Dimensional Analysis and

Similitude

CVEN 212
Spring 2021
Riyadh Al-Raoush, PhD, PE
 Why?

 Suppose I want to build an irrigation canal,

one that is bigger than anyone has ever
built. How can I determine how big I have
to make the canal to get the desired flow
rate? Do I have to build a section of the
canal and test it?
 Suppose I build pumps. Do I have to test
the performance of every pump for all
speed, flow, and pressure combinations?
 Dimensional Analysis

 Dimensions and Units

 P Theorem
 Assemblage of Dimensionless Parameters
 Dimensionless Parameters in Fluids
 Model Studies and Similitude
 Dimensions and Units

 There are a limited number of basic

dimensions.
 For most engineering problems,
 length L
 time T
 mass M
 force F  ma MLT-2
 temperature 
 Dimensions and Units

Quantity Symbol Dimensions

Velocity V _______ LT-1
Accelerationa _______ LT-2
Area A _______ L2
Volume  _______ L3
Discharge Q _______ L3T-1
Pressure p _______ ML-1T-2
Gravity g _______ LT-2
Density r _______ ML-3
 Dimensions and Units

Quantity Symbol Dimensions

Specific Weightg _______ ML-2T-2
Dynamic viscosity m _______ ML-1T-1
Kinematic viscosity  _______ L2T-1
Surface tension  _______ MT-2
Bulk mod of elasticityK _______ ML-1T-2
Temperature T’ _______ 
Mass concentration C _______ ML-3
 Dimensions and Equations

 All equations must balance in magnitude

 All rational equations (those developed

from basic laws of physics) must also be
dimensionally homogeneous; i.e., every
term in the equation must have the same
dimensions
 The Buckingham P Theorem

 “in a physical problem including n

quantities (variables) in which there are m
basic dimensions, the quantities can be
arranged into n-m independent
dimensionless parameters”
 RESULT: We reduce the number of
parameters we need to vary to characterize
the problem!
 The Buckingham P Theorem

 Example: the drag force, Fdrag of fluid

flowing past a sphere is known to be a
function of F =f(v,,,d)
drag
 velocity, v
 mass density,  Fdrag=f(v,,,d)
 viscosity, 
 sphere diameter, d Fdrag=f(v,,,d)
OR Fdrag=f(v,,,d)
n= 5
m= 3 # dimensionless parameters = 5 - 3 = 2
 Assemblage of Dimensionless
Parameters
 Several forces potentially act on a fluid
 Sum of the forces = ma (the inertial force)
 Inertial force is always present in fluids
problems (all fluids have mass)
 Nondimensionalize by creating a ratio with
the inertial force
 The magnitudes of the force ratios for a
given problem indicate which forces govern
 Forces on Fluids

 Force parameter
dimensionless r
 Mass (inertia) ______
m R
 Viscosity ______
g ______
F
 Gravitational ______
p ______
Cp
 Pressure ______
s ______
W
 Surface Tension ______ ______
K M
 Elastic ______ ______
 Inertia as our Reference Force

 F=ma F  a F  f  a

 Fluids problems always (except for statics)
include a velocity (V), a dimension of flow
(or characteristic length) (l), and a density
(r) Ll
l
M T
f 2 2 V
LT
M  l 3
 Viscous Force

 What do I need to multiply viscosity by to

obtain dimensions of force/volume?
f l
f   C  Ll T M  l 3
C  V

 M  V2
1 fi  
 L2T 2  C  l
C  LT
M 
 LT 
V2
V
 f i Vl Vl
fi l  R
C  2 
l fμ  V fμ  
l2 Reynolds number
 Gravitational Force
 M  l
fg  L2T 2  Ll T M  l 3
Cg  Cg  V
g L
T 2  V2
fi  
l
M Cg  
Cg 
L3

V2
 fi V 2 V
fi
 l  F
fg g f g gl gl
Froude number
 Pressure Force
 M  l
fp  L2T 2  Ll T M  l 3
Cp  Cp 
 M 
V
p  LT 2  fi  
V2
l

1 1
Cp  Cp 
L l
V2 p
 Cp 
fi l f i V 2
1

p
 V 2
fp fp p 2
l
Pressure Coefficient
 Dimensionless parameters
Vl
 Reynolds Number R

V
F
 Froude Number gl
V 2 l
 Weber Number W

V
 Mach Number M
c
2p
 Pressure Coefficient Cp 
V 2
2 FDrag 2 Flift
 Drag/Lift Coefficient Cd  CL 
V 2 A V 2 A
 Application of Dimensionless
Parameters
 Pipe Flow
 Model Studies and Similitude
 dams: spillways, turbines, tunnels
 harbors
 rivers
 ships
 ...
 Example: Pipe Flow

 What are the important forces affecting

pressure drop?______,
Inertial ______.
viscous Therefore
Reynolds number.
_________
 What are the important geometric
parameters? _________________________
diameter, length, roughness height
 Create dimensionless geometric groups
______,
l/D ______
e/D
 Write the functional relationship
 l 
C p  f  R, , 
 D D
 l 
C p  f  , , R 

Example: Pipe Flow D D 

 How will the results of dimensional

analysis guide our experiments to determine
the relationships that govern pipe flow?
 If we hold the other two dimensionless
parameters constant and increase the length
to diameter ratio, how will Cp change?
D  p
Cp proportional to l Cp  f  , R 
 Cp 
1
l D  V 2
 D   2
f  Cp   f  , R f is friction factor
 l  D 
 The case of Frictional Losses in
Pipes
0.1

