Faculty of Science & Engineering, Curtin University of Technology

ENGR2000: FLUID MECHANICS

For Chemical, Petroleum, Civil & Mechanical Engineering

TUTORIAL SHEET 1:
(Introductory Topics: Flow fields, Streamlines, Reynolds number and viscous effects)

1 Categorise the following flow fields as two- or three-dimensional, steady or unsteady or a com-
bination thereof.

(a) Flow past a passenger aircraft cruising in level flight.

(b) Flow over weir (a small dam-like construction in a water channel over which water flows)
observed for one hour on a particular day.
(c) Water flowing from tap at a very low flow rate. How does the situation change at higher
flow rates?
(d) With velocity field given by:
v = (2x2 )i + (4xy)j
(e) With velocity field given by

v = (2x + 3yt)i + (yt)j + (4xy)k

(f) A thin film of oil running down an inclined plane.

2 The velocity in a flow field is given as

1
v =i− j
x3
valid only in the quadrant defined by x > 0 and y > 0.

(a) Find the flow speed and its direction at the (x, y) points (0.5, 5), (1, 1) and (4, 0.5).
(b) Find the equation of the streamlines and then sketch the streamlines of the flow field
(c) Suggest a real-life flow situation for which this flow field could represent an idealised model.

[Ans. (a) 8.062 m/s at 83◦ clockwise from x-axis,

1.414 m/s at 45◦ , 1.000 (to 3DP) m/s at 0.89◦ , (b) y = 1/(2x2 ) + C, where C is a constant.]

3 A hydroelastically operated bearing is schematically shown in Fig. 1. The top, load-carrying

(load not shown), plate has dimensions 0.5 m by 0.5 m and slides over a film of lubricating oil
of viscosity µ = 0.271 Ns/m2 that has depth, d = 0.25 mm. The upper plate is moved at a
constant speed of Uw = 3 mm/s.

1
 Figure 1

(a) Assuming that the oil takes on a linear velocity profile when the upper plate is moving,
calculate the shear stress acting on the upper plate.
(b) (b) Calculate the power required to keep the top plate moving. (This is the frictional loss
of the bearing.)

[Ans. (a) 3.252 N/m2 , (b) 0.00244 W]

4 The cross-section of a fluid bearing is shown in Fig. 2. The concentric cylinders are 10 cm
in length. The inner cylinder has radius 1.9 cm and is stationary whilst the outer cylinder has
radius 2 cm and rotates with an angular velocity, ω = 500 rad/s. The fluid between the cylinders
is S.A.E. 10 oil (density, ρ = 917 kg/m3 , dynamic viscosity, µ = 0.104 Ns/m2 ).

Figure 2

(a) By assuming a linear velocity profile of the fluid in the gap between the two cylinders,
estimate the (resistive) torque and, hence, the power required to maintain constant angular
velocity of the outer cylinder.
(b) In arriving at the estimate of part (a) above, what assumptions have been made in the
modelling.
(c) By estimating the Reynolds number, suggest why the calculations might not be appropriate
for the same parameters except with water (density, ρ = 1000 kg/m3 , dynamic viscosity,
µ = 0.001 Ns/m2 ). replacing the oil.

[Ans. (a) 130.7 W, (c) Oil: Re ≈ 44; Water: Re ≈ 5000]