ME:5160 (58:160) Intermediate Mechanics of Fluids

Fall 2021 – HW4 Solution

P3.18 Gasoline enters Section 1 in Fig. P3.18 at 0.5 m3/s. It leaves Section 2 at an average
velocity of 12 m/s. What is the average velocity at Section 3? Is it in or out?

Solution: Given Q1 = 0.5 m3/s, evaluate

  m
Q2  D22 V2  (0.18m)2 (12 )  0.305 m3 / s
4 4 s
Then

Q3  Q1  Q2  0.5  0.305   0.195 m3 / s  ( / 4)(0.13m) 2 V3 , solve V3  14.7 m / s out Ans.

Fig. P3.22

Solution: The mass flow is given by the throat conditions:

 284000 kg    m kg
m  1A1V1   3
(0.01 m)2  517   0.0604 Ans. (a)
 (287)(665) m  4  s s

For steady flow, this must equal the mass flow at the exit:

kg  8000   m
0.0604  2 A 2 V2    (0.025)2 V2, or V2  1060 Ans. (b)
s  287(240)  4 s

Recall from Eq. (1.39) that the speed of sound of an ideal gas  (kRT)1/2. Then

1060
Mach number at exit: Ma = V2 /a 2 =  3.41 Ans. (c)
[1.4(287)(240)]1/2
P3.29 In elementary compressible-flow theory (Chap. 9), compressed air will exhaust from a
small hole in a tank at the mass flow rate m  C, where  is the air density in the tank and C is a
constant. If o is the initial density in a tank of volume v, derive a formula for the density change
(t) after the hole is opened. Apply your formula to the following case: a spherical tank of diameter
50 cm, with initial pressure 300 kPa and temperature 100°C, and a hole whose initial exhaust rate
is 0.01 kg/s. Find the time required for the tank density to drop by 50 percent.

Solution: For a control volume enclosing the tank and the exit jet, we obtain

𝑑 𝑑𝜌
0 = 𝑑𝑡 (∫ 𝜌𝑑𝑣) + 𝑚̇𝑜𝑢𝑡 , 𝑜𝑟: 𝑣 𝑑𝑡 = −𝑚̇𝑜𝑢𝑡 = −𝐶𝜌

 t
d C   C 
or:  

v0 dt, or:
o
 exp   t 
 v 
Ans.
o

Now apply this formula to the given data. If p0  300 kPa and T0  100°C  373°K, then ρ0 
p/RT  (300,000)/[287(373)]  2.80 kg/m3. This establishes the constant “C”:

kg  kg  m3
m o  Co  0.01  C  2.80 3  , or C  0.00357 for this hole.
s  m  s

The tank volume is v  ( /6)D3  ( /6)(0.5 m)3  0.0654 m 3. Then we require

 0.00357 
/o  0.5  exp  t if t  13 s Ans.
 0.0654 
P3.58 The water tank in Fig. P3.58 stands on a frictionless cart and feeds a jet of diameter 4 cm
and velocity 8 m/s, which is deflected 60° by a vane. Compute the tension in the supporting
cable.

Solution: The CV should surround the tank and wheels and cut through the cable and the exit
water jet. Then the horizontal force balance is

Fig. P3.58

 
 Fx  Tcable  mout uout  (  AVj )Vj cos  998   (0.04)2 (8)2cos60  40 N Ans.
4
P3.61 A 20°C water jet strikes a vane on a tank with frictionless wheels, as shown. The jet
turns and falls into the tank without spilling. If   30°, estimate the horizontal force F needed to
hold the tank stationary.

Solution: The CV surrounds the tank and wheels and cuts through the jet, as shown. We
should assume that the splashing into the tank does not increase the x-momentum of the water in
the tank. Then we can write the CV horizontal force relation:

Fig. P3.61

 Fx  F 
d
dt
  u d  tank
 m in uin  0  mVjet independent of 

2 2
 slug    2   ft 
Thus F   A jV2j  1.94 3   ft   50   106 lbf Ans.
 ft  4  12   s