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Specialty Chemistry Forums => Chemical Engineering Forum => Topic started by: Kiwimarie on March 08, 2018, 11:28:33 AM

Title: Flow of fluid between parallel plates, upper if fixed and lower moves at speed v
Post by: Kiwimarie on March 08, 2018, 11:28:33 AM
Consider the flow of an incompressible Newtonian fluid between parallel plates of length L and width W as shown in the figure below. The upper plate is fixed (z=b) and the lower plate (at z=0) is moving with a speed v in the positive y-direction. There is no pressure gradient so the fluid moves as a result of the lower plate.
Write down the postulates of this system and perform a shell momentum balance.
Using this balance, obtain expressions for a) shear stress distribution, b) velocity distribution and c) volumetric flow rate.
Title: Re: Flow of fluid between parallel plates, upper if fixed and lower moves at speed v
Post by: Borek on March 08, 2018, 12:06:48 PM
Per forum rules, you have to show what you did so far to obtain help.
Title: Re: Flow of fluid between parallel plates, upper if fixed and lower moves at speed v
Post by: Enthalpy on March 08, 2018, 06:13:42 PM
Welcome, Kiwimarie!

This question is possibly the very first in your course about fluid mechanics, a direct application of what you've learnt.

The only advice I'm willing to give is: do not stick to 3D calculus, which is rarely useful and makes everything complicated or impossible. Here the situation is 1D. Write the forces on a volume element, deduce the rest.

Also: the flow is probably laminar in this problem (we don't see any drawing here). It is sometimes the case in real life, but not so often. So, do not generalize.