What is fluid?

A fluid is a state of matter (or matter- in- transition) in which its molecules move
freely and do not bear a constant relationship in space to other molecules. Thus it
has the ability to take up the shape of its container.
What is flow?
The movement of liquids and gases is generally referred to as "flow," a concept that
describes how fluids behave and how they interact with their surrounding
environment for example, water moving through a channel or pipe, or over a
surface. Flow can be either steady or unsteady. If all properties of a flow are
independent of time, then the flow is steady; otherwise, it is unsteady. That is,
steady flows do not change over time. An example of steady flow would be water
flowing through a pipe at a constant rate. On the other hand, a flood or water
pouring from an old-fashioned hand pump are examples of unsteady flow.
A simple equation to represent this is
Reynolds Number (Re)

An important factor in fluid flow is the fluid's Reynolds number (Re), which is named
after 19th century scientist Osborne Reynolds, although it was first described in
1851 by physicist George Gabriel Stokes. Re is the ratio of inertial to viscous
forces.The inertial force is the fluid's resistance to change of motion, and the
viscous force is the amount of friction due to the viscosity or thickness of the fluid.
Note that Re is not only a property of the fluid; it also includes the conditions of its
flow such as its speed and the size and shape of the conduit or any obstructions.
At low Re, the flow tends to be smooth, or laminar, while at high Re, the flow tends
to be turbulent, forming eddies and vortices. Re can be used to predict how a gas or
liquid will flow around an obstacle in a stream, such as water around a bridge piling
or wind over an aircraft wing. The number can also be used to predict the speed at
which flow transitions from laminar to turbulent.
The Reynolds number is important in analyzing any type of flow when there is
substantial velocity gradient (i.e. shear.) It indicates the relative significance of the
viscous effect compared to the inertia effect. The Reynolds number is proportional
to inertial force divided by viscous force.
The flow is

laminar when Re < 2300

transient when 2300 < Re < 4000

turbulent when 4000 < Re

Physical Properties Affecting the Fluids' Flow

The major factors affecting the flow of fluids through pipes are:
1)The velocity of the fluid: is defined as the fluid speed in the direction of flow. Fluid
velocity depends on the head pressure that is f h i forcing the fluid through the pipe.
2)Pipe size: The larger the pipe, the greater the potential flow rate. Greater the
head pressures, faster the fluid flow rate.
3)Pipe Friction: reduces the flow rate through the pipe. Flow rate of the fluid is
slower near walls of the pipe than at the centre.
4)Fluid viscosity: its physical resistance to flow. Higher the viscosity the fluid, the
slower fluid flow.
5) The specific gravity of the fluid: At any given operating condition, higher the
fluid's specific gravity, lower th fluid's flow rate.
6) Fluid Condition: The condition of the fluid (clean or dirty) also limitations in flow
measurement, some measuring devices become blocked/plugged or eroded if dirty
fluids are used.
7) Velocity Profiles: Velocity profiles have major effect on the accuracy and
performance of most flow meters.
The shape of the velocity profile inside a pipe depends on the momentum or
internal forces of the fluid, that moves the fluid through the pipe, the viscous forces
of the fluid that tend to slow the fluid as passes near the pipe walls.
Fluid squeezability: Compressible or incompressible flow
Fluid flow can be compressible or incompressible, depending on whether you can
easily compress the fluid. Liquids are usually nearly impossible to compress,
whereas gases (also considered a fluid) are very compressible.
A hydraulic system works only because liquids are incompressible that is, when
you increase the pressure in one location in the hydraulic system, the pressure
increases to match everywhere in the whole system. Gases, on the other hand, are
very compressible.
Fluid thickness: Viscous or nonviscous flow

Liquid flow can be viscous or nonviscous. Viscosity is a measure of the thickness of

a fluid, and very gloppy fluids such as motor oil or shampoo are called viscous
fluids.
Viscosity is actually a measure of friction in the fluid. When a fluid flows, the layers
of fluid rub against one another, and in very viscous fluids, the friction is so great
that the layers of flow pull against one other and hamper that flow.
Viscosity usually varies with temperature, because when the molecules of a fluid are
moving faster (when the fluid is warmer), the molecules can more easily slide over
each other.

THREE TYPES OF FLOW PROFILE

Laminar or Streamlined: is described as liquid flowing through a pipeline, divisible
into layers moving parallel to each other. By laminar flow we are generally referring
to a smooth, steady fluid motion, in which any induced perturbations are damped
out due to the relatively strong viscous forces.Laminar flow is desirable in many
situations, such as in drainage systems or airplane wings, because it is more
efficient and less energy is lost.

