4.II.37E

Fluid Dynamics II
Part II, 2005

Consider flow of an incompressible fluid of uniform density ρ\rho and dynamic viscosity μ\mu. Show that the rate of viscous dissipation per unit volume is given by

Φ=2μeijeij,\Phi=2 \mu e_{i j} e_{i j},

where eije_{i j} is the strain rate.

Determine expressions for eije_{i j} and Φ\Phi when the flow is irrotational with velocity potential ϕ\phi. Hence determine the rate of viscous dissipation, averaged over a wave period 2π/ω2 \pi / \omega, for an irrotational two-dimensional surface wave of wavenumber kk and small amplitude ak1a \ll k^{-1} in a fluid of very small viscosity μρω/k2\mu \ll \rho \omega / k^{2} and great depth H1/kH \gg 1 / k.

[You may use without derivation that in deep water a linearised wave with surface displacement η=acos(kxwt)\eta=a \cos (k x-w t) has velocity potential ϕ=(ωa/k)ekzsin(kxωt)\phi=-(\omega a / k) e^{-k z} \sin (k x-\omega t).]

Calculate the depth-integrated time-averaged kinetic energy per wavelength. Assuming that the average potential energy is equal to the average kinetic energy, show that the total wave energy decreases to leading order like eγte^{-\gamma t}, where

γ=4μk2/ρ\gamma=4 \mu k^{2} / \rho