Fluid Mechanics

Chapter 1-1: Basic Concepts

Sharifah Abdullah
+6013 3030540
shaz6466@gmail.com

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this chapter students will be
able to:
differentiate the unit and dimensions use
in engineering fluids (CO1)
understand various properties of fluids
(CO1)

Elementary Fluid Mechanics

Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

What is a fluid?
A liquid takes the shape of
the container it is in and
forms a free surface in the
presence of gravity
A gas expands until it
encounters the walls of the
container and fills the entire
available space. Gases
cannot form a free surface
Gas and vapor are often
used as synonymous
words
Elementary Fluid Mechanics

Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

What is a fluid?

solid

Elementary Fluid Mechanics

liquid

gas

Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

Application Areas (I)

Tornadoes

Hurricanes

Air pollution

Elementary Fluid Mechanics

River hydraulics

Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

Application Areas (II)

Aircraft

High-speed rail

Surface ships

Blood pump

Submarines
Ventricular assist device

Elementary Fluid Mechanics

Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

Mechanics
Physical science that deals with both stationary
and moving bodies under the influence of forces
Statics
Dynamics

Fluid mechanics
Hydrodynamics - hydraulics
Gas dynamics aerodynamics
Meteorology, oceanography, and etc.

Elementary Fluid Mechanics

Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

What is a fluid?
A fluid is a substance in the gaseous or liquid
form
Distinction between solid and fluid?
Solid: can resist an applied shear by deforming.
Stress is proportional to strain
Fluid: deforms continuously under applied shear.
Stress is proportional to strain rate
Solid

Fluid

F

A

Elementary Fluid Mechanics

F
V

A
h

Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

What is a fluid?
Stress is defined as the
force per unit area.
Normal component:
normal stress
In a fluid at rest, the
normal stress is called
pressure

Tangential component:
shear stress

Elementary Fluid Mechanics

Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

No-slip condition
No-slip condition: A fluid in
direct contact with a solid
``sticks' to the surface due to
viscous effects
Responsible for generation of
wall shear stress t
w, surface
drag D= t
w dA, and the
development of the boundary
layer
The fluid property responsible
for the no-slip condition is
viscosity
Important boundary condition
in formulating initial boundary
value problem (IBVP) for
analytical and computational
fluid dynamics analysis

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Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

Leonardo da Vinci - Italy (1452-1519)

Leonardo set out to observe all
natural phenomena in the visible
world, recognizing their form and
structure, and describing them
pictorially exactly as they are.
He planned and supervised canal and
harbor works over a large part of
middle Italy. In France he designed a
canal that connected the Loire and
Saone.
His contributions to fluid mechanics
are presented in a nine part treatise
(Del moto e misura dellacqua) that
covers the water surface, movement
of water, water waves, eddies, falling
water, free jets, interference of waves,
and many other newly observed
phenomena.
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Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

Isaac Newton-England(1643-1727)
His key contributions to fluid mechanics include:
The second law: F=m.a.
The concept of Newtonian viscosity in which
stress and the rate of strain vary linearly.
The reciprocity principle
Relationship between the speed of waves at a
liquid surface and the wavelength.
18th and 19th century

During this period, significant work was done trying to mathematically

describe the motion of fluids.
Daniel Bernoulli (1700-1782) derived Bernoullis equation.
Leonhard Euler (1707-1783) proposed the Euler equations and velocity
potential theory.
Claude Louis Marie Henry Navier (1785-1836) and George Gabriel
Stokes (1819-1903) introduced viscous transport into the Euler equations.
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Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

Osborne Reynolds-England (1842-1912)

Reynolds number

VL
Re

First part of the 20th century : Boundary Layers and Turbulence

Ludwig Prandtl (1875-1953)

: the boundary layer theory
: the mixing length concept
: compressible flows
Theodore von Karman (1881-1963)
: the von Karman vortex street.
Geoffrey Ingram Taylor (1886-1975)
: statistical theory of turbulence
: the Taylor microscale.
Andrey Nikolaevich Kolmogorov (19031987)
: the Kolmogorov scales
: the universal energy spectrum
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Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

Classification of Flows
We classify flows as a tool in making simplifying
assumptions to the governing partial-differential
equations, which are known as the NavierStokes equations
Conservation of Mass

