FLMC-323 TUTORIAL

1. A 5 mm radius bubble of air is released by a diver at a depth of 25 m in the

ocean (SG = 1.025).
A. Neglecting surface tension and assuming the air temperature remains
constant, what is the radius of the bubble when it reaches the surface?
B. Neglecting any weight of the air and assuming the drag coefficient remains
relatively constant, what would happen to the terminal velocity of the
bubble as it rises?

2. A small, spherical air bubble moves upwards in a glass of water. The drag force
on the bubble can be calculated using Stokes’ law.
A. State the condition required for Stokes’ law to apply to the bubble.
B. If the bubble moves upwards at a constant velocity, estimate the upthrust
on the bubble. (Density of water = 998 kg/m3)

3. Consider a bubble of high-pressure gas exploding in an incompressible liquid in

a spherically-symmetrical fashion. The gas is not soluble in the liquid, and the
liquid does not evaporate into the gas. At any instant R is the radius of the
bubble, 𝑑𝑅/𝑑𝑡 is the velocity of the interface, 𝑢 is the water velocity at radius 𝑟,
and 𝑝∞ is the water pressure at a large distance from the bubble. Neglecting
gravity,
A. Show that at any instant:
𝑅2 𝑑𝑅
𝑢 (𝑟, 𝑡 ) =
𝑟 2 𝑑𝑡

B. Show that the rate of growth of the bubble is described by the following
equation, where 𝜎 is the surface tension at the gas-liquid interface:
𝑑 2 𝑅 3 𝑑𝑅 2 2𝜎 𝜌𝑔 − 𝜌∞
𝑅 2+ ( ) + =
𝑑𝑡 2 𝑑𝑡 𝜌𝑅 𝜌
4. The flow around a sphere at very low Reynolds numbers (up to about Re = 1)
is given by an analytical solution of the Navier-Stokes equations and called
“Stokes flow”. In this situation, the drag coefficient for a sphere is given by:
CD=24/Re

A small bubble with diameter 0.0048-m rises through quiescent water. Assume
that the bubble is sufficiently small such that surface tension keeps it spherical.

A. Find the terminal velocity of the bubble rising through the water. Note
that the relevant forces are drag, buoyancy, and weight.
B. Using the terminal Reynolds number, check if the use of “Stokes” solution
is reasonable.

5. Assuming specific industrial objects glide at an angle of 70 degrees from the

horizontal. If an individual object weighs 0.025 g, and has an area of 15 cm2, what
is the magnitude of the drag force?