SCHOOL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

UNIVERSITI SAINS MALAYSIA

EKC314: Transport Phenomena (MHU)
(Questions on Chapter 2 and Chapter 3)

Answer all questions.

Question 1

Rederive the velocity profile and the average velocity given by

· ³ x ´2 ¸
ρgδ 2 cos β
vz = 1−
2µ δ

in z-direction by replacing x by a coordinate x̄ measured away from the wall, that is

x̄ = 0 is the wall surface and x̄ = δ is the liquid-gas interface. Show that the velocity
distribution is then given by;
µ ¶· ¸
ρgδ 2 x̄ 1 ³ x̄ ´2
vz = −
µ δ 2 δ

and then use this to get the average velocity. Show how one can get the second equation
above using the first one by making the change of variable.

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Question 2

z
Velocity distribution
inside the tube
Velocity distribution
outside the film

∆r

z-momentum into z-momentum out of

shell of thickness ∆r shell of thickness ∆r

Gravity force acting

on the volume 2πr∆rL
CL R
aR

In a gas absorption experiment (refer to the above figure), a viscous fluid flows upward
through a small circular tube and downward in laminar flow on the outside. Set up a
momentum balance over a shell of thickness ∆r in the film as shown below. Note that the
momentum IN and momentum OUT arrows are always taken in the positive coordinate
direction, even though in this problem the momentum is flowing through the cylindrical
surfaces in the negative r direction.
(a) Show that the velocity distribution in the falling film (neglecting end effects) is given
by; ·
ρgR2 ³ r ´2 ³ r ´¸
2
vz = 1− + 2a ln
4µ R R
(b) Obtain an expression for the mass rate of flow in the film.
(c) Show that the result in (b) simplifies to
Z WZ δ
ρ2 gW δ 3 cos β
ṁ = ρvz dxdy = ρW δhvz i =
0 0 3µ
if the film thickness is very small.

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Question 3

Fluid IN

y W
x

z L

2B

Fluid OUT

(a) A Newtonian fluid is in laminar flow in a narrow slit formed by two parallel walls a
distance 2B apart. It is understood that B ¿ W so that edge effect are unimpor-
tant. Make a differential momentum balance and obtain the following expressions
for the momentum-flux and velocity distribution:
µ ¶
P0 − PL
τxz = x
L
· ³ x ´2 ¸
(P0 − PL )B 2
vz = 1−
2µL B
In the expressions P = p + ρgh = p − ρgz

(b) What is the ratio of the average velocity to the maximum velocity of this flow?

(c) Obtain the slit analogue of the Hagen-Poiseuille equation.

(d) Draw a meaningful sketch to show why the above analysis is inapplicable if B = W .

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Question 4

2 0 in
L =1 A

θ h = L sinθ
B
Water F

C
H = 1.0 in
D E
CCl4

From the given flow meter below, determine the rate of flow in lbm /hr through the cap-
illary. The fluid in the inclined tube is water at 20◦ C and the manometer fluid is carbon
tetrachloride (CCl4 ) with density 1.594 g/cm3 . The capillary diameter is 0.010 in. Mea-
surement of H and L are sufficient to calculate the flow rate; θ need not be measured.

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Question 5

An incompressible fluid flows through a tube of circular cross section, for which the tube
radius changes linearly from R0 at the tube entrance to a slightly smaller value RL at
the tube exit. Assume that the Hagen-Poiseuille equation is approximately valid over a
differential length, dz, of the tube so that the mass flow rate is given by;
µ ¶
π[R(z)]4 ρ dP
ṁ = −
8µ dz
This is a differential equation for P as a function of z but, when the explicit expression
for R(z) is inserted, it is not easily solved.
(a) Write down the expression for R as a function of z.

(b) Change the independent variable in the above equation to R, so that it becomes;
µ ¶µ ¶
πR4 ρ dP RL − R0
ṁ = −
8µ dR L

Question 6

R
κR

Cylindrical slug H
descends with
speed v0

Cylindrical container
z filled with fluid

y
x

As shown in the figure above, A falling cylinder viscometer consists of a long vertical
container of radius R capped at both ends with solid cylindrical slug of radius κR. The
slug is equipped with fins so that its axis is coincident with that of the tube.
One can observe the rate of descent of the slug in the cylindrical container when the
latter is filled with fluid. Find an equation that gives the viscosity of the fluid in terms
of the terminal velocity v0 of the slug.

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 (a) Show that the velocity distribution in the annular slit is given by;

vz (1 − ξ 2 ) − (1 − κ2 ) ln 1/ξ
=−
v0 (1 − ξ 2 ) − (1 − κ2 ) ln 1/κ
r
in which ξ = R
is a dimensionless radial coordinate.

(b) Make s force balance on the cylindrical slug and obtain;

·µ ¶ µ ¶¸
(ρ0 − ρ)g(κR)2 1 1 − κ2
µ= ln −
6v0 κ 1 + κ2

in which ρ and ρ0 are the densities of the fluid and the slug respectively.

Question 7

One type of compact heat exchanger is shown below. In order to analyse the performance
of such an apparatus, it is necessary to understand the flow in a duct whose cross section
is an equilateral triangle. This is done most easily by installing a coordinate system as
shown in the the following figure.

(a) Verify that the velocity distribution for the laminar flow of a Newtonian fluid in a
duct of this type is given by;

(P0 − PL )
vz = (y − H)(3x2 − y 2 )
4µLH

(b) From the above equation, find the average velocity, maximum velocity and mass
flow rate of the given velocity.

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Question 8

State the overall momentum balance and using this balance and the figure given above,
show that the Navier-Stokes equation of the form;
· ¸ · 2 ¸
∂vx ∂vx ∂vx ∂vx ∂ vx ∂ 2 vx ∂ 2 vx ∂p
ρ + vx + vy + vz =µ 2
+ 2
+ 2
− + ρgx
∂t ∂x ∂y ∂z ∂x ∂y ∂z ∂x

in the x-direction can be obtained. Based on the form above, write similar equations in
y and z-directions.