FLOW THROUGH A

CIRCULAR TUBE
FLOW THROUGH A CIRCULAR TUBE

• Cylindrical coordinate system

• Assumptions
• Selection of thin shell
• Apply momentum balance
• Solve and integrate the momentum
balance for shear stresses and velocity.
First Assumption

2nd Assumption

𝑉 𝑧 = 𝑓 (𝑟 , 𝜃 , 𝑧 )
Only z-component of total momentum will be considered

Overall momentum in z-direction

Apply assumptions,
Apply the balance and using all the
assumptions Momentum flux*Area = Momentum rate

Dividing this equation by

 lim
∆ 𝒓 →𝟎
( 𝒓 ∅𝒓 𝒛 | 𝒓 +∆ 𝒓 − 𝒓 ∅ 𝒓 𝒛 |𝒓 )
∆𝒓
= (
∅ 𝒛 𝒛 |𝒛 =𝟎 − ∅ 𝒛 𝒛 | 𝒛= 𝑳
𝑳 )
+𝝆𝒈 𝒓

lim
∆𝒓 →𝟎
( 𝒓 𝝉 𝒓 𝒛 |𝒓+ ∆𝒓 −𝒓 𝝉 𝒓 𝒛 |𝒓 )
∆𝒓
= (
𝝉 𝒛 𝒛 |𝒛 =𝟎 +𝑷 𝒛 =𝟎 −𝝉 𝒛 𝒛 |𝒛 =𝑳 − 𝑷 𝒛 =𝑳
𝑳 )
+𝝆𝒈 𝒓

𝑑
𝑑𝑟
( 𝑟 𝜏 𝑟𝑧 ) = ( 𝑷 𝒛 =𝟎 − 𝑷 𝒛 = 𝑳
𝑳
+𝝆 𝒈 𝒓 )
𝑑
𝑑𝑟
( (
𝑟 𝜏 𝑟𝑧 ) =
𝑷 𝒛=𝟎 − 𝑷 𝒛 = 𝑳+ 𝝆 𝒈𝑳 − 𝝆 𝒈 (𝟎)
𝑳
𝒓 )
𝑑
𝑑𝑟 (
( 𝑟 𝜏 𝑟𝑧 ) =
𝑳 )
𝑷 𝒛=𝟎 − 𝝆 𝒈 ( 𝟎 ) −( 𝑷 𝒛= 𝑳 − 𝝆 𝒈𝑳 )
𝒓 Ƥi=

𝑑
𝑑𝑟
( 𝑟 𝜏 𝑟𝑧 ) =
Ƥ0 − Ƥ 𝐿
𝑳 ( )𝒓
𝜏 𝑟𝑧 =
𝟐 𝑳 (
Ƥ0 − Ƥ 𝐿
) 𝒓+
𝐶1
𝑟
 (
𝜏 𝑟𝑧 =
Ƥ𝟎 − Ƥ 𝑳
𝟐 𝑳 )𝒓 C1=0

𝜏 𝑟𝑧 =− 𝝁 ( 𝒅𝒗 𝒛
𝒅𝒓 )
𝒅𝒗 𝒛
𝒅𝒓
=− (
Ƥ𝟎 − Ƥ 𝑳
𝟐𝝁 𝑳 )𝒓
 𝒗 𝒛 =− ( Ƥ𝟎 − Ƥ 𝑳 ¿𝒓
𝟐 ¿ +𝑪 𝟐
𝟒𝝁 𝑳
For C2 : Apply the condition at r=R, vz=0

𝑪𝟐=( Ƥ𝟎− Ƥ𝑳 ¿ 𝑹
𝟐 ¿
𝟒𝝁 𝑳

Putting the values of C2 we get the velocity distribution

[ ( )]
𝟐
¿ 𝒓 𝟐
𝒗 𝒛 =− ( Ƥ𝟎 − Ƥ 𝑳 ¿ 𝑹 𝟏−
𝟒𝝁 𝑳 𝑹
 2𝜋 𝑅

∫ ∫ 𝑣 𝑧 𝑟𝑑𝑟𝑑 𝜃
0 0
¿ 𝑣 𝑧≥ 2𝜋 𝑅

∫ ∫ 𝑟𝑑𝑟𝑑 𝜃
0 0

¿
𝟐 1
¿( Ƥ𝟎 − Ƥ 𝑳 ¿ 𝑹 = 𝑣 𝑧, 𝑚𝑎𝑥
8𝜇 𝐿 2
Average and maximum velocity relation
Flow rate inside the tube

(Hagen-poiseuille equation)
Force on the wetted wall of the tube
Example

.
Glycerine (CH20H .CHOH CH20H) at 26.5⁰C is flowing through a
horizontal tube 1 ft long and with 0.1 in. inside diameter. For a pressure
drop of 40 psi, the volume flow rate w/p is of 0.00398 ft3/min. The
density of glycerine at 26.5⁰C is 1.261 g/cm3. From the flow data, find
the viscosity of glycerine in centipoises and in Pa.s. Also calculate
Reynold’s number to verify whether flow is laminar?