Fluid Mechanics

MEE1004
Jayaprakash Narayan M. Contact details:
Asst. Prof. (Senior) SJT 313-A-42
Dept. of Thermal & Energy Engg. jayaprakash.n@vit.ac.in
SMEC Phone
Module 1: Introduction to Fluid Statics
• Pascal’s and Hydrostatic Law
• Pressure and its variation in a static Fluid
• Measurement of static fluid pressure: Manometers
 Pressure
Pressure is defined as a normal force exerted by a fluid
per unit area.

Pressure = Normal Force/Area

Unit: N/m2, psi

1 N/m2 = 1 Pascal, named after Blaise Pascal (1623–

1662)

Patm = 1 bar = 1.01325 ×105 Pascal  1 ×105 Pascal

Stress = Force/Area Unit: N/m2

 Pressure at a Point
Pressure at a Point

• Pressure is the normal (compressive) force per unit area

• Stress can be tensile or compressive force per unit area P1
• Pressure at any point in a fluid is the same in all directions
(Fig.)
• It has magnitude but not a specific direction, and thus it is 1 P1
a scalar quantity

P1

P1  P2
 Pressure at a Point

The pressure at a point in a fluid has the same magnitude in all directions. This result is
applicable to fluids in motion as well as fluids at rest since pressure is a scalar, not a vector.
Variation of Pressure with Depth
 (1)

(1)

(2)

(2)
 Absolute, Gage, Vacuum Pressure
The actual pressure at a given position is called the absolute pressure, and it is
measured relative to absolute vacuum (i.e., absolute zero pressure).

Most pressure-measuring devices, however, are calibrated to read zero in the

atmosphere and so they indicate the difference between the absolute pressure and
the local atmospheric pressure. This difference is called the gage pressure.

Pgage can be positive or negative, but pressures below atmospheric pressure are
sometimes called vacuum pressures and are measured by vacuum gages that
indicate the difference between the atmospheric pressure and the absolute
pressure.
Absolute, Gage, Vacuum Pressure
Variation of Pressure with Depth
Patm

h1
P1,G = gh1 1 h2

2 P2,G = gh2

P2,G = P1 + gh = gh2

P2 > P1
P2,Abs= Patm+P1+gh = Patm+ gh2
Pressure and its Measurement

Absolute pressure Gauge pressure

PA = Patm PA = 0
B
PB = Patm + 1gh1 PB = 1gh1

PC = Patm + 1gh1 + 2gh2 PC = 1gh1 + 2gh2

C
P1 = