Applications of Navier-Stokes Equation

Plane Couette flow

Assume Vy  Vz  0
Vx
From continuity equation,  0  Vx  f  y  ( Vx  f  x   fully developed flow)
x
NSE
P  2Vx
x: 0     2   g x0
x y
P
y: 0     g y (gy = -g)
y
P
z: 0     gz0
z

y–component NSE shows that pressure in ‘y’ direction, where Vy  0 , is hydrostatic. In this problem,
flow is due to the shear stress imposed on the fluid by the moving plate and not by the pressure gradient.

P

0
x
 2V
 x – Comp NSE  2x  0
y

Integrating twice, we get Vx  C1 y  C2

y  0 : Vx  0  C2
BCs:
y  H : Vx  U  C1 H  C2
Uy  V Vy  Vx U
 Vx    yx    x      
H  y x  y H

Poiseuille flow
Assume Vr  V  0 (1)

CE
1  1  
0   rVr    V    Vz  (2)
r r r  Z

Vz
  0  Vz  f  z   fully developed flow (3)
z
Vz  f  r  (symmetry in  direction)

NSE
P
r :0     g sin  (4)
r
1 P
 :0     g cos  (5)
r 
P    Vz 
z :0    r  (6)
z r r  r 

Clearly Vz can be obtained by solving eqn. 6.

P
How do we evaluate the pressure term ?
z
Integrating eqn. 4: P    gr sin   f1  , z  (7)
Integrating eqn. 5: P    gr sin   f 2  r , z  (8)

From (7) and (8), one can conclude that

P    grSin  f3  z  (9)

P
 f3  z  (10)
z

Equation 6 can now be written as:

   Vz  P
r  (11)
r r  r  z

In equation 11, LHS  f  r  and RHS  f  z 

Since above is not possible  LHS  RHS  constant, which also satisfies eqns. 4, 5, 7 and 8.

P P
Assume:  , where P  pressure difference across the ends of the pipe, due to a pump.
z L

Integrating eqn. 6 twice, we get:

 1 P 2
Vz  r  C1 ln r  C2 (12)
4 L

Immediately by inspection, we can say that C1  0 , Vz   at r  0 , which is impossible.

1 P 2
BC: r  R : Vz  0  R  C2 (13)
4 L

R 2  P    r  
2

 Vz  r     1     (14)
4  L    R  

Note: P is Ve fluid flows from high pressure to low pressure.

1 𝑅 𝑅2 −∆𝑃
𝑉̅𝑧 = ∫0 𝑉𝑧 2𝜋𝑟𝑑𝑟 = ( ) (Hagen – Poiseuille equation)
𝜋𝑅2 8𝜇 𝐿

Wire coating

In the manufacture of coated wires, the wire is pulled through a bath of the coating liquid and then
through a die which “wipes” the liquid and leaves a coating of the desired thickness.

Objective: Rc  f  Rw , Rd , L,Vw  (1)

Because there is no accumulation of the coating liquid:

Volumetric flow rate of coating = constant (2)

QCW  Vw  Rc 2   Rw2   flow rate of coating on finished wire (3)

 Rd

QCL   Vz 2 rdr  Flow rate of coating liquid inside die (4)

Rw

From (1): QCW  QCL

Rd
⟹ Vw  RC   RW
2 2
   V  r  2 rdr
2 (5)
Rw

Rc can be obtained if we know Vz  f (r )

Assume Vr  V  0 (6)

Z – Comp of NSE in cylindrical coordinates inside die:

P  1 d  dVz  
 r  (7)
z  r dr  dr  

Here flow is not due to pressure gradient but due to shear stress exerted by the wire moving at Vw

P
⇒ 0 (8)
z

Integrating eqn. 7 twice we set:

Vz (r )  C1 nr  C2 (9)

In (9) C1 is not 0 because flow domain extend from r  Rw to r  Rd .

r  Rw : Vz  Vw  C1 nRw  C2 (10)
BCs
r  Rd : Vz  0  C1 nRd  C2 (11)

n(r / Rd )
 Vz ( r )  Vw (12)
n( Rw / Rd )

Substituting (12) in (5) and integrating, we get

1
  2
 R  Rw 
2 2
Rc   d  (13)
 2 n  Rd  
  Rw  
 V   V   Vw
Shear stress exerted by the wire  rz r  Rw     z    r    (14)
 r   z   r  Rw Rw n  w 
R
 Rd 
 2Vw L
 Force on wire surface  Fw  2 Rw L  rz |r  Rw  (15)
n  Rw Rd 

Torsional flow

Basis for commercial viscometers

Assume: (1) Ignore end effects at cylinder bottom and free surface.
(2) Assume vessel radius Rv R
(3) Only swirling flow, that is, Vr  Vz  0

From CE: V  f ( ) and V  f (r )

NSE
V 2 P
r:      g 0 (1)
r r

1 P  1  
θ: 0     g ro    (rV )  (2)
r  r  r r 
P
z: 0     gz (3)
z

Eqn. 1 says that centrifugal force is balanced by the pressure gradient in the r direction.

P
In eqn 2,  0 since flow is due to motion of cylinder.


Integrating eqn. 2 twice, we get:

1 C
V  C1r  2 (4)
2 r
Since Rv R we can assume that the fluid is unbounded.
Eqn. 4 states that at large r , V will because very large, which is physically not true 

C1  0 to ensure that V remains finite.

C
Using BC r  R : V  R  2 (5)
R
R 2
We get V  (6)
r
Torque

2
G   dG    r |r  R LRd  R (7)
0

   V  1 Vr 
Since  r     r     f ( ) (8)
 r  r  r  
Eqn. 7 becomes G   r |r  R 2 rL.R. (9)

Finally, we get

G  4 R 2 L (10)

Eqn. 10 can be used to determine viscosity by measuring G for different  in a system with
cylinder of known radius R.

Pressure Cavitation

Integrating eqn. 1, we get:


V2
P dr  f ( z ) P  f ( )
  gz (11)
0
r

 gz is the hydrostatic pressure far away from the rotating cylinder, where V  0 .

After substituting for V from eqn. 6 in eqn. 11 and integrating, we get:

 ( R 2)2  ( R 2 )2
P  Patm   gz   Po  (12)
2r 2 2r 2

Question: What happens to pressure at a given r (and of course z), if we keep on   ?

From eqn. 12,   P 

At a critical  , P will become lower than PVP  vapour pressure of liquid leading to CAVITATION.
Here vapour bubbles form that explode with great violence and can cause tremendous damage to the
cylinder where P is minimum.

Critical RPM for cavitation to occur:

2( Po  Pvp )
R  …………………………………. (12)

Assume: Po  105 Pa (ignore the effect of z)

For H2 O at RT, PVp  0.025 105 Pa

  1000kg | m3

 RCnt  14 m/s, which is achievable.