Paper 4, Section II, B

Fluid Dynamics | Part IB, 2010

Write down the velocity potential for a line source flow of strength mm located at (r,θ)=(d,0)(r, \theta)=(d, 0) in polar coordinates (r,θ)(r, \theta) and derive the velocity components ur,uθu_{r}, u_{\theta}.

A two-dimensional flow field consists of such a source in the presence of a circular cylinder of radius a(a<d)a(a<d) centred at the origin. Show that the flow field outside the cylinder is the sum of the original source flow, together with that due to a source of the same strength at (a2/d,0)\left(a^{2} / d, 0\right) and another at the origin, of a strength to be determined.

Use Bernoulli's law to find the pressure distribution on the surface of the cylinder, and show that the total force exerted on it is in the xx-direction and of magnitude

m2ρ2π202πad2sin2θcosθ(a2+d22adcosθ)2dθ\frac{m^{2} \rho}{2 \pi^{2}} \int_{0}^{2 \pi} \frac{a d^{2} \sin ^{2} \theta \cos \theta}{\left(a^{2}+d^{2}-2 a d \cos \theta\right)^{2}} d \theta

where ρ\rho is the density of the fluid. Without evaluating the integral, show that it is positive. Comment on the fact that the force on the cylinder is therefore towards the source.

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