ME 303 Fluid Mechanics, Spring 2015

HW #9, due Apr 20, 2015 in class

(Read Chapter 9 of the text book. Show your solutions step by step. Find the water/air properties
on the back of the textbook.)
1. (10 points) A flat plate is pulled to the right at a speed of 30 cm/s. Oil with a viscosity of
4 N s/m2 fills the space between the plate and a solid boundary. The plate is 1 m long
(L = 1 m) by 30 cm wide, and the spacing between the plate and boundary is 2.0 mm:
(a) Express the velocity mathematically in terms of the coordinate system shown.
(b) Determine whether this flow is rotational or irrotational.
(c) Calculate the force required to produce this plate motion.

2. (5 points) Two vertical parallel plates are spaced 0.01 ft apart. If the pressure decreases
at a rate of 60 psf/ft in the vertical z-direction in the fluid between the plates, what is the
maximum fluid velocity in the z-direction? The fluid has a viscosity of 10-3 lbf-s/ft2 and a
specific gravity of 0.80.
3. (5 points) A liquid ( = 1000 kg/m3; = 2 102 N s/m2 ) flows tangentially past a
flat plate. If the approach velocity is 1 m/s, the plate has a total length of 3 m (parallel to
the flow direction), and it is 1 m wide. What is the skin friction drag (shear force) on one
side of the plate?
4. (5 points) A flat plate 1.5 m long and 1.0 m wide is towed in water at 20 oC in the
direction of its length at a speed of 15 cm/s. Determine the resistance of the plate and the
boundary thickness at its trailing end.
5. (10 points) A flat plate is oriented parallel to a 15 m/s airflow at 20 oC and atmospheric
pressure. The plate is 1 m long in the flow direction and 0.5 m wide. On one side of the
plate, the boundary layer is tripped at the leading edge, and on the other side there is no
tripping device. Find the total drag force on the plate.

6. (10 points) A model is being developed for the entrance region between two flat plates.
As shown in the figure, it is assumed that the region is approximated by a turbulent
boundary layer originating at the leading edge. The system is designed such that the
plates end where the boundary layers merge. The spacing between the plates is 4 mm,
and the entrance velocity is 10 m/s. The fluid is water at 20 oC. Roughness at the leading
edge trips the boundary layers. Find the length L where the boundary layers merge, and
find the force per unit depth (into the paper) due to shear stress on both plates.

7. (10 points) Consider the boundary layer next to the smooth hull of a ship. The ship is
cruising at a speed of 45 ft/s in 60 oF fresh water. Assuming that the boundary layer on
the ship hull develops the same as on a flat plate, determine:
(a) The thickness of the boundary layer at a distance x = 100 ft downstream from the bow.
(b) The shear stress, 0 , adjacent to the hull at x = 100 ft.