MEE2263 ADVANCED FLUID MECHANICS

Level 2 Advanced Fluid Mechanics Handout (3)

Syllabus:
Revision of Fluids I:
Viscous Flow
Equation of motion for viscous flow
Viscous laminar and turbulent flow
Lubrication and simple bearings
Viscous flow in pipes
Boundary layers: Growth, transition and separation
Flow around bodies and drag force.
Ideal Flow:
Flow over Aerofoils:
Aeroplane Dynamics:

Aims of this lecture:

1. To consider low Reynolds number flow between parallel plates
2. To describe other types of lubricated bearing.

3. Lubrication
3.1. Flow between Parallel Plates

Consider low Reynolds Number flow (i.e. Laminar Flow)

between two parallel plates. If we are a long way from the
start of the plates the flow will be fully developed and the h
flow velocity will not change in the ‘x’ direction, although of
course it varies in the ‘y’ direction. If the flow is two-
dimensional there is no velocity in the third direction.
y
Class Question: If the flow was at a high Reynolds
number how would it be different (think of pipe flow)? x

From Handout 1 we had the simplified Navier-Stokes:

1  p  du   2u  2u  2u 
Bx       2  2  2  …………………. (3.0)
  x  dt  x y z 
For steady and uniform, there is no acceleration equation (3.0) become:

1  p    2u  2u  2u 
Bx       2  2  2 
  x   x y z 

Taking the stream wise ‘s’ direction aligned with ‘x’ and the normal ‘n’ direction aligned with ‘y’,
remembering the flow velocity is not varying in the ‘x’ direction and neglecting gravity and we get:
1  p    2u 
    0
  x   y 2 
  2u   p 
or rearranging gives:       …………………………... (3.1)
2 
 y   x 

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Integrating Eqn 3.1 twice with respect to ‘y’ gives:

1 dp 2
u y  Ay  B …………………… (3.2)
2 dx
where A, B are constants to be determined by boundary conditions.
(Note the pressure does not vary in the ‘y’ direction because the streamlines are parallel, so we
can write the total differential for the pressure gradient in the ‘x’ direction.)

3.2. Poseuille Flow (Both plates at rest)

If both the top and bottom plates are stationary, the boundary conditions are:
At the lower wall u = 0 at y = 0: ===> B = 0
1 dP
At the upper wall u = 0 at y = h: ===> A= - h
2 dx

Thus Eqn. 3.2 becomes u  

1 dp
2 dx
 
hy  y 2 …..(3.3)
h
This gives a parabolic profile with maximum velocity at
h 2 dp
the centre, y = h/2. u max  
8  dx y
Note for positive flow in the ‘x’ direction, the pressure
gradient must be negative. x

Class Question: Where else have you seen a parabolic profile?

For plates of depth b (perpendicular to the paper) the volumetric flow rate is given by:

Q  0 b.u.dy  
h b dp h
2 dx 0
hy  y 2
.dy  
bh 3 dp
12 dx
………………………. 3.4

The mean velocity at a given cross section is given by:

Q bh 3 dp h 2 dp 2
umean    bh    umax
A 12 dx 12 dx 3
The mean velocity is two-thirds the maximum velocity (what was it for pipe flow?).

3.3. Plates with Relative Motion( One Plate Moving

and Other at Rest: Couette Flow ) Moving wall, U

Consider the upper plate moving at velocity U:

Use the general velocity profile (Eqn.3.2),

but with a different boundary condition: h

At the lower wall (y = 0): u = 0 ===> B = 0

1 dp U
At the upper wall (y = h): u = U ==> A   h y
2 dx h
x
1 dp Uy Stationary wall
Thus: u   (hy  y 2 )  ………………….. (3.5)
2 dx h

Integration with respect to y (from y=0 to y=h) gives the flow rate:
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bh 3 dp Uhb
Q    ………………………………. (3.6)
12 dx 2

dp
for a moving wall (U>0), for positive flow in the ‘x’ direction, the pressure gradient can be
dx
negative or positive

Class Question: What does the velocity profile look like for the three cases?
dp dp dp
a)  0 , b)  negative , c)  positive (Sketch the profiles on the diagram above.)
dx dx dx
For zero pressure gradient the velocity profile is linear – known as Couette Flow

POWER ABSORBED IN BEARINGS (Viscosity application)

In a bearing, a very thin film of lubricating oil is maintained between its stationary surface and
the surface of the rotating shaft. The lubricating oils are viscous and hence the theory of laminar/
viscous flow can be applied to the theory of lubrication. A very viscous oil leads to greater resistance
and causes great power loss; a light oil, on the other hand, may not be able to maintain the required
film between the metal surfaces and wear of the surfaces will take place. The expressions for power
absorbed due to viscous resistance in different types of bearing are derived as given below.

Class Problem 3.1: Viscometer

One way of measuring viscosity is with a rotating plate viscometer. This consists of a disc rotating
between two stationary discs, with a small distance between them. The space is filled with a liquid
(e.g. an oil) whose viscosity value is to be determined.

Consider a rotating disk (with a radius R) in a fluid between two stationary plates:

r y
θ
θ

2h
Moving U = ω.r
Disc
h
Side view (at a constant r)

T
Derive a relationship between the torque applied to the shaft to rotate the disc and the viscosity of
the fluid between the discs.

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Solution:
There can be no pressure gradient in the tangential direction
at a given radius (the system is axisymmetric).
So this is Couette flow, a linear velocity gradient.

du U 2r
The shear stress,     
dy h
2 h
The torque, dT, on one side of small annulus at radius, r, is
r
given by:
dT= dF. r =  2 r2 dr δr
Thus the total torque (on both sides) is given by:
R
R R

T  2   .2 .r dr .  8  
2 3
.r dr
0 0 h
.R 4
Thus T  2
h
hT
Or the fluid viscosity is given by  
2.R 4
3.4. Sliding Bearings

Sliding bearings consist of two (usually metal) surfaces with relative motion separated by a small
distance which contains a lubricant. The requirement is to support a force perpendicular to the
surfaces.

Two common ones are: Low Pressure

Journal Bearing :

The shaft rotates within a

cylindrical housing that has Rotating
only a very slightly larger shaft ω Shaft U =ωr
radius than the shaft. The Load
shaft is not quite concentric Fluid + + +ω.R
++
with the housing. The left
diagram greatly magnifies the Housing
High Pressure
clearance. Stationary Housing 2D linear model
2D view of cross (Linear movement)
Thus it can be analysed as a
linear problem as shown in the section
right diagram. (Rotating movement)

The variation in clearance together with the relative motion produces a pressure variation that
supports the radial load.

Class exercise: Derive the torque required to overcome the viscous resistance

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Journal bearing (Side view)

N: Speed of the shaft in r.p.m

T: thickness of oil film
L: Length of oil film

Other example of viscous flow; Please go in library and check the following example(make sure
you did it) :

 Foot-step Bearing
 Collar bearing.

Tutorials 2

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