Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-topics-in-fluid-mechanics-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2010/3/i/solution
Past exam of the topics in fluid mechanics course of the University of Oxford 2010 3 i Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-31
Write , and assume these scales are nonzero. The two reference liquidus relations imply . For the similarity variable and front ,Thus a temperature profile has and . Each heat equation becomes . The solute diffusion equation becomes , withThis Lewis number compares thermal and solutal diffusivities. Inside the mushy layer, gives . The wall and far-field conditions become and as .
At the moving phase boundary, equality of temperatures gives . Equality of concentrations gives . Therefore the dimensionless parameters with the convention used here areNeither concentration nor temperature offsets should be dropped when enforcing continuity. In particular can be negative. If , then : this is the inverse Stefan number, although the paper calls its Stefan number.
To check every factor of two in the flux conditions, divide the thermal Stefan condition by , and the solute balance by . This givesFinally and imply . This is marginal equilibrium at a mush-liquid boundary. Together these calculations produce all the rescaled differential equations and all three interface balances.
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