Physical properties of fluids

Solved problems

Density and specific weight

1) A volume of 6 m3 of petroleum oil weighs 47 kN. Calculate its specific weight and
density.
Solution
The specific weight of a fluid is given by the ratio between the weight and the volume
of this fluid

G mg
= = = g (1)
V V
From relation (1) we get

G 47  103
 Hp = = = 7833,33 N/m3 (2)
V 6
 Hp 7833,33
 Hp = = = 798,5 kg/m3 (3)
g 9,81

Pressure
2) Express the pressure 𝑝 = 3.5 bar in: standard atmosphere (At), torr (mmHg),
technical atmosphere (at) and meters of water (m H2O).
Solution

𝑝 = 3,5 bar = 3,5 ⋅ 105 Pa

350000
𝑝 = 3,5 ⋅ 105 Pa = At = 3,45 At
101325

𝑝 = 3,45 At = 3,45 ∙ 760 torr ≅ 2622 mmHg

5
3,5⋅105
𝑝 = 3,5 ⋅ 10 Pa = at ≅ 3,57 at
9,81⋅104

3,5  105
𝑝 = 3,5 ⋅ 105 Pa = mH2O ≅ 35,68 mH2O
9,81  103

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© Cristina S. Ionescu – Fluid mechanics
 Isothermal compressibility of liquids

3) The bulk modulus of elasticity at 10℃ is 𝜀 = 2,11 ∙ 109 Pa.

a) Find the decrease in volume of 25 dm3 of water at 10℃ for an isothermal pressure
increase of 22 bar.
b) From the following experimental data, determine the bulk modulus of elasticity for
water: at 40 bar the volume is 30 dm3 and at 240,8 bar the volume is 29,73 dm3.
Solution
We write the law of isothermal compressibility
∆V
= −𝛽∆𝑝 (1)
V0

where 𝛽 is the isothermal compressibility coefficient and its reciprocal,

1
𝜀= (2)
𝛽

is the bulk modulus of elasticity and V0 is the initial volume.

Thus:
Δ𝑝 22 ⋅ 105
𝑎) Δ V = −V 0 = −25 ⋅ 10−3 ≅ −2,61 ⋅ 10−5 m3 . (3)
𝜀 2,11 ⋅ 109

The minus sign indicates a decrease of volume due to compression.

V𝑖 V
𝑏) 𝜀=− ∆𝑝 = − V −𝑖 V (𝑝𝑓 − 𝑝𝑖 ) =
ΔV 𝑓 𝑖
(4)
30
= − 29,73 − 30 (240,8 − 40) ⋅ 105 ≅ 2,23 ⋅ 109 Pa

where V𝑖 and V𝑓 are the initial and final volumes respectively, for case b).

Viscosity
4) Determine the dynamic viscosity of an engine oil having the density
𝜌 = 880 kg/m3 and kinematic viscosity 𝜈 = 1,15 St.
Solution
First, we express the value of the kinematic viscosity in SI units
cm2 −4
m2
𝜈 = 1,15 𝑆𝑡 = 1,15 = 1,15 ∙ 10 (1)
s s
and next we calculate the dynamic viscosity of the engine oil
𝜂 = 𝜌𝜈 = 880 ∙ 1,15 ∙ 10−4 = 0,1012 Pa ∙ s (2)

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© Cristina S. Ionescu – Fluid mechanics
 5) Express the dynamic viscosity of water at 15℃ in SI units, if its value is
𝜂 = 1,14 ∙ 10−2 poise. If at the same temperature the density of water is 𝜌 = 0,9991 g/cm3 ,
calculate the kinematic viscosity in SI units.
Solution

First, we convert the given dynamic viscosity and density of water in SI units:
g 10−3 kg m⁄s2 N∙s
1 poise = 1 = −2 ∙ 2
= 10−1 2 = 0,1 Pa ∙ s (1)
cm ∙ s 10 m ∙ s m⁄s m

g 10−3 kg kg
1 3
= −6 3
= 1000 3 (2)
cm 10 m m

𝜂 = 1,14 ∙ 10−2 poise = 1,14 ∙ 10−3 Pa ∙ s (3)

and next we calculate the kinematic viscosity in SI units

𝜂 1,14 ⋅ 10−3
𝜈= = = 1,141 ⋅ 10−6 m2 /s (4)
𝜌 999,1

6) A liquid has the dynamic viscosity of 𝜂 = 2,16 ∙ 10−3 Pa ∙ s. Calculate the velocity
gradient and the shear stress at the fixed plate, and at distances of 10 mm and 20 mm
above the plate, assuming:
a) a linear velocity profile (Fig. 1a);
b) a parabolic velocity profile (Fig. 1b).
The velocity profile is depicted by plots of the distance from wall versus velocity (we
represent the independent variable 𝑦 along the vertical axis and the dependent variable
𝑣 on the horizontal axis).

