PROBLEM SET #3 SOLUTIONS

3B.11 Radial flow between two coaxial cylinders

Consider an incompressible fluid, at constant temperature flowing radially between two
porous cylindrical shells with inner and outer radii R and R.

(a) Show that the equation of continuity leads to v
r
= C/r, where C is a constant.

Solution
Assume that 0

v v
z
and that the flow is steady.
Continuity equation in cylindrical coordinates:
( ) ( ) ( ) 0
1 1

z r
v
z
v
r
rv
r r t

Eliminate time,

v and
z
v terms to obtain:
( ) 0
1

r
rv
r r

Integrate to obtain:

r
rv constant

(b) Simplify the components of the equation of motion to obtain the following
expressions for the modified pressure distribution:
0 , 0 ,
dz
dP
d
dP
dr
dv
v
dr
dP
r
r

Solution
BSL page 848 equation B.6-4.
( )
r
r r
r
r
z
r r
r
r
g
v
r z
v v
r
rv
r r r r
P
r
v
z
v
v
v
r
v
r
v
v
t
v

+
1
]
1

,
_

,
_

2 2
2
2
2
2
2
2 1 1
Assume steady flow with 0
z
v v

, no viscous flow as in part (a):

r
P
r
v
v
r
r

(c) Integrate the expression for dP/dr above to get [ ]
1
1
]
1

,
_

2
2
1 ) (
2
1
) ( ) (
r
R
R v R P r P
r

Solution
r
P
r
v
v
r
r

Integrate between R and r:
( )
1
]
1

1
1
]
1

1
1
]
1

2
2 2
2
2
2 2 2 2
1
2
1
2 2 2 2 R
r r v
v
v
r v v v v
P P
r
R
r
r
r
r
R
r
r
r
r
R
R
R


Note: from (a)
r
rv constant, so
2 2 2
C v r
r
and
2
2
2
2
R
r
v
v
R
R
r
r

Direction
of flow r
R
mR
Radial Flow Between Concentric Spheres

Consider an isothermal, incompressible fluid flowing radially between two concentric
porous spherical shells. Assume steady laminar flow with v
r
= v
r
(r). Note that the velocity
is not assumed zero at the solid surfaces. See the figure below.














(a) Show by use of the equation of continuity that r
2
v
r
= C, where C is a constant.

Solution
Begin with the equation of Continuity in Spherical Coordinates:
( ) ( ) ( )

v
r
v
r
v r
r r t
r

sin
1
sin
sin
1 1
2
2
=0
Assume radial flow, so that

v v 0 .
( ) 0
1
2
2

r
v r
r r

So that after integration:

r
v r
2
Constant



(b) Show by the use of the equations of motion that the pressure distribution in this
system is described by the equations:

g
p
r

sin
1

g
p
r

1


( )
r
r
r r
g
r
v
v v r
r r r
p

2
2
2
2


Solution
Begin with the equation of motion in spherical coordinates (BSL equation B.6-7 page
848).

r-component
( )
r
r
r
r
r r r
r
r
g
v
r
v
r
v r
r r
r
p
r
v v
v
r
v
v
r
v
r
v
v
t
v

+
1
1
1
1
1
]
1

,
_

,
_

,
_

2
2
2 2
2
2
2
2
2 2 2
sin
1
sin
sin
1 1
sin

Assuming steady state and that

v v 0 , then the above equation reduces to:

( )
r r
r
r
g v r
r r r
p
r
v
v +
1
]
1

,
_

2
2
2
2
1

Rearrange:

( )
r
r
r r
g
r
v
v v r
r r r
p

2
2
2
2





-component

g
v
r
v
r
v
r
v
r
r
v
r
r r
p
r r
v
r
v v v
r
v
v
r
v
r
v
v
t
v
r
r
r
+
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
]
1

,
_

,
_

,
_

2 2
2 2
2
2 2
2
2
2
2
sin
cos 2
2
sin
1
sin (
sin
1 1
1
1
cot
sin


Since

v v 0 ,

g
p
r
+

1
0
Rearranging,

g
p
r

1


-component

g
v
r
v
r
v
r
v
r
r
v
r
r r
p
r r
v v
r
v v v
r
v v
r
v
r
v
v
t
v
r
r
r
+
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
]
1

,
_

,
_

,
_

2 2
2 2
2
2 2
2
2
2
sin
cos 2
sin
2
sin
1
sin (
sin
1 1
1
sin
1
cot
sin
Since

v v 0 ,

g
p
r
+

sin
1
0
Rearranging,

g
p
rs

1



(c) Show that the radial pressure distribution may be expressed in terms of the quantity
P as:

1
1
]
1

,
_

4
2
1
2
1
r
R
v P P
R r
r R

Solution
Begin with equations from results of part (b),
( )
r
r
r r
g
r
v
v v r
r r r
p

2
2
2
2
(1)
using,

sin r g
p

(2)

r g
p

(3)
gr p gr p P + + cos
cos g
r
p
r
P
+

sin gr
p P

Substitute (3)
0 sin

gr r g
P
so ) ( P P
( ) ( )

cos cos cos

2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
g g
r
v
v v r
r r
g
r
v
v v r
r r
g
r
p
r
P
r
r r r
r
r r
+

( )
2
2
2
2
2
2
r
v
r
v
v v r
r r r
P
r r
r r

Since
r
v r
2
Constant, then
( )
0
2

r
v r
r

( ) ( )
5
2 2
2
2 2
2 2
2 2 2
r
C
r
v
v v
r
v
r r
P
r
r r r

where C is the constant from part (a)

dr
r
C
dP
5
2
2



r
R
P
P
r
dr
C dP
r
5
2
2

,
_

4 4
2
1 1
4
2
R r
C
P P
r

Substitute C=R
2
v
r
and C
2
=R
4
v
r
2
( ) ( )

,
_

,
_

,
_

4
4
2 4
4 4
2 4
1
1
2
1 1 1
2
1
r
R
R
v R
R r
v R P P
r r r

And thus,
1
1
]
1

,
_

4
2
1
2
1
r
R
v P P
R r
r R


(d) Please write expressions for
rr
,

,
r
,
r
, and

for this system.

Solution
( )
1
]
1

1
]
1

r
v
r
v
v
r
v
r r r
rr
3
2
2
3
2
2
Next, utilize the result of (a) to obtain:
( )
1
]
1

r
v r
r r
v
r r
rr
2
2
3
2
2
Since
r
v r
2
Constant,
1
]
1

r
v
r
rr
2 2
r
v
r
rr
4

( )
1
]
1

,
_

1
]
1

,
_

r
v
r
v v
r
v
r
v v
r
r r r
3
2 1
2
3
2 1
2

Using the same strategy as above,
( ) ( )
1
]
1

1
]
1

,
_

r
v r
r r
v v
r r
v r
r r
v v
r
r r r r
2
2
2
2
3
2 2 2
3
2 1
2

r
v
r

2




( )
( )
1
]
1

1
]
1

,
_

+ +

r
v r
r r
v
v
r
v
r
v
v
r
r r r
2
2
3
2 2
3
2 cot
sin
1
2

r
v
r

2



Since we have symmetric flow,
0


r r