Practice Problems: Aerodynamics

Control Volumes

Problem – you must be able to do these to pass the unit

Problem – if you can´t do these you may not pass the unit.
Problem – if you can do these you´ll do very well in the unit.

Problem 1: The pipe cross-sectional area and flow speed at the inlet and the outlet are the same and equal
to A and U, respectively for incompressible flow into a 180o bend. Assume the velocity is constant on all
cross sections. At the inlet and outlet, determine n, u · n, and ∬ 𝜌𝜌𝜌𝜌(𝑢𝑢 ∙ 𝑛𝑛)𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑

Problem 2: Compute the net pressure force exerted by the surroundings on the pipe shown. The control
volume shown lies entirely outside of the pipe where the pressure is equal to its atmospheric value, 𝑝𝑝𝑎𝑎 ,
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everywhere except at the inlet where it is 𝑝𝑝𝑎𝑎 . Assume pressure is constant on all pipe cross sections.
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Problem 3: Consider the branching pipe of circular cross section shown. Using the indicated control
volume, compute the unit normals, n1, n2 and n3, the normal velocities, u1 · n1, u2 · n2 and u3 · n3, the
volume fluxes, u1 · n1A1, u2 · n2A2 and u3 · n3A3 and the net pressure force exerted by the surroundings on
the control volume, F, where the Ai are cross-sectional areas.
Practice Problems: Aerodynamics
Problem 4: A cylindrical tank of diameter D is supplied with an incompressible fluid of density ρ by a
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pipe of diameter 𝑑𝑑 = 𝐷𝐷 and velocity U. Fluid leaves the tank through another horizontal pipe of
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1 1
diameter 𝑑𝑑ℎ = 𝐷𝐷 and a vertical pipe of diameter 𝑑𝑑𝑣𝑣 = 𝐷𝐷 . If the water level does not change with
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1
time and the velocity in the horizontal pipe is 𝑈𝑈ℎ = 𝑈𝑈 , what is the velocity in the vertical pipe, 𝑈𝑈𝑣𝑣 ?
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Problem 5: Consider steady, incompressible flow with density ρ into a 180o bend. The pipe diameter is
constant so that 𝐷𝐷1 = 𝐷𝐷2 = 𝐷𝐷. The pressure at both Sections 1 and 2 is 𝑝𝑝𝑎𝑎 + ∆𝑝𝑝, where 𝑝𝑝𝑎𝑎 is
atmospheric pressure. Body forces can be ignored. What is, F, the force exerted by the fluid on the
portion of the pipe between Sections 1 and 2 as a function of ∆𝑝𝑝, ρ, 𝑈𝑈1 and 𝐷𝐷? Do conditions at Sections
1 and 2 satisfy Bernoulli’s equation?

Problem 6: The figure illustrates a jet pump. At Section 1, a high-speed jet of fluid is injected into a
uniform flow of velocity 𝑈𝑈1 in a duct of area A. The fluid mixes and, at Section 2, returns to nominally
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uniform flow with velocity 𝑈𝑈2 . If the jet velocity is 𝑈𝑈𝑗𝑗 = 16𝑈𝑈1 and the jet area is 𝐴𝐴𝑗𝑗 = 𝐴𝐴, what is the
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velocity at Section 2? Assume the flow is steady and incompressible with density ρ.

Problem 7: Methanol at 20o C flows steadily with a mass flow rate 𝑚𝑚 ̇ = 25 kg/sec through the nozzle
shown. What are the average velocities U and u if the diameters are 𝑑𝑑 = 6 cm and 𝐷𝐷 = 20 cm?
Practice Problems: Aerodynamics
Problem 8: An incompressible fluid of density ρ flows in a duct with velocity U and area A as shown.
Fluid of the same density is injected with velocity 2U from the upper duct wall. Assume the flow is
steady, and neglect effects of gravity and viscosity. If all flow properties are constant on cross sections,
compute the pressure difference between points 1 and 2. NOTE: 𝑈𝑈2 is not given, you must solve for it.

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Problem 9: A subway train has a cross-sectional area, 𝐴𝐴𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 = 𝐴𝐴, where 𝑨𝑨 is the area of the tunnel
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through which it moves. The train is traveling at constant velocity U. What is the average velocity, u,
between the train and the tunnel walls in the indicated direction? Use a moving control volume to solve.

Problem 10: A hover craft has two air compressors, neither of which draws any air from the
surroundings. One compressor supplies a large number of small hover jets with vertical velocity
downward of magnitude 𝑤𝑤𝑒𝑒 that provide a mass-flow 𝑚𝑚̇1 = 𝜌𝜌𝑤𝑤𝑒𝑒 𝐴𝐴ℎ , where 𝜌𝜌 is air density and 𝐴𝐴ℎ is the
total area of the hover jets. The other compressor supplies a horizontal jet with velocity relative to the
hover craft, ����⃗
𝑢𝑢𝑒𝑒 = −𝑢𝑢𝑒𝑒 𝚤𝚤⃗ and mass-flow rate 𝑚𝑚̇2 = 𝜌𝜌𝑤𝑤𝑒𝑒 𝐴𝐴𝑒𝑒 , where 𝐴𝐴𝑒𝑒 is the area of the jet. The flow is
incompressible and flow through the compressors is steady as observed from within the hover craft.
Ignoring both pressure variations around the hover craft’s surface and buoyancy effects on the air flow,
determine the equations of motion for mass and x momentum. Express your answers for 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑�𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 and
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
𝑀𝑀 in terms of 𝑚𝑚̇1 , 𝑚𝑚̇2 and any pertinent velocities, where 𝑀𝑀(𝑡𝑡) is the mass of the hover craft and the
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
air remaining in the compressors.