MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

2.06 Fluid Dynamics

PROBLEM SET #1, Spring Term 2013
Issued: Thursday, April 4, 2013

Due: Thursday, April 11, 2013, 1:05 PM

Objective: The goals of this Problem Set are to (i) learn about fluid statics, pressure forces, and
buoyancy forces (ii) apply these concepts to simple fluidic engineering systems.
Problem 0: Please read chapter 2 in White.
Problem 1: Shorter Concept Questions
i. Hydrostatics

The system above is open to atmospheric pressure (105 Pa) on its right side.
a) If L=120 cm, what is the air pressure in container A?
b) Conversely, if pA = 135 kPa, what is the length L? Assume the density of water and
mercury are 1,000 kg/m3 and 13,560 kg/m3, respectively.
ii. Some of you may have noticed that dams are much thicker at their bottom (e.g. see prob. 2).
For example, in the Hoover dam example we considered in the class the thickness of the
dam at the top is about 45 feet while the thickness at the bottom is about 660 feet. Can you
explain why dams are built that way?
iii. A 10-kg hollow copper ball, a 10-kg solid copper ball and a 10-kg solid copper cube are
submerged in a liquid. Will the buoyancy forces acting on these three bodies be the same or
different? Explain and justify your answer quantitatively.

Page 1 of 3

Problem 2

An L- shaped gate can rotate about a hinge pin located at its vertex as shown in the figure above.
As the water rises, the depth of the hinge pin, h, will reach a critical height hc and the gate will
open. If the length of the lower horizontal arm is 1 m, please find the critical height hc. (Please
neglect the weight of the gate.)
Problem 3

A concrete dam (concrete=2500 kg/m3) of triangular cross-section spans 100 m into the page (i.e.,
the wetted-area of the dam is 100 m (the length of AB) 100 m (the width into the page) ) in a
reservoir as shown above.
a) Please calculate the total force on the dam due to the water and its direction
b) Can this force tip the dam over? Please assume that the dry concrete-bedrock joint is
capable of sustaining only negligible tensile stresses and very large compressional
stresses. (Hint: What is the sign and magnitude of the moment about point C?)
c) Suppose there is seepage of water between the concrete and the bedrock (along line AC).
To what percentage of the length of line AC can water uniformly seep without the dam
tipping?

Page 2 of 3

Problem 4
Boom

h1

R
Oil
A
Oil

h2

A
Water

Top View

Water
Side View (Section A-A)

Consider a semi-circular boom of radius R that is deployed to contain oil spill near a dock as
shown above. The boom floats on the water and acts as barrier for the spreading oil. The oil has a
density o and water has density w (o < w). If a volume V of the oil is spilled, calculate:
a)
The elevation h1 of the top surface and the depth h2 of the bottom surface of the
contained oil relative to the water surface outside the boom
b)
The forces exerted by the boom on the dock
Problem 5
Consider two glasses of water with cross-sectional area AG = 10 cm2 and a height of hG = 20 cm
(see figure). In one of them we place an ice cube of cross-sectional area Ai = 2.5 cm2 and height
hia=10 cm. In the other we place an ice block of cross-sectional area Ai = 2.5cm2 and height hib =
40 cm. In both glasses the initial height of water is hw = 15cm. The density of water is w =
1000kg/m3 and that of ice i = 916.6kg/m3.
a) Determine if block a
floats and block b rests at
the bottom (Hint: calculate
the different forces acting
on the ice in the vertical
direction in each case).
b) We now let the ice melt.
Calculate the water height
in both cases after the ice
melts.
c) What is the implication for
potential melting of the ice
in the Arctic vs. the
Antarctic?
Page 3 of 3

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MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

