ENGINEERING FLUID MECHANICS

EFO2a–HYDROSTATICS (10 points) Jun 9th 2020

The system sketched in the figure represents a tank containing a height H of mercury, pressurized with air, and
separated from the ambient atmosphere by an U-tube manometer. The water levels in the U-tube are h1 and h2
in its left and right arms, respectively. The mercury tank is closed by a rectangular gate OA of width b, which
rotates freely around point O. The known data are (pa , g, ρH2 O , ρHg , H, h1 , h2 , hi ).

1. Determine the pressure distribution in all the fluids (water, compressed air and mercury) (2.5 points).

2. Sketch the forces per unit surface acting on the gate (2.5 points).
3. Determine the net force that the fluids exert on the gate (2.5 points).
4. Determine the force F̄ applied at the gate’s top to ensure static equilibrium (2.5 points).

pa A F̄
1
pressurized air hi

mer ury
water

ḡ
h1 h2 H

z
O
ENGINEERING FLUID MECHANICS
EFO2b–DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS (10 points) Jun 9th 2020
SURNAME:
NAME: GROUP:

Finding Nemo

A scientist investigating the mechanisms of fish locomotion wants to determine how the propulsion force F
depends on the fish length L and on the frequency of oscillation of its tail f . To this end, he builds a mechanical
model of length L = 1 m. He mounts the model at a fixed position in a large water tank at room temperature,
of density ρm and viscosity µm (to be known by the student), and measures the propulsion force Fm over a
wide range of oscillation frequencies fm .

The data gathered in the lab can be described by the following empirical correlation expressed in units of the
international system:
5 × 103 fm
2
Fm = (1)
1 + 7,5 × 102 fm
Considering that F = φ(f, L, ρ, µ), answer the questions below.
1. Write the matrix of dimensions and determine its rank (2 points).
2. Apply Buckingham’s Π theorem to reduce the parametric dependence of the problem (2.5 points).

3. Determine the propulsion force Fp and the frequency of oscillation fp of a fish, whose characteristic size is
Lp = 20 cm, if it is held in water at room temperature, and the corresponding propulsion force measured
in the model is Fm = 20 N (2.5 points).
4. Using the empirical correlation and the result of the Π theorem, find an equation to predict the propulsion
force of a fish of arbitrary length L and frequency of oscillation f , swimming is in water of any density ρ
and viscosity µ (i.e., water at variable temperature) (3 points).
ENGINEERING FLUID MECHANICS
EFO2c: FLOW IN DUCTS (10 points) Jun 9th 2020
LAST NAME:
FIRST NAME: GROUP:

The simplified schematic of the closed-loop cooling system of an internal combustion engine is shown
in the sketch below. The system comprises a small pump of constant power Ẇ which drives the coolant
of density ρ and viscosity µ from an initially topped-off reservoir of cross-sectional area A and height
H through a pipeline of silicone of surface roughness , total length L, and diameter D. The filter and
valve have minor-loss coefficients KF and KV , respectively. The engine may be modelled by means of
a localised head loss quantified by KE .

1. Derive and solve the equation(s) that determine the power Ẇ if the engine requires a constant
cooling flow rate Qo . (3.5 points)

A pebble impact has caused a leak located at a point o (you may consider zo ' 0) through which the
coolant is escaping to the exterior ambient at pressure pa at a constant rate given by Qf ' Qo /100.
The instantaneous level of coolant h(t) in the reservoir is therefore no longer constant.

2. Determine the law h = h(t) and the time te that it would take for the tank to empty. (2.5
points)

3. A reading of the flow rate of coolant Q at t = te revealed that Q(te )/Qo ≈ 0.797. Estimate the
location of the rupture `, measured from the bottom of the tank (see sketch). Assume that the
leak is located between the pump and the engine. (4 points)

Note: for parts 2 and 3, you may take λ from part 1.

KV KV
g

KE KE
pv
pa
H ρ, µ λ, L, D H
h(t)
Qf
o
KF KF ℓ
z

Ẇ Qo Ẇ Q

Numerical data: g = 9.8 m/s2 , µ = 10−3 Pa·s, ρ = 1000 kg/m3 , KV = 0.5, KF = 1, KE = 10, L =
3 m, D = 0.04 m, Qo = 10−3 m3 /s,  = 0.1 mm, A = 0.01 m2 , H = 0.3 m, pv ' 0 Pa, pa = 101325 Pa
ENGINEERING FLUID MECHANICS
EFO2d: EXTERNAL FLOW (10 points) Jun 9th 2020
SURNAME:
NAME: GROUP:

In this exercise we will study the working principle of a Drag Reduction System DRS, of a Formula 1 race car. As a toy
model, the rear wing can be considered as a surface whose cross section is an aerodynamic airfoil. The flow around the
wing generates a vertical downforce L, in addition to an horizontal drag force D, as shown in the figure. We will refer
to the downforce as lift, by analogy. The rear wing is mobile, so it can change its position when the driver activates
the DRS system, reducing the drag and allowing a speed increase.

1.5
a) CL = f (α) b) CL / CD = g (α)
80
1.25
DRS: OFF
U 70
α D 1

CL / CD
60
L
CL

50
DRS: ON 0.5
U0
40
α0 D0 0.25
0
L
0 30
0 2.5 5 7.5 10 12.5 15 0 2.5 5 7.5 10 12.5 15
α (º) α (º)

For the analysis, the air can be regarded as an incompressible fluid with density ρ = 1.225 kg/m3 and dynamic vis-
cosity µ = 1.8 · 10−5 Pa·s, both constant. The airfoil employed is a NACA2048, for which the curves of lift coefficient
CL (figure a) and the ratio CL /CD (figure b), are known as functions of the angle of attack α. The coefficients in the
figures are defined using the rear wing surface, Sw = 0.8 m2 , as the reference surface.

With the system deactivated (DRS: OFF), the angle of attack is α = 12◦ , and the vehicle reaches a speed U = 306
km/h. Under these conditions:
1. Obtain the values of the lift CL and drag CD coefficients, using the graphs provided. (1.5 p.)
2. Compute the values of the lift L and drag D forces. (1 p.)
3. Compute the value of the power employed to overcome the aerodynamic drag, Ẇ = DU . (1 p.)
When the driver activates the system (DRS: ON), the angle of attack of the rear wing is modified, reducing its value
to α0 = 7◦ . Under the new conditions:
4. Determine the new values of the aerodynamic coefficients, CL0 and CD
0
. (1.5 p.)
5. Compute the new speed U 0 with the DRS enabled, knowing that the needed power Ẇ 0 to overcome the new
aerodynamic drag is 60 % of that corresponding to the disabled system. (1 p.)
6. Compute now the new values of the aerodynamic forces, L0 y D0 . (1 p.)
7. Compute the Reynolds, Re and Re0 , and Mach numbers, M a y M a0 . To that end, consider as characteristic
lengthscale the airfoil chord lc = 0.5 m, and the speed of sound a = 340 m/s. (1 p.)
8. Taking into account the results in the previous question: Is it reasonable the use of the same functions CL (α)
and CL /CD (α) for the two cases? What about the incompressibility assumption? Give explanations for both
answers. (1 p.)
9. The aerodynamic efficiency of the rear wing can be defined as the ratio between lift and drag forces, E = L/D.
Compute the values of that efficiency with the DRS disabled E, and enabled E 0 . (1 p.)