Guided Problem Solving -7

AM2530 Foundations of Fluid Mechanics

In-class quiz problem will be given separately

1. Consider the incompressible flow of a fluid through a nozzle as shown. The area of the
nozzle is given by A = A0 (1 − bx) and the inlet velocity varies according to U = U0 (0.5 +
0.5 cos ωt), where A0 = 0.464m2 , L = 6.096m, b = 0.0656m−1 , ω = 0.16rad/s, and
U0 = 6.096m/s. Find the acceleration on the centerline, with time as a parameter.

Figure 1

Solutions:
A control volume is being shown here in red lines. We are given the following expressions
for the velocity at the inlet and the area of the nozzle:

U (t) = U0 (0.5 + 0.5 cos(ωt))

A(x) = A0 (1 − bx)
where:
• U0 = 6.096 m/s
• ω = 0.16 rad/s
• A0 = 0.464 m2
• b = 0.0656 m−1
1. Velocity Expression:
At any time t, the velocity at the inlet is:

U (t) = 6.096 × (0.5 + 0.5 cos(0.16t)) = 3.048(1 + cos(0.16t)) m/s

2. Area of the Nozzle:
The area of the nozzle at any point x is:

A(x) = 0.464(1 − 0.0656x)

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3. Continuity Equation:
From the continuity equation for incompressible flow, using Reynolds Transport Theorem
(mass inside the control volume remains constant):

ZZZ ZZ ZZ
∂ ⃗ = 0 =⇒ ⃗ = 0 =⇒ A(x)U (x, t) = A0 U0 (t)
ρdV + ρ⃗v · dA ρ⃗v · dA
∂t CV CS CS

Substituting for A(x) and U0 (t):

0.464 × 3.048(1 + cos(0.16t)) = 0.464(1 − 0.0656x)U (x, t)

Simplifying:

3.048(1 + cos(0.16t))
U (x, t) =
1 − 0.0656x
4. Acceleration The total acceleration consists of the local acceleration and the convective
acceleration.
(a) Local Acceleration The local acceleration is:

∂U (x, t)
alocal =
∂t
Differentiating with respect to time:

−0.48768 sin(0.16t)
alocal = m/s2
1 − 0.0656x
(b) Convective Acceleration:
The convective acceleration is given by:

∂U (x, t)
aconvective = U (x, t)
∂x
First, differentiate U (x, t) with respect to x:

∂U (x, t) 3.048(1 + cos(0.16t))(0.0656)

=
∂x (1 − 0.0656x)2
Thus, the convective acceleration is:
   
3.048(1 + cos(0.16t)) 3.048(1 + cos(0.16t))(0.0656)
aconvective = ×
1 − 0.0656x (1 − 0.0656x)2
Simplifying:

0.6094(1 + cos(0.16t))2
aconvective =
(1 − 0.0656x)3

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5. Total Acceleration:
The total acceleration is the sum of the local and convective accelerations:

atotal = alocal + aconvective

Substitute the expressions:

−0.48768 sin(0.16t) 0.6094(1 + cos(0.16t))2

atotal = +
1 − 0.0656x (1 − 0.0656x)3
This gives the total acceleration as a function of position x and time t.

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2. Consider the pressure-driven flow between stationary parallel plates separated by a dis-
tance b. Coordinate y is measured from the bottom plate. The velocity field is given by
u(y) = Uby (1− yb ). Obtain an expression for the circulation about a closed contour of height
h and length L. Evaluate when h = 2b and when h = b. Show that the same result is
obtained from the area integral of the Stokes Theorem.

Solutions:
Consider the pressure-driven flow between stationary parallel plates separated by a dis-
tance b. The coordinate y is measured from the bottom plate. The velocity field is given
by:
y y
u(y) = U 1−
b b
Obtain an expression for the circulation about a closed contour of height h and length
L. Evaluate for h = 2b and h = b. Show that the same result is obtained from the area
integral of Stokes’ Theorem.

Circulation Calculation Using Velocity Field

The circulation Γ around a closed contour is defined as:

I
Γ= V · dl
C

Since the flow is parallel to the plates, the velocity field u(y) is in the x-direction, and
v = 0. Let’s choose a rectangular contour of length L in the x-direction and height h in
the y-direction, with the flow bounded between the two horizontal segments at y = 0 and
y = h.
The circulation is calculated over four parts of the contour:
• On the bottom horizontal path (y = 0):
Z L
V = u(0) = 0 ⇒ u(0)dx = 0
0

• On the top horizontal path (y = h):

  Z L  
h h h h
V = u(h) = U 1− ⇒ u(h)dx = L · U 1−
b b 0 b b

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 • For the vertical sides (x = 0 and x = L): there is no contribution as the flow is in the
x-direction and velocity has no component in the y-direction.
Thus, the total circulation Γ is:
 
h h
Γ = −L · U 1−
b b

b
Case 1: When h = 2

b
Substitute h = 2
into the expression for circulation:
   
b/2 b/2 1 1 1 1 LU
Γ = −L · U 1− = −L · U 1− = −L · U · = −
b b 2 2 2 2 4

Case 2: When h = b

Substitute h = b into the expression for circulation:

 
b b
Γ = −L · U 1− = −L · U · 1 · 0 = 0
b b

Verification Using Stokes’ Theorem

Stokes’ Theorem states that the circulation around a closed contour is equal to the surface
integral of the curl of the velocity field over the area enclosed by the contour:
I Z
V · dl = (∇ × V) · dA
C A