2.06 Fluid Dynamics

PROBLEM SET #2, Spring Term 2013
Issued: Thursday, April 11, 2013

Due: Thursday, April 18, 2013, 1:05 PM

Objective: The goal of this Problem Set is to utilize concepts of fluid hydrostatics, pressure
forces, buoyancy forces and surface tension in fluid engineering systems.
Problem 0: Please read chapter 2 in White.
Problem 1: Shorter Concept Questions
i. A balloon filled with helium at a pressure of Phe = 1.3 x 105 Pa is attached by a string to the
bottom of the MBTA train at the Kendall station. The diameter of the balloon is d = 40 cm.
The train now accelerates to the right with a constant acceleration of a = 5 m/s2. The density
of the air at ambient temperature in the train is measured to be 1.2 kg/m3. You can neglect
the mass of the balloon and that of the string.
a. Please determine the horizontal and vertical forces acting on the balloon once the train
has just accelerated and resulting air pressure gradients are established.
b. What is the angle of inclination of the balloon with respect to the vertical at that time?
c. Does the balloon lean to the left or to the right?

ii. Consider a heavy van submerged in water in a lake with a perfectly flat bottom. The drivers
side door of the van is 2 m high and 1 m wide. The top edge of the door is 5 m below the
water surface. Determine the net force acting on the door (normal to its surface) in two
cases: (i) the van is well-sealed and contains air at atmospheric pressure (105 Pa), and ii), the
van is filled with water. Assume the density of water is 1000 kg/m3.

iii. Consider an air bubble of diameter 0.01 mm that is trapped at a depth of 1m in a water
column. The density of water is 1000 kg/m3. If the interfacial tension of the air-water
interface is 0.072 N/m what is the pressure inside the air bubble. Will the pressure inside the
bubble be greater or less than outside the bubble. The ambient pressure is 101.325 kPa.
What is the maximum radius of a bubble that can be stable at this depth without breaking
into smaller bubbles?

Page 1 of 5

Problem 2

A salvage operation is underway to raise a sunken frigate of mass M from a depth H on the
ocean floor. This is to be accomplished by attaching a floatation device (an inflatable balloon in
this case) to the frigate and filling it with air pumped down from the surface. The density of the
ocean water can be assumed constant and equal to w and the average density of the materials of
which the frigate is composed is f (>w). The air in the balloon can be treated as an ideal gas
(gas constant R) and is in good thermal contact with the ocean water at temperature T. The mass
of the balloon is Mb and the volume of the materials from which it is made is Vmb. You may
assume that even when fully inflated, the vertical dimension of the balloon is small compared to
H, and that the air pressure equals the water pressure at the same depth.
a) What is the volume of the balloon, Vb at the instant the frigate begins to rise from the
ocean floor? You may neglect the gravitational forces on the gas in the balloon.
b) Find an expression for the mass of air, Mair, that has been pumped into the balloon for
the conditions in part a). (Hint: Ideal gas law is PV = mRT where m is the mass of an
ideal gas)
c) Will it be necessary to add air to the balloon as it rises, in order to bring the frigate to the
surface? Why or why not?

Page 2 of 5

Problem 3

An inventor proposes to generate power from the tidal rise and fall of the ocean surface by
linking a float to an electric generator. The proposed device is sketched in the figure above. A
cylindrical tank of diameter D = 20 m and height H = 15 m is attached to a lever that causes the
armature of an electric generator to rotate as the tank rises and falls with the level of the ocean.
The density of ocean water is = 1030 kg/m3.
It is proposed that at low tide the float and lever will be locked at its equilibrium position where
the buoyant force of the water is balanced by the gravity force on the float (neglecting the gravity
force on the lever). At this point, the float is half submerged as shown in the sketch above. The
tide rises h = 5 m over the next six hours and at high tide the device is unlocked. The extra force
on the float pushes it upward actuating the generating station and causing the generator to
generate electricity. The electric generator and the float have been matched so that the float rises
slowly when the float is unlocked. (Why?) When the float has risen a distance h, the extra
buoyant force will have returned to zero and no more power can be generated. At this point, the
apparatus is locked in place until the tide has returned to its low tide level when the second half
of the power generation cycle is completed.
a) Please calculate the force F0 exerted by the float on the lever at high tide just before the
lever is released.
b) Please derive an expression for the force F(z) exerted by the float when it has risen slowly
a distance z from its initial position.
c) Calculate the energy E generated by the electric generator (assumed 100% efficient)
during the process of the float rising through the distance h.
d) Derive an expression for the total energy Et produced in one tidal cycle.
e) What is the average daily power output of this plant? How does this compare to a 21MW
power plant (a combined cycle, i.e. gas + steam, with co-generation, see
http://cogen.mit.edu/ and http://cogen.mit.edu/ctg.cfm)
f) Studying how your answer in d) varies with the variables of the problem, provide two
ways by which you could increase the power of the inventors tide-based plant.

