Similarity and

Dimensional analysis
Chapter 7
 Not all fluid fiow problems have theoreticeal solution possible (even with CFD), input from experiments important
Not all experiments can be conducted under actual set of conditions due to
financial constraints
physical limitations like size
exact conditions like high velocity ortemperature not possible in laboratory
- Experiments are conducted using models under an altered set of conditions
-

Theory of similarity of flows is used for comparison with actual problem

- Two pertinent questions need to be asked:
How can we apply the test results from laboratory experiments to the different set of conditions for the
actual problem?
-

Suppose there are n independent parameters influencing the outcome of an experiment. So n independent
set of experiments need to be conducted to know the effect of each individual parameter on the end resutt
(also called a performance parameter, there could be more than one performance/output parametersthat
we care for). Is it possible somehow to group these independent parameters into groups so that less number
of experiments need to be conducted? For example the pressure drop for flow of fluid through a pipe

Ap= fD, L, "avg: P)

If we vary only a few parameters, is it possible to know the effect of varying all other parameters on the pressure

drop? Recall that Reynolds number combines p, uags D.4. And so varying Re, one can study the effect of

varying any one of these parameters.

- The answers lie in the principles of physical similarity that we will study next.
 Principles of physical similarity Let
Geometric similarity It is the similarity of shape

m
DI2
Scale factor For cylinder, scale factor D 2
Lp
For cuboid, scale factor =

2
D
c/2
b/2 c2
hi2

Kinematic similarity It is the similarity of motion

For kinematic similarity between 2 flows, the ratios between

velocities of model and prototype must be same at all
coresponding points in the flow field.

For geometric similarity

Prototype Model

ASimilarly
Va b

Another way to write this is

Similarly =2
For this to happen, streamlines shouid be similar between model and prototype.
www
Re= Rea

Prototype Model
Dynamic similarity It is the similarity of forces
At all corresponding points between the model and prototype flows, ratio of forces should be same. The different
types of forces in a flow field are
Viscous force (due to viscosity)
Pressure force (due to difference in pressure)
Gravity force (due to gravitational attraction)
Capillary force (due to surface tension)
Compressibility force (due to elasticity) F.
According to Newton's second law the resultant of all these forces causes acceleration and so is balanced by the
inertia force F. Then

F,+F,+ F+F+ Ë,+ , =0

Let us try and calculate the ratio of magnitude of each such force to that of inertia force. We know

()
Here
F,=ma a (p a pPu2
l= length scale
U= velocity scale
Ap = pressure change

E= Elasticity modulus

F= ApA a Apl2
Fmg a pl's
Fea ol

F,a El2
So the ratios can be computed as Here

Eu = Euler number

Ap2? E Fr = Froude number =

pU2Eu U
F plPU2
Wb = Weber number
pP'g
F pl2U2 -F Ca = Cauchey number

M =Mach number

E2
Fi pl2U2 pU2 Ca

Note: Foran isentropic flow, the speed of sound is given by a.

Then

F pPRtpU Ca M
So for dynamic similarity

(Re, Eu, Fr, Wb, M)m= (Re, Eu, Fr, Wb, M)

 Buckingham's Pi Theorem
Statement

fa problem can be defined by m number of physical variables (you have to guess this)

f,Xz, X3. * )=0,

and these variables involve n number of physical dimensions (eg. M, L, T,0,1, typically for fluid problems only M, L,7
are involved so n = 3), then the problem can be reduced to depend only on (m - n) number of non-dimensional variables

8T1, 2, T3, s . . .Tm-n=0.

How to use this?

Step 1: ldentify m physical variables/parameters on which the problem depends.
Step 2: ldentify the the output/performance parameters.
Step Choose n number of repeating variables (n is the number of physical dimensions) such that
1) They are not performance parameters

Step 4:
2) They should collectively involve all nphysical dimensions.
Write (m - n) non-dimensional r variables in terms of the product of the repeating variables each raised

to some unknown indices and one other variable (could be performance variable).
Step 5: Solve for the indices to obtain the (m-n) 7 variables.
Step1
Application of pi theorem to Pipe flow
The pipe flow problem involves the following physical variables (this needs to be figured out based on knowledge
of the physics of the problem and using intuition). So m = 5.

Ap
uavgDy» P,
Then in terms of these variables, the problem can be represented as

arg D P.#=0
Step 2:

Identify the output parameter. In this case it is the pressure drop per unit length

Step 3:

Choose n (=3 as only M,L,T are involved) number of repeating variables. Let them be uavg» DP

Steps 4 and 5:
Write down the m - n =2 pi terms.

ravPP°
MOLT= (LT-")"(LÝ (ML-3) ML-'T
Equating indices on either side of the equation we get
c+1 =0 solving a Then

a+b-3c- 1 =0
avgDhP Rep
-a-1 0
- 1
Similarly

M°LT°= (LT-1)'L° (ML-3) ML-27-2

Equating indices on either side of the equation we get
C+l=0 Solving Then
a=- 2
a+b- 3c -2 = 0
b=1 Ap D Ap_ -
u
-a-2=0 puzavg Puavg

Finally the problem can be represented in terms of m n ie 2 non-dimensional variables

8T1,T2)=0
We know from theory that the actual functional dependency is given as

a )
So the exact functional relation can not be obtained using dimensional analysis alone. However it does simplify the
problem as lot in terms of non-dimensional parameters involved.

a. So why do we care?
Because once the rs are identified, they can be equated between model and prototype to solve problems.

),( ()etc
 Rayleigh's Indicial Method
This is an alternative method for establishing the non-dimensional quantities associated with any problem.
The following steps are to be followed.

Step 1: Identify the dependent variable/performance parameter.

Step 2: Write the dependent variable as a product of an unknown constant and all independent variables
raised to unknown indices.
Step 3 Equating the indices of the n physical dimensions involved would give n equations. Use these
equations to eliminate, n number of unknown indices. Regroup the terms in the equation to
identify the non-dimensional quantities involved.
Let us choose the pipe flow problem again to illustrate this method.
The pipe flow problem involves the following physical variables.

Step 1
The dependent variable is
Ap

Step 2:
Let us write the dependent variable in the form

Step 3
Equating dimensions on either side
MLT-A (LTY (LÝ(ML-"°(ML-'T'¥
Equating the indices of M, L and T on either sides we get

c+d=l
a+b 3c - d = - 2
-a-d=-2

Writing a, b and c in terms of d

a=2- d
b=-d-1
c=1 -d
So the equation becomes

=A( (D,)*"p=A
Rearranging we get

pusavgD
So, the two independent non-dimensional parameters in the problem come out as