Conservation of Momentum

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Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

Viscous vs. Inviscid Regions of Flow

Regions where frictional
effects are significant are
called viscous regions.
They are usually close to
solid surfaces.
Regions where frictional
forces are small
compared to inertial or
pressure forces are called
inviscid

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Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

Internal vs. External Flow

Internal flows are
dominated by the
influence of viscosity
throughout the
flowfield
For external flows,
viscous effects are
limited to the
boundary layer and
wake.
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Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

Compressible vs. Incompressible Flow

A flow is classified as
incompressible if the density
remains nearly constant.
Liquid flows are typically
incompressible.
Gas flows are often
compressible, especially for
high speeds.
Mach number, Ma = V/c is a
good indicator of whether or
not compressibility effects are
important.
Ma < 0.3 : Incompressible
Ma < 1 : Subsonic
Ma = 1 : Sonic
Ma > 1 : Supersonic
Ma >> 1 : Hypersonic

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Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

Steady vs. Unsteady Flow

Steady implies no change at
a point with time. Transient
terms in N-S equations are
zero
Unsteady is the opposite of
steady.
Transient usually describes a
starting, or developing flow.
Periodic refers to a flow which
oscillates about a mean.

Unsteady flows may appear

steady if time-averaged
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Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

Laminar vs. Turbulent Flow

Laminar: highly ordered
fluid motion with smooth
streamlines.
Turbulent: highly
disordered fluid motion
characterized by velocity
fluctuations and eddies.
Transitional: a flow that
contains both laminar and
turbulent regions
Reynolds number, Re=
rUL/mis the key
parameter in determining
whether or not a flow is
laminar or turbulent.
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Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

One-, Two-, and Three-Dimensional Flows

N-S equations are 3D vector equations.
Velocity vector, U(x,y,z,t)= [Ux(x,y,z,t),Uy(x,y,z,t),Uz(x,y,z,t)]
Lower dimensional flows reduce complexity of analytical and
computational solution
Change in coordinate system (cylindrical, spherical, etc.) may
facilitate reduction in order.
Example: for fully-developed pipe flow, velocity V(r) is a function of
radius r and pressure p(z) is a function of distance z along the pipe.

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Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

System and Control Volume

A system is defined as a
quantity of matter or a
region in space chosen
for study.
A closed system consists
of a fixed amount of mass.
An open system, or
control volume, is a
properly selected region
in space.
We'll discuss control
volumes in more detail in
Chapter 6.
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Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

Dimensions and Units

Any physical quantity can be characterized by
dimensions.
The magnitudes assigned to dimensions are called units.
Primary dimensions include: mass m, length L, time t, and
temperature T.
Secondary dimensions can be expressed in terms of
primary dimensions and include: velocity V, energy E, and
volume V.
Unit systems include English system and the metric SI
(International System). We'll use both.
Dimensional homogeneity is a valuable tool in checking
for errors. Make sure every term in an equation has the
same units.
Unity conversion ratios are helpful in converting units.
Use them.
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Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

SI and English Units

1 ft = 12 inch = 12 X 2.54 cm, 1 mile = 1.609 km,
1knot=1.85 km/h
1 lbm = 0.4536 kg,
Mass and Force

Pressure : 1 psi = 144 lbf/ft2 = 6.895 kPa, 1atm = 14.7 psia

Power : 1 hp = 550 lbf.ft/s = 0.7457 kW

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Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

Accuracy, Precision, and Significant Digits(I)

Engineers must be aware of three principals that govern the proper use
of numbers.
1. Accuracy error : Value of one reading minus the true value.
Closeness of the average reading to the true value. Generally
associated with repeatable, fixed errors.
2. Precision error : Value of one reading minus the average of
readings. Is a measure of the fineness of resolution and
repeatability of the instrument. Generally associated with random
errors.
3. Significant digits : Digits that are relevant and meaningful. When
performing calculations, the final result is only as precise as the
least precise parameter in the problem. When the number of
significant digits is unknown, the accepted standard is 3. Use 3 in
all homework and exams.

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Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

Accuracy, Precision, and Significant Digits(II)

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Chapter 1: Basic Concepts