AME 90931

Examination 1: Solution
Prof. J. M. Powers
9 March 2006
A Newtonian uid with constant density ows in a slot of width b.
The slot can be modelled as having innite depth. The slot is at an
angle of to the horizontal and gravity acts vertically downward. There
is no driving pressure gradient in the ow direction. It is recommended
to construct a coordinate system rotated at an angle to the horizontal,
with x in the ow direction and y normal to the ow direction. The
incompressible Navier-Stokes equations with a body force are
u = 0,

_
u
t
+u u
_
= p + g +
2
u.
Solution
First, let us do some preliminary analysis. For a coordinate system aligned with the wedge, the
equations reduce to
u
x
+
v
y
= 0, (1)

_
u
t
+ u
u
x
+ v
u
y
_
=
p
x
+ g sin +
_

2
u
x
2
+

2
u
y
2
_
, (2)

_
v
t
+ u
v
x
+ v
v
y
_
=
p
y
g cos +
_

2
v
x
2
+

2
v
y
2
_
. (3)
Now let us assume unidirectional ow in which
u = u(y, t), v = 0.
This gives automatic satisfaction of the mass conservation equation. The linear momenta equations
reduce to

u
t
=
p
x
+ g sin +

2
u
y
2
, (4)
0 =
p
y
g cos . (5)
Now
p
x
0 by assumption. The y-momentum equation then demands that a pressure gradient in y
balance the gravity force:
dp
dy
= g cos , (6)
p = po (g cos )y. (7)
Here, we have taken the boundary condition p(0) = po.
The x-momentum equation, for
p
x
0 is then

u
t
= g sin +

2
u
y
2
. (8)
1. If the viscosity is a constant, nd the steady state velocity prole.
Solution
The steady state prole is found by setting time derivatives to zero in Eq. (8) and integrating.
0 = g sin +
d
2
u
dy
2
, (9)
d
2
u
dy
2
=

g sin , (10)
d
2
u
dy
2
=
g

sin , (11)
du
dy
=
g

sin y + C1, (12)

u =
g
2
sin y
2
+ C1y + C2. (13)
Now, u = 0 at y = 0 and at y = b. Applying the rst, we get
0 = C2. (14)
Applying the second, we get
0 =
gb
2
2
sin + C1b, (15)
C1 =
gb
2
sin . (16)
So the steady velocity prole is
u(y) =
gb
2
2
sin
_
y
b
__
1
_
y
b
__
. (17)
2. Find the dierence in pressure between the top and bottom of the channel, measured
normal to the channel walls.
Solution
The pressure dierence is obtained from Eq. (7):
p(0) = po, (18)
p(b) = po gb cos , (19)
p(o) p(b) = gb cos . (20)
3. If the uid is stationary at t = 0, nd the unsteady response and give a simple estimate
for the time to relax to a steady state.
Solution
Dene U(y, t), the deviation from the steady solution:
U(y, t) = u(y, t)
gb
2
2
sin
_
y
b
__
1
_
y
b
__
. (21)
Since Eq. (8) is linear, the method of superposition works. Therefore, direct substitution demon-
strates that the deviation from steady state satises
U
t
=

2
U
y
2
. (22)
The gravitational source term is balanced by the second spatial derivative of u(y, t) in such a
way that the equation for the evolution of the deviation does not depend upon u(y, t). The
initial and boundary conditions are
U(y, 0) =
gb
2
2
sin
_
y
b
__
1
_
y
b
__
, (23)
U(0, t) = 0, (24)
U(b, t) = 0. (25)
Assume that separation of variables can be applied, so take
U(y, t) = A(y)B(t). (26)
With this assumption, Eq. (22) becomes
1

A
dB
dt
= B
d
2
A
dy
2
. (27)
Scale each side by AB to get
1
B
dB
dt
=
1
A
d
2
A
dy
2
. (28)
The only way for the left side, a function of t, to be equal to the right side, a function of y, is
for each side to be the same constant So take
1
B
dB
dt
=
1
A
d
2
A
dy
2
=
2
. (29)
Here, we are anticipating a result, and so specialized our constant to have the form
2
. It will
be seen this is a good choice. Had a more general choice been made, the same result would be
consequent. With this choice, two ordinary dierential equations result:
dB
dt
+
2
B = 0, (30)
d
2
A
dy
2
+
2
A = 0. (31)
The solution for each, obtained by inspection, is
B(t) = exp
_