Page 3 of 5

Problem 4: U-tube Accelerometer (Adapted from F. White)

(a) Here we will show how a U-tube filled with liquid can be used to make a cheap
accelerometer. Consider a U-tube filled with a liquid density as shown in the above figure. The
U-tube is being accelerated to the right at a m/s2. Express the acceleration a in terms of the
height h the fluid reaches above static level in the left leg and other geometric parameters of the
tube.
(b) Suppose the U-tube of the above figure is not translated but rotated about the left leg at an
angular velocity rad/s. Express the angular velocity in terms of the height h (above the static
fluid level) of the right leg and other geometric parameters of the tube.

Problem 5: Soap bubble

Consider a soap bubble of radius R and film thickness t as shown above. The liquid-air surface
tension is and density of the liquid is . What is the pressure Pi inside the soap bubble if the
outside pressure is Po?
Page 4 of 5

Problem 6: (from White)

A soap bubble of diameter D1 coalesces with another bubble of diameter D2 to form a single
bubble of diameter D3 with the same volume of air. The ambient pressure is Po and the liquid-air
surface tension is . Assume an isothermal process (i.e., temperature is constant), derive an
expression for finding D3 as a function of D1, D2, Po, and .

Problem 7: Thin liquid film

A drop of liquid of volume V is squeezed between two parallel smooth surfaces. These surfaces
are non-wetting to the liquid (for example consider mercury being squeezed between two glass
slides). The liquid is squeezed until the thickness of the liquid layer t is very small compared to
the radius a of the liquid. The three phase contact angle is and liquid-air surface tension is .
Gravity effects can be neglected.
(a) Derive an expression for the force F required to hold the plates in position
(b) For case of complete non-wetting (i.e., = 180 degrees), what would be a force required to
hold a 2 mm3 drop of mercury (surface tension 0.48 N/m) squeezed into a disc of radius a =2cm?

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MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

2.06 Fluid Dynamics

PROBLEM SET #3, Spring Term 2013
Issued: Thursday, April 25, 2013

Due: Thursday, May 2, 2013, 1:05 PM

Topics: Mass Conservation, Momentum Equation

Readings: White Chapter 3
Problem 1 Shorter problems
a) If a device has one inlet and one outlet, do the mass flow rates have to be equal? Explain.
b) Air, modeled as an ideal gas (R=287 J/kg K), flows at a steady rate through a horizontal pipe
of constant circular cross-sectional area. The temperature of the air is constant at Tair = 25C all
5
2
along the flow direction. At point A, the pressure is PA = 3 x 10 N/m and the bulk mean
5
2
velocity is VA = 100 m/sec. At point B the pressure is PB = 2 x 10 N/m . What is the bulk mean
velocity at B?
c) A large water tank has a small orifice on its bottom. The cross-sectional area of the jet
emerging from the orifice (at x=0) is A0. The level of the water in the tank is kept at a constant
level (h) by continuously filling the tank. Please find an expression for the cross-sectional area
A as a function of the distance away from the bottom surface of the tank x and explain this
qualitatively. Please assume that water is inviscid and that surface tension effects may be
neglected.

Page 1 of 3

Problem 2 Shorter problems

a) A fire hose ejects water (=1000 kg/m3) through the nozzle of diameter 3 cm at a velocity of
30 m/s. The stream is directed at a stationary wall. Please determine the net force felt by the
wall due to the stream. (Note that without the stream the wall would still feel a force due to
atmospheric pressure.)

b) As shown in the sketch below, a hopper dumps sand on to a moving belt at the rate of 65 kg/s.
The belt carries the sand a short distance and then drops it off the end of the belt and into a
waiting truck. The drive wheels are 80 cm in diameter and rotate clockwise at 150 rev/min.
Neglecting friction and air drag, estimate the power required to drive the belt.

c) Two firefighters are fighting a fire with identical water hoses and nozzles, except that one is
holding the hose straight so that the water leaves the nozzle in the same direction it enters the
hose, while the other holds it backward so that the water makes a U turn before being discharged.
Which firefighter (if any) will experience a greater reaction force? Explain.

