Homework #3 Solutions (MCEN3021 Fluid Mechanics)

Problem 1
Compute the time-dependent streamlines and the path line that pass through (x, y, z) = (1, 1, 0)
at t = 0 for the Cartesian velocity field u = (x, yt, 0).
Solution:
For the streamline:
For this particular velocity field, the differential equation for a streamline is given by
dx
dy
=
u
v

ln y = t ln x + C0

dx
dy
=
.
x
y

(1)

Integrating this equation we obtain

y = C1 xt .

(2)

We require that the streamline pass through (x, y, z) = (1, 1, 0) at t = 0, so we can solve for C1 as
1 = C1 1 0

C1 = 1 .

(3)

The equation for the streamline is therefore

y = xt .

(4)

For the path line:

The path line is obtained from the differential equations

and

dx
=u=x
dt

dx
= dt ,
x

(5)

dy
= v = yt
dt

dy
= tdt .
y

(6)

Integrating (5) and (6) gives

ln x = t + C0

x(t) = C1 et ,

(7)

1
2
ln y = t2 + C2 y(t) = C3 et /2 .
(8)
2
We again require that the pathline go through (x, y, z) = (1, 1, 0) at t = 0, which gives C1 = C3 = 1.
The parametric equations for the path line can thus be written as
x(t) = et ,

2 /2

y(t) = et

(9)

We can eliminate the parametric dependence on t by substituting t = ln x (from the left-hand

equation) into the equation on the right for y(t), giving
y(t) = e(ln x)

2 /2

(10)

Extra information regarding streaklines:

Even though it was not required for this problem, the streak line is readily obtained by requiring
that the path line from (7) and (8) go through (x, y, z) = (1, 1, 0) at some arbitrary time t0 (recall
1

that in obtaining the path line in (9) we required that the path go through (x, y, z) = (1, 1, 0) at
t = t0 = 0). We can thus find new values of C1 and C3 as
1 = C1 et0

C1 = et0 ,

1 = C3 et0 /2

(11)

C3 = et0 /2 .

(12)

Substituting (11) and (12) into (7) and (8), respectively, gives the streak line
x(t, t0 ) = ett0 ,

2 t2 )/2
0

y(t, t0 ) = e(t

(13)

It is important to note that the streak line is parameterized by both t and t0 . We are specifically
interested in the streak line at t = 0, thus giving the streak line in parametric form as
2

x(t0 ) = et0 ,

y(t0 ) = et0 /2 .

(14)

We can remove the parametric dependence on t0 by substituting t0 = ln x into (14), giving

2 /2

y(t) = e(ln x)

(15)

Problem 2
Using the hydrostatic law dp/dz = g and the ideal gas law p = RT , show that if the temperature
of the atmosphere varies with height as T (z) = T0 Bz, then the atmospheric pressure varies with
height as


Bz g/(BR)
p(z) = p0 1
,
T0
where is the density, g is the acceleration due to gravity, R is the gas constant for atmospheric gas,
T0 and p0 are reference the temperature and pressure at sea level, and B is the lapse rate. Assuming that B = 0.00650K/m, what is the ratio of atmospheric pressure in Boulder to that at sea level?
Solution:
We begin with the hydrostatic law and substitute = p/RT , which gives
dp
pg
=
.
dz
RT

(16)

Further substituting the linear variation in T gives

pg
dp
=
.
dz
R(T0 Bz)

(17)

This can be straightforwardly integrated between the surface at z = 0 and some height z as
 




dp
g
p
T0 Bz
Bz
g
g
=
dz ln
ln
ln 1
=
=
,
(18)
p
R(T0 Bz)
p0
BR
T0
BR
T0
where p(0) = p0 and T (0) = T0 . Finally writing this expression as powers of e, we obtain the
solution


Bz g/(BR)
p(z) = p0 1
(19)
.
T0
Assuming a temperature of T0 293 K and an elevation for Boulder of 1655m, we find after
substitution into (19) that pBoulder /p0 is given as


pBoulder
(0.00650)(1655) 9.81/(0.00650287)
= 1
= 0.82 ,
p0
(293)

(20)

where we have used R = 287 J/(kg K) for dry air. Thus, the atmospheric pressure in Boulder is
approximately 80% of the corresponding value at sea level.