Fig. 1.
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© Cristina S. Ionescu – Fluid mechanics
Solution
a) Assuming a linear profile, the velocity can be written as
𝑣 =𝑘∙𝑦 (1)

where the constant 𝑘 is calculated from the following condition:

𝑦 = 0,02 m 𝑣 1,2
{ ⇒ 𝑘 = ( )| = = 60 s −1 (2)
𝑣 = 𝑣𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 1,2 m/s 𝑦 𝑦=0,02 0,02

Thus, the velocity becomes:

𝑣 = 60𝑦 (3)
and the velocity gradient is constant:
𝑑𝑣
= 60 s −1 (4)
𝑑𝑦
as well as the shear stress:
𝑑𝑣
𝜏=𝜂 = 2,16 ∙ 10−3 ∙ 60 = 0,1296 𝑃𝑎 (5)
𝑑𝑦
The results are given in Table 1.
Table 1
𝑦 𝑣 𝑑𝑣 𝑑𝑣
𝜏=𝜂
𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑦
m m/s s-1 Pa
0,000 0,000 60 0,1296
0,010 0,6 60 0,1296
0,020 1,2 60 0,1296

b) If the profile is parabolic, the velocity can be written as:

𝑣 = 𝑎𝑦 2 + 𝑏𝑦 + 𝑐 (6)

The parameters 𝑎, 𝑏 and 𝑐 are calculated using by imposing the following conditions:
𝑦=0
{ ⇒𝑐=0 (7)
𝑣=0
𝑦 = 0,02 m
{ ⇒ 1,2 = 𝑎 ∙ 0,022 + 𝑏 ∙ 0,02 (8)
𝑣 = 𝑣𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 1,2 m/s

𝑦 = 0,02 m
{ 𝑑𝑣 ⇒ 2𝑎 ∙ 0,02 + 𝑏 = 0 (9)
= 2𝑎𝑦 + 𝑏
𝑑𝑦

The resulting values are 𝑎 = −3000, 𝑏 = 120 and the velocity expression becomes
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© Cristina S. Ionescu – Fluid mechanics
 𝑣 = −3000𝑦 2 + 120𝑦 (10)

and the velocity gradient

𝑑𝑣
= −6000𝑦 + 120 (11)
𝑑𝑦
The results are given in Table 2.
Table 2
𝑦 𝑣 𝑑𝑣 𝑑𝑣
𝜏=𝜂
𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑦
m m/s s-1 Pa
0,000 0,000 120 0,2592
0,010 0,9 60 0,1296
0,020 1,2 0 0

7) A machine shaft of diameter 𝑑 = 12 cm is held vertical by a bearing of length

𝐿 = 25 cm. The clearance space 𝛿 = 0,1 mm is constant and is filled with a lubricating
oil having the dynamic viscosity 𝜂 = 0,125 𝑃𝑎 ∙ 𝑠. The shaft rotates at 𝑛 = 440 rpm.
Determine the friction torque produced by the bearing and the power lost due to viscosity.
Solution


d 

Fig. 2

The shaft rotates at a constant angular speed

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© Cristina S. Ionescu – Fluid mechanics
 𝜋𝑛
𝜔= (1)
30
and thus, any point on the shaft rotates at a constant linear velocity
𝑑
𝑣 = 𝜔𝑅 = 𝜔 (2)
2
The shear stress on the lateral surface of the shaft is given by
Δ𝑣 𝑣 𝜔𝑑 𝜋𝑛𝑑
𝜏=𝜂 =𝜂 =𝜂 =𝜂 (3)
Δ𝑦 𝛿 2𝛿 60𝛿
The viscous force acting on the lateral area 𝐴 = 2𝜋𝑅𝐿 = 𝜋𝑑𝐿 of the shaft is:
2
𝑛𝑑2 𝐿
𝐹𝑣 = 𝜏𝐴 = 𝜂𝜋 (4)
60𝛿
The friction torque is given by
𝑛𝑑 3 𝐿 440 ⋅ 0,123 ⋅ 0,25
𝑀 = 𝑅𝐹𝑣 = 𝜂𝜋 2 = 0,125 ⋅ 𝜋 2 = 19,54 N⋅ m (5)
120𝛿 120 ⋅ 0,1 ⋅ 10−3
and the lost power
𝑀𝜋𝑛 19,54 ⋅ 𝜋 ⋅ 440
𝑃 = 𝑀𝜔 = = = 900,34W (6)
30 30