Page 2 of 3

Problem 3

A two dimensional body is mounted in a two dimensional water tunnel of breadth h. The velocity
vo far upstream is fixed. It is observed when the upstream pressure po is lowered sufficiently, the
liquid behind the body boils and forms a very long cavity at the vapor pressure pv (pv<po). The
velocity across the liquid jets forming the boundary of the cavity can be assumed to be uniform
far downstream. Also assume there is no friction and that the density of the vapor and the effect
of gravity are negligible. What is the drag force per unit width in terms of vo, po, pv, h, and the
constant density of the liquid, ?

Problem 4

A steady, incompressible, frictionless, two dimensional jet of fluid with density , breadth h,
velocity V, and unit width impinges on a flat plate held at angle to its axis. Gravitational forces
can be neglected. Please determine the total force on the plate, and the breadths a and b of the
two branches.

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MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

2.06 Fluid Dynamics

EXERCISE SET #5, Spring Term 2013
Issued: Friday, May 10, 2013

Not Due: DO NOT TURN IN

Topics: Navier Stokes Equations, Differential Forms, Losses, Viscous Flows

Problem 1
A piston with mass M is placed in a right-circular cylinder filled with viscous incompressible
fluid of viscosity and density . A small gap, t, between the piston and the cylinder allows the
fluid to leak past the cylinder. The surface area of the piston face is A. The piston slowly settles
to the bottom of the cylinder under the influence of gravity. You may assume that the density of
the piston is much larger than the density of the fluid and that the ambient pressure is Pamb. Hint:
in choosing a coordinate system, realize that the thickness of the gap is much smaller than the
diameter of the piston.

a) What is the force on the upper and lower surfaces of the piston?

b) What is the net force on the vertical surface of the piston?

c) What is the velocity of the piston?

d) If the fluid is ambient air, the piston mass is 0.5 kg, the gap is 2 microns, the length of the

piston is 25 cm and the diameter is 10 cm, how long does it take for the piston to travel
20 cm? The dynamics viscosity of the air is air=1.8 10-5 Pa-s.
Page 1 of 2

Problem 2
In a hydrostatic bearing, viscous fluid is pumped into the gap between a moving part and the
structure that supports it. These bearings are capable of supporting very large forces (this type of
bearing is used in automobiles, compressors and in very large equipment). In the diagram above,
fluid is pumped into a slot A at high pressure. The fluid then flows from slot A into the gap
B between the parts.

a) Please model the flow in gap B and explain/show that the expected pressure distribution
is as indicated in the diagram.
b) If this bearing is 35 cm wide, what is the discharge rate of oil per meter of length of
bearing to support a 75 kN per meter load with a clearance space, t, of 0.50 mm?
(Assume oil = 0.1 Pa-s, oil = 800 kg/m3).

Problem 3
A viscous liquid flows between two concentric cylinders of radii R1 and R2 where R1< R2. The
inner cylinder is at rest and the outer moves parallel to the common axis at speed U. Assuming
that the pressure at the inlet and outlet of the concentric pipe is atmospheric and neglecting edge
effects, show that the steady state velocity profile in the concentric pipe is given by

vz ( r ) =

r
U
ln
R
R
ln 2 1
R1

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2.06 Equation Sheet for Quiz 2 (Spring 2013)

Conservation Relations for Open Systems (using for velocity)
Mass conservation
dM CV
= m in m out
dt
in
out
Linear momentum conservation

d( M )CV
= m in in

m out
out +

Fext
dt
Bernoulli Equation (using for velocity)
For steady, frictionless flows,
P1 12
P 2
+
+ gz1 = 2 + 2 + gz2
2
2