Problem 3
The figure below illustrates a dam of height z0 that has an angled wall in contact with water, and
which has a trapezoidal profile when viewed from the end. The water is assumed to have constant
density of = 1000 kg/m3 and the atmospheric pressure p0 is taken to be p0 = 101.3 kPa.

b0

p0

F~T

h1

z0

x0

b1
side view

front view

(a) Define a location for the reference point z = 0 and then find an expression for the width b of
the dam as a function of z, the width at the base b1 and the width at the top of the dam, b0 .
(b) Find the weight of the water that pushes downward on the dam. Write your expression in terms
of , g, and the dimensions shown in the diagram.
(c) What is the total outward (x-direction) force pushing on the dam due to the water behind the
dam? Write your expression in terms of , g, and the dimensions shown in the diagram.
(d) What is the total force that the dam experiences due to the water? In other words, what is the
magnitude of the resultant force on the dam due to the water behind the dam?
(e) If a pipe removes water from the dam and then drops a distance h2 below the base of the dam
as shown in the picture on the next page, what is the pressure p2 of water at the outlet of the
pipe, assuming there is no flow and the end of the pipe is not open to the atmosphere? Write your
expression in terms of , g, and the dimensions shown in the diagrams.
(f) Assume the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River has approximately this shape, with b1 = 275
m, b0 = 379 m, and z0 = 221 m. If the depth h1 of the water behind the Hoover Dam is h1 = 200
m, what is the total outward (x-direction) force on the dam due to the water behind the dam?
(g) If a closed pipe brings water from Lake Mead, behind the dam, to an elevation 500 m below
the base of the dam, what is the total pressure p2 supplied at the end of the pipe?

p0

h1
z
x

h2

p2

Solution:
(a) It doesnt matter where you set the reference point z = 0, but putting this point at the base
of the dam helps to simplify the math because the water level h1 can move relative to the dam
height z0 , but both of these dimensions are measured with reference to the base of the dam. For
the solution here, we set z = 0 at the base of the dam, with the z coordinate measured in the
upward direction.
The width of the dam varies linearly with respect to elevation z, so we can use a linear function
for b and then use boundary conditions on b to solve for unknown constants c1 and c2 as follows:
b =c1 z + c2

Width b as linear function of z.

b(z = 0) = b1 = c1 (0) + c2
c2 = b1
b =c1 z + b1
b(z = z0 ) = b0 = c1 z0 + b1


b0 b1
c1 =
z0


b=


b0 b1
z + b1
z0

(21)

(b) The weight of the water that pushes downward on the dam can be calculated using the volume
of water over the angled portion of the dam. However, because of the trapezoidal front shape
of the dam, this volume is a complicated shape. Another approach is to integrate the downward
component of the pressure force over the area of the dam. To set up this problem, we need to set
5

up some expressions for pressure p versus elevation z, for a differential area dA of the dam as a
function of z, and for the x and z components of the pressure force on that area dA.
Lets start with force: The differential force vector dF~ due to the pressure p on area dA has
magnitude |dF | and a direction that is perpendicular to the interface between the water and the
dam. If the angle is defined at the lower left corner of the dam, the x and z components of dF~
can be determined from geometry, giving dF~ as the following, where i and k are the unit vectors
in the x and z directions, respectively:
dF~ = dF~x + dF~z
= dFxi + dFz k
= |dF | sin i + |dF |( cos )k

The magnitude |dF | of the differential force vector dF~ is simply |dF | = pdA, so the expression for
dF~ can be written as a function of pressure and the area element dA according to the following
equation:
dF~ = pdA sin i + pdA( cos )k
(22)
To find the total weight of water on the dam, we need to integrate the z component of the differential
force vector over the area of the dam that is exposed to water:
Z
Z
Fz =
dFz = ( cos )pdA
(23)
A

To make this solvable, we need to rewrite p and dA as functions of z.

