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School of Engineering and Mathematical Siences

Department Mechanical Engineering and Aeronuotics
Degree Title
BEng (Hons)/ MEng (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering
BEng (Hons) / MEng (Hons) in Aeronautic Engineering
BEng (Hons) / MEng (Hons) in Automotive Engineering
BEng (Hons) / MEng (Hons) in Air Transport Engineering
BEng (Hons) / MEng (Hons) in Energy Engineering

Module Code
ME2109

Exam Title
Fluid Mechanics

Part 2 Examination
Date
?? May 2012

Division of Marks:
Instructions to students:

Time
?? (2.5 hours)

All questions carry equal marks

Answer any THREE from FIVE questions

Number of answer books to be provided: 1 with Graph paper

Whether or not calculators etc are permitted: Yes, Casio FX83/85 MS/ES.
Whether or not dictionaries etc are permitted: No.
Any stats tables or other additional materials: Data Sheet attached.
Whether or not the exam paper can be removed from the exam room: No

External Examiner:

Dr R F Martinez-Botas

Internal Examiner:

Dr J M Nouri
Dr S Prince

Page 1 of X

Question 1
(a) Water flowing between two horizontal parallel plates with a gap distance of 2h. Neglecting
the end effects, the velocity profile for fully developed, two-dimensional and steady laminar
flow is given by,

1 dp 2 2
y h
2 dx

where dp/dx is the pressure gradient in the direction of the flow, y is the perpendicular
distance from the centre line between the two plates and is the dynamic viscosity of water.
Using the above equation and considering flow rate through a fluid element show that:
(i) the mean flow rate and mean velocity may be expressed as
Q

2 dp 3
h
3 dx

and

1 dp 2
h
3 dx
[5 marks]

(ii) the mean velocity is 2/3 of the maximum velocity

[2 marks]
(iii) the wall shear stress may be expressed

dp
h
dx
[3 marks]

(iv) the friction factor, f, can be expressed as

48
Re
[7 marks]

(b) If the gap between the two horizontal parallel plates is 22 mm, the width of the plates is
400 mm and the flow Reynolds number is 1700, determine the following:
(i) the mean flow rate
[2 marks]
(ii) the pressure drop over 4 m length
[2 marks]
(iii) the wall shear stress, w
[1 marks]
(iv) the local shear stress at 5 mm away from centre
[3 marks]
Take the kinematic viscosity of water and its density as 1.0x10-6 m2/s and 1000 kg/m3. The
Manning friction factor equation is

8 w
u 2

Page 2 of X

Question 2
Two water reservoirs A and B are joined with a 320 m long pipe as shown in Figure Q2. The
water level in reservoir A is 15 m above that in B and the joining pipe has a diameter of 100
mm with a pipe roughness of e=0.2mm.
(a) Calculate the water flow rate in the pipe, ignoring all minor losses. Apply Bernoulli's
equation between 1 and 2 and use the Moody Chart and iteration method to solve this
problem (three iterations would be sufficient); take the kinematic viscosity of water as
1.0x10-6 m2/s.
[12 marks]
(b) Assuming the friction factor calculated in part (a) is unchanged and applies to all the
pipes, calculate the increase in flow rate obtainable by adding a second pipe, 140 m long
parallel to the main pipe and with the same diameter, between junction M and reservoir B
as shown.
[13 marks]

15m
A

180m

140m
M

320m

Figure Q2

Apply Bernoulli's equation between the two tanks water surfaces, use the provided Moody
Chart and iteration method to solve the problem in part (a); three iterations would be
sufficient. The kinematic viscosity of water and its density are the same as those given in Q1.