Since the flow is two-dimensional, the velocity field has components u(y) in the x-direction
and zero in the y-direction. The vorticity ωz , which is the curl of the velocity field, is given
by:

∂v ∂u ∂u
ωz = − =−
∂x ∂y ∂y
Differentiate u(y) with respect to y:
 
∂u 1 2y
=U − 2
∂y b b
Thus, the vorticity is:
 
1 2y
ωz = −U − 2
b b
Now, apply Stokes’ Theorem. The area integral is:

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 Z Z L Z h   
1 2y
ωz dA = −U − 2 dy dx
A 0 0 b b
First, integrate with respect to y:

h h
y y2 h h2
Z      
1 2y
−U − 2 dy = −U − 2 = −U − 2
0 b b b b 0 b b
Thus, the area integral becomes:

h h2
Z    
h h
ωz dA = L · −U − 2 = −L · U 1−
A b b b b
This is exactly the same result as the circulation calculated earlier. Therefore, the circula-
tion calculated from the velocity field matches the result obtained using Stokes’ Theorem.

Conclusion

- For h = 2b , the circulation is − LU

4
.
- For h = b, the circulation is zero.
- The result is verified using Stokes’ Theorem, confirming the correctness of the approach.

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3. The velocity field within a laminar boundary layer is approximated by the expression:
AU y 2
V⃗ = AU y
1 ı̂ + 3 ȷ̂
x2 4x 2
1
In this expression, A = 141m− 2 , and U = 0.240m/s is the freestream velocity. Show that
this velocity field represents a possible incompressible flow. Calculate the acceleration of
a fluid particle at point (x, y) = (0.5m, 0.005m).
Solutions:

Given:
• Velocity field:
AU y AU y 2
V= î + ĵ
x1/2 4x3/2
• Constants: A = 141 m−1/2 , U = 0.240 m/s
• Point: (x, y) = (0.5 m, 5 mm = 0.005 m)

1. Show the Flow is Incompressible

The divergence of the velocity field must be zero for incompressible flow:
∂u ∂v
∇·V = + =0
∂x ∂y
AU y AU y 2
We have u = x1/2
and v = 4x3/2
.

Calculations:
∂u
- Calculate ∂x
:  
∂u ∂ AU y AU y
= =−
∂x ∂x x1/2 2x3/2
∂v
- Calculate ∂y
:
AU y 2
 
∂v ∂ AU · 2y AU y
= = = 3/2
∂y ∂y 4x3/2 4x 3/2 2x
Thus:
AU y AU y
∇·V =− 3/2
+ 3/2 = 0
2x 2x
Hence, the flow is incompressible.

2. Compute Acceleration

The acceleration a is given by:

a = (V · ∇)V
We need to compute the x and y components of the acceleration.

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Velocity Components at Point (x, y) = (0.5 m, 0.005 m):
AU y 2 141·0.240·(0.005)2
- u = AU y
x1/2
= 141·0.240·0.005
(0.5)1/2
= 0.1692
0.7071
= 0.2392 m/s - v = 4x3/2
= 4·(0.5)3/2
= 0.000847
1.414
=
0.0005987 m/s

Convective Acceleration Components:

For ax :
∂u ∂u
ax = u +v
∂x ∂y
∂u AU y
- From earlier: ∂x
= − 2x 3/2

∂u 141 · 0.240 · 0.005

=− 3/2
= −0.2392 m/s2
∂x 2 · (0.5)
∂u AU
- ∂y
= x1/2
∂u 141 · 0.240
= = 47.87 m/s
∂y (0.5)1/2
Thus, for ax :
ax = (0.2392)(−0.2392)+(0.0005987)(47.87) = −0.0572 m/s2 +0.0287 m/s2 = −0.0285 m/s2

For ay :
∂v ∂v
ay = u +v
∂x ∂y
2
- ∂v
∂x
= − 3AU y
4x5/2
∂v 3 · 141 · 0.240 · (0.005)2
=− 5/2
= −0.001794 m/s2
∂x 4 · (0.5)
∂v AU y
- ∂y
= 2x3/2
∂v 141 · 0.240 · 0.005
= 3/2
= 0.2392 m/s2
∂y 2 · (0.5)
Thus, for ay :
ay = (0.2392)(−0.001794) + (0.0005987)(0.2392) = −0.0004293 m/s2 + 0.0001432 m/s2
=⇒ ay = −0.0002861 m/s2

Total Acceleration:

a = ax î + ay ĵ
Substituting the values:
a = −0.0285î − 0.0002861ĵ
Resultant acceleration is:
(−0.0285)2 + (−0.0002861)2 = 0.0285m/s2
p
arel =

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3. Direction of the acceleration vector:

The direction of the acceleration vector is given by (that is the angle between the horizontal
and vertical components of the acceleration):
ay
tan θ =
ax
Therefore,
ay −0.0002861
θ = tan−1 ( ) = tan−1 ( ) =⇒ θ = 0.57◦
ax −0.0285