Tutorial 6 - CLL110B
1. In class we considered the flow of fluid up a cylindrical tube due to a constant
imposed pressure gradient which pushes the fluid in the upward direction, against
gravity. Now consider the situation where the tube is open on top, in which case
the fluid flowing up will reach the top and flow down the outer edge of the same
tube (by mass conservation). Therefore, we retain the unidirectionality in the flow,
except now it is in the downward direction. For simplicity, you can assume that
whatever pressure gradient was imposed to pump the fluid up is just sufficient to
let the fluid climb to the top of the tube. In this case, there is no pressure gradient
imposed on the downward flow, and it is freely falling under gravity.
I. Write down the mass conservation equation for cylindrical polar coordinates
and obtain the expression for steady flows when:
i. The fluid density is a constant
ii. The lines of const. fluid density are const. at a given radial distance
II. Explicitly list the non-zero components of the combined momentum tensor.
III. Write down the momentum flux balance in the 𝑧-direction & draw the thin
shell for this problem. Is there any term missing in the flux balance? If so,
why?
IV. List down the boundary conditions you expect to be applicable, namely, the
no-slip and the free-surface no-shear boundary condition, and solve for 𝑣𝑧 .
V. Calculate the maximum velocity and average velocity of the film.
VI. Find the ratio 𝑣𝑧 |𝑎𝑣𝑔 /𝑣𝑧 |𝑚𝑎𝑥 , in the limit of a thin film. You may expand 𝑎 =
(1 + 𝑥), and evaluate for lim 𝑥 → 0 by performing a Taylor series expansion.
How does this ratio compare to that obtained for the fluid flowing up the tube
in class?
The equations you write down are not valid near the top (and bottom) edges of
the tube. So you can assume a flux balance being performed at large distances
from edges.
𝑅 𝜅𝑅 𝑣0
𝑅
𝑎𝑅
Fig 2
Fig 1
2. Consider the scenario where there is a rod placed coaxially in the inside of a
cylindrical tube shown in Fig. 2, in which there is some fluid in the annular region.
The setup is horizontally placed and the rod in the inside is moving along the axis
with a velocity 𝑣0 . We would like to calculate how much fluid is flowing through the
annular region per unit length of tube & determine the stress is the fluid exerting
on the rod.
I. A first step in this regard is to write down the momentum flux balance
equation in a manner similar to that in Problem 1 and solve for the velocity
field. Please draw the elemental shell you consider in the problem.
II. List out the boundary conditions in this problem
III. Where is the velocity maximum? Is it where the derivative of the velocity
with respect to that coordinate vanishes?
IV. What’s the mass flow rate through the annular region? Note that mass flow
2𝜋 𝑅
rate 𝑤 = 𝜌 ∫0 𝑑𝜙 ∫𝜅𝑅 𝑣𝑧 𝑟 𝑑𝑟?
V. Now let’s look at the stress exerted on the inner rod. Express your results
for the stress on a length 𝐿 of the rod. This requires you to calculate
𝐿 2𝜋
∫0 𝑑𝑧 ∫0 𝜏𝑟𝑧 |𝑟=𝜅𝑅 𝑑𝜙 , where 𝜏𝑟𝑧 is the component of the shear stress
orthogonal to the radial direction for velocity along the axial direction.
3. Solve for a configuration analogous to problem 2, but now for the inner rod rotating
with an angular velocity 𝜔. Assume that the tubes are vertical instead of the
horizontal arrangement shown in Fig. 2. Since gravity acts in the 𝑧-direction, you
are left with only a 𝜙-momentum balance where the velocity is non-zero, and
therefore need to solve only for 𝑣𝜙 . You may assume no dependence in the 𝑧-
direction (apart from the static pressure-gravity balance which takes care of itself),
that is 𝑣𝜙 ≡ 𝑣𝜙 (𝑟). Finally, show the approximate form of the solution in the limit
𝜅 → 1. Is this a Déjà vu moment? If so, with what?
Hint: For the first part, use the Appendix of Birds book to get expressions for 𝜏𝑟𝜙 -
the molecular stress component relevant for this problem. For the second part, you
𝜖2 𝜖3
can approximate 𝜅 ≈ 1 − 𝜖 and Taylor expand ln 𝜅 ≡ ln(1 − 𝜖) ≈ −𝜖 − − − ⋯.
2 3
4. Consider the problem we solved in the previous tutorial, namely, flow between two
infinite parallel plates when there is an imposed pressure gradient. The fluid
velocity profile we obtained was parabolic. If instead of this, the velocity profile was
constant throughout the channel, what about that constant velocity be? You may
use of the fact that the mass flow rate of the constant and parabolic flow profile
must match.
When the flow rate through the channel is very rapid, the velocity profile appears
constant right up to a narrow region near the boundaries (top and bottom). In this
region, the gradients are very large, as the fluid comes to rest in this very narrow
boundary region owing to the no-slip boundary condition. This is one example of
application of boundary-layer theory, a theory we’ll encounter later in the course.