Differential Form

+ ( ) = 0
t

Mass conservation:
(for incompressible)
Navier-Stokes equation:

Total Derivative operator:

= 0

= P +
g + 2

Dt

D
Dt

# &
= % + .(
$ t
'

Vector Operators
Cartesian Coordinates (x, y, z)
=

i+
j+
k
x
y
z

Ax Ay Az
A =
+
+
x
y z
2 =

2
x2

2
y2

2
z2

Equation Sheet (Quiz2)

1/2

Cartesian coordinates:
Mass conservation (continuity equation):

x y z
+
+
=0
x
y
z

Navier-Stokes equations:
2x 2x 2x
x
x
x
x
P
+ x

+ y
+ z
= + g x + 2 + 2 + 2
x
y
z
x
y
z
t
x

y + x y + y y + z y
x
y
z
t

P
+ gy +
=
y

2y 2y 2y

+ 2 + 2
x 2
y
z

2z 2z 2z
z
z
z
z
P
+ x

+ y
+ z
= + g z + 2 + 2 + 2
z
y
z
x
y
z
t
x
Newtonian viscous shear stresses :


xy = yx = x + y xz = zx = x + z
x
x
z
y

y z
+

y
z

yz = zy =

Reduced Equations
Above equations reduce to much simpler 2D form when the thickness of the fluid film is much
smaller its length. When flow direction is x and thickness direction is y
Mass Conservation
x
=0
x
Navier-Stokes Equation
# 2 &
P
+ g x + %% 2x (( = 0
x
$ y '

Equation Sheet (Quiz2)

2/2

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MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

2.06 Fluid Dynamics

Practice Problems for Quiz 1, Spring Term 2013

Problem 1: Membrane Testing

Membranes are thin, film-like porous structures used in separation and filtration. This problem
deals with a piston-cylinder experiment to determine the pore size of the membrane.
Consider a frictionless piston-cylinder set up shown in the Figure. The membrane considered here
is a thin disc with uniform through pores of radius a. In the unloaded state the membrane
supports a column of liquid 1 (density 1 , surface tension 1) of height h1 and a column of air
(modeled as an ideal gas with negligible weight) of height Lo. The liquid in the pores of the
membrane forms a meniscus at the liquid-air interface as shown in the magnified sketch of the
pore. The material of the membrane is hydrophobic and the three-phase contact angle of the

liquid 1-membrane-air is .
The air and liquid 1 are pressurized by adding a second liquid (density 2 , surface tension 2 )
atop the piston as shown in Figure b. As the height of the liquid column h2 increases the air
and ultimately the liquid meniscus in the pores of the membrane becomes
pressure increases
unstable and breaks through.

Gravitational acceleration is g, the gas constant of air is R, and the ambient pressure is Po. The
temperature of air may be assumed to be constant throughout the problem. Liquids 1 and 2 are
incompressible.
Unloaded

Pressurized

h2

Massless, frictionless
piston (area = A)

Membrane

Liquid 2
(!2, "2)

Ohmmeter
L0

Metal
mesh
z

h1

Liquid 1
(!1, "1)

Membrane

2a
h1

Liquid 1
(!1, "1)

Metal mesh

a) Determine the pressure of the air as a function of Po and the height h2 of liquid 2.

Beeeep!

b) Determine the pressure distribution on the membrane as a function of depth z. Sketch this
pressure distribution.
c) Determine the height h2 of liquid 2 at which the liquid meniscus in the pores of the membrane
becomes unstable and moves out shorting the electrical contacts. This is known as the break
through condition for the membrane and gives a relation between pore size a and height h2.
Please express your answer for h2 as a function of the given quantities (a, 1 , 1, , 2 , h1, g).
(Hint: At what point on the membrane will the break through happen first?)
d) Determine the length L of the air column as a function of the height h2 of the column of liquid2

