App1. sci. Res. Section A, Vol.

13

THE FLOW OF INCOMPRESSIBLE IMMISClBLE

FLUIDS BETWEEN TWO PLATES
b y J. N. K A P U R and J. B. S H U K L A
Indian Institute of Teehnology, Xanpur, Ir~dia

Summary
The flow of layers of different heights of n incompressible immiscible fluids
b e t w e e n two plates has been considered and it has been shown t h a t w h a t e v e r
be the Ilumber of fluids and w h a t e v e r be their heights, a nllique v e l o c i t y
m a x i m u m always exists and a formula for finding the layer in which this
m a x i m u m occurs has been given. F o r t h e particular case of two layers it
has been shown t h a t the curve of t o t a l flux against the ratio of the heights
of t h e Iluids has always a p o i n t of inflexion. F u r t h e r this ratio has been
d e t e r m i n e d so t h a t the fluxes of the two ftuids are equal.

§ 1. Introduction. The velocity profile due to two immiscible

incompressible fluids of different viscosities between two plates has
been considered 1) and it has been shown there that when the heights
of the two fluids are equal, the maximum velocity occurs in the
fluid of smaller viscosity. The question naturally arises as to what
happens when the heights of the two fluids are not equal or when
there are more than two fluids. We have shown that whatever be
the number of fluids and whatever be their heights, a unique
velocity maximum always exists and how we can always determine
the fluid layer in which this maximum occurs. The line of reasoning
is similar to that used earlier b y the senior author 2) in proving the
uniqueness of maximum pressure in the general theory of composite
charges in internal ballistics.
We would also like to determine the heights of the various fluids
so that for a given distance between the plates and a given pressure
gradient, the total flux is maximum. It is obvious however that this
maximum flux occurs when the entire region is occupied b y the
fluid of least viscosity. We have however discussed another interesting

-- 55 --
56 j . N. KAPUR AND J. B. SHUKLA

problem viz. that of the determination of the heights so that the

fluxes of the various fluids are the same.

§ 2. Determination o/ the velocity profile. Ler the heights of the

upper surfaces of the n fluids from the lower plate be hl, h2... hn where
hl < h2 < ... < hn (1)
and hn is the distance between the plates and let #1,/,2 .../*n be the
respective viscosity coefficients of the n fluids. Let the x-axis be
taken along the lower plate and the y-axis perpendicular to it towards
the upper plate as shown in the figure below.

, \~_
-.~o.

~ ~ -
o ~ ~ ~ ~ 1 / 7~~
Fig. 1. G e o m e t r y of file p r o b l e m .

Let the constant pressure gradient applied be P, then the

equations of motion for the various layers are:
d2u,
/*~ -- P [i= 1,2,..nj, (2)
dy2
where us is the velocity distribution in the ith layer. Integrating

P
u~ - - y2 + C~ly + C~2, h~-i <~ y ~ bi, (3)
2m
where C¢1, C~2, [i =- 1, 2 . . . n j are 2n constants to be determined
from the 2n boundary conditions.

[u~]~=o; [uù]y=~,~ = o; (4)

[udv=h~ = [u~+l]u=~i [i = I, 2, ... n - - 1], (5)

 FLOW OF IMMISCIBLE FLUIDS 57

=i#i+l~~-v / Il= 1,2 . . . . n - - 1], (6)

Bi dy .Ay=hi t_ Y -JY=hi

F r o m (5), we get the Iollowing system of equations:

-}P
(1 1) h~ + ( q l - C~1) hl + (C12 - C~2) = O,
#1 te2

--½P #2 te3
(7)

-½P
(1 ~) ]42_1 ~- ( e n - l , 1 - - en, 1)Æ n - 1 ~-
fln--1 /en
÷ (c~-1,2 - c~,~) = 0.

Again flora (6) we get

C n # l = C21#2 . . . . . C~ltei . . . . . Cnl#n = k (say). (8)

Adding all the equations of (7), we get

--½P h ~- k Z - hr +
1 ter #r+l r=l ter ter+l
+ (c12- cn2) = o. (9)

Also Irom (4)

C12 = 0, (10)

<
--½P -k Cnlhn -~- Cn2 = O. (1 I)
#n
F r o m (9), (10), and (11) we get

k 1 r=l
[ }er1 (hZr__h2r_j]
- - (12)
t9 2 ' 1 (hr - - hr71 )
r=l ter
where ho = O.
F r o m (7) and (8), we have
58 j.N. KAPUR AND J. B. SHUKLA

+k{s~~( ' 1 )h._,} ù r = 2 , 3 , . . n . (13)

ffs-1 ffs

Equations (8), (12) and (13) determine all the 2n constants ex-
plieitely and thus (3) gives the velocity profiles for all the layers.

