CHAP 5.

DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS , SIMILARITY AND

MODELING

5.1 INTRODUCTION

In this chapter we discuss the planning, presentation, and interpretation of

experimental data. We shall try to show that such data are best presented in
dimensionless form. Experiments which might result in tables of output, or even
multiple volumes of tables, might be reduced to a single set of curves—or even a
single curve—when suitably nondimensionalized. The technique for doing this is
dimensional analysis.
analytical techniques are limited to fairly simple geometries and well defined
boundary conditions. Probably one-third of fluid-flow problems can be attacked in
analytical or theoretical manner.
The other two-thirds of all fluid problems are too complex, both geometrically and
physically, to be solved analytically. They must be tested by experiment. Their
behavior is reported as experimental data.

Basically, dimensional analysis is a method for reducing the number and

complexity of experimental variables

dimensional analysis has several side benefits. The first is enormous savings in
time and money.
A second side benefit of dimensional analysis is that it helps our thinking and
planning for an experiment or theory.

A third benefit is that dimensional analysis provides scaling laws which can
convert data from a cheap, small model to design information for an expensive,
large prototype.

5–2 DIMENSIONS AND UNITS

A dimension is a measure of a physical quantity (without numerical values), while

a unit is a way to assign a number to that dimension. For example, length is a
dimension that is measured in units such as microns (µm), feet (ft), centimeters
(cm), meters (m), kilometers (km), etc. There are seven primary dimensions (also
called fundamental or basic dimensions)—mass, length, time, temperature, electric
current, amount of light, and amount of matter. All nonprimary dimensions can be
formed by some combination of the seven primary dimensions.

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5-3 DIMENSIONAL HOMOGENEITY

All theoretically derived equations are dimensionally homogeneous—that is, the

dimensions of the left side of the equation must be the same as those on the right
side, and all additive separate terms must have the same dimensions. make sense.
For example, the equation for the velocity, V, of a uniformly accelerated body is

In terms of dimensions the equation is

a qualitative description of physical quantities can be given in terms of basic

dimensions such as mass, M, length, L, and time T, Alternatively, we could use
force, F, L, and T as basic dimensions, since from Newton’s second law

for example
In FLT dimensions

and in MLT dimensions

5-4 BUCKINGHAM PI THEOREM

There are several methods that have been developed to generate the
nondimensional parameters, but the most popular (and simplest) method is the
method of repeating variables, popularized by Edgar Buckingham (1867–1940).

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"If an equation involving k variables is dimensionally homogeneous, it can be
reduced to a relationship among k-r independent dimensionless products, where r is
the minimum number of reference dimensions required to describe the variables."

Essentially we assume that for any physically meaningful equation involving

k variables, such as

It then follows that we can rearrange the equation into a set of dimensionless
products (pi terms) so that

The steps to be followed in performing a dimensional analysis using the

method of repeating variables are as follows:

Step 1. List all the variables that are involved in the problem.
Step 2. Express each of the variables in terms of basic dimensions.
Step 3. Determine the required number of pi terms (n=k-r).
Step 4. Select a number of repeating variables, where the number required is equal
to the number of reference dimensions (usually the same as the number of basic
dimensions).
Step 5. Form a pi term by multiplying one of the nonrepeating variables by the
product of repeating variables each raised to an exponent that will make the
combination
dimensionless.
Step 6. Repeat Step 5 for each of the remaining nonrepeating variables.
Step 7. Check all the resulting pi terms to make sure they are dimensionless.
Step 8. Express the final form as a relationship among the pi terms and think about
what it means.

Example
To illustrate these various steps we consider the problem which concerns with the
steady flow of an incompressible Newtonian fluid through a long, smooth-walled,
horizontal circular pipe.
We are interested in the pressure drop per unit length, ∆pℓ along the pipe.

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Step 1 : list all of the pertinent variables that are involved based on the
experimenter’s knowledge of the problem. In this problem we assume

where D is the pipe diameter, ρ andµ are the fluid density and viscosity,
respectively, and V is the mean velocity.

