PROBLEM 8.

8
KNOWN: Velocity and temperature profiles for laminar flow in a parallel plate channel.
FIND: Mean velocity, um, and mean (or bulk) temperature, Tm, at this axial position. Plot the velocity
and temperature distributions. Comment on whether values of um and Tm appear reasonable.
SCHEMATIC:

ASSUMPTIONS: (1) Laminar incompressible flow, (2) Constant properties.

ANALYSIS: The prescribed velocity and temperature profiles (m/s and °C, respectively) are

u ( y ) = 0.75 ⎡1 − ( y yo ) ⎤ T ( y ) = 5.0 + 95.66 ( y yo ) − 47.83 ( y yo ) (1,2)

2 2 4
⎢⎣ ⎥⎦
The mean velocity, um, follows from its definition, Eq. 8.7,
& = ρ Ac u m = ρ ∫
m u ( y ) ⋅ dAc
Ac
where the flow cross-sectional area is dAc = 1⋅dy, and Ac = 2yo,
1 1 +y
um = ∫u ( y ) ⋅ dy = u ( y )dy
∫ (3)
Ac Ac 2yo − yo
+1
⋅ yo ∫ 0.75 ⎡1 − ( y yo ) ⎤ d ( y yo )
1 2
um =
2yo −1 ⎣⎢ ⎦⎥

{ }
+1
u m = 1 2 0.75 ⎡( y yo ) − 1 3 ( y yo ) ⎤
3
⎣⎢ ⎦⎥ −1

u m = 1 2 × 0.75{[1 − 1 3] − [ −1 + 1 3]} = 1 2 × 0.75 × 4 3 = 2 3 × 0.75 = 0.50 m s <

The mean temperature, Tm, follows from its definition, Eq. 8.25,
E& t = mc
& v Tm where m& = ρ Ac u m

ρ A c u m cp Tm = ρ cp ∫ u ( y ) ⋅ T ( y ) dAc
Ac
Hence, substituting velocity and temperature profiles,
1 + yo
Tm = u ( y ) ⋅ T ( y ) dy
∫ (4)
u m A c − yo

∫−1 {0.75 ⎡⎣1 − ( y }{5.0 + 95.66 ( y y ) }d (y y

1 +1 2⎤
yo ) − 47.83 ( y y o ) o)
2 4
Tm = yo
( 0.5 m s ) 2yo ⎦ o

{⎡5 ( y y ) + 31.89 ( y y ) ⎦}
+1
5⎤
− ⎡1.67 ( y y o ) + 19.13 ( y y o ) − 6.83 ( y y o )
0.75 7⎤
− 9.57 ( y y o )
3 3 5
Tm =
0.5 × 2 ⎣ ⎦ ⎣
o o
−1

{[ 27.32 − 13.97 ] − [ −27.32 − ( −13.97 )]} = 20.0o C

0.75
Tm =
0.5 × 2
<
Continued...
 PROBLEM 8.8 (Cont.)

The velocity and temperature profiles along with the um and Tm values are plotted below.

Temperature, T(y) (C)

1 60
Velocity, u(y) (m/s)

0.8 50
40
0.6
30
0.4
20
0.2 10
0 0
-1 -0.6 -0.2 0.2 0.6 1 -1 -0.6 -0.2 0.2 0.6 1

Dimensionless coordinate, x/xo Dimensionless coordinate, y/yo

Velocity profile, u(y) Temperature profile, T(y)

Mean velocity, um = 0.5 m/s Mean temperature, Tm = 20 C

For the velocity profile, the mean velocity is 2/3 that of the centerline velocity, um = 2u(0)/3. Note that
the areas above and below the um line appear to be equal. Considering the temperature profile, we’d
expect the mean temperature to be closer to the centerline temperature since the velocity profile weights
the integral toward the centerline.

COMMENTS: The integrations required to obtain um and Tm, Eqs. (3) and (4), could also be performed
using the intrinsic function INTEGRAL (y,x) in the IHT Workspace.