The pressure is straightforward. We are seeking only the force due to the water, so we ignore
the ambient pressure and use the hydrostatic equation to generate an expression for the pressure
of the water as a function of z in the coordinate system we have set up:
p = g(h1 z)

(24)

For the differential area element dA, we already know the width b as a function of z; we calculated
this in part (a). We need a length ds along the angled surface in the xz plane, expressed as a
function of z. We can see by geometry that ds sin = dz, therefore we can write the following:
dA = bds
dz
ds =
sin
dz
dA = b
sin
Now we can substitute expressions for p and dA into our integral expression for Fz and solve the

integral:
h1
dz
g(h1 z)b
pdA = ( cos )
Fz = ( cos )
sin
0
A

 Z h1
cos
(h1 z)bdz
=
g
sin
0


  Z h1

b0 b1
x0
(h1 z)
=
g
z + b1 dz
z0
z0
0
  Z h1
x0
= g
(h1 z) (c1 z + b1 ) dz
z0
0
 

c1 h31 b1 h21
x0
= g
+
z0
6
2
  2

x0
h1
c1 h1
= g
+ b1
z0
2
3

In this computation c1 was used to simplify the algebra. This constant is removed from the final
answer, yielding the following expression:

Fz = g

x0
z0



h21
2

 

b0 b1
z0

h1
+ b1
3


(25)

The expression above is the z-component of the pressure force, and the negative sign indicates
the downward direction of this force. Weight itself is a scalar quantity, really the magnitude of the
downward component of the total gravitational force experienced by the fluid, or the downward
component of the pressure force due to the fluid over a given area. So, an acceptable answer here
would also be to provide the same expression but without the negative sign:

W eight = g

x0
z0



h21
2

 

b0 b1
z0

h1
+ b1
3


(26)

(c) For this part, we do a similar integration as in part (b), but we integrate the component of dF~

in the x direction:
h1
dz
g(h1 z)b
pdA = (sin )
Fx = (sin )
sin

0
A
 Z h1

sin
(h1 z)bdz
g
=
sin
0



Z h1
b0 b1
= g
(h1 z)
z + b1 dz
z0
0
Z h1
(h1 z) (c1 z + b1 ) dz
= g
0


c1 h31 b1 h21
= g
+
6
2
 2

h1
c1 h1
= g
+ b1
2
3


Fx = g

h21
2

 

b0 b1
z0

h1
+ b1
3


(27)

(d) Here, we perform a vector addition using the forces calculated in parts (b) and (c). The resultant
force is this:
F~T = F~x + F~z
= Fxi + Fz k

The magnitude of the resultant can be calculated immediately, but first it is helpful to observe that
Fz can be expressed in terms of Fx .
Fz =

x0
Fx
z0


1
2 2
|F~T | = |Fxi|2 + |Fz k|

1
= Fx2 + Fz2 2
 2 ! 12
x0
= Fx2 +
Fx2
z0
 2 ! 12
x0
= Fx 1 +
z0

FT = |F~T | =


1+

x0
z0

2 ! 12


g

h21
2

 

b0 b1
z0

h1
+ b1
3


(28)

(e) The total pressure p inside the end of the pipe can be quickly calculated from the ambient
pressure p0 plus the hydrostatic pressure due to the total change in elevation from the top of the
reservoir to the bottom of the pipe.
p = p0 + g (h1 + h2 )

(29)

(f) To answer this question, use the result from part (c), plug in the variables, and compute the
answer.



h21
h1 b0 b1
Fx = g
b1 +
2
3
z0






200 m 379 m 275 m
2
3
2
= 1000 kg m
9.81 m s
[0.5] [200 m] 275 m +
3
221 m
Fx = 6.01 1010 N

(30)

(g) Using the equation from part (e) and the other information from part (f) and the beginning of
problem 3, we have h2 = 500 m, h1 = 200 m, p0 = 101,300 Pa.
p = p0 + g (h1 + h2 )
= 101,300 Pa + (1000 kg m3 )(9.81 m s2 )(200 m + 500 m)
= 101,300 Pa + 6.87 106 Pa

p = 6.97 106 Pa

(31)