Surface tension - capillarity

8) What is the force required to pull from a water surface at 10° C a thin wire ring
having the diameter 𝑑 = 50 mm, knowing that the surface tension of the water is
𝜎 = 0,0741 N/m. The weight of the wire is neglected and the inner and outer diameters of
the ring are considered equal (very thin thickness).
Solution
The surface tension force is given by:
𝐹𝑠𝑡 = 𝜎𝑙 (1)
For the case under consideration, the length over which the surface tension force
acts is
𝑙 = 2 ⋅ (2𝜋𝑟) = 2 ⋅ (𝜋𝑑) (2)
due to the fact that the ring has two sides in contact with air, one inside and the other
outside the ring and thus, the surface tension force is:
𝐹𝑠𝑡 = 𝑙𝜎 = 2𝜋𝑑𝜎 = 2𝜋 ⋅ 50 ⋅ 10−3 ⋅ 0,0741 = 0,0233 𝑁 (3)

9) Determine the radius 𝑟 of a small water droplet, if the relative pressure inside the
droplet (the excess pressure above atmospheric pressure) is ∆𝑝 = 1,8 ∙ 10−3 kgf/cm2 . The
value of the surface tension of water in contact with air at 20℃ is 𝜎 = 7,5 ∙ 10−3 kgf/m.

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© Cristina S. Ionescu – Fluid mechanics
Solution

Fig. 3
We cut the water droplet in two equal parts, and consider the horizontal force
balance of the forces acting on one half. We have to take into account the surface tension
and the pressure forces:

𝐹𝑝 − 𝐹𝑠𝑡 = 0 (1)

Knowing that the surface tension force is acting with the same intensity along the
length of the cut, in this case the length of the great circle of the hemisphere representing
the half of a droplet, and the pressure force orthogonal to the area, in this case the area
of the great circle of the hemisphere (Fig.3) we obtain:

∆𝑝 ∙ 𝜋𝑟 2 − 𝜎 ∙ 2𝜋𝑟 = 0 (2)

where from
2𝜎 2 ∙ 7,5 ∙ 10−3 ∙ 9,81
𝑟= = = 7,14 ∙ 10−4 m = 0,71 mm (3)
∆𝑝 2,1 ∙ 10−3 ∙ 9,81 ∙ 104

10) Determine the relative pressure inside a soap bubble, knowing that the surface
tension of soap water at 20℃ is 𝜎 = 0,025 N/m and its diameter:

a) 𝑑 = 1 mm;
b) 𝑑 = 40 mm.
Solution
The soap bubble has two surfaces in contact with air, one inside and the other
outside (Fig.4). Due to the fact that the thickness of the soap bubble’s wall is extremely
small, we can consider the same radius for the inner and outer faces of the bubble.

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© Cristina S. Ionescu – Fluid mechanics
 Fig.4
Therefore, the horizontal force balance of the forces acting on one half of the soap
bubble can be written as:
∆𝑝 ∙ 𝜋𝑟 2 − 𝜎 ∙ 2(2𝜋𝑟) = 0 (1)

From (1) we obtain:

4𝜎 4𝜎 8𝜎
∆𝑝 =
= = (2)
𝑟 𝑑 𝑑
2
For the two given diameters of the bubble, the values of the relative pressure are:
8 ∙ 0,025
𝑎) ∆𝑝 = = 200 Pa (3)
1 ∙ 10−3
8 ∙ 0,025
𝑏) ∆𝑝 = = 5 Pa (4)
40 ∙ 10−3
We can see that the relative pressure in a soap bubble is inversely proportional to
its diameter. Therefore, the relative pressure is smaller in larger bubbles.

11) Determine the capillary fall of mercury in a glass tube of radius 𝑟 = 1,5 mm,
knowing the surface tension of mercury at 20℃, 𝜎 = 0,514 N/m, its specific weight
𝛾 = 133,1 𝑘N/m3 and the contact angle 𝜃 = 140∘ (Fig.5).

Fig. 5
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© Cristina S. Ionescu – Fluid mechanics
Solution

We apply the Jurin’s law:

2𝜎 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜃
ℎ= (1)
𝜌𝑔𝑟

we take into account that the specific weight is given by

𝛾 = 𝜌𝑔 (2)

and we obtain

2𝜎 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜃 2 ⋅ 0,514 ⋅ 𝑐𝑜𝑠 1 40∘

ℎ= = = −3,94 ⋅ 10−3 m = − 3,94 mm (3)
𝛾𝑟 133,1 ⋅ 103 ⋅ 1,5 ⋅ 10−3

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© Cristina S. Ionescu – Fluid mechanics