ES3C9

FLUID MECHANICS FOR MECHANICAL ENGINEERS

Example Class 4

(1) Non-dimensional analysis

A 1/12- scale model of an airplane is

to be tested at 20C in a pressurized
wind tunnel. The prototype is to fly
at 240m/s at 10km standard altitude.
The air viscosity at sea level is
m0 = 1.8 E - 5 N.s.m -2 for T0 = 288K .
The viscosity is changing with the
0.7
m �T �
temperature as = � � . The
m0 �T0 �
Mack number represent the ratio
between the velocity of the object
considered and the sound speed a.
What should the tunnel pressure be
in atm. to scale both the Mach
number and the Reynolds number?
(use table A.6.).

For air at 10km standard altitude r = 0.4125kg.m -3 , sound speed a=299.5m/s,

0.7 0.7
�T � �223.16 �
T=223.16K (from the table). So m = m0 � � = 1.8 E - 5 � � = 1.47 E - 5
�T0 � � 288 �
Model and prototype should verify dynamic similarity: Map=Mam and Rep=Rem

Vp 240 V
Ma p = = = 0.801 = Mam = m , solve for Vm = 273m/s
ap 299.5 340
r pV p Lp 0.4125 �240 �Lp r m �273 �( Lp 12 )
, solve for r m = 5.33kg/m
3
Re p = = = Rem =
mp 1.47 E - 5 1.8 E - 5

Then for an ideal gas, Pm = r m RTm = 5.33 �287 �293 �448000 Pa = 4.42atm
 (2) Flow around a body

A ping-pong ball weighs 2.6g and has a diameter of 3.8cm. It can be supported by
an air jet from a vacuum cleaner outlet, as in figure 1. For sea-level standard air,
what jet velocity is required? (CD=0.47)

Fig. 1

For sea-level air, take r =1.225kg/m3. The ball weight must balance its drag: W=D
Ball weight W=0.0026*9.81=0.0255N
2 2
r �d � 1.225 �0.038 � 2
Ball drag D = CD � V 2 �p � �= 0.47 � �V �p �
2
�= V �3.3 10 N
-4

2 �2 � 2 � 2 �
So V = 255 3.3 �9 m/s

(3) Race cars at the Indiapolis Speedway (altitude: 220m) average speeds of
185mi/h. Find the Mach number of these cars and estimate whether
compressibility might affect their aerodynamics.

At 220m, the sound speed is a=339.4 m/s (table A6)

Also V=185mi/h=82.7 m/s

Ma=V/a=0.24 < 0.3 so there is no worry about compressibility.