FALL 2010

MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
ME 305 FLUID MECHANICS I
GROUP 01
HOMEWORK 1

1. A flat plate is pulled to the right at a speed of 0.3 m/s, as shown in the figure. Oil
with a viscosity of 3 Pa s fills the space between the plate and the solid boundary.
The plate is 1 m long and 0.3 m wide. The spacing between the plate and solid
boundary is 2 mm. Find the force required to produce this motion.
(Ans. 135 N)

V = 0.3 m/s

2 mm Oil

Problem 1

2. Thin plate is pulled at a constant velocity of U0 through a very narrow gap of height
h, as shown in the figure. The upper side of the plate is filled with an oil of
viscosity, μ, while the lower side of the plate is filled with another oil of viscosity
2μ. Assuming that both oils are of Newtonian type, calculate the distance l so that
the force required to pull the plate is minimum. The pressure is constant
everywhere.
(Ans. 0.5858h)
 Oil of viscosity μ
h U0

l Oil of viscosity 2μ

Problem 2

3. Two Newtonian fluids, which do not mix, flow between two stationary flat plates
under the influence of a pressure gradient. The lower half is filled with liquid 1,
while the upper half is filled with liquid 2. The gap between the plates is 2 m. The
velocity profiles in the lower and upper halves are given as

u1 = 4 + Ay − 2.5 y 2 −1 ≤ y ≤ 0

u2 = B + Cy − 10 y 2 0 ≤ y ≤1

where A, B and C are constants.

a) Determine the values of the constants A, B and C.
b) Find the viscosity, μ2, of liquid 2, if the viscosity of liquid 1 is
μ1 = 4x10-3 Pa s
c) Determine the location where the shear stress is zero.
d) Determine the magnitude and direction of shear stresses applied by the
liquids on the lower and upper plates.
(Ans. a) 1.5, 4, 6, b) 1x10-3 Pa s, c) 0.3 m, d) 26x10-3 Pa, 14x10-3 Pa)

2
 y
u2 Liquid 2 1m
μ2 and ρ2
Interface x

u1 Liquid 1
1m
μ1 and ρ1

Problem 3

4. A square flat plate with each side being 0.8 m slides down a flat plate, which is
inclined by 200 to the horizontal, as shown in the figure. The thickness of the oil
film is 1 mm and the weight of the plate is 50 N. The viscosity of the oil is 0.6 Pa s.
Neglecting the effects at the edges of the plate, find the terminal speed of the plate.
Assume that the velocity profile is linear and the pressure is constant.
(Ans. 0.04453 m/s)

1 mm

200

Problem 4

5. A sleeve with a length of 0.5 m and a weight of 5 N slides down a vertical rod with
a diameter of 0.03 m, as shown in the figure. The radial clearance of 1 mm is
uniform and it is filled with an oil of viscosity 0.1 Pa s. Assuming linear velocity
profile, determine the velocity of the sleeve.
(Ans. 0.9947 m/s)

3
 1 mm

Rod Sleeve
0.5 m

0.03 m

Problem 5

QUIZ 1 BASED ON THIS HOMEWORK WILL BE GIVEN DURING THE

THIRD WEEK (OCTOBER 11 -15, 2010)