CVNG 2005

- Mechanics of Fluids II
Part II: Potential Flows
Lecture 4
Superposition of Basic Potential Flows II

CVNG 2005 Mechanics of Fluids II

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Superposition of Basic Potential Flows II

Free Vortex + Doublet + Uniform Flow
Flow past a Rotating Circular Cylinder
Free Vortex + Forced Vortex
Hurricane
Free Vortex + Sink
Tornado (Spiral Flow)

CVNG 2005 Mechanics of Fluids II

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Free Vortex + Doublet + Uniform Flow (Rotating Cylinder)

The effect of adding a vortex is to

upset the symmetry of flow about the
horizontal diameter. Therefore, the
pressure in the upper half of the
cylinder is not balanced by the
pressure in the lower half. This results
in a net lift force acting laterally on the
cylinder.

CVNG 2005 Mechanics of Fluids II

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Free Vortex + Doublet + Uniform Flow (Rotating Cylinder)

CVNG 2005 Mechanics of Fluids II

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Vortex Motion
Free vortex (irrotational):

ur = 0 u =

2 r

K
r

= ln r = K ln r
2

Forced vortex (rotational):

ur = 0 u = r
= r 2
=

r2
2

CVNG 2005 Mechanics of Fluids II

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Flow not defined at origin!

Vortex Motion

CVNG 2005 Mechanics of Fluids II

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Free Vortex + Forced Vortex (Hurricane)

Forced vortex

Combined Stream Function:

Free vortex
r

R
v

Free : ur = 0 u =

2 r

K
K
v=
r
r

Forced : ur = 0 u = r v = r
CVNG 2005 Mechanics of Fluids II
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Hurricane (Example)

20 km

The wind velocity at is 192 km/h.

What are the velocities in the flow field of the above-mentioned hurricane at
the radial distances of 10 and 30 km from its centre?
What is the pressure difference between these two radial distances?
CVNG 2005 Mechanics of Fluids II
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Free Vortex + Sink (Tornado = Spiral Flow)

Combined Stream Function:

m
= ln r +
2
2

with m < 0
v

1
m
=
ur =
r 2 r

=
u =
r 2 r

m
v = ur2 + u2 = 2 2 + 2 2
4 r 4 r
2

CVNG 2005 Mechanics of Fluids II

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Tornado (Example)
A crude model of a tornado is defined by combining a sink
of strength m=2800 m/s and a free vortex of circulation
equal to 5600 m/s.
Estimate the velocity and gauge pressure at a distance of
8m from the centre.

m
ln r +

2
2

CVNG 2005 Mechanics of Fluids II

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

with m < 0