This example shows that there may be more than one good choice for a control volume.

We want to determine the rate at which the water level changes in an open container if the
water coming in through a 0.10 m2 pipe has a velocity of 0.5 m/s and the flow rate going out
is 0.2 m3/s. The container has a circular cross-section with a diameter of D = 0.5 m.

1st choice of CV C.S. First we select a control volume that

extends above the water surface as shown.

1
C.V.
V1 = 0.5 m/s h 2
A1 = 0.1 m2
Q2 = 0.2 m3/s

  
The continuity equation :
t 
CV

. d  . V  n. dA  0
CS
    

t CV
. d   1  n. dA1 
A1
. V  1  n. dA 2  0

A2
. V

-. V1. A1 . V2. A2


t  .d  . V .A  .Q
CV
1 1 2 0

The rate of change of water mass in the control volume

 .D 2 .D 2 h
(. h )  . V1 .A1  . Q 2 .  . (V1 .A1  Q 2 )
t 4 4 t

h (V .A  Q ) (0.5 * 0.1  0.2 ) The negative sign indicates that the

 1 1 2 2    0.764 m / s
t .D .0.5 2 water level is actually going down.
4 4

2nd choice of CV h
Top surface of the C. S. is below the water
t C.S. level. Then the velocity at the top surface
is equal to the rate at which the surface
rises.
The flow conditions inside the control
C.V.
V1 = 0.5 m/s h volume are steady. So we can apply,
 

3
 . V  n . dA  0
Q2 = 0.2 m /s

h . D 2 h (V .A  Q )
 . (V1 ) A1   . Q 2   . . 0  1 1 2 2   0.764 m / s
t 4 t .D
4 SAME ANSWER !