Fluid Mechanics

Lecture 1
 Mission

To provide the opportunity to acquire the necessary

knowledge and understanding of the basic principles and

concepts of fluid mechanics

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1- Some Applications

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Industrial Piping/Ducting

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Valves & Filters

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Pumps and Compressors

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Turbines

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Heat Exchangers

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Lubrication - Ventilation

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Aircraft Industry

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2- Overview

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 Fluid + Mechanics
Compressibility
Gas Air, He, Ar, N2, etc.
Viscosity
Fluid Density
Liquid Water, Oils, Alcohols, etc
Surface Tension

Laminar / Turbulent

Mechanics
Statics ∑F = 0 i Viscous / Inviscid
Dynamics ∑F > 0 i
Steady / Unsteady
Compressible / Incompressible

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 Fluid mechanics deals with the behaviour of fluids at rest and in
motion

• Fluid Statics deals with the

behaviour of fluid essentially at rest
in our reference frame.

• Fluid Dynamics deals with fluids

in motion or objects moving
through stationary fluids.

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3- Fundamentals

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 Fundamental Definitions

• A fluid cannot support shear stresses.

It is classified as being a Liquid or a Gas.

• A liquid is bound together by intermolecular forces.

Constant volume but without definite shape
ie assumed incompressible (eg water or oil)

• A gas or mixture of gases consists of molecules that are

free to move or disperse in any direction.
No definite volume or shape (eg methane or air).

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Fundamental Units Units of Geometry

SI Units

• Mass kilogram kg
• Distance meters m
• Time seconds s
• Force Newtons N
• Energy Joules J
• Temperature Celsius °C

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Mass
The property of a body that causes it to
have weight in a gravitational field

All gaseous or liquid fluids possess mass (kg)

Mass can be related to force (force = mass x acceleration).

Acceleration due to gravity can vary from 9.79 to 9.81 m/s2

Force = mass x g (N) 10 kg = 10 x 9.81 = 98.1 N

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Density

Density ρ (kg/m3) is defined as the mass of a substance per 1 m3

Water has a mass of 1000 kg per 1 m3

Air has a density of approximately 1.2 kg per m3 but varies

with temperature and pressure

Relative density (RD) of a gas is the ratio of it’s density to air at

the same temperature and pressure.

Specific volume (v) is the volume occupied by unit mass (m3/kg) and is
therefore the inverse of density.

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Temperature
measures the thermal energy of a fluid.

At absolute zero molecules are considered to be

at rest and occupy the minimum space possible.

• Celsius scale based freezing point (0 °C) and boiling point (100 °C) of water at
standard pressure of 101.325 Pa.

Experiments: Absolute zero occurs at -273.15 °C

• Kelvin scale is based on absolute zero and is required when considering the
effect of temperature on gas volume.

•Absolute zero = O degrees Kelvin = -273.15 degrees celcius

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Pressure

The force applied to a unit area of surface;

measured in Pascals (SI unit)
Pressure in liquids or gases is due to the mass and motion of molecules

Standard pressure = 1 atmosphere = 101.325 kPa

All gases at high temperatures and low pressures are in good

agreement with the perfect-gas law

p = ρRT R = c p − c v = Gas Cons tan t

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Example

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Absolute, Relative And Gauge Pressures
System pressure higher than
Positive gauge atmospheric pressure
Relative Absolute pressure pressure
pressure greater than
Atmospheric
atmospheric Negative gauge pressure
pressure pressure
System pressure lower than
Absolute pressure atmospheric pressure
less than
atmospheric pressure
Absolute zero
pressure

• Absolute pressure - relative to zero e.g. atmospheric 101.325 kPa.

• Gauge pressure - typically relative to atmospheric pressure + or -

• Relative pressure - between any two points.

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 Example (Gauge Pressure)

• The pressure inside a sealed balloon (A) is 1,500 Pa greater then

atmospheric pressure. What is the gauge pressure and absolute
pressure in the balloon ?

– Gauge pressure = pressure relative to atmosphere = + 1,500 Pa

– Absolute pressure = atmosphere + gauge = 101,300 + 1,500 = 102,800 Pa

• Another balloon (B) has a gauge pressure of + 1100 Pa. What is

the relative pressure of balloon A to B.

– Relative pressure = Gauge A – Gauge B = 1,500 – 1,100 = + 400

Pa
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Manometers
Atmospheric
Pressure P

Atmospheric
+- 0ve
vegauge
gauge
gauge Pressure P
-+0vegauge
vegauge
gauge pressure
pressure
pressure
pressure
pressure

hm hm

Manometer fluid

vertical manometer inclined manometer

Pressure is given by the difference in Pressure is also given by the difference in

height of the two columns and the fluid height of the two columns and the fluid density
density (pgh). (pgh) but the scale provides improved
accuracy

Use mercury for higher pressures

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