Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

MST326 Mathematical methods and fluid mechanics

MST326

TMA 03 2022J
Covers Units 6–9 Cut-off date 22 February 2023

You should submit this TMA electronically as a PDF file by using the
University’s online TMA/EMA service. Before starting work on it, please
read the guidance for preparing and submitting TMAs, available from the
‘Assessment’ tab of the module website.
The marks allocated to each part of a TMA question are indicated in
brackets in the margin. Each question is allotted 25 marks.
Please show your working for all questions. This will give your tutor the
opportunity to award you some marks for a question where your working is
partially correct even though you may not have the correct final answer.

Copyright
6.1
© 2022 The Open University WEB 09923 2
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TMA 03 Cut-off date 22 February 2023

Question 1 (Unit 6) – 25 marks

(a) A water jet is ejected from a circular hole on the ground of radius R, as
illustrated in the diagram below. The water jet emerges from the hole
with uniform speed U . For a sufficiently low height z, the water jet can
be assumed to be steady and to retain its cylindrical symmetry with a
circular cross section of radius r(z).

(i) Assuming inviscid and incompressible flow, and making other

assumptions as appropriate, show that r(z) can be expressed as
R
r(z) = ,
(1 − 2gz/U 2 )1/4
where g is the magnitude of the acceleration due to gravity. [5]
(ii) Find in terms of U and g the height z at which the radius of the
cross-section of the jet is twice its radius on the ground. [2]
(b) Water flows steadily along a horizontal open channel of uniform width.
The bed of the channel consists of two sections, upstream (to the left)
and downstream (to the right), with the channel bed downstream being
d = 2.75 metres above the channel bed upstream, as shown in the figure
below. The flow upstream has depth h1 = 1 m and speed u1 = 10 m s−1 .
Take the magnitude of the acceleration due to gravity as g = 10 m s−2 .

(i) Show that the flow upstream is supercritical. [2]

(ii) By applying Bernoulli’s equation along a suitable streamline, show
that the downstream depth h2 satisfies the equation:
4h32 − 13h22 + 20 = 0. [6]

(iii) One solution of this equation is h2 = 2. Find another positive

solution and discuss what type of flow is observed downstream. [6]
(iv) Assume the flow downstream is critical. Apply Bernoulli’s equation
once more to calculate the height d of the channel bed
downstream. [4]

page 3 of 6
Question 2 (Unit 7) – 25 marks
Consider an inviscid and incompressible fluid of density ρ flowing past an
infinitely long cylinder with swirl. The cylinder is centred along the z-axis
and has radius a, as shown in cross-section below.

The body forces may be ignored and the fluid velocity in cylindrical
coordinates (r, θ, z) is given by:
a2
 
ur = U cos θ 1 − 2 ,
r
a2
 
κ
uθ = −U sin θ 1 + 2 − ,
r 2πr
uz = 0,
where κ and U are positive constants.
(a) What is the fluid velocity far away from the cylinder in Cartesian
coordinates? [2]
(b) Calculate the pressure distribution p(r = a, θ) on the surface of the
cylinder. [3]
(c) Consider the case with κ < 4πaU .
(i) Show that there are two stagnation points on the surface of the
cylinder. Express θ in terms of a, κ and U . [6]
(ii) By considering values of uθ (a, θ) for all θ and ur (r, θ) for
θ = ±π/2, ±π, 0, or otherwise, sketch a few typical streamlines of
the fluid flow
√ around the cylinder on the x-y plane for the case
when κ = 2 2πaU , indicating the stagnation points and direction
of the flow clearly. [5]
(iii) Discuss what happens to the stagnation points when the ratio
κ/4πaU approaches one. [2]
(d) When κ > 4πaU there is only one stagnation point that lies along
θ = −π/2. (You are not asked to show this.)
Find the location rs of this stagnation point on the radial coordinate. [7]
Hint: You may find the following inequalities useful:
p p
0 < R − R2 − 1 < 1 and R + R2 − 1 > 1,
which are both valid if R > 1.

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Question 3 (Unit 8) – 25 marks
A viscous liquid of constant density ρ and coefficient of viscosity µ flows
steadily between two coaxial cylinders of radii R1 and R2 , with R2 > R1 .
The cylinders are assumed to be of infinite extent and, in a cylindrical polar
coordinate system, their axis is the z axis with the fluid velocity aligned with
it, as shown in the diagram below. The inner cylinder is stationary while the
outer cylinder is moving with velocity U k, where U is a positive constant.
There is an applied constant pressure gradient acting on the liquid, given by
∇p = −Ck, and gravity is assumed to be negligible.

(a) The following assumptions are to be made. Write down the

mathematical consequences of each of them.
1. The flow is steady.
2. The flow is incompressible.
3. The fluid velocity is aligned with the z-axis.
4. The flow is symmetrical about the the z-axis.
Hence write down the simplified continuity equation for the liquid. [4]
(b) Show using the results from (a) that the fluid velocity is given by
u = u(r) ez . [2]
(c) State the appropriate boundary conditions for u(r). [2]
(d) Write down the components of the Navier-Stokes equations. Solve them
using the conditions from part (c) to show that:
ln(r/R1 ) 
u(r) = −α r2 − R12 + U + α R22 − R12 ,



ln(R2 /R1 )
where α = C/4µ. [10]
(e) Consider the case when R2 = 2R1 .
(i) Find the location rmax of the maximum of the velocity u(r) and
express it in terms of U , α and R1 . Show that rmax is independent
of α when U = 0. [4]
(ii) Show that the velocity u(r) does not have a maximum when
αR121..
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U > (8 ln 22 − 3)
3)↵R [3]

page 5 of 6
Question 4 (Unit 9) – 25 marks
(a) The function u(x, y) satisfies the partial differential equation
∂2u ∂2u ∂ 2 u 1 ∂u 1 ∂u
+ 4 + 3 − − = 0. (1)
∂x2 ∂x ∂y ∂y 2 2 ∂x 2 ∂y
(i) Is Equation (1) elliptic, parabolic or hyperbolic? [2]
(ii) Show that ζ = y − x and ϕ = y − 3x can be chosen as the
characteristic coordinates for Equation (1). [5]
(iii) Express each of
∂u ∂u ∂2u ∂2u ∂2u
, , , and
∂x ∂y ∂x2 ∂x ∂y ∂y 2
in terms of
∂u ∂u ∂2u ∂2u ∂2u
x, y, , , , and ,
∂ζ ∂ϕ ∂ζ 2 ∂ζ ∂ϕ ∂ϕ2
as appropriate. [5]
(iv) Hence, using the appropriate expressions from part (c), reduce
Equation (1) to the form
∂2u ∂u
4 − = 0,
∂ζ ∂ϕ ∂ϕ
and deduce the general solution of the given equation. [7]
(b) The transverse motion of a uniform infinite elastic string is modelled by
the equations
∂2u ∂2u
− 4 =0 (−∞ < x < ∞, t > 0),
∂x2 ∂t2
2
u(x, 0) = e−x (−∞ < x < ∞),
∂u x
(x, 0) = √ (−∞ < x < ∞),
∂t 2
x +1
where u(x, t) is the displacement of the string from equilibrium at
position x and time t.
(i) Determine the interval of dependence of the point (2, 1). [2]
(ii) Find the value of u(2, 1), giving your answer correct to 2 decimal
places. [4]

page 6 of 6