.pdf) 2012-03-05 at the Wayback
Machine
6. "Home" (http://www.onepetro.org/mslib/servlet/onepetropreview?id=00020506). OnePetro. 2015-05-04. Retrieved
2015-05-08.
7. Schetz, Joseph A. (1993).Boundary Layer Analysis. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc. pp.132–134. ISBN 0-
13-086885-X.
8. Fanning friction factor (http://www.engineering.uiowa.edu/~cee081/Exams/Final/Final.htm)
9. Tan, R. B. H.; Sundar, R. (2001). "On the froth–spray transition at multiple orifices".Chemical Engineering Science.
56 (21–22): 6337. doi:10.1016/S0009-2509(01)00247-0(https://doi.org/10.1016%2FS0009-2509%2801%2900247-
0).
10. Lockhart–Martinelli parameter(https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20081217001359/http://www
.flowprogramme.co.uk/
publications/guidancenotes/GN40.pdf)
11. "Manning coefficient" (http://www.epa.gov/ORD/NRMRL/pubs/600r01043/600R01043chap2.pdf)(PDF). (109 KB)
12. Richardson number (http://apollo.lsc.vsc.edu/classes/met455/notes/section4/2.html)Archived (https://web.archive.or
g/web/20150302154119/http://apollo.lsc.vsc.edu/classes/met455/notes/section4/2.html) 2015-03-02 at the Wayback
Machine
13. Schmidt number (http://www.ent.ohiou.edu/~hbwang/fluidynamics.htm) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20100
124213316/http://www.ent.ohiou.edu/~hbwang/fluidynamics.htm) 2010-01-24 at the Wayback Machine
14. Sommerfeld number (http://epubl.luth.se/avslutade/0348-8373/41/)
15. Petritsch, G.; Mewes, D. (1999). "Experimental investigations of the flow patterns in the hot leg of a pressurized
water reactor". Nuclear Engineering and Design. 188: 75. doi:10.1016/S0029-5493(99)00005-9(https://doi.org/10.10
16%2FS0029-5493%2899%2900005-9).
16. Kuneš, J. (2012). "Technology and Mechanical Engineering". Dimensionless Physical Quantities in Science and
Engineering. pp. 353–390. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-416013-2.00008-7(https://doi.org/10.1016%2FB978-0-12-41601
3-2.00008-7). ISBN 978-0-12-416013-2.
17. Weissenberg number (http://physics.ucsd.edu/~des/Shear1999.pdf)Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20061101
152745/http://physics.ucsd.edu/~des/Shear1999.pdf)2006-11-01 at the Wayback Machine
18. Womersley number (http://www.seas.upenn.edu/courses/belab/LabProjects/2001/be310s01m2.doc)Archived (http
s://web.archive.org/web/20090325123732/http://www
.seas.upenn.edu/courses/belab/LabProjects/2001/be310s01m
2.doc) 2009-03-25 at the Wayback Machine

Tropea, C.; Yarin, A.L.; Foss, J.F. (2007). Springer Handbook of Experimental Fluid Mechanics
. Springer-Verlag.

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