IPhO 1983 · Theory problem 5

IPhO's logo

The Logo of the International Physics Olympiad is represented in the figure below.
The figure presents the phenomenon of the curving of the trajectory of a jet of fluid around the shape of a cylindrical surface. The trajectory of fluid is not like the expected dashed line but as the circular solid line.
Qualitatively explain this phenomenon (first observed by Romanian engineer Henry Coanda in 1936).

This problem will be not considered in the general score of the Olympiad. The best solution will be awarded a special prize.

Figure 1

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • Problem V. This is the Coandă effect. The jet entrains surrounding fluid, and the cylinder restricts replacement of the fluid entrained from the space between the jet and the surface. The resulting lower pressure on the cylinder side produces an inward force, bending the jet around the cylinder.

Solution

Problem V.

Consider a jet passing approximately tangentially beside the cylinder. We neglect gravity over the region of the illustrated bend.

Through viscous shear—and turbulent mixing if the flow is turbulent—the jet transfers momentum to the surrounding fluid and carries some of it along. This process is called entrainment. For a free jet in otherwise symmetric surroundings, fluid can enter from both sides, so entrainment produces no preferred sideways deflection.

The nearby cylinder changes this situation. Fluid between the jet and the cylinder is entrained into the jet, but the solid surface restricts the supply of replacement fluid. Consequently, a region of reduced pressure develops on the cylinder side. The higher pressure on the exposed side then pushes the jet towards the cylinder.

Once the jet follows the curved surface, a pressure difference across it supplies the centripetal acceleration needed to maintain its curved trajectory. To express this quantitatively, let \(r\) measure distance from the cylinder axis, \(v\) be the local tangential speed, and \(\rho\) the fluid density. For locally circular flow, neglecting viscous forces in the normal momentum balance within the bulk of the jet,

\[ -\frac{\partial p}{\partial r} =-\rho\frac{v^{2}}{r}, \qquad\text{so}\qquad \frac{\partial p}{\partial r} =\rho\frac{v^{2}}{r}>0. \]

Thus pressure increases away from the cylinder: the pressure force points inward, exactly as required to turn the jet.

For example, for a thin jet of thickness \(h\ll R\), approximately constant density, and representative bulk speed \(U\), the required pressure difference is of order

\[ p_{\mathrm{outer}}-p_{\mathrm{wall}} \sim \rho U^{2}\frac{h}{R}, \]

where \(R\) is the cylinder radius.

Entrainment establishes the asymmetric pressure field, and that pressure field bends the jet. Attachment persists while the flow can maintain the pressure difference required by the curvature; if it cannot, the jet separates from the surface.

The solution was checked against the official solution.