Turbulent flow: is the most common type of flow pattern found in pipes. Turbulent
flow is the flow pattern which has a transverse velocity (swirls, eddy current).In
turbulent flows, other forces may be acting the counteract the action of viscosity.
Turbulent flow can be useful for causing different fluids to mix together or for
equalizing temperature. most flows of interest are turbulent however, such flows
can be very difficult to predict in detail, and distinguishing between these two types
of flow is largely intuitive.
Transitional flow: which is between the laminar and turbulent flow profiles. Its
behaviour is difficult to predict and it may oscillate between the laminar and
turbulent flow profiles.
Liquid flow
The study of liquid flow is called hydrodynamics. While liquids include all sorts of
substances, such as oil and chemical solutions, by far the most common liquid is
water, and most applications for hydrodynamics involve managing the flow of this
liquid. That includes flood control, operation of city water and sewer systems, and
management of navigable waterways.

Hydrodynamics deals primarily with the flow of water in pipes or open channels.
The main difference between pipe flow and open-channel flow is that flows in closed
conduits or channels, like pipes or air ducts, are entirely in contact with rigid
boundaries, while open-channel flows, on the other hand, are those whose
boundaries are not entirely a solid and rigid material.Important open-channel flows
are rivers, tidal currents, irrigation canals, or sheets of water running across the
ground surface after a rain.
Due to the differences in those boundaries, different forces affect the two types of
flows. While flows in a closed pipe may be driven either by pressure or gravity, flows
in open channels are driven by gravity alone. The pressure is determined primarily
by the height of the fluid above the point of measurement. For instance, most city
water systems use water towers to maintain constant pressure in the system.This
difference in elevation is called the hydrodynamic head. Liquid in a pipe can also be
made to flow faster or with greater pressure using mechanical pumps.
Gas flow
The flow of gas has many similarities to the flow of liquid, but it also has some
important differences. First, gas is compressible, whereas liquids are generally
considered to be incompressible. If the density of the fluid changes appreciably
throughout the flow field, the flow may be treated as a compressible flow.
Otherwise, the fluid is considered to be incompressible. Second, gas flow is hardly
affected by gravity.
The gas most commonly encountered in everyday life is air; therefore, scientists
have paid much attention to its flow conditions. Wind causes air to move around
buildings and other structures, and it can also be made to move by pumps and
fans.
One area of particular interest is the movement of objects through the atmosphere.
This branch of fluid dynamics is called aerodynamics, which is the dynamics of
bodies moving relative to gases, especially the interaction of moving objects with
the atmosphere. Problems in this field involve reducing drag on automobile bodies
and designing more efficient aircraft and wind turbines.
Bernoulli's principle
Generally, fluid moving at a higher speed has lower pressure than fluid moving at a
lower speed. This phenomenon is commonly known as Bernoulli's principle. It can be
applied to measure the speed of a liquid or gas moving in a pipe or channel or over
a surface.
This principle is also responsible for lift in an aircraft wing, which is why airplanes
can fly. Because the wing is flat on the bottom and curved on the top, the air has to
travel a greater distance along the top surface than along the bottom. To do this, it

must go faster over the top, causing its pressure to decrease. This makes the
higher-pressure air on the bottom lift up on the wings.
Gas flow measurement
Rotameter. A rotameter (variable area meter) is a flow meter that measures
volumetric flow of liquids and gases. The technique for measuring flow is
accomplished by a freely moving float finding equilibrium in a tapered tube. The
flow rate is then read from either a scale next to the tube or a scale on the tube.
Peak flow meter. A peak flow meter is a portable, easy-to-use device that
measures how well your lungs are able to expel air. By blowing hard through a
mouthpiece on one end, the peak flow meter can measure the force of air in liters
per minute and give you a reading on a built-in numbered scale.
Pneumotachograph. the pneumotachograph is a device that is placed directly in
the airway to measure the velocityof air flow. the volume per breath is therefore the
integral of the velocity time record during inspiration or expiration.
Bourdon gauge. The Bourdon pressure gauge uses the principle that a flattened
tube tends to change to a more circular cross-section when pressurized. Although
this change in cross-section may be hardly noticeable, and thus involving moderate
stresses within the elastic range of easily workable materials, the strain of the
material of the tube is magnified by forming the tube into a C shape or even a helix,
such that the entire tube tends to straighten out or uncoil, elastically, as it is
pressurized.

Fluids' Flow
Measurement Flow meters operate according to many different principles of
measurement although thi could be this classified roughly as follow:
1. Differential pressure flowmeters
2. Variable area flowmeters
3. Mechanical flowmeters
4. Electronic flowmeters
5. Mass flowmeters

In his lecture notes, "Lectures in Elementary Fluid Dynamics" (University of

Kentucky, 2009) J. M. McDonough, a professor of engineering at the University of
Kentucky, writes, "

Geology professor John Southard's lecture notes from an online course, "Introduction
to Fluid Motions" (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2006), outline
According to Scott Post in his book, "Applied and Computational Fluid Mechanics,"
(Jones & Bartlett, 2009), "
In "Fundamentals of Compressible Fluid Dynamics" (Prentice-Hall, 2006), author P.
Balachandran describes compressible fluid, stating, "
according to the American Heritage Dictionary.
was first described by Daniel Bernoulli in 1738 in his book "Hydrodynamica," and
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