Assignment 2

Fluid Mechanics II (ME 221)

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati

1. Air flows in the entrance region of a square duct, as shown in Fig. 1. The velocity is uniform,
𝑈0 = 100 ft/s, and the duct is 3 in. square. At a section 1 ft downstream from the entrance, the
displacement thickness, 𝛿 ∗ , on each wall measures 0.035 in. Determine the pressure change
𝑠𝑙𝑢𝑔 𝑓𝑡
between sections 1 and 2. (Given: 𝜌 = 0.00234 𝑓𝑡 3 , 1 𝑙𝑏𝑓 = 𝑠𝑙𝑢𝑔 𝑠2 ).

2. Show that the two-dimensional laminar flow pattern with 𝑑𝑝/𝑑𝑥 = 0

𝑢 = 𝑈0 (1 − 𝑒 𝐶𝑦 ), 𝑣 = 𝑣𝑜 < 0
is an exact solution to the boundary layer equations. Find the value of the constant 𝐶 in terms of
the flow parameters. Are the boundary conditions satisfied? What might this flow represent?

3. A simplistic laminar boundary-layer model is

𝑢 𝑦 𝛿
= √2 0<𝑦≤
𝑈 𝛿 2
𝑢 𝑦 𝛿
= (2 − √2) + (√2 − 1) <𝑦≤𝛿
𝑈 𝛿 2
Does this expression satisfy boundary conditions applicable to the laminar boundary-layer velocity
profile? Evaluate 𝛿 ∗ /𝛿 and 𝜃/𝛿.

4. Air at 20°𝐶 and 1 atm flows at 20 m/s past the flat plate as shown in Fig. 2 below. A pitot
stagnation tube, placed 2 mm from the wall, develops a manometer head ℎ = 16 mm of Meriam
red oil, specific gravity (SG) 0.827. Use this information to estimate the downstream position of
the pitot tube. Assume laminar flow. Use 𝑓′(𝜂 = 2.42) = 0.734.

5. With a view to find if similarity solution exists for the system

𝜕𝜓 𝜕 2 𝜓 𝜕𝜓 𝜕 2 𝜓 𝜕 3 𝜓
− = , 𝜓|𝑦=0 = 0, 𝜕𝜓/𝜕𝑦|𝑦=0 = 0, 𝜕𝜓/𝜕𝑦|𝑦→∞ → 1
𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 2 𝜕𝑦 3
Try if 𝛼, 𝛽 can be found uniquely so that the substitution 𝜂 = 𝑦𝑥 𝛼 , 𝜓 = 𝑥 𝛽 𝑓(𝜂) works.

6. The velocity profile shape 𝑢/𝑈 ≈ 1 − 𝑒𝑥𝑝(−4.605𝑦/𝛿) is a smooth curve with 𝑢 = 0 at

𝑦 = 0 and 𝑢 = 0.99𝑈 at 𝑦 = 𝛿 and thus would seem to be a reasonable substitute for the
parabolic flat-plate profile of moment thickness. Yet when this new profile is used in the integral
1/2
analysis of boundary layer equations, we get the inaccurate result 𝛿/𝑥 ≈ 9.2/𝑅𝑒𝑥 , which is 80
percent high. What is the reason for the inaccuracy?

7. The velocity profile in a turbulent boundary-layer flow at zero pressure gradient is approximated
by the 1/6 power profile expression,
𝑢 𝑦
= 𝜂1/6 where 𝜂 =
𝑈 𝛿

Use the momentum integral equation with this profile to obtain expression for 𝛿/𝑥 and 𝐶𝑓 . For
turbulent boundary layer shear stress varies as 𝜏𝑤 = 0.0233𝜌𝑈 2 (𝜈/𝑈𝛿)1/4.

8. A flat plate 4m wide and 1 m long (in the direction of flow) is immersed in kerosene at 20°𝐶
(𝑣 = 2.29 × 10−6 m²/s, 𝜌 = 800 kg/m³) flowing with an undisturbed velocity of 0.5 m/s. Verify
that the Reynolds number is less than critical everywhere, so that the flow is laminar. Show that
the thickness of the boundary layer and the shear stress at the center of the plate are 𝛿 = 0.74 cm
and 𝜏0 = 0.2 N/m², and those at the trailing edge are 𝛿 = 1.05 cm and 𝜏0 = 0.14 N/m². Show
also that the total frictional drag on one side of the plate is 1.14 N. Assume that the similarity
solution holds for the entire plate.

9. A person having mass 80 kg can pedal his bike (of mass 15 kg) at 10 m/s on a straight level
road with no wind. The rolling resistance of his bike is 0.80 N. s/m - that is, 0.80 N of force per
m/s of speed. The drag area (CDA) of the person and his bike is 0.422 m². He now encounters a
head wind of 5 m/s. (a) Develop an equation for the speed at which he can pedal into the wind, (b)
how fast can he ride into the head wind? (c) Why is the result not simply 10 − 5 = 5 m/s, as one
might first suspect? Use density of air as 1.2 kg/m³.

10. A circular disk is hung in an air stream from a pivoted strut as shown in Fig. 3. In a wind-
tunnel experiment, performed in air at 15 m/s with a 25 mm diameter disk, ∝ was measured at
10°. For these conditions determine the mass of the disk. Assume the drag coefficient for the disk
applies when the component of wind speed normal to the disk is used. Assume drag on the strut
and friction in the pivot are negligible. Plot a theoretical curve of a as a function of air speed. Use
overall drag coefficient CD = 1.17.
11. A vacuum cleaner is run in reverse (by mistake!) which results in a dust cloud. The cloud
consists of spherical particles of diameters 10−3 , 10−2, and 0.1 mm with particle density 700
kg/m³. If the particles near the ceiling must settle 2.5 m with their terminal velocity before
depositing on various surfaces how long one will someone get to clean up the mess by dusting the
furniture? Assume air density 1.2 Kg/m³, viscosity 1.81𝑥10−5 (N-s)/m2, drag coeffcient on a
sphere 𝐶𝐷 = 24/Re where Re = 𝜌𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝑈𝐷/𝜇.

12. An oil with viscosity 𝜇 and density 𝜌 flows in a pipe of diameter 𝑑 and length 𝑙, what pressure
drop is needed to produce a flowrate 𝑄 if the pipe is horizontal? How steep a hill, 𝜃, must the pipe
be on if the oil is to flow through the pipe at the same rate with pressure drop becoming zero?
Answers:
1. 𝑝1 − 𝑝2 = 1.16 lbf/ft 2
2. 𝐶 = 𝜌𝑣0 /𝜇, yes, flow over a flat plate with uniform suction
3. It fails at the outer boundary, 0.396, 0.152
4. 0.9 m
5. 𝛼 = −1/2 , 𝛽 = 1/2
6. It does not satisfy the zero-curvature condition at the outer boundary
1/5 1/5
7. 𝛿/𝑥 = 0.35/𝑅𝑒𝑥 , 𝐶𝑓 = 0.06/𝑅𝑒𝑥
8.
9. 𝑉 3 + 13.16𝑉 2 + 25𝑉 − 1316 = 0, 7.4 m/s, drag is proportional to velocity 2
10. 0.045 kg.
11. nearly 33 hours
12. Δ𝑝 = 128𝜇𝑙𝑄/(𝜋𝑑 4 ), 𝜃 = − sin−1(128𝜇𝑄/(𝜋𝜌𝑔𝑑 4 ))