Transitional Reynolds Numbers

Laminar Transitional Turbulent

Flow in a pipe Rec < 2100

Falling film on flat Rec < 20 20 - 2000 > 2000

plate

Flow past a sphere Re < 0.1 0.1 < Re < 103 >2 x 105
Stokes Law Intermediate (*)
10 < Re < 2x105
3

Newton’s Law

* Definition of critical Rec number is arbitrary for convenience, it is taken as the Re at which C D reads
0.3 for turbulent free flow.

1 P D
f 
4 L 1 u 2
2

 
FK   R 2  1 2 u2 f
 Equation of Continuity (Cylindrical coordinates (r,q, z))

 1  1  

t r r
 rur  
r q
 uq    uz   0
z

Equation of Motion (Cylindrical coordinates (r,q, z))

z-component

 u u u u u  P
 z  ur z  q z  uz z   
 t r r q z  z

 1   u  1  2 u  2 u 
   r z   2 2z  2z   gz
 r r  r  r q z 

r-component*

 u u u u u2 u  P
  r  ur r  q r  q  uz r   
 t r r q r z  z

  1   1  u 2 u  u 
2 2
    rur    2 2r  2 q  2r   gr
 r  r r  r q r q z 

q-component

 u u u u u u u  1 P
 q  ur q  q q  r q  uz q   
 t r r q r z  r q

  1   1  u 2 u  u 
2 2
    ruq   2 2q  2 r  2q   gq
 r  r r  r q r q z 

· The term uq2 / r is the centrifugal force. It gives the effective force in the r-direction
resulting from fluid motion in the q-direction. This term arises automatically on
transformation from rectangular cylindrical coordinates; it does not have to be
added on physical grounds.
 Tangential Annular Flow

Case I - rotating horizontal flow in q-direction. Outer cylinder rotating à W 0

Wo

aR

R
Assumptions: steady state, incompressible, Laminar & Newtonian

Statements given using physical grounds:

· fluid moves in a circular pattern à uq
ur and uz à 0
· no pressure gradient in the q-direction à fluid elements move along symmetric paths
of constant velocity

From the continuity equation: 0=0 (all terms cancel out) or uq = constant.

q-component:
 1  
   ruq     0
 r  r r 
or
d 1 d 


dr r dr
 
ruq   0

r-component:
uq2 dP
 
r dr

where the term uq2 / r represents the centrifugal force: effective force in the r-direction
resulting from the motion in the q-direction and it balances with a pressure difference in r-
direction.

By inspection, the momentum equation in the q-component gives:

d
dr
 ruq   C1r and integrating:  d  ruq   C1  rdr

we obtain a general solution of the form:

 C1r C2
uq  
2 r
The boundary conditions are:
(1) at r = aR Þ uq = 0
(2) at r = R Þ uq = W qR

substituting (1) and (2) in the general solution we find the values of C1 and C2,
WR WR
C1   20 and C2  0
 aR 1 R

R R  aR 2
R
therefore (after some pages of algebra),
 aR r 
  
 r aR 
uq  W 0 R Velocity profile
 1
a  
 a

which indicates that the velocity profile is non-linear and is independent of viscosity – the
velocities are fixed at the boundaries. Note that once we have obtained the velocity
profile we can use the r-component of the momentum equation to get the pressure
distribution.

Shear stress distribution ?

From table 2.6 - cylindrical coordinates we get:

   u  1 ur     u 
rq   r  q      r  q  
 r  r  r r   r  r  
and we can apply the derivative to the velocity profile obtained before to give:
 1  a 
2
rq  2W 0 R 2  2   
 r   1  a2 
Finally, the torque required to turn the outer shaft may also be calculated as the product of
the force times the lever arm:
  2RL     rq  rR R
 a  2
 4LW 0  
 1  a2 

This is a reasonably good model for certain kinds of friction bearings and viscometers.