BSL Transport Phenomena 2e Revised: Chapter 2 - Problem 2D.

2 Page 1 of 6

Problem 2D.2
Drainage of liquids9 (see Fig. 2D.2). How much liquid clings to the inside surface of a large
vessel when it is drained? As shown in the figure there is a thin film of liquid left behind on the
wall as the liquid level in the vessel falls. The local film thickness is a function of both z (the
distance down from the initial liquid level) and t (the elapsed time).

(a) Make an unsteady-state mass balance on a portion of the film between z and z + ∆z to get

∂ ∂δ
hvz iδ = − (2D.2-1)
∂z ∂t

(b) Use Eq. 2.2-18 and a quasi-steady-assumption to obtain the following first-order partial
differential equation for δ(z, t):
∂δ ρg 2 ∂δ
+ δ =0 (2D.2-2)
∂t µ ∂z

(c) Solve this equation to get r

µ z
δ(z, t) = (2D.2-3)
ρg t
What restrictions have to be placed on this result?

Solution
9
J. J. van Rossum, Appl. Sci. Research, 47, 121-144 (1958); see also V. G. Levich, Physicochemical Hydrodynamics,
Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J. (1962), Chapter 12.

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BSL Transport Phenomena 2e Revised: Chapter 2 - Problem 2D.2 Page 2 of 6

Part (a)

The law of conservation of mass states that matter is neither created nor destroyed. The same
amount of fluid that enters a shell per unit time must leave at that same rate; otherwise, fluid will
build up or accumulate within the shell. The mathematical expression for this idea, a mass
balance, is as follows.

rate of mass in − rate of mass out = rate of mass accumulation

Because of viscosity, the fluid in this problem doesn’t flow freely. Some of it gets stuck to the

Figure 1: This is the shell over which the mass balance is made for liquid draining.

wall, so the rate of accumulation is not zero. Mass flows in at z and out at z + ∆z, so with the
shell in Figure 1 the mass balance becomes

dm dm dm
− = .
dt z dt z+∆z dt shell

Mass is density times volume.

d(ρV ) d(ρV ) d(ρV )

− =
dt z dt z+∆z dt shell

As the density is assumed to be constant, it can be pulled out of each derivative and cancelled.

dV dV dV
− =
dt z dt z+∆z dt shell

For the left-hand side, the volumetric flow rate is the average velocity times the cross-sectional
area that the fluid flows through.

dV
(hviA)|z − (hviA)|z+∆z =
dt shell

The cross-sectional areas at z and z + ∆z are W δ(z, t) and W δ(z + ∆z, t), respectively.

dV
hvi|z [W δ(z, t)] − hvi|z+∆z [W δ(z + ∆z, t)] =
dt shell

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BSL Transport Phenomena 2e Revised: Chapter 2 - Problem 2D.2 Page 3 of 6

Factor −W from the left side.

dV
−W [ hvi|z+∆z δ(z + ∆z, t) − hvi|z δ(z, t)] =
dt shell

For the right-hand side, an expression for the volume of the shell from z to ∆z can be obtained by
integrating the cross-sectional area over that interval.
ˆ z+∆z
V |shell = A(s) ds
z

We get ˆ z+∆z
d
−W [ hvi|z+∆z δ(z + ∆z, t) − hvi|z δ(z, t)] = [W δ(s, t)] ds.
dt z
Now take the limit as ∆z → 0. It is assumed that δ is continuous and differentiable.
ˆ
d z+∆z
lim −W [ hvi|z+∆z δ(z + ∆z, t) − hvi|z δ(z, t)] = lim [W δ(s, t)] ds
∆z→0 ∆z→0 dt z

Bring the limit inside the derivative.

ˆ z+∆z
d
−W lim [ hvi|z+∆z δ(z + ∆z, t) − hvi|z δ(z, t)] = lim [W δ(s, t)] ds
∆z→0 dt ∆z→0 z

The interval of integration becomes so small that the integrand is essentially constant and can be
pulled in front of the integral.
ˆ z+∆z
d
−W lim [ hvi|z+∆z δ(z + ∆z, t) − hvi|z δ(z, t)] = lim [W δ(z, t)] ds
∆z→0 dt ∆z→0 z

Evaluate the integral.

d
−W lim [ hvi|z+∆z δ(z + ∆z, t) − hvi|z δ(z, t)] = lim [W δ(z, t)]∆z
∆z→0 dt ∆z→0
W and ∆z are constants with respect to time.
 
