DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS AND SIMILITUDE

(Referred to Chapter 5 of John and Haberman particularly Art 5.1 and 5.2 and Problems)

INTRODUCTION

Dimensions and units: A ‘dimension’ is a name describing certain measurable qualities or

characteristics of a quantity. In other words, ‘dimension’ is a word used to distinguish between
different kinds of readily measurable physical quantities in nature like mass, length, time,
temperature etc.

A ‘unit’, on the other hand, is an arbitrary standard of measurement of any dimension.

For instance, meter, inch, foot, etc., are all different units of measurement of the same dimension
‘length’.

Dimensions are usually represented by letter symbols, such as, [M] for mass, [L] for
length, [T] for time, [θ] for temperature and so on.

If each of the large number of physical quantities entering into a problem, is assigned a
separate dimension the number of dimensions will be too many to be conveniently employed in
practice. To reduce the number of dimensions, therefore, certain ‘descriptions’ are considered as
fundamental dimensions, and units employed for their measurement are termed as fundamental
units. Other descriptions which can be expressed in terms of these fundamental dimensions are
called ‘derived dimensions’ and likewise their units of measurement are called ‘derived units’.

In fluid mechanics either mass [M], length [L], time [T] or force [F], length [L], time [T]
are taken as sets of fundamental dimensions.

The dimensions of various physical quantities used in fluid mechanics are listed in table
5.1 (page 123) of John and Haberman.

Dimensional Homogeneity: Any analytically derived equation representing a physical

phenomenon, when expressed in fundamental dimensions should have on both sides identical
powers of M, L, T or F, L, T. Under this condition the equation is called ‘dimensionally
homogeneous’ such an equation is independent of the system of measurement.

Example: Q=AV, V  2 gh , etc.

DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS

It is a method which describes a natural phenomenon by dimensionally homogeneous

equations among certain variables and arranges them into a number of dimensionless groups.

Some dimensionless groups, used to describe fluid flow phenomenon are given below:

vD vD
1. Reynolds number Re   
 
v
2. Euler number E  
v

p p / 

3. Froude number Fr  

v
gL

Mach number M  
v
4.
a

Consult Table 5.2 (Page 140) of John and Haberman.

Buckingham’s π-Theorem:

In any flow phenomenon, if there are ‘n’ variables K1, K2, K3, ........ Kn, connected by the relation
and f (K1, K2, K3, …. Kn) = 0, containing these variables are nothing else but pure number and if
these variable are described with ‘m’ fundamental dimensions, then they can be grouped into (n -
m) dimensionless terms or π-terms such that ф (π1, π2, π3, ……….. πn-m) = 0. Each of these π-
terms contains not more than (m+1) variables.

Procedure for applying Buckingham’s π-Theorem:

1. List the ‘n’ variables and note their dimensions.

2. Find out the number of fundamental variables (m) to be used to describe the variables. If
either M-L-T or F-L-T system is used, m=3 and number of π-terms to be formed will be
(n-m).
3. Select 3 of these variables (none dimensionless and each with different dimensions) such
that all of the three fundamental dimensions (viz. M-L-T or F-L-T) should be included
collectively by these selected variables. These variables are called ‘Repeating variables’
and they appear in each π-term.
4. The first 𝜋-term can be expressed as product of three ‘Repeating variables’, each raised
to unknown exponent and another variable raised to a known power (say 1).
5. Repeat process (4) for the other 𝜋-terms, each time taking different variable along with
the three ‘Repeating variables’
6. For each π-term solve for unknown exponents by invoking dimensional homogeneity.
Some helpful relationships:

1. Any π-term may be replaced by any power of that term including π-1.
2. Any π-term may be replaced by multiplying it by numerical constant.
3. Any π-term may be expressed as a function of the other π-terms.

APPLICATIONS OF BUCKINGHAM Π-THEOREM

Problem 1. For turbulent, incompressible flow through a straight pipe of diameter ‘D’, the head
loss ‘hf’ in a length ‘L’ of the pipe depends on

(i) the mean velocity of flow ‘v’,

(ii) fluid density ‘𝜌’,
(iii) fluid viscosity ‘μ’,
(iv) height of roughness element ‘ε’,
(v) acceleration due to gravity ‘g’ ,
(vi) length ‘L’ of pipe and (vii) diameter ‘D’ of the pipe.

Using Buckingham π-Theorem find a functional relationship between these variables.

hf   V2 
Ans.   Re, , 
L  D gD 

Problem 2. The drag force ‘F’ resisting the motion of a sphere of diameter ‘D’ moving with
uniform velocity ‘v’, through a fluid depends on the fluid viscosity ‘μ’ , fluid density ‘ρ’ ,
velocity ‘v’ and diameter ‘D’. Find from dimensional reasoning the functional relationship
between these variables.

Ans. F  [( V 2 D 2 )  (Re)]

Problem 3. Show that the discharge ‘Q’ of liquid through rotodynamic pump having an impeller
of diameter ‘D’ and width ‘b’ running at a speed ‘N’, when producing a pressure head ‘H’ can be
expressed in the form:

 D N 2 D 2 ND 2 

Q  ND   ,
3
 ,
 
b gH

For Modelling and Similitude: Read from John and Haberman (Page 132 to 139).