4th Year Electro-Mechanical Engineering 12/31/2024
Addis Ababa Science and Technology University (AASTU)
College of Engineering
Fluid Mechanics
Group Assignment III (Chapter Five & Six)
1) An automobile has a characteristic length and area of 8 ft and 60 ft 2, respectively.
When tested in sea-level standard air, it has the following measured drag force versus
speed:
V,mi/h 20 40 60
Drag, lbf 31 115 249
The same car travels in Colorado at 65 mi/h at an altitude of 3500 m. Using
dimensional analysis, estimate (a) its drag force and (b) the horsepower required to
overcome air drag.
2) Consider laminar flow over a flat plate. The boundary layer thickness δ grows with
distance x down the plate and is also a function of free-stream velocity U, fluid
viscosity μ, and fluid density 𝜌. Find the dimensionless parameters for this problem,
being sure to rearrange if necessary to agree with the standard dimensionless groups.
3) A weir is an obstruction in a channel flow which can be calibrated to measure the flow
rate, as in Fig. below. The volume flow Q varies with gravity g, weir width b into the
paper, and upstream water height H above the weir crest. If it is known that Q is
proportional to b, use the pi theorem to find a unique functional relationship Q (g, b,
H).
4) When a micro-organism moves in a viscous fluid, it turns out that fluid density has
nearly negligible influence on the drag force felt by the micro-organism. Such flows
are called creeping flows. The only important parameters in the problem are the
1
4th Year Electro-Mechanical Engineering 12/31/2024
velocity of motion U, the viscosity of the fluid μ, and the length scale of the body. Here
assume the micro-organism’s body diameter d as the appropriate length scale. (a)
Using the Buckingham pi theorem, generate an expression for the drag force 𝐹𝐷 as a
function of the other parameters in the problem. (b) The drag coefficient discussed in
𝐹
this chapter 𝐶𝐷 = 0.5𝜌𝑈
𝐷
2𝐴
is not appropriate for this kind of flow. Define instead a
more appropriate drag coefficient, and call it Cc (for creeping flow). (c) For a
spherically shaped micro-organism, the drag force can be calculated exactly from the
equations of motion for creeping flow. The result is 𝐹𝐷 = 3𝜋𝜇𝑈𝑑. Write expressions
for both forms of the drag coefficient, Cc and CD, for a sphere under conditions of
creeping flow.2
5) A prototype gate valve which will control the flow in a pipe system conveying paraffin
is to be studied in a model. List the significant variables on which the pressure drop
across the valve would depend. Perform dimensional analysis to obtain the relevant
non-dimensional groups. A 1/5 scale model is built to determine the pressure drop
across the valve with water as the working fluid.
(a) For a particular opening, when the velocity of paraffin in the prototype is 3.0 m/s
what should be the velocity of water in the model for dynamic similarity?
(b) What is the ratio of the quantities of flow in prototype and model?
(c) Find the pressure drop in the prototype if it is 60 kPa in the model.
(The density and viscosity of paraffin are 800 kg/m3 and 0.002 kg/ms respectively.
Take the kinematic viscosity of water as 1.0 10–6 m2/s).
6) The force exerted on a bridge pier in a river is to be tested in a 1:10 scale model using
water as the working fluid. In the prototype the depth of water is 2.0 m, the velocity
of flow is 1.5 m/s and the width of the river is 20 m.
(a) List the variables affecting the force on the pier and perform dimensional analysis.
Can you satisfy all the conditions for complete similarity? What is the most important
parameter to choose for dynamic similarity?
(b) What are the depth, velocity and quantity of flow in the model?
2
4th Year Electro-Mechanical Engineering 12/31/2024
(c) If the hydrodynamic force on the model bridge pier is 5N, what would it be on the
prototype?
7) Obtain an expression in non-dimensional form for the pressure gradient in a
horizontal pipe of circular cross-section. Show how this relates to the familiar
expression for frictional head loss.
8) For flow at 20 m/s past a thin flat plate, estimate the distances x from the leading edge
at which the boundary layer thickness will be either 1 mm or 10 cm, for (a) air; and
𝑘𝑔
(b) water. At 20°C and 1 atm consider 𝜌=1.2 𝑚3 , μ=1.8*10-5 𝑘𝑔/𝑚𝑠 for air and 𝜌=998
𝑘𝑔
, μ=0.001 𝑘𝑔/𝑚𝑠 for water.
𝑚3
9) Air at 20°C and 1 atm enters a 40-cm square duct as in Fig. below. Using the
“displacement thickness” concept, estimate (a) the mean velocity and (b) the mean
pressure in the core of the flow at the position x = 3 m. (c) What is the average
gradient, in Pa/m, in this section?
