Paper 1, Section II, 39B

Fluid Dynamics II | Part II, 2020

A viscous fluid is confined between an inner, impermeable cylinder of radius aa with centre at (x,y)=(0,a)(x, y)=(0, a) and another outer, impermeable cylinder of radius 2a2 a with centre at (0,2a)(0,2 a) (so they touch at the origin and both have their axes in the zz direction). The inner cylinder rotates about its axis with angular velocity Ω\Omega and the outer cylinder rotates about its axis with angular velocity Ω/4-\Omega / 4. The fluid motion is two-dimensional and slow enough that the Stokes approximation is appropriate.

(i) Show that the boundary of the inner cylinder is described by the relationship

r=2asinθ,r=2 a \sin \theta,

where (r,θ)(r, \theta) are the usual polar coordinates centred on (x,y)=(0,0)(x, y)=(0,0). Show also that on this cylinder the boundary condition on the tangential velocity can be written as

urcosθ+uθsinθ=aΩ,u_{r} \cos \theta+u_{\theta} \sin \theta=a \Omega,

where uru_{r} and uθu_{\theta} are the components of the velocity in the rr and θ\theta directions respectively. Explain why the boundary condition ψ=0\psi=0 (where ψ\psi is the streamfunction such that ur=1rψθu_{r}=\frac{1}{r} \frac{\partial \psi}{\partial \theta} and uθ=ψr)\left.u_{\theta}=-\frac{\partial \psi}{\partial r}\right) can be imposed.

(ii) Write down the boundary conditions to be satisfied on the outer cylinder r=4asinθr=4 a \sin \theta, explaining carefully why ψ=0\psi=0 can also be imposed on this cylinder as well.

(iii) It is given that the streamfunction is of the form

ψ=Asin2θ+Br2+Crsinθ+Dsin3θ/r\psi=A \sin ^{2} \theta+B r^{2}+C r \sin \theta+D \sin ^{3} \theta / r

where A,B,CA, B, C and DD are constants, which satisfies 4ψ=0\nabla^{4} \psi=0. Using the fact that B=0B=0 due to the symmetry of the problem, show that the streamfunction is

ψ=αsinθr(r2asinθ)(r4asinθ)\psi=\frac{\alpha \sin \theta}{r}(r-2 a \sin \theta)(r-4 a \sin \theta)

where the constant α\alpha is to be found.

(iv) Sketch the streamline pattern between the cylinders and determine the (x,y)(x, y) coordinates of the stagnation point in the flow.

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