VISCOSITY

EXAMPLE PROBLEM
A solid circular cylinder slides inside a vertical smooth pipe. The space between the
cylinder and the pipe is lubricated with an oil film. Calculate the terminal velocity of the
cylinder.
GIVEN
Pipe diameter: D = 100.5 mm
Cylinder diameter: d = 100 mm
Cylinder length: l = 300 mm
Cylinder weight: W = 50 N
Oil: SAE 10W-30
Oil temperature: 20 0 C

ASSUMPTIONS

The cylinder is concentric with the pipe as it falls.

Once dropped inside the pipe, the cylinder will accelerate for a while. At some point
all the forces acting on it will balance out. From that point on the cylinder will
descend with a constant velocity (known as terminal velocity).
We will only take into consideration the oil resistance due to viscous forces acting on
the sides of the cylinder neglecting any pressure forces acting on its top and bottom
surfaces (i.e., we will neglect pressure drag).

SOLUTION
If the cylinder descends with constant velocity, it is in equilibrium under all the forces
acting on it. The free body diagram is shown below:

Fviscous

Fviscous

x
W

Thus

Fy = 0 W Fviscous = 0 Fviscous = W

(1)

Now

Fviscous = S

(2)

Where S is the surface area of the cylinder in contact with the oil:

S = dl

The viscous shear stress is given by Newtons law of viscosity:

du
dx

(3)
(4)

The velocity profile of the oil flow between the cylinder and the pipe is shown below

Cylinder

Pipe

u(x)

The no-slip condition requires that the velocity of the oil in contact with the pipe is zero,
while the velocity of the oil in contact with the cylinder is U (the same as the velocity of
the cylinder itself). Since the gap between the two surfaces is very small, the velocity
profile may be assumed to be linear between these two surfaces. In this case, the
derivative du/dx can be written as:
du U 0
=
dx

(5)

where is the gap between the cylinder and the pipe so:

Dd
2

(6)

Combining eqs.(1-6) and solving for the velocity U gives:

U=

W (D d )
2dl

(7)

The molecular viscosity of the oil can be found in any Mechanical Engineering
Handbook as well as in various tables and graphs in Fluid Mechanics textbooks. For
example, in Roberson & Crowe, figure A.2, for SAE 20 W at 20 0 C we find
Ns
0.15 2 .
m

Substituting the given values for D, d, W, and l along with the value for into eq.(7) we
calculate the terminal velocity of the cylinder to be
U = 0.89

m
.
s