FM Viscous Incompressible flow (External) Practice sheet

[Laminar flow over a flat plate]:

Following problems are for laminar flow over a flat plate where 𝑈∞ = Free stream velocity, 𝛿 =

boundary layer thickness at 𝑥 distance from leading edge of the plate.

𝑢 𝑦
1. Using appropriate boundary conditions, determine constants 𝑎 and 𝑏 for velocity profile 𝑈∞
= 𝑎 (𝛿 ) +

𝑦 3
𝑏( ) .
𝛿

𝑢 𝑦 𝑦 3
2. Determine the displacement thickness 𝛿 ∗ , in terms of 𝛿, for velocity profile = 2( ) − 2( ) +
𝑈∞ 𝛿 𝛿

𝑦 4
( ) .
𝛿

𝑢 𝑦 𝑦 3 𝑦 4
3. Determine the momentum thickness 𝜃, in terms of 𝛿, for velocity profile 𝑈 = 2 (𝛿 ) − 2 (𝛿 ) + (𝛿 ) .
∞

𝑢 𝑦
4. Determine the boundary layer thickness 𝛿, in terms of 𝑥 and 𝑅𝑒𝑥 , for velocity profile 𝑈∞
= 2 (𝛿 ) −

𝑦 3 𝑦 4
2 (𝛿 ) + (𝛿 ) .

𝑢 𝑦 𝑦 3
5. Determine the skin friction coefficient 𝐶𝑓 , in terms of 𝑅𝑒𝑥 , for velocity profile 𝑈 = 2 (𝛿 ) − 2 (𝛿 ) +
∞

𝑦 4
(𝛿 ) . Also determine integrated drag coefficient 𝐶𝐷 over a length 𝐿 from leading edge of the plate.

𝑢 𝜋 𝑦
6. Determine the displacement thickness 𝛿 ∗ , in terms of 𝛿, for velocity profile = sin ( ( )).
𝑈∞ 2 𝛿

𝑢 𝜋 𝑦
7. Determine the momentum thickness 𝜃, in terms of 𝛿, for velocity profile 𝑈 = sin ( 2 (𝛿 )).
∞

𝑢 𝜋 𝑦
8. Determine the boundary layer thickness 𝛿, in terms of 𝑥 and 𝑅𝑒𝑥 , for velocity profile = sin ( ( )).
𝑈∞ 2 𝛿

𝑢 𝜋 𝑦
9. Determine the skin friction coefficient 𝐶𝑓 , in terms of 𝑅𝑒𝑥 , for velocity profile 𝑈 = sin ( 2 (𝛿 )). Also
∞

determine integrated drag coefficient 𝐶𝐷 over a length 𝐿 from leading edge of the plate.
𝑢 𝑦 𝑦 2
10. Assuming parabolic profile 𝑈∞
= 2 (𝛿 ) − (𝛿 ) , derive a general expression for the 𝑦 component
𝑢
velocity at a location 𝑥 in the boundary layer in flow over a flat plate. For the parabolic profile =
𝑈∞
𝑦 𝑦 2 𝛿 5.477
2 (𝛿 ) − (𝛿 ) , use 𝑥 = .
√𝑅𝑒𝑥
11. Consider laminar flow of a fluid over a flat triangular flat plate as shown in figure. Express viscous
drag on one side of the plate in terms of 𝜌, 𝑈∞ , 𝐴(area) and 𝑅𝑒ℎ .
[Drag and lift]

12. A drag chute is used to slowdown a car with a mass 1800 𝑘𝑔 travelling at 60 𝑚/𝑠. The value of

coefficient of drag for the car is 0.32 and frontal area is 1.1 𝑚2. The chute is of 1.8 𝑚 diameter and

drag coefficient is 1.2. Density of air = 1.2 𝑘𝑔/𝑚3 . Determine the speed after 50 𝑠. Also determine the

time for the speed to reach 20 𝑚/𝑠?

13. A parachute is moving down; the mass of the chute and the jumper is 120 𝑘𝑔. Determine the

minimum diameter of the chute for the parachute to move down with a terminal velocity of 6 𝑚/𝑠.

Density of air = 1.23 𝑘𝑔/𝑚3. Drag coefficient for parachute = 1.2. Neglect the effect of buoyancy.