∂δ
−W lim [ hvi|z+∆z δ(z + ∆z, t) − hvi|z δ(z, t)] = W lim ∆z
∆z→0 ∂t ∆z→0

Divide both sides by W ∆z.

hvi|z+∆z δ(z + ∆z, t) − hvi|z δ(z, t) ∂δ

− lim =
∆z→0 ∆z ∂t
The limit on the left is how the first derivative of hviδ with respect to z is defined.

∂ ∂δ
− hvz iδ =
∂z ∂t
Therefore,
∂ ∂δ
hvz iδ = − .
∂z ∂t

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BSL Transport Phenomena 2e Revised: Chapter 2 - Problem 2D.2 Page 4 of 6

Part (b)

Eq. 2.2-18 gives the velocity distribution for a fluid flowing down an inclined plane.

ρgδ 2 cos β
  x 2 
vz = 1− (2.2-18)
2µ δ
ρg cos β 2
= (δ − x2 )
2µ
To adapt the formula to this problem, set β = 0 because the wall is vertical. To obtain the
average velocity hvi, integrate this velocity over the cross-sectional area that the fluid flows
through and then divide by that area.
ˆ
1
hvi = vz dA
A
ˆ δ(z,t)
1
= vz (W dx)
W δ(z, t) 0
ˆ δ(z,t)
1
= vz dx
δ(z, t) 0
ˆ
1 δ ρg 2
= (δ − x2 ) dx
δ 0 2µ
δ
x3

ρg 2
= δ x−
2µδ 3 0
 3
ρg 2δ
=
2µδ 3
ρgδ 2
=
3µ

Substitute this formula for hvi into the mass balance.

∂ ρgδ 2
 
∂δ
δ=−
∂z 3µ ∂t
3
 
∂ ρgδ ∂δ
=−
∂z 3µ ∂t
2
ρgδ ∂δ ∂δ
=−
µ ∂z ∂t

Therefore, we obtain a nonlinear first-order partial differential equation (PDE) for the film
thickness.
∂δ ρg 2 ∂δ
+ δ =0
∂t µ ∂z

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BSL Transport Phenomena 2e Revised: Chapter 2 - Problem 2D.2 Page 5 of 6

Part (c)

For a function of two variables δ = δ(z, t), its differential is defined as

∂δ ∂δ
dδ = dz + dt.
∂z ∂t
Divide both sides by dt.
dδ ∂δ dz ∂δ
= +
dt ∂z dt ∂t
This equation is marvelous because it tells us the relationship between an ordinary derivative and
the partial derivatives of a function. Comparing the PDE we have with this equation, we see that
along the curves in the tz-plane (known as characteristics) defined by

dz ρg 2
= δ , (1)
dt µ

the PDE simplifies to an ordinary differential equation (ODE),

dδ
= 0. (2)
dt
Integrate both sides of equation (2) with respect to t to solve for δ.

δ = f (ξ),

where f is an arbitrary function and ξ is a coordinate along the characteristics. ξ can be written
in terms of z and t by solving equation (1). Equation (2) tells us that δ is a constant with respect
to time along the characteristics, so equation (1) can be solved by integrating both sides with
respect to t.
ρg 2
z= δ t+ξ
µ
Solve for ξ.
ρg 2
ξ=z− δ t
µ
Thus, the general solution for δ is
 
ρg 2
δ(z, t) = f z − δ t ,
µ

though this is of little interest to us. Since the origin of the coordinate system is chosen so that
the film thickness starts to develop at z = 0, the solution on the ξ = 0 characteristic is the one we
care about.
ρg
0 = z − δ2t
µ
Therefore, r
µ z
δ(z, t) = .
ρg t
The solution only applies above the liquid level: z > 0, t > 0, and z < st. This can be written
compactly as 0 < z < st.

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BSL Transport Phenomena 2e Revised: Chapter 2 - Problem 2D.2 Page 6 of 6

Figure 2: This is a plot of the film thickness δ vs. z at various times with µ/ρg set equal to 1. The
curves in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple correspond to t equal to 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 1, 3,
and 20, respectively.

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