Fuid Mechanics

Problem Solving on the Navier-

Stokes Equation
Problem 1
A film of oil with a flow rate of 10-3 m2/s per unit width flows over an inclined plane wall that
makes an angle of 30 degrees with respect to the horizontal. The width of the oil film is
unknown. The density of the oil is =900 kg/m3 and its absolute viscosity 0.42 kg/(ms).

Let us consider a zone over the inclined ramp where the flow can be taken as fully developed
(i.e. where the velocity does not change with the longitudinal direction) and the influence of
the lateral walls can be assumed as neglegible, i.e., assume a very wide oil film so that there is
an extended central area where the lateral walls effects are irrelevant.

The oil free surface is in contact to the atmosphere; neglect the viscous stresses between the
oil and the air and assume an hydrostatic pressure distribution in the surrounding atmosphere.
The air density is .

Note that this problem has an easier solution in a coordinate system connected to the ramp.

1. Write down the oil mass balance equation and simplify it. Based on the simplified
equation determine the velocity component perpendicular to the plate.
2. Does the oil film width vary along the ramp?
3. Write down the oil momentum equation and simplify it. Do not forget gravity; do not
include yet the boundary conditions.
4. What is the proper boundary condition for the pressure?
5. Compute the pressure in the film in two points over the same cross section, relative to
the pressure in the oil free surface in that cross section.
6. Does the longitudinal component of the pressure gradient changes in the oil film?
 7. Compute an expression for the longitudinal velocity u(x,y) as a function of . State the
necessary boundary conditions.
8. Compute the film width and the maximum velocity in the oil.

Solutions
In a coordinate system fixed to the ramp (x is the longitudinal descending direction and y the
distance to the ramp), the fully developed assumption means . Based on a 2D
incompressible flow continuity equation simplifies to , where is the velocity
component. Integrating this equation for constant (i.e. in a cross section) and introducing the
impermeability condition of the ramp we get ( ) everywhere.

Therefore, also for the component of the velocity is zero and therefore the film width
does not change. The momentum equation after simplification is

where ( ), ( ) and g is the modulus of gravity acceleration.

As u does not change with x or the time t, the partial derivative can be replaced by the
total derivative .

The boundary condition for the pressure is the pressure at the free-surface of the oil film:
( ) ( ) , where is the vertical level. The vertical gradient of this pressure is
and the longitudinal gradient is ( ).

Integrating perpendicularly to the plate (at constant x) one gets: ( ) ( )

( ) ( ) .

As already seen the longitudinal gradient is uniform in the oil free-surface; on the
other hand, does not change with . Thus is uniform everywhere in the oil film
and may be written as .
The momentum equation along after replacing the pressure longitudinal gradient
and results in:

( ) ( ).

Integrating twice with respect to : ( ) , where and are

integration constants. The boundary conditions for this problem are the non-slip condition in
the wall: ( ) and the condition of zero viscous stress at the oil free surface
( ) ( ) . The solution is and ( ) ( ) ,
from what it turns out:

( ) ( )( ) .

The oil flow rate per unit width is

( )
( ) ,

from what results m, .