14. A fishnet consists of 1 𝑚𝑚 diameter strings overlapped and knotted to form 1 𝑐𝑚 by 1 𝑐𝑚 squares.

Take 𝜌 = 1025 𝑘𝑔/𝑚3 and 𝜇 = 0.00107 𝑃𝑎 − 𝑠 and drag coefficient as 1.0. Estimate the drag of 1 𝑚2 of

such a net when towed normal to its plane at 3 𝑚/𝑠 in seawater. Neglect buoyancy.

15. A 40 𝑚𝑚 diameter, table tennis ball is released from the bottom of a swimming pool. If it reaches

the surface with velocity 1 𝑚/𝑠, estimate the mass of the ball. Assume it has reached its terminal

velocity and drag coefficient 𝐶𝐷 = 0.2.

16. A small grain of sand, diameter 𝐷 = 0.10 𝑚𝑚 and specific gravity 2.3 settles to the bottom of a lake

after having been stirred up by a passing boat. Determine the velocity with which it settles down

assuming terminal velocity of fall. For water, take 𝜌 = 1000 𝑘𝑔/𝑚3 and 𝜇 = 1.12 × 10−3 𝑃𝑎 − 𝑠. Verify

that 𝑅𝑒 ≪ 1.

17. Consider flow of a uniform stream past a cylinder such that pressure distribution is symmetric

about middle horizontal line. Assuming a hypothetical pressure distribution 𝑝 = 𝐵(1 + cos 𝜙) for 0 ≤
𝜋 𝜋
𝜙≤ and 𝑝 = 𝐵 for ≤ 𝜙 ≤ 𝜋, determine the total pressure drag on the cylinder.
2 2

18. A golf ball is hit such that it moves as shown in figure. Determine whether the lift on the ball

would be positive or negative if the ball has (i) back spin as shown in figure-1 and (ii) a top spin as shown

in figure-2.
 𝜌𝑈𝐷
19. The coefficient of lift on a spinning sphere depends upon Reynolds number ( ) and spin ratio
𝜇

𝜔𝐷
( 2𝑈 ). At 𝑅𝑒 = 4 × 104 , following table shows the values of coefficient of lift corresponding to spin ratio

values. A table tennis ball weighing 4 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑠 with diameter 4 𝑐𝑚 is hit at a velocity of 𝑈 = 15 𝑚/𝑠 with a

back spin as shown in figure. What is the value of 𝜔 if the ball is to travel on a horizontal path, not

dropping due to the acceleration of gravity? Take 𝜌 = 1.2 𝑘𝑔/𝑚3 .

Spin ratio Coefficient of lift

0.85 0.2

0.9 0.23

0.95 0.26

1 0.275
Answers
3 1
1. 𝑎 = , 𝑏 = −
2 2
𝛿∗ 3
2. 𝛿
= 10
𝜃
3. 𝛿
= 0.11746
𝛿 5.83
4. 𝑥 =
√𝑅𝑒𝑥

0.686 1.372
5. 𝐶𝑓 = , 𝐶𝐷 =
√𝑅𝑒𝑥 √𝑅𝑒𝐿

𝛿∗ 2
6. 𝛿
= (1 − 𝜋)
𝜃 2 1
7. 𝛿
= (𝜋 − 2)
𝛿 4.7953
8. 𝑥 =
√𝑅𝑒𝑥

0.655 1.31
9. 𝐶𝑓 = , 𝐶𝐷 =
√𝑅𝑒𝑥 √𝑅𝑒𝐿

𝑣 𝑦 1 𝑦 1 𝑦 2
10. = ( )[ ( ) − ( ) ]
𝑈∞ 𝑥 2 𝛿 3 𝛿

1.771 1
11. 𝐹𝐷 = ( 2
) (2 𝜌𝑈∞ )𝐴
√𝑅𝑒ℎ
𝑚
12. (𝑖) 13.62 𝑠
(𝑖𝑖) 29.36 𝑠

13. 7.51 𝑚

14. 920 𝑁

15. 20.7 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑠

16. 6.32 𝑚𝑚/𝑠

17. 𝜋𝐵𝐿𝑅/2

18. (𝑖) 𝑃𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑡 (𝑖𝑖) 𝑁𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑡

19. 675 𝑟𝑎𝑑/𝑠