CE 3500 Fluid Mechanics / Fall 2014 / City College of New York

Assignment #1

1 Drag Coefficient
The force ( F ) of the wind blowing against a building is given by F =C D U 2 A / 2 , where U
is the wind speed, is density of the air, A the cross-sectional area of the building, and C D is
a constant termed the drag coefficient. Determine the dimension of the drag coefficient.
F [ MLT

1 2

] =C D [ ML ] ( U [ L T ] )
3

A [ L2 ]
C D [ unitless ]
2

CE 3500 Fluid Mechanics / Fall 2014 / City College of New York

Assignment #1

2 Derivatives
If u is a velocity, x a length, and t a time, what are the dimension (in MLT system) of
a)

u
2 u
, b)
and c)
t
xt
a)

ut dx ?

u [ L T 1 ]
[ L T 2 ]
t [T ]

2 u [ LT 1 ]
b)
[ T 2 ]
x [ L] t [T ]
u [ L T 1 ]
c)
dx [ L ] [ L 2 T 2 ] ?
t [T ]

CE 3500 Fluid Mechanics / Fall 2014 / City College of New York

Assignment #1

3 Dimensionality
I f U is a velocity, determine the dimensions of Z ,
dimensionally homogeneous equation: U =Z ( 1 ) +G

and G , which appear in the

and 1.0 are unit-less therefore Z has to be LT-1 as U and G has to have the same
LT-1 unit.

CE 3500 Fluid Mechanics / Fall 2014 / City College of New York

Assignment #1

4 Flat Plates (1.75)

Two flat plates are oriented parallel above a fixed lower plate as shown in figure below. The top
plate, located a distance b above the fixed plate, is pulled along with speed V . The other thin
plate is located a distance cb , where 0<c<1.0 , above the fixed plate. This plate moves with
speed V 1 , which is determined by the viscous shear forces imposed on it by the fluids on its top
and bottom. The fluid on the top is twice as viscous as that on the bottom. Plot the ratio V 1/ V
as a function of c .

u 1=V 1 , u 2=V V 1 , 1=
1= 2

V1
V V 1
, 2=2
cb
bcb

V1
V V 1
=2
V 1 ( bcb ) =2 (V V 1 ) cb
cb
bcb

b V 1 cb V 1 =2 cbV 2cbV 1 bV 1 +cb V 1=2 cbV

V 1 2c
=
V 1+c

CE 3500 Fluid Mechanics / Fall 2014 / City College of New York

Assignment #1

5 Water Layer (1.81)

A layer of water flows down an inclined surface with the velocity profile shown in figure below.
Determine the magnitude and direction of the shearing stress that the water exerts on fixed
surface for U = 2 m s-1 and h = 0.1 m.

du
= U
dy

y y2
d 2 2
h h
dy

22 [ m s1 ]
1
[
]
U =2 m s ; h=0.1 m =
0.1 [ m ]

=40 [ s1 ] 1

( )

2U
y
1
h
h

(1 0.1y[ m ] )

y
max =40 [ s1 ] @ y=0
0.1 [ m ]

CE 3500 Fluid Mechanics / Fall 2014 / City College of New York

Assignment #1

6 Thin Glycerin Layer (1.82)

A thin layer of glycerin ( = 78.72 [lb/ft3] and = 0.0295 [lb s/ft2]) flows down an inclined,
wide plate with the velocity distribution shown in figure below. For h = 0.3 in. and = 20,
determine the surface velocity, U . Note that for equilibrium, the component of weight acting
parallel to the plate surface must be balanced by the shearing force developed along the plate
surface. In your analysis assume a unit width.

dV =h dA ; F 1= dV sin ; F 2= dA ;
F 1 =F 2 dV sin = bottom dA bottom = h sin bottom= h sin
du
= = U
dy

y y2
d 2 2
h h
dy
2

( )

2U
2U
y
1 ; bottom=
@ y =0
h
h
h

2U
h sin
h sin =
U =
U =
h
2

78.72 [ lb ft

1 [ ft ]
0.3 [ in ]
sin 20
12 [ in ]

20.0295 [ lb s ft 2 ]

78.72 [ ft 1 ] ( 0.025 [ ft ] ) sin 20

1
U=
=0.285 [ ft s ]
20.0295 [ s ]
2

CE 3500 Fluid Mechanics / Fall 2014 / City College of New York

Assignment #1

7 Pivot Bearing (1.86)

A pivot bearing ( R = 0.5 [mm]) used on the shaft of an electrical instrument is shown in figure
below. An oil with a viscosity of = 0.5 [poise] fills the 0.025 [mm] gap ( s ) between the
rotating shaft and the stationary base. Determine the frictional torque on the shaft when it rotates
at 5000 [rpm].

