MEC516/BME516:

Fluid Mechanics I

Chapter 4: Differential Relations for

Fluid Flow
Part 6
Department of Mechanical
© David Naylor, 2014 & Industrial Engineering
 © David Naylor

Overview
• An Exact Solution to the Continuity and Navier-Stokes Equations
• Laminar incompressible flow in a round pipe
(Hagen-Poiseuille Flow).
• Solution in cylindrical coordinates:
, θ, 
• “Poiseuille’s Law” for flow in small tubes.
(Motivated in part by Poiseuille’s interest in blood flow
through capillaries.)

• Example
Calculate the flow in a small tube using “Poiseuille’s
law”. Reynolds number calculation.

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 © David Naylor

Steady Laminar Flow in a Circular Tube

Problem Definition
• Consider steady laminar incompressible viscous flow in a round pipe.
• Cylindrical coordinates  = 
, , θ =  +  +  
• The flow is far from the pipe entrance. So, the flow is purely axial:  =  = 0.
• Neglect gravity. (Adds hydrostatic pressure gradient; does not affect flow.)

 = 0
 
 =0

 

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Steady Laminar Flow in a Circular Tube

• Start with the incompressible continuity equation
(conservation of mass)

    

 +  +  = 0
    


 = 0


• Flow is fully developed.


• Velocity field and hence, the axial pressure gradient ( ) does not change in the z direction.


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 © David Naylor

Steady Laminar Flow in a Circular Tube

• Incompressible Navier-Stokes equation in the z-direction

Conservation of z-momentum:

             

ρ +  +  +  =− +μ{
+ + }
             
no variation
steady  = 0  = 0 fully dev. in 3
fully dev.
no swirl
 
• Similarly, conservation of momentum in r and θ directions give: = = 0 ∴ ! = !  "#$%
 

& ' ' '

• So, we get:
= = ("#)* < 0
 ' ' '

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Steady Laminar Flow in a Circular Tube

& ' ' '

=
 ' ' '

'  '
4
=
4

' & '

' '  ' 5 '  ' 78

• Integrating (noting that = ("#)*):
=
+ 6 =
+
' ' 5& ' ' 5& ' 

'
• The flow is symmetrical about the centre line (
= 0): 9 =0 Thus, 6 = 0
' :;

'  '
Thus: =

' 5& '

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 © David Naylor

Steady Laminar Flow in a Circular Tube

'  '
=

' 5& '

 '
• Integrating again:  =
5 + 65
<& '

• Now we use the no slip boundary condition
= = to evaluate 65 :  = = 0

 '  '
0= =5 + 65 Thus, 65 = − =5
<& ' <& '

 ' B '
• So, the velocity field becomes:  = − (= −
)
5 5
?@A = −
<& ' <& '

• This is the classical solution for laminar fully developed flow in a round tube, called Hagen-
Poiseuille Flow.
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 © David Naylor

Steady Laminar Flow in a Circular Tube



 '
The velocity field:  = − ( =5 −
5 )
<& ' 

4E = 2 I
4

• We can integrate this velocity field to get the volume flow rate:

:B :B
1 4!
C=D  4E = D − =5 −
5 2I
4

:; :; 4μ 4

JBK '
• Result: C=−
LM '

JB K P
• For a pipe of length N with pressure drop Δ!: C=− Poiseuille’s Law
LM Q

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 © David Naylor
Steady Laminar Flow in a Circular Tube
JB K P
• For a pipe of length N with pressure drop Δ!: C=−
Poiseuille’s Law
LM Q

Comments
UV
ST
• This result applies for laminar flow, Re<2300, where =R =
M
• The flow rate is surprisingly sensitive to the tube size! C~X<

Medical Application
People with asthma take bronchodialtors (drugs that expands the
tiny air passages to the lungs). If the airway increases in diameter
by say 20%, the increase in air flow will be 1.2< = 2.1.

More than twice the air flow for the same breathing effort!
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 © David Naylor

Example
A liquid with dynamic viscosity of μ = 0.002 Z)/\5 and density ρ] = 1000 ^_/\` flows at a
steady rate in a tube with an inside diameter of X = 4\\. A U-tube manometer with a gage fluid
with density ρa = 2000 ^_/\` is used to measure the pressure drop in the pipe. The
manometer deflection is Δℎ = 9.0 \\.

(i) Calculate the flow rate C in litres C

per hour assuming laminar flow.
(ii) Use the result of part (i) to check that
Z)
the flow is laminar. μ = 0.002
\5
^_
ρ] = 1000 `
\

∆ℎ = 9.0 \\

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 C
© David Naylor

Example
JBK P
(i) Poiseuille’s Law: C=− μ = 0.002
Z)
LM Q
\5
^_
ρ] = 1000 `
\
• The pressure taps are spaced at N = 2.0 \ ∆ℎ = 9.0 \\

• The pressure drop between the pressure taps is:

\ ^_ Z
Δ! = − ea − e] Δℎ = −_ ρa − ρ] Δℎ = −9.81 2000 − 1000 0.009\ = −88.29
)5 \` \5

Z
I 0.002 < \< −88.29 `
C=− \5 = 1.39 × 10ij \ 1000 $ 3600 ) = 0.499 $/ℎ

Z) 2.0 \ ) \` ℎ

8 0.002
\5
Ans.
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 C
© David Naylor

Example
UV
ST Z)
(ii) Reynolds number: Re = μ = 0.002
M \5
^_
ρ] = 1000 `
\
JV
C = no E = no ∆ℎ = 9.0 \\
<

\ `
4C 4(1.39 × 10ij )
no = = ) = 0.0111 \/)
IX5 I(0.004)5 \5

^_ \
1000 0.0111 0.004\
\` )
Re = = 22.1
^_
0.002
)\
Ans.
=R is less than ~ 2300. So, the flow is laminar.
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 © David Naylor

Computation Fluid Dynamics Simulation a Swimmer. A 3-D unsteady

flow with moving boundaries.
Source: http://fruitsoftheweb.tumblr.com/post/78678686653/female-1
END NOTES
Presentation prepared and delivered by Dr. David Naylor.

© David Naylor 2014. All rights reserved.

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