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MECH3261 - Flow Laboratory

1. Objective of the Experiments The experiments are designed to show you how ows around objects and boundary layers behave and to give you rst hand experience of pressure measurement. The rst demonstrates boundary layer development. The second gives quantitative measurements of the pressure prole around an ellipse at various angles to the ow. After performing these experiments you should have a clearer picture of the physics of the boundary layer and immersed body ow. 2. Wind Tunnel Experiment. Examine the elliptical object which is mounted in the wind tunnel exit, record the size of the major and minor axes and the locations of the pressure tappings. Switch on the wind tunnel and allow a steady ow to develop. Observe the manometer readings and determine the pressure variation around the ellipse, for dierent angles of attack between 0o and 90o . Change the orientation of the ellipse and note the change in manometer readings. Determine the ow speed of the air entering the test section, (i) using the pressure tappings in the tunnel and Bernoullis equation and (ii) from the stagnation pressure tappings at the leading edge of the body. Use this velocity to calculate a Reynolds number for the ow. 3. Hydrogen bubble apparatus. The hydrogen bubble ow bench has been set up to demonstrate the development of boundary layers in a duct. The boundary layer is a region near to a solid boundary in which the ow is slowed by friction with the boundary. The width of the boundary layer grows in the direction of ow, and the rate of growth depends on the laminar or turbulent state of the ow. The hydrogen bubbles give an indication of the ow velocity and the width of the boundary layer. For this experiment you should estimate the ow velocity by measuring the ow depth over the downstream weir and you should measure the boundary layer width at a number of downstream locations so that you can obtain the rate of growth of the boundary layer. 4. Reporting Use the sketches and notes you have made to write a short report (less than 4 pages of text) on the eect of obstacle shape and orientation and boundary layer growth on ow behaviour.

2 Wind Tunnel For each of the congurations you test you should determine the pressure drag on the elliptic cylinder in the direction of ow. To do this you will need to determine the component of the pressure force acting on each segment of the cylinder in the direction of ow, plot this and numerically integrate the graph to obtain the total pressure force in the direction of the ow. In your report you should present the graphs, the resultant drag force and a sketch of the streamlines of the ow for each of the congurations. Hydrogen Bubble Apparatus The boundary layer thickness for laminar ow is governed by the relation,
1/2 l = 4.65xRex

where x is the distance from the beginning of the boundary layer and Rex is the Reynolds number based on that distance. The boundary layer thickness for turbulent ow is governed by the relation,
1/5 l = 0.38xRex .

You should sketch the boundary layer on one wall of the duct and compare the rate of boundary layer growth to that predicted for laminar and turbulent ow. 5. Data The density of air is 1.2 kg m3 and the dynamic viscosity is 1.8 105 Pa.s. The wind tunnel dimensions are 0.6m 0.6 m at tap 1 and 0.3m 0.3 m at tap 2. The manometer is lled with water (containing Flourescien) with a density of 998 kg m3 . The hydrogen bubble apparatus contains water, the kinematic viscosity of water is 1 106 m2 s1 . The relation between ow depth y and velocity for ow over a weir with a control is, V = gy 6. References R.W. Fox and A.T. McDonald, Introduction to Fluid Mechanics, John Wiley and Sons, (2004). M.C. Potter and D.C. Wiggert, Mechanics of Fluids, Prentice-Hall, (1991). Engineering Fluid Mechanics, Graebel, Engineering Fluid Mechanics, Taylor and Francis, (2001). A.H. Shapiro, Shape and Flow. The uid dynamics of drag, Heinemann, London, (1970).