MIET 2422 – Fluid Mechanics of Mechanical Systems

Tutorial 4 Questions

Student Name: ______________________ Student Number: ______________

1. A car is driven off a pier as part of a stunt for a movie. The pier is at a height h above
the sea level, the length of the car is L, the mass of the car is M, and the car leaves the
pier tumbling end over end with an angular rotational speed of Ω.

a). Identify any other parameters that you feel may be relevant in the behavior of the car
from the time it becomes airborne till it finally sinks (or otherwise).
Answer : Some additional parameters that may be relevant in the behavior of the car from
the time it becomes airborne till it finally sinks could include:
Initial velocity: The initial velocity of the car when it leaves the pier could affect the
trajectory of its flight and the force with which it hits the water.
Shape and orientation of the car: The shape and orientation of the car could affect its
aerodynamics and how it moves through the air.
Air resistance: The amount of air resistance encountered by the car during its flight could
affect its speed and trajectory.
Water depth and surface conditions: The depth of the water and the condition of its
surface could affect how the car interacts with the water when it hits.
Buoyancy: The buoyancy of the car could affect how it behaves once it enters the water,
including how quickly it sinks and its final resting position.

b). Form a set of independent non-dimensional groups and comment on their physical
significance.
The physical problem described in this scenario involves several variables, including the
height of the pier above sea level (h), the length of the car (L), the mass of the car (M),
and the angular rotational speed of the car (Ω). To gain a better understanding of the
behavior of the car as it is driven off the pier, it is useful to identify a set of independent
non-dimensional groups that capture the physical significance of these variables.
To begin, we can use the Buckingham Pi theorem to identify the number of independent
non-dimensional groups that can be formed from these variables. The theorem states that
the number of independent non-dimensional groups is equal to the number of variables
(n) minus the number of fundamental dimensions (m). In this case, we have four
variables and three fundamental dimensions (length, mass, and time), so the number of
independent non-dimensional groups is n-m = 4-3 = 1.
This means that we can form one independent non-dimensional group using these
variables. We can choose any combination of the variables that results in a non-
dimensional quantity, which is a quantity that has no units of measurement. One common
approach is to use the principle of similarity, which states that physical systems that have
the same non-dimensional groups have similar behavior. Based on this principle, we can
identify a non-dimensional group that captures the physical significance of the variables
involved in this problem.
One possible non-dimensional group that we can form is:
ω^2L^2/hg
where ω is the angular rotational speed of the car, L is the length of the car, h is the
height of the pier above sea level, and g is the acceleration due to gravity. This non-
dimensional group is a ratio of two characteristic lengths (L and h) and a characteristic
velocity (ωL), all divided by the characteristic acceleration due to gravity (g). It has no
units of measurement and captures the physical significance of the problem.
The physical significance of this non-dimensional group can be interpreted as follows.
The numerator, ω^2L^2, represents the kinetic energy of the car's rotation, which is
related to the angular momentum of the car. The denominator, hg, represents the potential
energy of the car due to its height above sea level.

2. A one quarter scale model aircraft is tested at high incidence in a compressed air wind
tunnel where the density is 10 times standard air density. It is found that the wings
shed vortices at a frequency of 25 Hz. For conditions of dynamic similarity, what will
be the equivalent vortex shedding frequency for the full-scale aircraft? You may
assume that the air dynamic viscosity remains constant in model and full-scale
conditions.
Answer : To determine the equivalent vortex shedding frequency for the full-scale
aircraft, we need to apply the principle of dynamic similarity. Dynamic similarity states
that two systems are dynamically similar if they have the same non-dimensional
parameters, such as the Reynolds number, the Mach number, or the Froude number. In
fluid dynamics, the most commonly used non-dimensional parameter is the Reynolds
number.
The Reynolds number (Re) is defined as the ratio of inertial forces to viscous forces in a
fluid flow, and it is given by:
Re = ρVL/μ
where ρ is the fluid density, V is the flow velocity, L is a characteristic length (such as
the chord length of the wing), and μ is the dynamic viscosity of the fluid.
If the Reynolds number is the same for two systems, then the flow behavior should be the
same in both systems, and any aerodynamic forces or phenomena should be scaled
proportionally.
In this problem, we are given a one-quarter scale model aircraft that is tested in a
compressed air wind tunnel at a density that is 10 times standard air density. We are also
given the vortex shedding frequency of the model aircraft, which is 25 Hz. We want to
determine the equivalent vortex shedding frequency for the full-scale aircraft.
To begin, we need to determine the Reynolds number for the model aircraft. We can do
this using the given parameters:
Re_model = ρ_model V_model L_model / μ
where the subscript "model" refers to the model aircraft. We can assume that the dynamic
viscosity of the fluid remains constant in model and full-scale conditions, so we can
write:
Re_model = (ρ_model / ρ_fullscale) Re_fullscale
where ρ_fullscale is the density of the air at full-scale conditions, and Re_fullscale is the
Reynolds number for the full-scale aircraft. Solving for Re_fullscale, we get:
Re_fullscale = (ρ_fullscale / ρ_model) Re_model
Now we need to determine the density ratio, ρ_fullscale / ρ_model. We can use the ideal
gas law to relate the densities:
ρ_fullscale / ρ_model = (P_fullscale / P_model) (T_model / T_fullscale)
where P is the pressure and T is the temperature. We can assume that the temperature
remains constant in both model and full-scale conditions, so we can simplify this to:
ρ_fullscale / ρ_model = P_fullscale / P_model
We are not given any pressure information in the problem, but we can use the fact that
the wind tunnel is operating at 10 times standard air density to infer that the pressure in
the tunnel is also 10 times standard air pressure. Therefore, we can write:
ρ_fullscale / ρ_model = 1 / 10
Substituting this into the expression for Re_fullscale, we get:
Re_fullscale = 10 Re_model
Now we can use the principle of dynamic similarity to relate the vortex shedding
frequency of the model aircraft to the full-scale aircraft.