ES 601: Foundations of Fluid Mechanics

Tutorial 2
19/08/2021

Conservation of mass problems

1. A tank of 0.5 m^3 volume contains compressed air. When a valve is opened, air escapes
at a velocity of 300 m/s through an area of 130 mm^2. Air temperature passing through
the opening is 15C and the absolute pressure is 350kPa. Find the rate of change of
density of air in the tank at this moment.

2. Water flows steadily past a porous flat plate. Constant suction is applied along the
porous section. The velocity profile at section cd is given by:
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𝑢/𝑈𝑖𝑛𝑓 = 3(𝑦/δ) − 2(𝑦/δ)
Evaluate the mass flow rate across section bc.

Conservation of momentum problems

1. A vertical plate has a sharp edged orifice at its center. A water jet of velocity V strikes at
the plate concentrically. Obtain the expression for force required to keep the plate in
place if the velocity of water leaving the plate is also V. Evaluate the force for V = 5m/s,
D = 100mm and d=25mm. Plot the required force as a function of diameter ratio for a
range of d.

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2. A freejet of water with constant cross-section area of 0. 005𝑚 is deflected by a hinged
plate of length 2m supported by a spring of spring constant, k= 1N/m and uncompressed
 length 𝑥0 = 1𝑚. Find and plot the deflection angle θ as a function of the jet velocity V.
𝑜
What jet speed has a deflection angle of 10 .

Conservation of energy problems

𝑜
1. Air [R = 1715,cp = 6003 lbf/𝑠𝑙𝑢𝑔. 𝑅 ] flows steadily as shown in figure, through a turbine
that produces 700hp. For the inlet and exit conditions shown estimate the exit velocity
and heat transferred in Btu/h.

2. Consider a turbine extracting energy from a penstock in a dam, as in figure. For turbulent
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pipe flow the friction head loss is approximately ℎ𝑓 = 𝐶𝑄 , where C is a constant that
depends upon penstock dimension and the properties of water. Show that, for a given
penstock geometry and variable river flow Q, the maximum turbine power possible in this
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case is 𝑃𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 2ρ𝑔𝐻𝑄/3 and occurs when the flow rate is 𝑄 = (𝐻/(3𝐶))