§ 3. Uniqueness o~ velocity maximim. A velocity maximum can

occur in the ith layer at the point at which

dui d2u,
- - 0, - - < 0 h{-1 ~ y ~ hi. (14)
dy @2

Using (3) and (8), equation (14) gives

y = C~lm/P = k/P. (15)
This height is independent of i and will occur in one and only one
of the layers. Thus the velocity maximum will be unique and will
occur in the i th layer if

& - i <~ (k/P) <~ h~. (16)

where k/P is determined from (12). It is also obvious from (12) that
the height where the maximum velocity occurs depends on all the
viscosity coefficients and all the heights, but it does not depend on
the pressure gradient applied.
Since, in the above discussion, we have assumed the shear stress
ff (du/dy) to be continuous at the interfaces and ff is discontinuous
at each face, the derivative du/dy is discontinuous at each face. It
is therefore necessary to examine the sign of du/dy a little more
critically. At the interface between ( i - 1)th and i *h layers, du/dy
can increase or decrease in the ratio fr,-1 : fr, but it cannot change
sign. At the lower plate du/dy > 0 and at the top of the first layer,
it will be either positive in which case no maximum oecurs in the
first layer or zero when the maximum occurs at the interface or
negative when the maximum occurs inside the first layer. A similar
discussion holds at the end of each layer. Once the derivative
becomes negative, it will not become positive again and so the
velocity maximum is unique.
 FLOW OF IMMISCIBLE FLUIDS 59

§ 4. The fluid flux across a section. The flux across a section is

given b y

Q =
x I
n
1 P (h~ • hr_l)
3 -~-
k (h~ -- 2
}
,=~ / 6 ~, G h,_l) - c,~(h,- »,_~)
,a.
= E Qr (say). (17)

The flux across each layer will be the salne if

Q1 = Q2 . . . . . Qn' (18)
These are (n -- 1) equations to determine hl, h2, ... hn-1 when hn
is given. In particular for n = 2, we have

Ph I Ph~ (h~/ffd + (h~ --h~)/ff2

Qz- 6#i q- 4ffl (hl/ffl) q- (h2 hl)/ff2' (19)
P
Q 2 -- - - (h2 -- hl) 2 (hl + 2h2) - -
6ff2
p (h~/,1) + ( h ~ - h~)/ff2
- 4ff-~ (h~ - hl)~ (hl/~d + (h2 - h ~ ) / , 2 (20)

If Q1 = Q2, we ger
~2(« _ 1)4 q_ 4)~a(a - 1)(2a - 1) - a 4 = o, (21)
where
a = hl/h2, ). = ffl/ff» (22)
E q u a t i o n (21) determines a for a n y given ~. It is easily shown t h a t
for a n y given ~ > 0, there is a permissible value of a laying
between 0 and 1. I n s t e a d of solving for a in terms of ~, it is however
more convenient to solve for ~ in terms of a and tabulate the results.
I t is also obvious froln (21) t h a t (21) is unehanged if a is replaced b y
(1 -- a) and t b y 1/,L This result also follows from the interpretations
of a and ~. It shows t h a t it is not neeessary to tabulate for all a and ~.
The table of a between 0 and } and ~ between 0 and 1 will also give
the table for a between ½ and 1 and for ~Lbetween 1 and infinity. The
following table gives some typical values.
a 0.17 0.25 0.33 0.35 0.40 0.45 0.48 0.50
0.002 0.010 0.041 0.053 0.123 0.319 0.622 1.000
60 F L O W OF I M M I S C I B L E F L U I D S

F o r n = 2, the t o t a l flux Q is given b y

6/ZlQ
-- E2(1 - a)2(2 -t- a) - «8] -~E2(1 - a)2 _ ami ><
Ph~
az + 2(1 - as)
X , (23)
a + 2(1 - a)
which gives
dQ Ph~ (1 --2) E2(1 - - a ) 2-a2] 2
d« -- 4ffl Ea + 2(1 - a)32 (24)

C a s e I: If 2 < 1. dQ/da is positive and vanishes when

2 ~- a2/(1 -- a) 2, a = 1/2/(1 q- 1/2). (25)

Q, therefore increases steadily as a increases. Q is m i n i m u m when

a ---- 0 i.e. when the whole region is occupied b y the more viscous
fiuid and reaches its m a x i m u m value when a ---- 1 i.e. when the whole
region is occupied b y the less viscous fluid. At a point a where
a < ½, the Q - a c u r v e has a point of infiexion.

C a s e I I : If 2 > 1, dQ/da is nonpositive and Q decreases from

its m a x i m u m value w h e n a --~ 0 to its m i n i m u m value when a = 1.
T h e point of infiexion occurs at a > ½.
In view of the s y m m e t r y of the problem p o i n t e d out earlier
Cases I and I I are not really distinct.
C a s e I I I . If 2 = 1, dQ/da is zero a n d the flux is i n d e p e n d e n t of
2 as is otherwise obvious since the two fluids h a v e the same viscosity
coefficient.

Received 15th October, 1962.

REFERENCES

1) ]3ird, R. B., W. E. S ~ e w a r t a n d E. N. L i g h t f o o t , Transport Phenomella, J o h n

Wiley and Sorls, New York, 1960.
2) K a p u r , J. N., Proc. Nat. Inst. Sei. Ind. 2 2 A (1956) 236.