10)Derive the laminar boundary-layer equations for flow along the outside of a circular
cylinder of constant radius R, as in Fig. below. Consider the two cases (a) δ<< R; and
(b) δ ≈ R. What are the boundary conditions?
11)Show that the two-dimensional laminar-flow pattern with dp/dx = 0
u = Uo (1− 𝑒 𝐶𝑦 ) υ = υ0 < 0
3
4th Year Electro-Mechanical Engineering 12/31/2024
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?
12)A thin flat plate 55 by 110 cm is immersed in a 6-m/s stream of SAE 10 oil at 20°C.
Compute the total friction drag if the stream is parallel to (a) the long side and (b) the
𝑘𝑔
short side. For SAE 10 oil at 20°C, take 𝜌=891 𝑚3 , μ=0.29 𝑘𝑔/𝑚𝑠.
13)For the experimental set-up of Fig. below, suppose the free stream velocity is
unknown and the pitot stagnation tube is traversed across the boundary layer of air
at 1 atm and 20°C. The manometer fluid is Meriam red oil, and the following readings
are made:
y mm: 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0
h mm: 1.2 4.6 9.8 15.8 21.2 25.3 27.8 29.0 29.7 29.7
Using this data only (not the Blasius theory) estimate (a) the stream velocity, (b) the
boundary layer thickness, (c) the wall shear stress, and (d) for smooth plate, the total
friction drag between the leading edge and the position of the pitot tube which is at
x=0.9m as function of plate width b.
4
4th Year Electro-Mechanical Engineering 12/31/2024
14)If air at standard atmospheric pressure is flowing at velocity of 4 km/h along a flat
plate of length 2Sm, what is the maximum value of the boundary layer thickness?
What is it when the wind velocity is 120 km/h?
15)The most general sinusoidal velocity profile for laminar boundary-layer flow on a flat
plate is u = A sin(By) + C. State three boundary conditions applicable to the laminar
boundary-layer velocity profile. Evaluate constants A, B, and C.
16)A simplistic laminar boundary-layer model is:
Does this expression satisfy boundary conditions applicable to the laminar
boundary-layer velocity profile? Evaluate δ*/δ and θ/δ.
17)A laminar boundary layer velocity profile is approximated by the two straight-line
segments indicated in Fig. below. Use the momentum integral equation to determine
the boundary layer thickness, δ = δ(x), and wall shear stress, τw = τw(x).
5
4th Year Electro-Mechanical Engineering 12/31/2024
18) A particular car’s exhaust system can be approximated as 14 ft of 0.125-ft-diameter,
cast-iron pipe with the equivalent of six 90o flanged elbows and a muffler. The muffler
acts as a resistor with a loss coefficient of KL = 8.5. Determine the pressure at the
beginning of the exhaust system if the flow rate is 0.10 ft3/s, the temperature is
250OF, and the exhaust has the same properties as air.
19) A circular water pipe has an abrupt expansion from diameter D1 = 15 cm to D2 = 20
cm. The pressure and the average water velocity in the smaller pipe are P1 = 120 kPa
and 10 m/s, respectively, and the flow is turbulent. By applying the continuity,
momentum, and energy equations and disregarding the effects of the kinetic energy and
momentum flux correction factors, show that the loss coefficient for sudden expansion is
𝐾𝐿 = (1 − 𝐷12 /𝐷22 )2, and calculate KL and P2 for the given case.
20) A water fountain is to be installed at a remote location by attaching a cast iron pipe directly
to a water main through which water is flowing at 70°F and 60 psig. The entrance to the
pipe is sharp-edged, and the 50-ft-long piping system involves three 90° miter bends
without vanes, a fully open gate valve, and an angle valve with a loss coefficient of 5 when
fully open. If the system is to provide water at a rate of 20 gal/min and the elevation
difference between the pipe and the fountain is negligible, determine the minimum
diameter of the piping system.
6
4th Year Electro-Mechanical Engineering 12/31/2024
21) Oil at 20°C (ρ = 888 kg/m3 and μ = 0.800 kg/m · s) is flowing steadily through a 5-cm-
diameter 40-m-long pipe as shown below. The pressure at the pipe inlet and outlet are
measured to be 745 kPa and 97 kPa, respectively. Determine the flow rate of oil through
the pipe assuming the pipe is:-
a) Horizontal
b) Inclined 15° upward
c) Inclined 15° downward
d) Also verify that the flow through the pipe is laminar
22) A circular water pipe has an abrupt expansion from diameter D1 = 15 cm to D2 = 20 cm.
The pressure and the average water velocity in the smaller pipe are P1 = 120 kPa and 10
m/s, respectively, and the flow is turbulent. By applying the continuity, momentum, and
energy equations and disregarding the effects of the kinetic energy and momentum flux
correction factors, show that the loss coefficient for sudden expansion is K L =
(1 − D12 /D22 )2, and calculate KL and P2 for the given case.
