PROBLEM SET #3 SOLUTIONS

3B.11 Radial flow between two coaxial cylinders

Consider an incompressible fluid, at constant temperature flowing radially between two
porous cylindrical shells with inner and outer radii R and R.

(a) Show that the equation of continuity leads to vr = C/r, where C is a constant.

Solution
Assume that vz = v = 0 and that the flow is steady.
Continuity equation in cylindrical coordinates:
1
+ (rvr ) + 1 (v ) + (vz ) = 0
t r r r z
Eliminate time, v and vz terms to obtain:
1
(rvr ) = 0
r r
Integrate to obtain:
rvr = constant

(b) Simplify the components of the equation of motion to obtain the following
expressions for the modified pressure distribution:
dP dv dP dP
= vr r , = 0, =0
dr dr d dz
Solution
BSL page 848 equation B.6-4.
v v v v v v 2 P 1 1 vr vr 2 v
2 2
r + vr r + r + vz r = + (rv ) + + + g r
t r r z r r r r r z 2 r 2
r
r
2 2

Assume steady flow with v = vz = 0 , no viscous flow as in part (a):

vr P
v r =
r r
R 2
[vr ( R)]2 1
1
(c) Integrate the expression for dP/dr above to get P(r ) P( R) =
2 r
Solution
vr P
v r =
r r
Integrate between R and r:
v 2 vr2r vr r vr2 r r 2
r 2

(P PR ) = vR v 2
2
= r r = 1 2 = 1 R 2
2 R 2 r 2
R
2

vr
R
2
vr2 r2
Note: from (a) rvr = constant, so r v = C and
2 2
r
2 r
=
vR2 R2
R
 Radial Flow Between Concentric Spheres

Consider an isothermal, incompressible fluid flowing radially between two concentric

porous spherical shells. Assume steady laminar flow with vr = vr(r). Note that the velocity
is not assumed zero at the solid surfaces. See the figure below.

R
Direction
mR r of flow

(a) Show by use of the equation of continuity that r2vr = C, where C is a constant.

Solution
Begin with the equation of Continuity in Spherical Coordinates:
1
+ 2 (
r 2vr + ) 1
(v sin ) + 1 (v )=0
t r r r sin r sin
Assume radial flow, so that v = 0 = v .
1 2
r 2 r
( )
r vr = 0
So that after integration:
r 2 vr = Constant

(b) Show by the use of the equations of motion that the pressure distribution in this
system is described by the equations:
1 p
= g
r sin

1 p
= g
r

p 2 2
( )
v
= 2 2 r vr vr r + g r
r r r r
Solution
Begin with the equation of motion in spherical coordinates (BSL equation B.6-7 page
848).

r-component
1 2 2 v
r 2 r 2 r vr +( ) 1
sin r +
r sin
vr v v 2
v 2

2

v v v
+ vr r + r +
v r

= +
p
+ g r
t r r r sin r r 1 2 vr
2 2 2
r sin

Assuming steady state and that v = 0 = v , then the above equation reduces to:

v p 1 2
vr r = ( )
+ 2 2 r 2 vr + g r
r r r r

Rearrange:

p 2 2 v
( )
= 2 2 r v r v r r + g r
r r r r

-component

1 2 v
r 2 r r r

1 1
+ 2 (v sin
v v v v v v vr v v cot r sin
= 1 p +
2

+ vr + + + + g
t r r r sin r r r 1 v 2 vr
2

+ 2 2 + 2
r sin r
2

2 cos v
2 2
r sin

Since v = 0 = v ,
1 p
0= + g
r
Rearranging,
1 p
= g
r
-component
1 2 v
2 r
r r r
1 1
+ 2 (v sin
v v v v v vr v v v cot 1 p r sin
+
v
+ vr + + + = + g

t r r r sin r r r sin
2
1 v 2 v
+
+ r
r 2 sin 2 2 r 2 sin

2 cos v
r sin
2 2

Since v = 0 = v ,
1 p
0= + g
r sin
Rearranging,
1 p
= g
rs

(c) Show that the radial pressure distribution may be expressed in terms of the quantity
P as:

1 R 4
P PR = vr 1
2

r
2 r=R

Solution
Begin with equations from results of part (b),
p 2 2 v
r r r
( )
= 2 2 r vr vr r + g r
r
(1)
using,
p
= g r sin (2)

p
= g r (3)

P = p + gr cos = p + gr
P p
= + g cos
r r
P p
= gr sin

Substitute (3)
P
= g r gr sin = 0 so P P( )

P p 2 v 2 v
=
r r r r
( )
r r r r
( )
+ g cos = 2 2 r 2vr vr r + g r = 2 2 r 2vr vr r + g cos g cos

P 2 2 v
r r r
( )
r
v
= 2 2 r vr vr r 2 r2
r

Since r vr = Constant, then

2 ( )
r 2vr
=0
r
P 2 vr2 2 C 2
= 2 (2vr ) 2 (2vr ) + 2 vr2 = = 5 where C is the constant from part (a)
r r r r r
2C 2
dP = 5 dr
r
r dr
Pr R r 5
P
dP = 2 C 2

2 C 2 1 1
P Pr = 4 4
4 r R
Substitute C=R2vr and C2=R4vr2
R 4
1
(
4 2 1
) 1 1 4 2 1
(
P Pr = R vr 4 4 = R vr 4 1
R r
)
2 r R 2
And thus,
1 R 4
P PR = vr 1
2

r
2 r=R

(d) Please write expressions for rr, , , r, r, and for this system.

Solution
v 2 v 2 vr
rr = 2 r ( v ) = 2 r
r 3 r 3 r
Next, utilize the result of (a) to obtain:
vr
rr 2 2
( )
2 r 2vr
r 3r r
Since r 2vr = Constant,
v
rr = 2 2 r
r
v
rr = 4 r
r

1 v vr 2 1 v vr 2 vr
= 2 + ( v ) = 2 +
r r 3 r r 3 r
Using the same strategy as above,
1 v vr 2 (r2vr ) 2 v 2vr 2 (r2vr )
= 2 + 2 = r + r 3r2 r
r r 3r r

2 vr
=
r

1 v vr v cot 2
= 2 + +
2v ( )
2 r 2vr
( v ) = r 2
r sin r r 3 r 3r r

2 vr
=
r

Since we have symmetric flow,

r = r = = 0