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7.6 Common Dimensionless Groups in Fluid Mechanics 347<br />

TABLE 7.1<br />

Some Common Variables and Dimensionless Groups in Fluid Mechanics<br />

Variables: Acceleration of gravity, g; Bulk modulus, E v ; Characteristic length, ; Density, r; Frequency of<br />

oscillating flow, v; Pressure, p (or ¢ p); Speed of sound, c; Surface tension, s; Velocity, V; Viscosity, m<br />

Dimensionless Interpretation (Index of Types of<br />

Groups Name Force Ratio Indicated) Applications<br />

rV/<br />

m<br />

Reynolds number, Re<br />

inertia force<br />

viscous force<br />

Generally of importance in<br />

all types of <strong>fluid</strong> dynamics<br />

problems<br />

Special names<br />

along with physical<br />

interpretations are<br />

given to the most<br />

common dimensionless<br />

groups.<br />

V<br />

1g/<br />

p<br />

rV 2<br />

rV 2<br />

E v<br />

Froude number, Fr<br />

Euler number, Eu<br />

Cauchy number, a Ca<br />

inertia force<br />

gravitational force<br />

pressure force<br />

inertia force<br />

inertia force<br />

compressibility force<br />

Flow with a free surface<br />

Problems in which pressure,<br />

or pressure differences, are<br />

of interest<br />

Flows in which the<br />

compressibility of the <strong>fluid</strong><br />

is important<br />

V<br />

c<br />

Mach number, a Ma inertia force<br />

Flows in which the<br />

compressibility force compressibility of the <strong>fluid</strong><br />

is important<br />

v/<br />

V<br />

Strouhal number, St<br />

inertia 1local2 force<br />

inertia 1convective2 force<br />

Unsteady flow with a<br />

characteristic frequency of<br />

oscillation<br />

rV 2 /<br />

s<br />

Weber number, We<br />

inertia force<br />

surface tension force<br />

Problems in which surface<br />

tension is important<br />

a The Cauchy number and the Mach number are related and either can be used as an index of the relative effects of inertia and compressibility.<br />

See accompanying discussion.<br />

where s is measured along the streamline. If we write the velocity, V s , and length, s, in dimensionless<br />

form, that is,<br />

where V and / represent some characteristic velocity and length, respectively, then<br />

and<br />

V* s V s<br />

V<br />

a s V 2<br />

F I V 2<br />

s* s /<br />

/ V * s<br />

dV* s<br />

ds*<br />

/ V * s dV * s<br />

ds* m<br />

V s<br />

Streamline<br />

gm<br />

F I G U R E 7.3 The force of gravity acting on a<br />

<strong>fluid</strong> particle moving along a streamline.

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