2
t
_
, (32)
A(y) = 1 sin(y) + 2 cos(y). (33)
Apply the boundary conditions to the equation for A(y). First, at the bottom wall, y = 0, one
gets
A(0) = 0 = 1 sin(0) + 2 cos(0), (34)
= 2. (35)
Therefore, one must have
A(y) = 1 sin(y). (36)
Applying the boundary condition at the upper wall, y = b, one gets
0 = 1 sin(b). (37)
For a non-trivial solution, one must have 1 = 0. Therefore, sin(b) = 0. Since b = 0, this can
only hold if
b = n, n = 1, 2, 3, . . . , (38)
=
n
b
, n = 1, 2, 3, . . . (39)
Thus,
A(y) = 1 sin
_
ny
b
_
, (40)
B(t) = exp
_
n
2

2
t
b
2
_
. (41)
Thus, for a single Fourier mode n, one gets the solution
U(y, t) = 1 exp
_
n
2

2
t
b
2
_
sin
_
ny
b
_
. (42)
Using the method of superposition to add solutions and combining for mode n:
n 1, (43)
one gets
U(y, t) =

n=1
n exp
_
n
2

2
t
b
2
_
sin
_
ny
b
_
. (44)
Next, one applies the initial condition to get the Fourier coecients n.
U(y, 0) =

n=1
n sin
_
ny
b
_
, (45)

gb
2
2
sin
_
y
b
__
1
_
y
b
__
=

n=1
n sin
_
ny
b
_
, (46)

gb
2
2
sin
_
y
b
__
1
_
y
b
__
sin
_
my
b
_
=

n=1
n sin
_
ny
b
_
sin
_
ny
b
_
, (47)

_
b
0
gb
2
2
sin
_
y
b
__
1
_
y
b
__
sin
_
my
b
_
dy =
_
b
0

n=1
n sin
_
ny
b
_
sin
_
my
b
_
dy, (48)

gb
2
2
sin
_
b
0
_
y
b
__
1
_
y
b
__
sin
_
my
b
_
dy =

n=1
n
_
b
0
sin
_
ny
b
_
sin
_
my
b
_
dy, (49)
=

n=1
n
b
2
mn, (50)
= m
b
2
, (51)

gb
2
2
sin
4b
(m)
3
, m = 1, 3, 5, . . .
0, m = 2, 4, 5, . . .
_
= m
b
2
, (52)

gb
2

sin
4
(m)
3
, m = 1, 3, 5, . . .
0, m = 2, 4, 5, . . .
_
= m, (53)
n =
_

gb
2

sin
4
(n)
3
, n = 1, 3, 5, . . .
0, n = 2, 4, 5, . . .
(54)
A simple transformation allows us to eliminate the need to handle the zero for n even. Thus,
we only consider odd integers for the eigenvalues and take
U(y, t) =

n=1
gb
2

sin
4
(2n 1)
3
exp
_
(2n 1)
2

2
t
b
2
_
sin
_
(2n 1)y
b
_
. (55)
Then the full solution is obtained by adding the deviation to the steady solution to get
u(y, t) =
gb
2
2
sin
_
y
b
__
1
_
y
b
__

4gb
2

sin

n=1
1
(2n 1)
3
exp
_
(2n 1)
2

2
t
b
2
_
sin
_
(2n 1)y
b
_
. (56)
4. If the visosity varies with distance as (y) =
o
+ (y/b), nd the steady state
velocity prole. Here y is the distance normal to the wall surface.
Solution
Here, take
=
_
o +
_
y
b
__
du
dy
, (57)
0 = g sin +
d
dy
. (58)
Eliminating the viscous stress , one gets
0 = g sin +
d
dy
_
_
o +
_
y
b
__
du
dy
_
, (59)
d
dy
_
_
o +
_
y
b
__
du
dy
_
= g sin , (60)
_
o +
_
y
b
__
du
dy
= (g sin )y + C1, (61)
du
dy
=
(g sin )y + C1
o +
_
y
b
_ , (62)
(63)
This can be solved. Leaving out the details, which are easily veried with Mathematica, one
obtains
u(y) =
gb
2
sin

ln
_
_
1 +

o
_
y/b
1 +
y
b

o
_
(64)
When /o 0, one gets
u(y) =
gb
2
2
y
b
_
1
y
b
+

o
_

1
6

1
2
y
b
+
2
3
_
y
b
_
2
_
+ . . .
_
(65)
Note that the rst term in the series is identical to that obtained when = 0.