4.II.37E

Fluid Dynamics II | Part II, 2005

Consider flow of an incompressible fluid of uniform density ρ\rho and dynamic viscosity μ\mu. Show that the rate of viscous dissipation per unit volume is given by

Φ=2μeijeij,\Phi=2 \mu e_{i j} e_{i j},

where eije_{i j} is the strain rate.

Determine expressions for eije_{i j} and Φ\Phi when the flow is irrotational with velocity potential ϕ\phi. Hence determine the rate of viscous dissipation, averaged over a wave period 2π/ω2 \pi / \omega, for an irrotational two-dimensional surface wave of wavenumber kk and small amplitude a≪k−1a \ll k^{-1} in a fluid of very small viscosity μ≪ρω/k2\mu \ll \rho \omega / k^{2} and great depth H≫1/kH \gg 1 / k.

[You may use without derivation that in deep water a linearised wave with surface displacement η=acos⁡(kx−wt)\eta=a \cos (k x-w t) has velocity potential ϕ=−(ωa/k)e−kzsin⁡(kx−ωt)\phi=-(\omega a / k) e^{-k z} \sin (k x-\omega t).]

Calculate the depth-integrated time-averaged kinetic energy per wavelength. Assuming that the average potential energy is equal to the average kinetic energy, show that the total wave energy decreases to leading order like e−γte^{-\gamma t}, where

γ=4μk2/ρ\gamma=4 \mu k^{2} / \rho

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