dT =r dF ; dF = dA ; =

du
r
dr
; dA=2 r
=
dy
s
sin

r=0

r=0

r=0

r=0

T = dT = r dF = r dA= r

2 4
T=
r
4 s sin

l=0

r
dr
2r
=2
r 3 dr

s
sin
s sin r=0

1
R4
2 s sin

=0.5 [ g cm1 s1] ; s =0.025 [ mm ] ; =5000 [ rpm ]

T=

1 1
1
1 0.5 [ g cm s ] 2 5000 [ min ]
4
(0.5 [ mm ]) =1.29104 [ N m ]
2
0.025 [ mm ] sin 30

CE 3500 Fluid Mechanics / Fall 2014 / City College of New York

Assignment #1

8 Circular Plate (1.89)

A 30 cm diameter circular plate is placed over a fixed bottom plate with a 3 mm gap between the
two plates filled with glycerin ( = 1.412 [Pa s]) as shown in figure below. 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.

dT =r dF ; dF = dA ; =

du
r
; dA=2 r dr
=
dy
s

r =0

r=0

r=0

r=0

T = dT = r dF = r dA= r

2 4
T=
r
4 s

l=0

2 r dr =2
r 3 dr
s
s r=0

1 4
R
2 s

1
1 1.412 [ Pa s ] 4 [ min ]
4
T=
( 15 [ cm ] )
2
3 [ mm ]

T=

2
1
4
1 1.412 [ N m s ] 4 [ min ]
( 1.5101 [ m ] ) =0.078 [ N m ]
1
3
2 60 [ s min ] 310 [ m ]

CE 3500 Fluid Mechanics / Fall 2014 / City College of New York

Assignment #1

9 U-Tube Mercury Manometer (2.36)

A U-tube mercury manometer is connected to a closed pressurized tank as illustrated. If the air
pressure is 2 psi determine the differential reading h. The specific weight of the air is negligible.

P air H O ( h +hwater ) + Hg h=P air

2

SG Hg H O ( h ) = H O ( h+h water )
2

13.6 h=h+ 4 [ ft ] h=

4 [ ft ]
=0.317 [ ft ]
12.6

CE 3500 Fluid Mechanics / Fall 2014 / City College of New York

Assignment #1

10 Tank Compartments (2.38)

Compartments A and B of the tank shown in figure below are closed and filled with air and a
liquid with a specific gravity equal to S.G.=a . Determine the manometer reading ( h [ L] ), if the
barometric pressure ( P 0 ) is and the pressure gage reads P g [ FL2 ] . The effect of the weight of
the air is negligible.

P g w h+ l h+ m z =P 0
P g P 0 + m z=h ( w l )
h=

P g P 0 + m z
P P 0 + z w SG m
h= g
w l
1SG
w

10

CE 3500 Fluid Mechanics / Fall 2014 / City College of New York

Assignment #1

11 Open U-tube in Motion (2.156)

The open U-tube of the figure below is partially filled with a liquid. When this device is
accelerated with a horizontal acceleration, a [ L T 2 ] , a differential reading, h [ L] , develops
between the manometer legs which are spaced a distance, l [ L] , apart. Determine the
relationship between a , h , and l .

p
p
=( a z + g ) and
= a x
z
x
dp=

p
p
dx +
dz
x
z

along a line of constant pressure dp=0 , e.g. interfaces of liquid and air:
p
p
dx+
dz=0 or a x dx (a z + g )dz=0
x
z
a x
dz
dz h
=
then the slope of the liquid surface is a negative value,
hence ,
=
dx (a z + g )
dx
l
a x
h
al
=
and for a z =0 ,a x=a we have h=
l
( az + g )
g

11

CE 3500 Fluid Mechanics / Fall 2014 / City College of New York

Assignment #1

12 Rotating Mercury Mirror Telescope (2.163)

The largest liquid mirror telescope uses a 6-ft diameter tank of mercury rotating at 7 rpm to
produce its parabolic-shaped mirror as shown on the figure. Determine the difference in
elevation of the mercury ( h ), between the edge and the center of the mirror.

h=

7 [ rpm ] 6 [ ft ]
2 r 2
h=
2g
232.4 [ ft / s 2 ]

12