BSL 2B.

3 Laminar flow in a narrow slit (a) A Newtonian fluid is in laminar flow in a narrow slit formed by two parallel walls a distance 2B apart. It is understood that B << W, so that edge effects are unimportant. Make a differential momentum balance, and obtain the following expressions for the momentum flux and velocity distributions:

P P xz = 0 L x L
2 (P0 PL )B2 x vz = 1 2L B

In these expressions P = p + gh = p gz.

average velocity to the maximum velocity for this flow? (b) What is the ratio of the

(c) Obtain the slit analog of the Hagen Poiseuille equation. (d) Draw a meaningful sketch to show why the above analysis is inapplicable if B = W. (e) How can the result in (b) be obtained from the results of 2.5?

Fig. 2B.3 Flow through a slit, with B << W << L. Solution: a) Since the fluid flow is in the zdirection, vx = 0, vy = 0, and only vz exists. Further, vz is independent of z and it is meaningful to postulate that velocity vz = vz(x) and pressure p =

Copyright 2005 by Apolinar Picado

p(z). The only nonvanishing components of the stress tensor are xz = zx, which depend only on x. Consider now a thin rectangular slab (shell) perpendicular to the xdirection extending a distance W in the ydirection and a distance L in the zdirection. A 'rate of zmomentum' balance over this thin shell of thickness x in the fluid is of the form:

(LW) xz x xz x + x + (Wx) zz z = 0 zz z = L + ( xLW)g = 0

Dividing the above equation by LWx, and the limit taken as x approaches zero, we get

xz zz z = 0 zz z = L g = 0 x L
At this point we have to write out explicitly what components xz and zz are, making use of the definition of in Eqs. 1.7-1 to 3 and the expressions for xz and zz in Table B.1. This ensures that we do not miss out any of the forms of momentum transport. Hence, we get

xz = xz + v x v z = xz zz = p + zz + v z v z = p

In accordance with the postulates that vz = vz(x), vx = 0, vy = 0, and p = p(z), we see that (i) since vx = 0, the term vxvz is zero; (ii) since vz = vz(x), the term zz is zero; (iii) since vz = vz(x), the term vzvz is the same at both ends of the slit, so the convective terms are cancel out.
d xz p0 p L g = 0 dx L d xz p0 p L = + g dx L

The right hand side may be compactly and conveniently written by introducing the modified pressure P, which is the sum of the pressure and gravitational terms. The general definition of the modified pressure is P = p + gh, where h is the distance upward (in the direction opposed to gravity) from a reference plane of choice. Since the zaxis points downward in this problem, h = z and therefore P = p gz. Thus, P0 = p0 at z = 0 and PL = pL gL at z = L giving p0 pL + gL = P0 PL.

d xz P0 PL = dx L
Integration leads to the following expression for the shear stress distribution

P P xz = 0 L x + C1 L
Copyright 2005 by Apolinar Picado

It is worth noting that the two last equations apply to Newtonian and non Newtonian fluid. The constant of integration C1 is determined later using boundary conditions. Substituting Newton's law of viscosity for xz in above equation gives

dv z P0 PL = x + C1 dx L

The above first order differential equation is simply integrated to obtain the following velocity profile

P P C v z = 0 L x 2 1 x + C2 2L
Boundary conditions

BC1: BC2:

at x = B; at x = B;

vz = 0 vz = 0

Using these, the integration constants may be evaluated as C1 = 0 and C2 = (P0 PL)B2/(2L). Substituting C1 = 0 in the shear stress equation, the final expression is found to be linear as given by

P P xz = 0 L x L
Further, substitution of the integration constants gives the final expression for the velocity profile as
2 (P0 PL )B2 x vz = 1 2L B

It is observed that the velocity distribution for laminar, incompressible flow of a Newtonian fluid in a plane narrow slit is parabolic. b) The maximum velocity occurs at x = 0 (where dvz/dx = 0). Therefore,

v z, max =

(P0 PL )B2 2L

2 x v z = v z, max 1 B

Copyright 2005 by Apolinar Picado

The average velocity is obtained by dividing the volumetric flow rate by the cross sectional area as shown below.

0 v z (x)dydx v z = B B W B 0 dydx
vz =

v z, max B x 2 1 dx B 0 B2

vz =

vz

v z, max 2 B B 3
= 2 3

v z, max

Thus, the ratio of the average velocity to the maximum velocity for Newtonian fluid flow in a narrow slit is 2/3. This seems reasonable since v z /vz,max = for flow in a circular pipe. For a slit a larger cross sectional area carries fluid flowing at the larger velocity than for flow in a circular pipe. So v z /vz,max for slit > v z /vz,max for a circular pipe. c)

is the product of the density , the cross sectional area (2BW) and the The mass rate of flow average velocity v z . w = (2BW) v z

w = (2BW)

2 (P0 PL )B2 3 2L

2 (P0 PL )B3 W w= 3 L
The flow rate vs. pressure drop (w vs. P) expression above is the slit analog of the Hagen Poiseuille equation (originally for circular tubes). It is a result worth noting because it provides the starting point for creeping flow in many systems (e.g. radial flow between two parallel circular disks; and flow between two stationary concentric spheres). d) The above analysis is not applicable if B = W, because of the presence of a wall at y = 0 and y = B would cause vz to vary significantly in y in addition to x, then vz = vz (x, y).

Copyright 2005 by Apolinar Picado

If W = 2B, then a solution can be obtained for flow in a square duct. e) In Eq. 2.5-20, set both viscosities equal to , p0 pL = P0 PL, and set b equal to B.

vz =

(P0 PL )B2 8 (P0 PL )B2 = 12L 2 3L

2 (P P )B2 2 (P0 PL )B2 vz = 0 L = 2 3L 3 2L

2 v z = v z, max 3
vz = 2 3

v z, max

Copyright 2005 by Apolinar Picado