CHEE 3363: Fluid Mechanics for Chemical Engineers

Homework #2
Due date: Wednesday, January 29, at 4:00pm.
Recommended reading: Fox, sections 1.41.6.
Recommendd viewing: the NCFM movie Surface Tension.
1. Plan an experiment to measure the surface tension of a liquid similar to water. If necessary,
review the NCFMF video Surface Tension for ideas. Which method would be most suitable
for use in an undergraduate laboratory? What experimental precision could be expected?
2. Honey with viscosity 2,000 Poise and density = 1300 kg/m
3
(recall: 1 cP = 10
3
Pa-s)
ows down the side of a storage container whose surface makes a 15 degree angle with the
horizontal. The thickness of the honey is h = 1.5 cm. The velocity prole is given by
u =
g

hy
y
2
2

sin
with coordinate x oriented along the surface of the container and coordinate y normal to the
surface. Determine the magnitude and direction of the shear stress that acts on the surface
due to the ow of the honey.
3. An air-hockey puck of diameter D = 8 cm has mass m = 50 g. When the puck is placed on
an air table at 20

C, a lm of thickness h = 0.10 mm forms underneath the puck. The puck

is struck such that its initial velocity is v
0
= 15 m/s.
(a) How long will it take for the puck to slow down to 2 m/s?
(b) How far has the puck traveled when it slows down to 2 m/s?
(c) How long will it take for the puck to stop completely?
4. The belt in the gure moves at steady velocity V and skims the top of a tank of oil of viscosity
. Assuming that the lm of oil between the belt and the surface is thin, develop a simple
formula for the belt-drive power P required as a function of h, L, V, B, . Neglect airdrag.
What power P in watts is required if the belt moves at 2 m/s over SAE 30W oil at 20

C,
with L = 4 m, b = 50 cm, and h = 2 cm?
Chapter 1 Introduction 29

The total error is dominated by the 8% error in the estimate of clearance, (R
o
R
i
). We
might state the experimental result for viscosity as
exp
0.29 8.2% Ans = .
kg
0.29 0.024
m s

1.52 The belt in Fig. P1.52 moves at steady velocity V and skims the top of a tank of oil
of viscosity . Assuming a linear velocity profile, develop a simple formula for the belt-
drive power P required as a function of (h, L, V, B, ). Neglect air drag. What power P in
watts is required if the belt moves at 2.5 m/s over SAE 30W oil at 20C, with L = 2 m,
b = 60 cm, and h = 3 cm?

Fig. P1.52
Solution: The power is the viscous resisting force times the belt velocity:
oil belt belt
V
P A V (bL)V .
h
Ans

= =


2
L
V b
h

(b) For SAE 30W oil, 0.29 kg/m s. Then, for the given belt parameters,
2
2
2
3
kg m 2.0 m kg m
P V bL/h 0.29 2.5 (0.6 m) 73 . (b)
m s s 0.03 m s
Ans

= = =

73 W

1.53* A solid cone of base r
o
and initial
angular velocity
o
is rotating inside a
conical seat. Neglect air drag and derive a
formula for the cones angular velocity
(t) if there is no applied torque.
Solution: At any radial position r < r
o
on
the cone surface and instantaneous rate ,

Fig. P1.53
w
r dr
d(Torque) r dA r 2 r ,
h sin

= =



5. A block of mass M and contact area A slides on a thin lm of oil with thickness h as shown
in the gure. When released, a mass m exerts tension on the cord, causing the block to
accelerate.
1
(a) Neglect friction in the pulley and air resistance, and develop an algebraic expression for
the viscous force that acts on the block when it moves at a speed V .
(b) Derive a dierential equation for the block speed as a function of time, and obtain an
expression for the block speed as a function of time.
(c) For the values = 0.04 Pa-s, m = 2 kg, A = 10 cm
2
, and h = 0.1 mm, determine the
block mass M if it takes 10 s for the block speed to reach 1 m/s.
Mass M, area A
Mass m
Oil film thickness h, viscosity
g
Cord V
h
6. Under the right conditions, metal objects can oat on water due to surface tension. What is
the maximum length of a steel rod (density 490 lb/ft
3
) that can oat on water if the rod has a
diameter of 0.036 in (i.e. a paper clip)? Assume that the surface tension force acts vertically
upwards.
2