Middle East Technical University

Department of Mechanical Engineering

ME 305 Fluid Mechanics I Fall 2015 Section 4 (Dr. Sert)
Study Set 1 and Hw 1
Assigned: 20/10/2015, Due 27/10/2015 (during the lecture)
For Hw 1 submit questions 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 12
1.

(Reference: Aksels book) A flat plate is pulled to the right at a speed of 0.3 m/s. Oil with a
viscosity of 3 Pa s fills the space between the plate and the solid boundary. The plate is 1 m long
and 0.3 m wide. Determine the velocity profile and the shear stress distribution. Oil is Newtonian.

2.

(Reference: Aksels book) Two parallel flat plates are moving with constant speeds as shown
below. Width of the plates is 0.2 m. The small gap in between is filled with oil, which has viscosity
of 0.5 Pa s. Find the power required to pull the plate. Oil is Newtonian.

3.

(Reference: Aksels book) A square plat plate with a side length of 0.8 m and a weight of 50 N
slides down an inclined surface. The oil film between the plate and the surface has a thickness of
1 mm. Viscosity of the oil is 0.6 Pa s. Neglecting the effects at the edges of the plate and the air
drag acting on its top surface, find its terminal speed. Oil is Newtonian and the velocity profile
across it is linear.

4.

(Reference: Aksels book) A thin plate is pulled at a constant velocity of U0 through a very narrow
gap of height h. The upper side of the plate is filled with a fluid of viscosity , while the lower side
is filled with another fluid of viscosity 2. Assuming that both fluids are of Newtonian type,
calculate the distance l in terms of h so that the force required to pull the plate is minimum.

5.

(Reference: Munsons book) Consider the flow between two parallel fixed plates. The spacing
between them is 2 with = 0.5 cm. The flow is driven by pressure differences and the fluid
flows in the +x direction (to the right) with the following parabolic velocity profile
=

3
2

[1 () ], where V = 0.5 m/s is the mean velocity. = 0 corresponds to the centerline

(midplane) of the spacing. The fluid is Newtonian with a viscosity of 1.9 Pa s.

a) Determine the magnitude, direction and sign of the shear stress acting at the bottom plate.
b) Determine the magnitude, direction and sign of the shear stress acting at the top plate.
c) Plot the variation of (acting on a surface with surface normal ) with .

6.

In regions far from the entrance, laminar fluid flow through a circular pipe has the velocity profile
() = (1 2 / 2 ), where is the radius of the pipe, is the radial distance from the center
of the pipe, and is the maximum flow velocity, which occurs at the center. Obtain
a) a relation for the drag force applied by the fluid on a section
of the pipe of length and
b) the value of the drag force for water flow at 20 C with
= 0.08 m, =30 m, = 3 m/s, and = 0.001 Pa s.

7.

(Reference: Munsons book) A new computer drive is proposed to have a disc rotating at 10,000
rpm. Reader head is to be positioned 0.0125 mm above the surface of the disc. Estimate the
shearing force on the reader head as result of the air between the disc and the head. Velocity profile
across the air is assumed to be linear.
Stationary
reader head
A

5 mm dia.

0.0125 mm
Rotating disk
Section AA
50 mm

8.

(Reference: Aksels book) In some electric measuring devices, sudden rotations of the pointer
mechanism is dampened by having a circular disc to turn with the pointer in a container of oil. For
the disc shown below determine the damping torque. Oil is Newtonian with a viscosity of
0.01 Pa s. Velocity profile across the oil is linear. Neglect the end effects.

9.

(Reference: Aksels book) To insulate an electrical wire with varnish, it is drawn at a speed of
40 m/s through a circular die. Varnish is Newtonian with a viscosity of 0.02 Pa s. Determine the
force required to pull the wire. Velocity profile across the varnish is linear. Neglect the end effects.

10. (Reference: Foxs book) A viscometer is built from a conical pointed shaft that turns in a conical
bearing. The gap between shaft and bearing is filled with a sample of the test oil. Obtain an
algebraic expression for the viscosity of the oil as a function of viscometer geometry (, , and
), turning speed , and applied torque . Assume a linear velocity profile across the fluid.

11. (Reference: Foxs book) A shock-free coupling for a low-power mechanical drive is to be made
from a pair of concentric cylinders. The annular space between the cylinders is to be filled with
fluid. The drive must transmit = 10 W of power. Other dimensions and properties are as shown.
Neglect end effects and assume a linear velocity profile in the small gap between the cylinders.
a) Determine the viscosity of the fluid.
b) Do a research to find suitable fluids with the calculated viscosity.

12. (Reference: engels book) The clutch system shown below is used to transmit torque through a
2 mm thick oil film with = 0.38 Pa s between two identical 30 cm diameter disks. When the
driving shaft rotates at a speed of 1450 rpm, the driven shaft is observed to rotate at 1398 rpm.
Assuming a linear velocity profile for the oil film, determine the transmitted torque.

13. An experiment is conducted to measure the viscous behavior of blood. Based on the obtained shear
stress and rate of shearing strain / data, which is tabulated below, determine if the blood
behaves as Newtonian or not? If not determine what kind of a non-Newtonian behavior does blood
have?
[Pa]
/ [s-1]

0.04
2.25

0.06 0.12
4.50 11.25

0.18
22.5

0.30
45.0

0.52
90.0

1.12
225

2.10
450