 D 0.05
f  Cp  0.04
 l  0.03
0.02
friction factor

0.015
0.01

0.008
0.006
0.004
D
laminar
0.002
0.001
0.0008
0.0004
0.0002
0.0001
0.00005
0.01 smooth

1E+03 1E+04 1E+05 1E+06 1E+07 1E+08

R
 What did we gain by using
Dimensional Analysis?
 Any consistent set of units will work
 We don’t have to conduct an experiment on
every single size and type of pipe at every
velocity
 Our results will even work for different
fluids
 Our results are universally applicable
Model Studies and Similitude:
Scaling Requirements
 Similitude: theory and art of predicting
prototype performance from model
observations

 Examples
 airfoils
 automobiles, high-speed trains
 flood-control structures
Model Studies and Similitude:
Scaling Requirements
 geometric similitude
 all linear dimensions must be scaled identically
 roughness must scale

lm w m cm
   Lr
lp w p cp

Ar  L 2
r

r  L 3
r
Model Studies and Similitude:
Scaling Requirements
 dynamic similitude
 the forces that act on corresponding masses in the
model and prototype must be in the same ratio
throughout the entire flow field
 Fm/Fp = constant
 streamlines must be geometrically similar
 Mach __________,
_______, Reynolds _________, Weber
Froude and _________
numbers must be the same
 Relaxed Similitude Requirements
 Impossible to have all force ratios the same
same size
unless the model is the _____ ____ as the
prototype
 Need to determine which forces are
important and attempt to keep those force
ratios the same
The requirement for similarity of flow between model
and prototype is that the significant dimensionless
parameters must be equal for model and prototype
 Similitude Examples

 Open hydraulic structures

 Ship’s resistance
 Closed conduit
 Hydraulic machinery
 Scaling in Open Hydraulic
Structures
 Examples
 spillways
 channel transitions
 weirs
 Important Forces
inertial forces
 V
F
 gravity: from changes in water surface elevation gl
 viscous forces (often small relative to gravity forces) Vl
R
 Minimum similitude requirements 
 geometric
 Froude number
 V
F
gl Froude similarity Fm  Fp

Froude number the same in model(m) and Vm2 Vp2



prototype(p) g mLm gpLp
 assume g is a constant
________________________ V 2
Vp2

m
Lm Lp
 define length ratio (usually larger than 1) Lp
Lr 
Lm
 velocity ratio Vr  L r
 time ratio Lr
tr   Lr
Vr
 discharge ratio
Qr  Vr Ar  L r L r L r  L5r / 2
 force ratio 3 Lr
Fr  M r a r   r L r 2  L3r
tr
 Ship’s Resistance

 Viscosity, roughness
Skin friction ______________
 gravity
Wave drag (free surface effect) ________
 Therefore we need ________
Reynolds and ______
Froude
similarity

2 FDrag  
 Cd  f  , R, F 
V A
2
D 
 Reynolds and Froude Similarity?
Reynolds Froude
Vl V
R F
 gl
 mVmlm  pV p l p Water is the only Vr  L r

m p practical fluid
Vmlm  V p l p
Vp lm
 1
Vm lp  Lr Lr = 1
1 Lr
Vr 
Lr
 Ship’s Resistance

Can’t have both Reynolds and 2D total  


 C d  f  , R, F 
Froude similarity V 2 A D 
 Froude hypothesis: the two D total  D f  D w
forms of drag are independent
 Measure total drag on Ship
 Use analytical methods to V 2 A   
Df  f  , R 
calculate the skin friction 2 D 
 Remainder is wave drag
V 2 A
Dw  f  F
2
 Closed Conduit Incompressible
Flow
 Forces
viscosity
 __________
 __________
inertia
 If same fluid is used for model and
prototype
 V•A must be the same
 Results in high _________
velocity in the model
 High Reynolds number (R)
 Often results are independent of R for very
high R
 Example: Valve Coefficient

 Note: roughness height should scale!

 Reynolds similarity
Vl VD
R R
 

Vm Dm V p D p Vp Dp
 Vm 
m p Dm

(2.5m / s) 0.6m 

Vm  Vm = 25 m/s
 0.06m 
 Example: Valve Coefficient
(Reduce Vm?)
 What could we do to reduce the velocity in
the model and still get the same high Vl
R
Reynolds number? 

VD
Decrease kinematic viscosity R

Use a different fluid
Use water at a higher temperature
 kinematic viscosity 20C (m2/s)

1.00E-07
1.00E-06
1.00E-05
1.00E-04
ca 1.00E-03
rb m
o n
er
cu
te ry
tra
ch
lo
rid
e
w
et at
hy er
la
lc
oh
ol
ke
ro
se
ne

ai
sa r
e 10
SA W
E
10
W
-3
0
SA
E
Kinematic Viscosity

30
gl
yc
er
in
e
Kinematic Viscosity (m /s) Kinematic Viscosity of Water

2.0E-06
2

1.5E-06

1.0E-06

5.0E-07

0.0E+00
0 20 40 60 80 100
Temperature (C)
 Example: Valve Coefficient

 Change model fluid to water at 80 ºC

VD
R
 νm = 0.367 x 10-6 m2/s
νp = 1.52 x 10-6 m2/s
Vm Dm V p D p  mV p D p
 Vm 
m p  p Dm

Vm 
 0.367 x10 m / s  (2.5m / s ) 0.6m 
6 2
Vm = 6 m/s
1.52 x10 m / s  0.06m
6 2
 Dimensional Analysis Summary

Dimensional analysis:
 enables us to identify the important parameters in
a problem
 simplifies our experimental protocol
 does not tell us the coefficients or powers of the
dimensionless groups (need to be determined from
theory or experiments)
 guides experimental work using small models to
study large prototypes