ChE311 Transport Phenoemna: Fundamentals and Applications
Assignment 1: Dimensional Analysis Due Date: 17 August 2026
1. Consider the flow of a Newtonian fluid in a circular pipe. In the lecture, we
carried out dimensional analysis to express heat or mass flux in dimensionless
form to yield the Nusselt or Sherwood numbers which are functions of Re, P e.
To make the actual mass/heat flux dimensionless, we divided the flux by the
diffusive flux of the relevant quantity. We now carry out a similar exercise for
flow in a pipe. We will see soon in the course that the momentum flux at the pipe
wall is nothing but the shear stress component at the wall of the pipe τw .
(a) Carry out a dimensional analysis by assuming that the relevant variables
are τw , V (average velocity in the pipe), µ, ρ, D (pipe diameter). The pipe
length is sufficiently long that it is not a relevant variable. Use the diffusive
(i.e. viscous) scale for making τw nondimensional. What is the dependent
dimensionless group, and what are the independent groups?
(b) For low Re, the inertia of the fluid (characterized by its density ρ) is ex-
pected to become unimportant. In this limit, how does the dimensionless
relation simplify?
(c) Next, repeat the dimensional analysis by using the inertial scale (ρV 2 ) for
the stress, instead . Now express the relation between the dimensionless
groups.
(d) How will the above relation simplify for Re ≪ 1? Hint: For Re ≪ 1,
density should cancel out of the relation between the dimensionless stress
(obtained using ρV 2 ) and Re.
2. A tiny spherical particle is settling down at a constant speed in a highly viscous
liquid under the influence of gravity. Use dimensional analysis to derive an ex-
pression for the dimensionless relation between the following variables: settling
velocity Us , particle diameter d, particle mass m, fluid viscosity µ, accelera-
tion due to gravity g. Note that we neglect fluid density as inertial stresses are
assumed to be negligible.
3. When a small-diameter tube open at both ends is inserted into water the water is
drawn a certain distance h up the tube. This distance depends on the diameter
d of the tube, the surface tension of water σ (with dimensions force per unit
length), the mass density ρ of the water, and the acceleration due to gravity g.
Find the dimensionles group(s). Can you estimate the expression for h using
dimensional analysis?
4. Consider the process of cooking a potato in boiling water. We would like to use
dimensional analysis to determine how the cooking time depends on the mass
(or, in common terms, ‘size’) of the potato. The relevant variables are time for
cooking tc , mass of potato m, the difference between the initial temperature of
the potato and the temperature of the boiling water δT , thermal conductivity of
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potato k, specific heat capacity of potato Cp , mass density of the potato ρ. As-
sume that the boiling water is well mixed and is maintained at a constant temper-
ature. Consider the heat energy as a fundamental dimension. From dimensional
analysis, can you determine how the cooking time tc varies with the mass m of
the potato? Assuming ρ, Cp , k to be constant, for the same δT , if the mass of the
potato is increased 8 times, by what factor will the cooking time increase?
5. During the early years of World War II (1940’s), American scientists tested their
design of a nuclear bomb by exploding it, and the strength (destructive power)
of the bomb was a closely guarded secret with the American government. The
British government asked fluid mechanics Professor G. I. Taylor to examine the
effect of an atomic explosion, partly to have an idea of the power of such an
explosion.
Taylor argued that the physical variables involved in the problem are:
• The radius of the ‘fire ball’ (actually a shock wave; can be reasonably as-
sumed to be spherical) R, which grows with time.
• the time t since the explosion took place.
• The energy E released due to the explosion.
• The density ρ of air.
Use dimensional analysis to determine how R(t) varies with t. The constant of
proportionality (of course undetermined by the dimensional analysis) was calcu-
lated by Taylor to be approximately 1.
After Taylor performed his analysis, subsequently in 1945, the magazine Life
published in the US carried the blast photographs (shown in figure 1), where it
showed how the fire ball R(t) spread as a function of time. Taylor used his result
(which you should have derived by dimensional analysis) for the variation of
R(t) with t, and used the published photographs in the magazine to estimate the
energy produced by the explosion E. Can you suggest a procedure as to how one
should estimate E using the result of the dimensional analysis and the data (got
from the photographs) for R(t) vs t. Take the proportionality constant to be 1.
Taylor’s estimate of the energy E of the nuclear explosion was quite accurate
and close to the value had by the American scientists. Thus, clever use of dimen-
sional analysis ended up causing a major embarrassment to the US government!
Taylor himself later admitted that if the magazine photograph did not carry the
scale (100 m; see figure) and the time intervals, he could not have estimated E
from these photographs! This example should illustrate you the power of dimen-
sional analysis.
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Figure 1: The photographs of the ‘fire ball’ radius as a function of time t