Viscous Fluid Flows in Ducts

P M V Subbarao
Professor
Mechanical Engineering Department
I I T Delhi

An Essential Need of Modern

Civilization

Poiseuille Flow through Ducts

Whereas Couette flow is driven by moving walls, Poiseuille
flows are generated by pressure gradients, with application
primarily to ducts.
They are named after J. L. M. Poiseuille (1840), a French
physician who experimented with low-speed flow in tubes.

Regardless of duct shape, the entrance length can be correlated

for laminar flow in the form

Le 0.5 0.05 Re Dh

Fully Developed Duct Flow

For x > Le, the velocity becomes purely axial and varies
only with the lateral coordinates.
v = w = 0 and u = u(y).
The flow is then called fully developed flow.

For fully developed flow, the continuity and momentum

equations for incompressible flow are simplified as:

2u 2u
p
2 2
x
y z

With

u
p p
0&

0
x
y z

These indicate that the pressure p is a function only of x for this

fully developed flow.
Further, since u does not vary with x, it follows from the xmomentum equation that the gradient dp/dx must only be a
(negative) constant.
Then the basic equation of fully developed duct flow is

2u 2u
p

2
2
z
x
y
subject only to the slip/no-slip condition everywhere on the duct
surface
This is the classic Poisson equation and is exactly equivalent to the
torsional stress problem in elasticity

Characteristics of Poiseuille Flow

Like the Couette flow problems, the acceleration terms
vanish here, taking the density with them.
These flows are true creeping flows in the sense that they
are independent of density.
The Reynolds number is not even a required parameter
There is no characteristic velocity U and no axial length
scale L either, since we are supposedly far from the
entrance or exit.
The proper scaling of Poiseuille Equation should include
, dp/dx, and some characteristic duct width h.

Dimensionless variables for Poiseuille Flow

y
*
y
h

z
z
h
*

Dimensionless Poiseuille Equation

2u * 2u *
2 * 2 * 1
y z

u
*

u
dp

dx

The Circular Pipe: Hagen-Poiseuille Flow

The circular pipe is perhaps our most celebrated viscous
flow, first studied by Hagen (1839) and Poiseuille (1840).
The single variable is r* = r/R, where R, is the pipe radius.
The equation reduces to an ODE:

1 d * du *
r
1
*
*
*
r dr
dr
1 *2
*
*
u

C
ln
r
C2
The solution of above Equation is:
1
4
Engineering Conditions:
The velocity cannot be infinite at the centerline.
On engineering grounds, the logarithm term must be rejected and
set C1 = 0.

Engineering Solution for Hagen-Poiseuille Flow

1 *2
u r C2
4
*

The Wall Boundary Conditions

Conventional engineering flows: Kn < 0.001

us uw 0
*

Micro Fluidic Devices : Kn < 0.1

2
u *
us uw
Kn * 0

r w
*

Ultra Micro Fluidic Devices : Kn <1.0

2
us uw

u *
Kn *
r

Kn 2 2u *

2
*
2
r
w

0
w

Macro Engineering No-Slip Hagen-Poiseuille Flow

The no-slip condition:

u *s u *w 0 as r R

For a flow through an immobile pipe:

*
w

1 *2
R C2 0
4

u* 0
w
1
C2
4

The macro engineering pipe-flow solution is thus

1
*2
u 1 r
4
*

Dimensional Solution to Macro Engineering No-Slip

Hagen-Poiseuille Flow
u
*

u
dp

dx

1
u 1 r*
4
*

dp
R
dx 1
r

u
1

4
R
2

r
r
R
*

R2

u
r

1
dp
4
R

dx
2

dp
dx R r
u

The Capacity of A Pipe

Thus the velocity distribution in fully developed laminar pipe
flow is a paraboloid of revolution about the centerline.
This is called as the Poiseuille paraboloid.
The total volume rate of flow Q is of interest, as defined for
any duct by
Q

udA

r 0

cross sec tion

dp

dx

r R

r 0

r R r dr
2

r R

2rudr

R
Q
8

dp

dx

Mean & Maximum Flow Velocities

The maximum velocity occurs at the center, r=0.
umax

dp dxR

The mean velocity is defined by

Q
u
A

R 4
8

R 2

dp

dx

R 2 dp

8 dx
u
umax

1
2

The Wall Shear Stress

The wall shear stress is given by

dp
dx R r
u
2

du

dr

dp r

du
dx

wall

wall

dr

du

dr

wall

wall

R dp

2 dx

wall

4u

Friction Factor
w is proportional to mean velocity.
It is customary, to nondimensionalize wall shear with the
pipe dynamic pressure.

wall
16
Cf

2
u
u D
2
This is called as standard Fanning friction factor, or skin-friction
coefficient.
16
Cf
Re
Two different friction factor definitions are in common use in the
literature:
8
64 64
wall

2
Darcy Friction Factor
u
u D Re
2

Hagens Pipe Flow Experiments

Hagen was born in Kni gsberg, East Prussia, and studied
there, having among his teachers the famous
mathematician Bessel.
He became an engineer, teacher, and writer and published
a handbook on hydraulic engineering in 1841.
He is best known for his study in 1839 of pipe-flow
resistance, for water flow.
At heads of 0.7 to 40 cm, diameters of 2.5 to 6 mm, and
lengths of 47 to 110 cm.
The measurements indicated that the pressure drop was
proportional to Q at low heads.

Hagens Paradox