Creeping Flow Example

Example: Flow Near a Slowly Rotating Sphere

A solid sphere of radius R is rotating slowly at constant angular
velocity  in a large body of quiescent fluid. Develop expressions
for the pressure and velocity distributions in the fluid and for the
torque Tz required to maintain the motion. It is assumed that the
sphere rotates sufficiently slowly that it is appropriate to use the
creeping flow version of the equation of motion.

Note: This problem also illustrates setting up & solving a problem

in spherical coordinates
 Creeping Flow
Creeping flow, also named Stokes flow, is a Example: Flow
over a sphere
type of fluid flow where convective inertial
forces (acceleration terms) are small
compared to viscous forces (Du/Dt=0). The
Reynolds number is low (Re << 1).

This is a typical situation in flows where the

fluid velocities are very slow, the viscosities
are very large, or the length-scales of the
flow are very small.
Creeping flow was first studied to understand lubrication. In nature
this type of flow occurs in the swimming of microorganisms and
the flow of lava. In technology, it occurs in paint, MEMS devices,
and in the flow of viscous polymers generally.
3
 Example 5 (contd.)
Assumptions:
1. Steady-state
2. Newtonian fluid with constant viscosity 
3. Creeping flow
4. Incompressible fluid ( = constant) z
5. Symmetric around z-axis (no R y
dependence of flow in the  direction)
6. Flow is in the -direction only :
ur = u = 0 and u = f(r, ) x
7. Modified Pressure P = P(r, )

BC1 : at r  R u  R sin 
BC2 : as r   u  0
BC3 : as r   
  p0
( p  gz ) 4
 Example 5 (contd.)
Continuity:
SS Ur = 0 U = 0 Symmetry
 1  ( r 2ur ) 1 ( u sin  ) 1 ( u )
 2   0
t r r r sin   r sin  
-component of momentum equation:
 u u u u u u u ur u u cot   1 p
   ur       
 t r r  r sin   r r  r sin  
 1   2 u  1   u  
 2  r   2  sin   
 r r  r  r sin        g

  u
2
u 2 ur 
2 cos  u 


 2 1 2  2 2  2  2 2
 r sin   2
r sin  r sin   r sin   

r- and -components of momentum  

0 and 0 
equation simply give (for creeping flow): r  5
 Example 5 (contd.)
-component of momentum equation reduces to:
1   2 u  1   u  u
0  2  r   2  sin    2 2
r r  r  r sin      r sin 
This is a partial differential equation. To solve this, we try a
solution of the form u = f(r)sin. This is just a guess, but
consistent with the BCs. Let’s insert this trial form for the velocity
profile into the PDE:
sin    2 f (r )  f (r )  f (r ) sin 
0 2 r  2 sin  cos    2 2
r r  r  r sin   r sin 
sin  d  2 df (r )  f (r )  2 
0 2 r  2  cos   sin    f (r )
2

r dr  dr  r sin    
  r 2 sin 
 1 2 sin 
2

d  2 df (r )   2 
0  sin   r
2 
  f (r ) cos   sin2
   f (r )
dr  dr      
 1 2 sin 2   6
 Example 5 (contd.)
We get the following ODE: The fact that the PDE is reduced to this ODE without
any remaining -containing terms is partial proof
that proposed form of the solution is correct.

d  2 df (r )  d 2
f df
r   2 f (r )  0  r  2r 2f 0
2

dr  dr  dr 2
dr
Cauchy-Euler equidimensional equation
This ODE may be solved by assuming a trial solution f = rn.
The solution is:
f  C1r n1  C2 r n2
n1 and n2 are the roots of the n(n-1 )  2n  2  0
n1  1 and n2  2
C2  C2 
The solution is: f  C1r  2  u   C1r  2  sin 
r  r 
7
 Example 5 (contd.)
Apply BC1:
 C2 
BC2 : as r   u  0  0   C1 ()   sin   C1  0
 ( ) 
C2
BC1 : at r  R u  R sin   R sin   2 sin   C2  R 3
R
2
R
Then the velocity profile is: u  R  sin 
r

Let’s check this solution in the full N-S equation:

-component is satisfied completely, inertia terms vanish identically.

8
 Example 5 (contd.)
If we have not made the creeping flow assumption:
u2   2 R 6 sin 2  
r-equation:   
r r r 5
r
sin  cos
 
u cot  1 
2
 2 R 6 sin 2  cot  
-equation:   
r r  r 4

Integrate both equations to obtain pressure:
These 2 equations
  ρΩ 2 6 2
θ  cannot be made
r ,        C1 θ 
1 R sin
equivalent for any
 4 
4
r choice of C1 and C2.

 1  ρΩ R sin θ
2 6 2
r,θ      C r   Therefore, creeping
 2 r 4 2
 flow assumption was
necessary. 9
 Example 5 (contd.)
Now we can calculate the torque needed to maintain the rotation of
the sphere:
   u 
 r   μ r    3  sin 
 r  r
rR
 rR

F   r rR
R 2
sin dd Force exerted on the fluid by a
solid surface element
2 
Torque is: z    (3  sin  )( R sin  ) R 2 sin dd
0 0   
Lever arm

 6 R 0  d
3 3
sin

3 cos  cos 3 4
  
4 12 0 3

 8 R 3 10