Paper 3, Section II, A

Fluid Dynamics | Part IB, 2013

A layer of incompressible fluid of density ρ\rho and viscosity μ\mu flows steadily down a plane inclined at an angle θ\theta to the horizontal. The layer is of uniform thickness hh measured perpendicular to the plane and the viscosity of the overlying air can be neglected. Using coordinates xx parallel to the plane (in steepest downwards direction) and yy normal to the plane, write down the equations of motion and the boundary conditions on the plane and on the free top surface. Determine the pressure and velocity fields and show that the volume flux down the plane is

ρgh3sinθ3μ\frac{\rho g h^{3} \sin \theta}{3 \mu}

Consider now the case where a second layer of fluid, of uniform thickness αh\alpha h, viscosity βμ\beta \mu and density ρ\rho, flows steadily on top of the first layer. Explain why one of the appropriate boundary conditions between the two fluids is

μyu(h)=βμyu(h+),\mu \frac{\partial}{\partial y} u\left(h_{-}\right)=\beta \mu \frac{\partial}{\partial y} u\left(h_{+}\right),

where uu is the component of velocity in the xx direction and hh_{-}and h+h_{+}refer to just below and just above the boundary respectively. Determine the velocity field in each layer.

Typos? Please submit corrections to this page on GitHub.