CE 319 F

Daene McKinney

Elementary Mechanics of Fluids

Dimensional
Analysis
 Dimensional Analysis
• Want to study pressure drop as function of
velocity (V1) and diameter (do) p1
• Carry out numerous experiments with p0
different values of V1 and do and plot the data
V1 V0
V12 V02
p1    p0   A0
2 2 A1
p 

2

V02  V12 

  d 
4 
p  V12   1   1 5 parameters:
2   d0  
p, , V1, d1, do
 
4
p d 
  1   1 2 dimensionless parameters:
 2  d0 
V1 p/(V2/2), (d1/do)
2
d  Much easier to establish
C p  f  1 
 d0  functional relations with 2
parameters, than 5
 Exponent Method
Force F on a body immersed in a flowing fluid depends
on: L, V, , and 
F  f ( L,V ,  ,  )
n=5 No. of dimensional parameters  1   ( LaV b  c )
j=3 No. of dimensions M 0 L0T 0  ( ML1T 1 )( L) a ( LT 1 ) b ( ML3 ) c
k = n - j = 2 No. of dimensionless parameters
M: 0  1 c  c  1
F L V   L : 0  1  a  b  3c  a  1
MLT-2 L LT-1 ML-3 ML-1T-1
T : 0  1  b  b  1

 VL
Select “repeating” variables: L, V, and  1  or  1   
LV 
Combine these with the rest of the variables: F & 
Reynolds number
Exponent Method
F L V  

MLT-2 L LT-1 ML-3 ML-1T-1

 2  F ( LaV b  c )
M 0 L0T 0  ( MLT 2 )( L) a ( LT 1 ) b ( ML3 ) c
M: 0  1 c  c  1
L : 0  1  a  b  3c  a  2
T : 0  2  b  b  2

F
2  and  2  f ( 1 )
L2V 2 
F
2 2
 f () Dimensionless force is a function
V L of the Reynolds number
 Exponent Method
1. List all n variables involved in the problem
– Typically: all variables required to describe the problem geometry (D) or define
fluid properties (, ) and to indicate external effects (dp/dx)
2. Express each variables in terms of MLT dimensions (j)
3. Determine the required number of dimensionless parameters (n – j)
4. Select a number of repeating variables = number of dimensions
– All reference dimensions must be included in this set and each must be
dimensionalls independent of the others
5. Form a dimensionless parameter by multiplying one of the nonrepeating
variables by the product of the repeating variables, each raised to an
unknown exponent
6. Repeat for each nonrepeating variable
7. Express result as a relationship among the dimensionless parameters
 Example (8.7)
• Find: Drag force on rough sphere is function
of D, , , V and k. Express in form:

 3  f ( 1 ,  2 )

FD D   V k

MLT-2 L ML-3 ML-1T-1 LT-1 L  1   ( D aV b  c )

M 0 L0T 0  ( ML1T 1 )( L) a ( LT 1 ) b ( ML3 ) c
n=6 No. of dimensional parameters M: 0  1 c  c  1
j=3 No. of dimensions
L : 0  1  a  b  3c  a  1
k = n - j = 3 No. of dimensionless parameters
T : 0  1  b  b  1
Select “repeating” variables: D, V, and 
Combine these with nonrepeating variables: F,  & k
 VD
1  or  1   
DV 
 Example (8.7)
FD D   V k  3  FD ( D aV b  c )
M 0 L0T 0  ( MLT 2 )( L) a ( LT 1 ) b ( ML3 ) c
MLT -2
L ML -3
ML T
-1 -1
LT -1
L
M: 0  1 c  c  1
L : 0  1  a  b  3c  a  2
Select “repeating” variables: D, V, and 
T : 0  2  b  b  2
Combine these with nonrepeating variables: F,  & k

FD
 2  k ( D aV b  c ) 3 
V 2 D 2
M 0 L0T 0  ( L)( L) a ( LT 1 ) b ( ML3 ) c
M: 0c  c0
L : 0  1  a  b  3c  a  1
FD VD k
T : 0  b  b0  f ( , )
V 2 D 2  D

k
2 
D
 Common Dimensionless No’s.
Vd
• Reynolds Number (inertial to viscous forces) 
– Important in all fluid flow problems 

• Froude Number (inertial to gravitational forces) V

F
– Important in problems with a free surface gh

• Euler Number (pressure to inertial forces) p

Cp 
– Important in problems with pressure differences V 2
V V
• Mach Number (inertial to elastic forces) M 
– Important in problems with compressibility effects E/ c
2
• Weber Number (inertial to surface tension forces) W   LV
– Important in problems with surface tension effects 
 Similitude
• Similitude
– Predict prototype behavior from model
results
– Models resemble prototype, but are
• Different size (usually smaller) and may
operate in
• Different fluid and under
• Different conditions
– Problem described in terms of
dimensionless parameters which may  1  f ( 2 ,  3 ,...,  n )
apply to the model or the prototype

– Suppose it describes the prototype  1 p  f ( 2 p ,  3 p ,...,  np )

– A similar relationship can be written for

a model of the prototype  1m  f ( 2m ,  3m ,...,  nm )
 Similitude
• If the model is designed  2m   2 p
& operated under
conditions that  3m   3 p Similarity
requirements or
... modeling laws
 nm   np

• then  1m   1 p Dependent variable for

prototype will be the
same as in the model
 Example
• Consider predicting the drag on a
thin rectangular plate (w*h) placed
FD  f ( w, h,  ,  ,V )
normal to the flow.
• Drag is a function of: w, h, , , V

 1  f ( 2 ,  3 )
• Dimensional analysis shows:
• And this applies BOTH to a model FD w Vw
 f ( , )
and a prototype w 2 V 2 h 

• We can design a model to predict the  1m  f ( 2m ,  3m )

drag on a prototype. FDm wm  mVm wm
• Model will have:  f ( , )
2
wm  mVm2 hm m

 1 p  f ( 2 p ,  3 p )
• And the prototype will have:
FDp w p  pV p w p
 f ( , )
2 2
w p  pV p h p  p
 Example
•Similarity conditions
Geometric similarity
wm w p h
 2m   2 p   wm  m w p Gives us the size of the model
hm h p hp

Dynamic similarity
 mVm wm  pV p w p m  p w p
 3m   3 p   Vm  V
m p  p  m wm p
Then Gives us the velocity in the model

2 2
FDm FDp  wp   p Vp 
 1m   1 p   FDp     F
2
wm  mVm2 w 2p  pV p2  w   m  V  Dm
 m  m
 Example (8.28)
• Given: Submarine moving below surface in
sea water
(=1015 kg/m3, =1.4x10-6 m2/s).
Fm Fp
Model is 1/20-th scale in fresh water (20 oC). 
• Find: Speed of water in the testdynamic  mVm2lm2  pV p2l 2p
similarity and the ratio of drag force on
Fm  mVm2lm2
model to that on prototype. 
•
F p  pV p2l 2p
Solution: Reynolds number is significant
parameter. 2 2
Re m  Re p 1000  28.6   1 
    
1015  2   20 
Vm Lm V p Lp
 Fm
m p  0.504
Fp
Lp  m
Vm  Vp
Lm  p
20 1
 2m / s
1 1.4
Vm  28.6 m / s