Problem 2: Tunnel
As part of a new big dig project, an engineer plans to build a semi-circular tunnel under
Massachusetts Bay. For this planning, the tunnel is assumed to lie on a flat seafloor at a depth of
30 m, as shown in the figure. The semi-circular wall has an internal radius of 5 m and a radial
thickness
of 2Points)
m. The density of seawater is rw = 1035 kg/m3 and atmospheric pressure is Patm =
Problem
2. (25
5
10 of
Pa.aThe
acceleration
g = 10plans
m/s2 to build a semi-circular tunnel under
As part
newgravitational
big dig project,
an engineer

Massachusetts Bay. For this planning, the tunnel is assumed to lie on a flat seafloor at a depth of
(a) Determine the (i) magnitude and (ii) direction of the total net hydrostatic force acting on the
30 m,
as shown in the figure. The semi-circular wall has an internal radius of 5 m and a radial
roof of the tunnel per unit length of the tunnel. Clearly justify
your answers.
thickness of 2 m. The density of seawater is w = 1035 kg/m3 and atmospheric pressure is Patm =
105 Pa. The gravitational acceleration g = 10 m/s2.

Part A (independent of Part B).

a) Determine the (i) magnitude and (ii) direction of the total net hydrostatic force acting on the
roof of the tunnel per unit length of the tunnel. Clearly justify your answers. (6 points)
b) Determine the height (with respect to the sea floor) of the center of pressure of the horizontal
hydrostatic force acting on one side of the tunnel (3 points)

[The material in Part B (cg) of this problem will not be on the upcoming quiz]

Problem 3. The Pier

Consider a floating wood pier moving up and down with the water surface in a lake. As shown on
Figure 2.a), it is attached on one end to an anchor system consisting of a nylon rope hooked to a
concrete block. Neglect the mass of the nylon rope. The concrete block is resting on the bottom of
the lake at a depth H = 10 m. The wood pier has a length L = 10 m, width W = 2 m and thickness t
= 0.2 m. The density of the pier is p = 500 kg/m3. The water density is w = 1000 kg/m3. The
atmospheric pressure is Patm = 105 Pa. The gravitational acceleration g = 9.8 m/s2.
a) Determine the (i) magnitude and (ii) direction of the total hydrostatic force acting on the
wetted shore per unit width (direction into the paper, along the shore).
b) Determine the mass of the wood pier and the height of its submerged portion

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MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

2.06 Fluid Dynamics

Practice Problems for Quiz 2, Spring Term 2013

Problem 1
A volcano erupts. A constant-density lava flows down the volcanos slope at an angle = 45o.
The steady volumetric flow rate is known to be 300 m3/s at point A (elevation: 3.5 km). The lava
spreads as it flows down the slope, covering an angle =10o, as shown on the figure. In steadystate, what is the average velocity vB of the lava at point B if the height of the lava flow at B is
10 cm?

Side View

Top View

2 km
A

vB =
A

3.5 km

= 45o

= 10o

B
B

1 km

vout
vin

= 20

(Not to scale)

vout =

t=

at BInis 10 cm?
ing an angle =10o, as shown on the figure.
lava at point B if the height of the lava flow
Side View
2 km

Top View

A
A

vB =

Problem 2 : Surfboard
o

= 10

vB =

3.5 km

= 45o

In a motorized surfboard design, water (= 1000 kg/m3) entersBthe horizontal board at average
velocity vin=5 m/s at a nominal angle =20o and through an area (perpendicularBto vin) of
kmultimately exists at high speed vout.
and
Ain=0.01 m2. The water is pumped through the board 1
What is the required mass flow rate and constant average velocity vout of the exit jet if the total
drag forces along the
is to beIn
F=1500
N?
10.board
(3 points)
a motorized
surfboard design, water (= 1000 kg/m3)

enters the horizontal board at average velocity vin=5 m/s at a

nominal angle =20o and through an area (perpendicular to vin) of
Ain=0.01 m2. The water is pumped through the board and ultimately
exists at high speed vout. What is the required mass flow rate and
constant average velocity vout of the exit jet if the total forward sum
of forces along the board is to be F=1500 N?

