Aero 305: quiz 3 Name [1 pt]:

16 February 2021 Grader:

Open books, open notes, open computers

Most aerospace vehicles are propelled by burning a fuel that is originally a liquid (e.g., JP-4,
aviation gasoline, liquid H2 , etc.). In order to burn liquid fuel, you have to disperse it into tiny
droplets that can quickly evaporate. As a result, the behavior of small liquid droplets is a matter
of interest to aerospace engineers.

Perturbations to the droplet shape (caused by atomization or interaction with the flow) can cause
the droplet’s shape to oscillate between spherical and ellipsoidal shapes. In 1915, Lord Rayleigh
found that the droplet vibrational frequency f [Hz, or 1/s] only depends on the surface tension σ
[N/m], the liquid density ρ [kg/m3 ], and the droplet radius r [m]. Note that 1 N = 1 kg-m/s2 .

1. [2 pts] How many dimensionless groups are necessary to describe this problem, and why?

2. [4 pts] Show how the dimensionless group

s
ρr3
Πf = f
σ

follows from a standard Buckhingham-Π dimensionless analysis.

1
Quick review of Buckingham-Π theorem:

Any function of N variables

f (P1 , P2 , P3 , . . . , PN ) = 0
that can be described in K fundamental dimensions can be expressed in terms of N − K dimen-
sionless groups or Π-products
f (Π1 , Π2 , Π3 , . . . , ΠN −k ) = 0
Example: drag forces, where
g(D, ρ, V∞ , µ, l, a) = 0.
and N = 6 (including drag). Recall that K = 3, so we have
N −K =6−3=3
dimensionless Π-products. To evaluate:

1. Choose {ρ, V∞ , l} as the K-set (variables that stay in every dimensionless group):
Π1 = f1 (D, ρ, V∞ , l)
Π2 = f2 (µ, ρ, V∞ , l)
Π3 = f3 (a, ρ, V∞ , l)
Each Π is a dimensionless product of the form
Π1 = Dρα V∞
β γ
l
Π2 = µρα V∞
β γ
l
Π3 = aρα V∞
β γ
l

2. Evaluate π1 in terms of dimensions

0 = [M LT −2 ][M L−3 ]α [LT −1 ]β [L]γ
which gives 3 equations (one per fundamental dimension)
M : 0=1+α
L : 0 = 1 − 3α + β + γ
T : 0 = −2 − β
with a straightforward solution
α = −1
β = −2
γ = −2

so we can write
D
Π1 = 2 l2
← Drag coefficient, CD
ρV∞
3. Same procedure gives
ρV∞ l
Π2 = ← Reynolds number, Re∞
µ
and
V∞
Π3 = ← Mach number, M∞
a