Page 3 of X

Question 3
(a) In a boundary layer, explain in words the physical meaning of displacement, , and the
momentum thickness, , and show that the drag coefficient at the back end of a plate can be
expressed as CD= 2/c per wetted side where c is the chord length of the plate.
[6 marks]
(b) Flow separation over a curved surface is caused by the buildup of the adverse pressure
gradient during the expansion process. Explain why the separation takes place earlier with
laminar flow than that of turbulent flow
[4 marks]
(c) A train is 65 m long, 2.9 m wide and with sides of 3.4 m high. The train moves at 75
km/h through air of density 1.23 kg/m3 and kinematic viscosity 1.5x10-5 m2/s. Assuming the
same skin friction drag on the two sides and top of the train and ignoring the drags at bottom
of the train and the gaps between the carriages, determine:

(i) the extent of laminar boundary layer from the leading edge for a rough surface.
[3 marks]
(ii) the drag force at the rear end of the train.
[7 marks]
(iii) the power required to overcome the drag.
[2 marks]
(iv) the momentum thickness at the rear of the train.
[3 marks]
Use the Prandtl-Schlichting equation to calculate drag coefficient.

CD

0.455

log10 Rec2.58

Page 4 of X

Question 4
(a) Describe the phenomenon of cavitation in a pump: explain how it occurs, its
consequences and possible solutions.
[4 marks]
(b) A pump running at 500 rpm discharges water at a rate of 0.14 m3/s. The total head rise
across the pump is 10.6 m. A second pump, with linear dimensions quarter of the first one, is
running under conditions dynamically similar to the first pump. Calculate the speed,
discharge and head rise with the second pump.
[6 marks]
(c) A pump is discharging water to a land 4.1 meter above the centre line of the pump. The
pump is located 1.1 meter above a reservoir from which it is drawing water from. When the
pump was running at a constant speed of 1400rpm, the following performance characteristics
(flow rate, Q, head pump, HP, and efficiency, ) were obtained.
Q (l/min)
Hp (m)
(%)

1360.2
14.9
65

1810.2
15.1
73

2269.8
13.8
80

2720.4
11.2
79

3200.4
9.1
72

If the total head losses in the pipeline system due to friction and pipe fittings are htotal
=1.18Q2, where htotal is in meter and Q in m3/min:
(i) determine the system head, HSyS, for all flow rates.
[3 marks]
(ii) plot HP, HSyS and against the flow rates on the linear graph paper provided at the end
of your answer book..
[4 marks]
(iii) identify the duty point on the graph and determine the pump head, flow rate and
efficiency at this point and also calculate the pump power input.
[3 marks]
(d) A Pelton wheel is to be selected to drive a generator at 1200 rpm. The water jet diameter
is 65 mm and has a velocity of Vj=128 m/s. If the blade angle is 165 degrees, the ratio of vane
speed to jet speed () is 0.48. Neglecting losses, determine:
(i) the diameter of the wheel
[2 marks]
(ii) the power developed
[3 marks]
ND2
Re =

Q
ND3

gH

P
P
*

N2D2

N3D5

Note that the power developed can be expressed as

P QU V j U 1 cos and u /V j

Page 5 of X

Question 5
It is desired to expand air through a diffuser, from p0 = 200kPa and T0 = 500K through a
throat to an exit Mach number of 2.5. If the mass flow rate of supplied air is 3 kg/s, calculate:
a)

The required area of the throat,

[6 Marks]

b)

The exit static pressure,

[3 Marks]

c)

The exit static temperature,

[5 Marks]

d)

The exit exhaust velocity,

[5 Marks]

e)

The exit flow area,

[4 Marks]

assuming isentropic flow with =1.4.

f)
Explain why, even in the absence of any shock waves in such a diffuser, the flow is
never, in reality, isentropic.
[2 Marks]
__________________________________________________
Use the following relations for an isentropic adiabatic perfect gas process:

p01 1 2 1
1
M1 ,
p1
2

01 1 2
1
M1
1
2

1
1

1
p1

p 2 1

1 2 1
M1
2
1 2
M2

For a normal shock wave:

p2 2 M 12 1

,
1
p1

M 22

1M 12
2

1 1M 12 2

1M 12 2
2M 12 1

For isentropic flow in a duct (streamtube):

1

A
1 2 1 2 2 1
,

M
1

A* M 1
2

where the * denotes conditions at a throat.

Page 6 of X

A* p 0
T0

2 1

R 1

f=64/Re

Moody Chart
Friction factors for flow in pipes

Page 7 of X