2023-2

MAA/MAA/MHA

UNIVERSITY OF
TURKISH AERONAUTICAL ASSOCIATION
AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
ME 301 FLUID MECHANICS I
HOMEWORK 1
1. A flat plate with a length of 0.5 m and a width of 0.2 m is moving at a constant
velocity of 10 m/s on the surface of an oil film with a viscosity of 0.5 Pa s. The lower
boundary is also moving at a velocity of 5 m/s, as shown in the figure. The clearance
between the plate and boundary is 0.0005 m. Find the power required to pull the
plate. Pressure is constant everywhere and oil is a Newtonian fluid. (Ans. 5 kW)

0.5 m U = 10 m/s

0.0005 m Oil
y

x V = 5 m/s

Problem 1

2. A fluid with a viscosity of 2 and a thickness of h is placed on the lower side of the
middle plate, while there is a fluid of viscosity  and a thickness of 2h on the upper
side of the same plate. The areas of the middle and upper plates are both A. Pressure
is constant everywhere and fluids are of Newtonian type. The upper plate is moving
at a constant velocity of U, as shown in the figure.
a) What will be the velocity, V, of the middle plate?
b) What is the force, F, required to keep the upper plate at a velocity of U.
U 2 μAU
(Ans. , )
5 5h
 U

2h 
h
V

h 2

Problem 2

3. Thin plate is pulled at a constant velocity of U0 through a very narrow gap of height
h, as shown in the figure. The upper side of the plate is filled with an oil of viscosity
, while the lower side of the plate is filled with another oil of viscosity 2. Assuming
that both oils are of Newtonian type, calculate the distance l so that the force required
to pull the plate is minimum. The pressure is constant everywhere. (Ans. 0.5858h)

Oil of viscosity 
h U0

l Oil of viscosity 2

Problem 3

4. Two Newtonian fluids, which do not mix, flow between two stationary flat plates
under the influence of a pressure gradient. The lower half is filled with liquid 1, while
the upper half is filled with liquid 2. The gap between the plates is 2 m. The velocity
profiles in the lower and upper halves are given as
u1  4  Ay  2.5 y 2 1  y  0

u2  B  Cy  10y 2 0  y 1
where A, B and C are constants.
a) What are the two interface conditions? Determine the values of the
constants A, B and C.

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 b) Find the viscosity, 2, of liquid 2, if the viscosity of liquid 1 is
1 = 4x10-3 Pa s
c) Determine the location where the shear stress is zero.
d) Determine the magnitude and direction of shear stresses applied by the
liquids on the lower and upper plates.
(Ans. a) 1.5, 4, 6, b) 1x10-3 Pa s, c) 0.3 m, d) 26x10-3 Pa, 14x10-3 Pa)

y
u2 Liquid 2 1m
2 and 2
Interface x

u1 Liquid 1
1m
1 and 1

Problem 4

5. A square flat plate with each side being 0.8 m slides down a flat plate, which is
inclined by 200 to the horizontal, as shown in the figure. The thickness of the oil film
is 1 mm and the weight of the plate is 50 N. The viscosity of the oil is 0.6 Pa s.
Neglecting the effects at the edges of the plate, find the terminal speed of the plate.
Assume that the velocity profile is linear and the pressure is constant. Oil is a
Newtonian fluid. (Ans. 0.04453 m/s)

1 mm

200

Problem 5

6. A 25 mm diameter is pulled through a cylindrical bearing, as shown in the figure.

The lubricant that fills the 0.3 mm gap between the shaft and bearing is an oil having

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 a kinematic viscosity of 8x10-4 m2/s and a specific gravity of 0.91. Determine the
force P required to pull the shaft at a velocity of 3 m/s. Assume the velocity
distribution in the gap is linear and the temperature of the oil is 50C. (Ans. 285.9 N)

Bearing Lubricant

P
Shaft

0.5 m

Problem 6

7. A shaft with a diameter of 0.08 m rotates concentrically in a bearing with a diameter

of 0.081 m and a length of 0.5 m. The space between them contains oil. A torque of
1.5 N m is required to maintain the shaft at a constant angular velocity of 20 rad/s. If
the velocity distribution in the oil is assumed to be linear, determine the viscosity of
the oil. Assume that the pressure is constant. Oil is of Newtonian type. (Ans. 0.1865
Pa.s)

8. A 30 cm diameter circular plate is placed over a fixed bottom plate with a 0.25 cm
gap between the two plates filled with glycerin having a viscosity of 0.407 Pa.s, as
shown in the figure. Determine the torque required to rotate the circular plate slowly
at 2 rpm. Assume that the velocity distribution in the gap is linear and that the shear
stress on the edge of the rotating plate is negligible. (Ans. 0.02711 N.m)

Rotating Torque
plate

0.25 cm
Problem 8 gap

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9. Surface tension forces can be strong enough to allow a double-edge steel razor blade
to “float” on water, but a single-edge blade will sink. Assume that the surface tension
forces act at an angle of  relative to water surface and the temperature of water is
200C, as shown in the figure.
a) The mass of the double-edge blade is 0.64x10-3 kg and the total length of
its sides is 206 mm. Determine the value of  required to maintain equilibrium
between the blade weight and the resultant tension force.
b) The mass of the single-edge blade is 2.61x10-3 kg and the total length of
its sides is 154 mm. Explain why this blade sinks. Support your answer with the
necessary calculations.
(Ans. a) 24.750)

Surface tension
Blade force

Problem 9

10. The vertical cylinder of diameter 0.1 m is pulled up from an inviscid liquid. Assume
that the angle of contact is 300 and the surface tension for the liquid in presence of
air is 0.073 N/m. Find the force, F, required to pull the cylinder at a constant velocity
at the instant that it leaves the liquid, if the mass of the cylinder is 0.1 kg. Neglect
buoyant and viscous effects.
F

Air

0.1 m
0
Liquid
30

Problem 10

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QUIZ 1 BASED ON PROBLEMS 1 TO 5 OF THIS HOMEWORK WILL BE
GIVEN ON MARCH 05, 2024 TUESDAY AT 08:20.

QUIZ 2 BASED ON PROBLEMS 6 TO 10 OF THIS HOMEWORK WILL BE

GIVEN ON MARCH 12, 2024 TUESDAY AT 08:20.