= 1000 kg/m )
5 m/s at a
icular to vin) of
ard and ultimately
flow rate and
otal forward sum

vout
vin

= 10o

= 20

(Not to scale)

vout =

(Not to scale)

http://www.mem

11. (3 points) A
http://www.memagazine.org

good friend knows you are familiar with thermal-fluid systems. She asks y
compute the time t required to cook a long roast such that it is rare in the middle (T=60
ith thermal-fluid systems. She asks you toapproximate the roast as a slab of total thickness R=0.20 m. The roast is initially at unif
of Ti= 10oC and is inserted in an oven maintained at
uch that it is rare in the middle (T=60oC). temperature
You
o
=0.20 m. The roast is initially at uniform165 C. The convection heat transfer coefficient of air in the oven is t =
h = 200 W/m2-K. The properties of the roast are: k = 0.5 W/m-K,
maintained at
c= 3000 J/kg-K, = 1200 kg/m3.
air in the oven is t =
= 0.5 W/m-K,

THIS IS THE END OF THE SHORT QUESTIONS

Pa

SHORT QUESTIONS
Page 4 of 6

Problem 3: Vacuum Cleaner

A vacuum cleaner is operated as shown in the diagram. The diameter of the vacuum cleaner inlet
port is din = 3 cm. The velocity of the flow at the inlet port is vin = 30 m/s. The density of air is
1.2 kg/m3.

a) Sketch the streamlines into the input port of the vacuum cleaner.
b) Estimate the force in the x-direction on the body of the vacuum cleaner necessary to keep it
stationary.
The vacuum cleaner is run in reverse so that it blows at vr,out = 30 m/s out its inlet port.
c) Sketch the streamlines into the "inlet" port of the vacuum cleaner.
d) Estimate the force necessary in the x-direction to keep the vacuum cleaner stationary.
e) Are the forces calculated above equal and opposite? If so why? If not why not?

Problem 4: Oil Spill from an Oil Tanker

Accidents involving breach of the structure of oil
tankers can result in oil spills that can have
catastrophic effects on sea life and require
expensive cleanup operations. Some recent
examples include spills near New Zealand and
South Korea from tanker accidents as shown here.
The goal of the problem is to determine the flow
rate of the leaking oil in terms of measurable
parameters of the oil films that form.
Consider oil leaking out of a crack in an oil tanker at sea as shown in the cross section schematic
below. The crack has a width w into the page and is located at a depth H from the surface. The
density of the seawater w is greater than that of the oil o, causing the oil to rise along the wall of
the tanker, up to the oceans surface. The leaked oil forms a thin film along the wall of the tanker,
which is inclined at an angle from the horizontal. The thickness of the oil film is h (<< H) and
the viscosity of the oil is o. Assume that the viscosity of the sea water w is much smaller than
that of the oil, i.e. w << o . You can also assume that the flow in the oil film is fully-developed.
Note that the velocity at the oil-water interface is not zero.

Considering the steady state oil flow in the inclined film of thickness h,
a). Provide the velocity and pressure boundary conditions for the oil flow in the inclined film,
from the crack to the free surface (Hint: four boundary conditions in total).
b). Determine the pressure gradient
parameters of the problem.

p
for this oil flow in the inclined film, in terms of the
x

c). Derive an expression for the velocity of this oil flow and sketch the velocity profile, in terms
of the parameters of the problem.
d). Derive an expression for the volumetric oil flow rate Q per unit length of the ship and in terms
of the parameters of the problem.
e). What is the velocity of the water next to the oil film, i.e. at y = h, in terms of the parameters of
the problem?

MIT OpenCourseWare
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2.06 Fluid Dynamics

Spring 2013

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MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

2.06 Fluid Dynamics, Spring 2013

Quiz 1

April 25, 2013

Instructions: Closed Book, no crib sheets, no Phones, no Laptops, no Ipads. You are allowed a calculator and a writing
instrument for this quiz. Please show your work steps. State your assumptions and justify your equations. Partial credit
will be awarded on careful and clear arguments. Wrong unsupported numerical answers can only receive zero credit.

