ME:5160 (58:160) Intermediate Mechanics of Fluids

Fall 2021 – HW11 Solution

P7.6 For the laminar parabolic boundary-layer profile of Eq. (7.6), compute the shape factor “H”
and compare with the exact Blasius-theory result, Eq. (7.31).

Solution: Given the profile approximation u/U  2  2, where   y/, compute
 1
u u 2
  1   dy    (2   )(1  2   )d  
2 2

0
U U 0
15
 1
 u 1
 *    1   dy    (1  2  2 ) d  
0
 U 0
3
Hence H   /  ( /3)/(2 /15)  2.50 (compared to 2.59 for Blasius solution)
P7.10 Repeat Prob. P7.9, using a trigonometric profile approximation:
u y
 sin( )
U 2

Does this profile satisfy the conditions of laminar flat plate flow?

Solution: Again carry out the integrations of Sec. 7.2:

u  u 4 
  U
0
(1  ) dy  (
U 2
)   0.1366 
 u  2
 *   (1  ) dy    0.3634  Ans.
0 U 
* 2  4
H    3.66
 4 

This is a good approximation. The velocity profile has u = 0 at the wall, u = U at y = δ, and, for
dp/dx = 0, a flat plate, it has  2u / y 2  0 at the wall, as required from momentum.

To find the skin friction and δ, we need to integrate the boundary layer integral relation:
u  U d d
w   | y 0   U 2  0.1366 U 2
y 2  dx dx

Separate the variables and integrate to obtain

dx  x
 d  ; Integrate :  2   const
2(0.1366) U (0.1366) U

Assuming that δ = 0 at x = 0, the constant = 0. We obtain the final approximations:

 4.8  0.655
 and cf   Ans.
x Re x x Re x

Good accuracy! The sine wave is an excellent approximation to the Blasius profile.
P7.19 Air at 20C and 1 atm flows at 50 ft/s past a thin flat plate whose area (bL) is 24 ft2. If the total
friction drag is 0.3 lbf, what are the length and width of the plate?

Solution: For air at 20C and 1 atm, take = 0.00238 slug/ft3 and  =3.76E-7 slug/ft-s. Low speed
air, not too big a plate: Guess laminar flow and check this later. Use Eq. (7.27):

1.328 
CD  (one side) hence F  C D V 2 2bL , where bL  24 ft 2
Re L 2

1.328 3.76E  7 0.00238

Apply data : F  0.3lbf  ( )(50)2 2bL
(0.00238)(50)L 2
24
Solve : b L  21.36  L, or : L  1.12 L  1.26 ft , b  19.0 ft Ans.
L

Check the Reynolds number: ReL = (0.00238)(50)(1.26)/(3.76E-7) = 399,000. Laminar, OK.

 P7.27 Air at 20C and 1 atm flows at 3 m/s past a sharp flat plate 2 m wide and 1 m long. (a) What is
the wall shear stress at the end of the plate? (b) What is the air velocity at a point 4.5 mm normal to the
end of the plate? (c) What is the total friction drag on the plate?

Solution: For at 20C and 1 atm, take = 1.2 kg/m3 and  = 1.8E-5 kg/m-s. Check the
Reynolds number to see if the flow is laminar or turbulent:

UL (1.2)(3.0)(1.0)
Re L    200, 000 Laminar
 1.8E  5
We can proceed with our laminar-flow formulas:

0.664 0.664  1.2

c f , x L    0.00148;  w  c f U 2  (0.00148)( )(3)2  0.0080 Pa Ans.(a)
Re L 200000 2 2
U 3.0
At y  4.5 mm, the Blasius   y  (0.0045m)  2.01
x (1.5E  5)(1.0)
u m
Table 7.1: at  = 2.0 , read  0.63 , hence u  (0.63)(3.0)  1.89 Ans.(b)
U s

Finally, compute the drag for both sides of the plate, A = 2bL:

1.328
CD   0.00297 ,
200, 000
 1.2
or : F  CD U 2 (2bL)  (0.00297)( )(3.0) 2 [2(2.0)(1.0)]  0.064 N Ans.(c)
2 2

NOTE: For part (b), we never had to compute the boundary layer thickness,  11.2 mm.
P7.33 An alternate analysis of turbulent flat-plate flow was given by Prandtl in 1927, using a
wall shear-stress formula from pipe flow
1/4
  
 w  0.0225 U 
2

 U 
Show that this formula can be combined with Eqs. (7.32) and (7.40) to derive the following
relations for turbulent flat-plate flow.
 0.37 0.0577 0.072
 cf  CD 
x Re1/5
x Re1/5
x Re1/5
L

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

Solution: Use Prandtl’s correlation for the left hand side of Eq. (7.32) in the text:
d d  7 
 w  0.0225U 2 ( /U )1/4  U 2  U 2    , cancel U 2 and rearrange:
dx dx  72 
4 5/4
 1/4 d  0.2314( /U)1/4 dx, Integrate:   0.2314( /U)1/4 x
5

Take the (5/4)th root of both sides and rearrange for the final thickness result:
 0.37
  0.37( /U)1/5x 4/5 , or:  Ans. (a)
x Re1/5
x

1/5
2(0.0225)    0.0577
Substitute  (x) into  w : Cf  1/4   , or Cf  Ans. (b)
(0.37)  Ux Re1/5
x

1
x 5 0.072
Finally, CD   Cf d    Cf (at x  L)  Ans. (c)
0 L 4 Re1/5
L