which is in contact with the stationary plate, is zero. The motion of the top
plate has resulted in x momentum (or x component of momentum) which
travelled in y direction due to viscous drag. This momentum flux (amount of
momentum transferred per unit area per unit time in a direction normal to the
area) is given by:
yx
ÿ
dv
x
dy
5:99
where is the viscosity of fluid. The negative sign in the equation shows that the
direction of moment um transfer is from high velocity to low velocity. Equation
5.99 is Newton's law of viscosity. The above equation has another meaning. To
move the top plate with velocity v
x
, a shear force has to be applied. This shear
force per unit area or shear stress is
yx
. The subscript yx indicates that the shear
force is in x direction and is acting on a plane of constant y. The unit of shear
stress is Pa or kgm
ÿ1
s
ÿ2
, the same as that of momentum flux, and the unit of
viscosity is kgm
ÿ1
s
ÿ1
or Pa.s. The fluids that obey this law, i.e. the fluids for
which is independent of shear rate, (dv
x
/dy), is known as Newtonian fluid. All
gases and most of the simple liquids follow Newton's law.
When
yx
is consider ed as momentum flux, y gives the direction of
momentum flux and x the component of momentum. On the other hand when
yx
is consider ed as shear stress, it is in the x direction and is acting on a fluid
surface of constant y. So the direction of momentum flux and shear stress are not
the same. Shear stress is always in the direction of velocity or momentum
component.
Although equation 5.99 has the same form as that of mass flux given by
equation 5.3 or heat flux (equation 5.57), there is a basic difference between this
equation and other two. Velocity is a vector but temperature and concentration
are scalar. So the heat and mass fluxes are vectors and have three components
but the double suff ix in
yx
indicates that in three-dimensional problem has
nine components and it is the stress tensor.
5.25 Velocity profile of fluid between two parallel flat plates. (a) At t 0, top
plate is set to motion with veloc ity v
x
. (b) Velocity profile after a short time,
unsteady state. (c) Velocity profile at steady state.
Transport phenomena and metals properties 219