Step 2 : express all the variables in terms of basic dimensions. Using F,L, and T as
basic dimensions it follows that

Step3: There are five variables(k=5) and three required reference dimensions(r=3)
then according to the pi theorem there will be(n=k-r=5-3=2) or two pi terms
required.

step4: we would try to select from repeating variables those that are the simplest,
dimensionally. we will use D,V, and ρ as repeating variables.

step5: We are now ready to form the two pi terms

Since this combination is to be dimensionless, it follows that

The exponents, a, b, and c must be determined

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It follows that a=1, b=-2, c=-1 and, therefore,

step6: The process is now repeated for the remaining nonrepeating variables. In
this example there is only one additional variable (µ) so that

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step7: At this point make sure the pi terms are actually dimensionless. We will
check using both FLT and MLT dimensions.

step8: Finally, we can express the result of the dimensional analysis as

or

In the fig. below , an illustrative plot of pressure drop data using dimensionless
parameters .

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5-5 COMMON DIMENSIONLESS GROUPS IN FLUID MECHANICS

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5-6 MODELING AND SIMILITUDE
Major engineering projects involving structures, aircraft, ships, rivers, harbors,
dams, air and water pollution, and so on, frequently involve the use of models. A
model is a representation of a physical system that may be used to predict the
behavior of the system in some desired respect. The physical system for which the
predictions are to be made is called the prototype.

The theory of models can be readily developed by using the principles of

dimensional analysis. It has been shown that any given problem can be described
in terms of a set of pi terms as

If the above Eq. describes the behavior of a particular prototype, a similar

relationship can be written for a model of this prototype; that is,

Where the form of the function will be the same as long as the same phenomenon
is involved in both the prototype and the model.

Therefore, if the model is designed and operated under the following conditions,

It follows that

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The conditions specified above provide the model design conditions, also called
similarity requirements or modeling laws.

example
consider the problem of determining the drag, on a thin rectangular plate placed
normal to a fluid with velocity, V. The dimensional analysis of this problem was
assumed that

.................1

Application of the pi theorem yielded

..................2

We are now concerned with designing a model that could be used to predict the
drag on a certain prototype.
Since the relationship expressed by Eq.2 applies to both prototype and model, then
for the model is given by:

The model design conditions, or similarity requirements, are therefore

The size of the model is obtained from the first requirement which indicates that

We are free to establish the height ratio but then the model plate width, is fixed .

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The second similarity requirement indicates that the model and prototype must be
operated at the same Reynolds number.
Thus, the required velocity for the model is obtained from the relationship

With the foregoing similarity requirements satisfied, the prediction equation for the
drag is

or

Generally, as is illustrated in this example, to achieve similarity between model

and prototype behavior, all the corresponding pi terms must be equated between
model and prototype.

example

A long structural component of a bridge has the cross section shown in Fig. It is
known that when a steady wind blows past this type of bluff body, vortices may
develop on the downwind side that are shed in a regular fashion at some definite
frequency. Since these vortices can create harmful periodic forces acting on the
structure, it is important to determine the shedding frequency. For the specific
structure of interest, D=0.1 m , H=0.3 m and a representative wind velocity is 50
km/hr. Standard air can be assumed. The shedding frequency is to be determined
through the use of a small-scale model that is to be tested in a water tunnel. For the
model Dm=20 mm and the water temperature is 20℃ . Determine the model
dimension, Hm and the velocity at which the test should be performed. If the
shedding frequency for the model is found to be 49.9 Hz, what is the
corresponding frequency for the prototype?
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Since there are six variables and three reference dimensions (MLT), three pi terms
are required. Application of the pi theorem yields

to maintain similarity between model and prototype

and

From the first similarity requirement

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The second similarity requirement

and the predicted prototype vortex shedding frequency is

Notes:
1-The requirement of geometric similarity

2-Flow Around Immersed Bodies study the flow characteristics associated with
bodies that are completely immersed in a moving fluid. Examples include flow
around aircraft, automobiles, golf balls, and buildings. geometric and Reynolds
number similarity is required.
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List the dimensions of each variable according to {MLT} or {FLT} is given in this Table

3-Flows in canals, rivers, spillways, and stilling basins, as well as flow around
ships, are all examples of flow phenomena involving a free surface. For this
class of problems, both gravitational and inertial forces are important and,
therefore, the geometric similarity and Froude number becomes an important
similarity parameter. Thus a general formulation for problems involving flow with
a free surface can be expressed as

3-For flow in closed conduits, any dependent pi term can be expressed as

where geometric and Reynolds number similarity is required.

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