Problem 1 (6 points): Concept Questions: Indicate which of the following statements are TRUE and which are FALSE.
You do NOT need to explain why each statement is true or false, just whether it is true or false.

a) (2 points) Consider an object suspended in a liquid. The density of the object and liquid are identical. If container holding the liquid and object moves to the right with constant acceleration, the object will move to the left.

b) (2 points) A stop is placed to separate two gas chambers at uniform pressures P1 and P2 as shown below. The shape of
the stop is different in two scenarios (a) and (b) sketched below. The horizontal pressure force acting on the stops (a) and
(b) are identical.
















c) (2 points) Assuming that the interfacial tensions of water-air and water-oil interface are identical, the maximum size of
a stable water drop in air is smaller than that in oil.

(Note: This is a four page quiz)

1 of 4

Problem 2 (15 points)

Consider the system comprising two liquid columns (densities 1 and 2), two pistons, and an air column as shown in
the figure to the right. Both the liquids are incompressible.
The two pistons are ideal, i.e., massless and frictionless. Air
can be modeled as an ideal gas (ie., PV = mRT)
a) (5 points) Consider the system in state (a) surrounded by ambient pressure Po. Determine the air pressure Pa in terms of the densities and heights of the
liquids (h1, h2 and h3 as shown on the figure).
b) (10 points) Now the entire system is slowly lowered
into water to a depth of H as shown in part (b) of the
figure. Assume temperature remains constant
throughout the process. Derive a relation between the
depth H and the air pressure Pa. (Hint: the liquid columns will change in height. Since the diameter of the
first column is large, neglect changes to h1)

g
a)

piston

piston

air

Po
d

h1
h3

h2
2

1
Po

b)

h1

(Note: This is a four page quiz)

2 of 4

Problem 3 (12 points)

Consider a trough with a small cylindrical hole of diameter d at the bottom. The hole is hydrophobic, i.e., the three-phase
contact angle > 90o as shown in the zoomed-in view in the figure. Two electrical contacts are placed under the meniscus.

(a) (5 points) Determine the minimum height h of the liquid column at which the air-water interface within the cylindrical
hole becomes unstable and moves down shorting the electrical contacts.
(b) (7 points) Now consider another situation (case b in the figure) in which the trough has a static liquid column height of
H. The cylindrical hole of diameter d is a distance L from the troughs center. What is the minimum acceleration a at
which the air-water interface within the cylindrical hole becomes unstable and moves down shorting the electrical contacts? Please express your answer in terms of the given quantities.

(Note: This is a four page quiz)

3 of 4

Problem 4 (17 points)

Consider a barometer shown in figure below. The density of the liquid is and the acceleration due to gravity is g. The
ambient pressure is Pa and the pressure above the liquid column in the tube is zero.

P=0
2R
Pa
g

(,)

1. (2 points) What is the relation between the ambient pressure Pa and height of the liquid column h, when surface tension
effects are neglected?
2. (7 points) Now consider a case when the radius R of the barometer tube is small and surface tension effects become
important. The three phase contact angle is and the surface tension of the liquid is . Consider a case when > 90o (hydrophobic). What is the expression for Pa under this regime?
3. (5 points) Under what conditions can we neglect surface tension effects? Please express your answer in terms of the
given quantities.
4. Now consider the case when the entire system is accelerated with an acceleration a to the right. Will the height of the
liquid column in the tube above the free surface be greater than, equal to, or smaller than the height of the liquid column
for a stationary barometer for the following cases:
(a) (1 point) when the barometer tube is in the middle (as above)
(b) (1 point) when the barometer tube is to the left
(c) (1 point) when the barometer tube is to the right

(Note: This is a four page quiz)

4 of 4



 

P + g = a

 
 
g = gk


   

P(z) = Po + gz

 

 
 
g = gj


   
a = ai

P(x, y) = ax gy + Po

tan =

a



g

 

FB = gV


 




  



  
  

V






  
  



 



 



 
   
 
 

 





 
R1

R2


1
1
Pi Po = +
R1 R2

 
 

cos =

SG SL



LG

MIT OpenCourseWare
http://ocw.mit.edu

2.06 Fluid Dynamics

Spring 2013

For information about citing these materials or our Terms of Use, visit: http://ocw.mit.edu/terms.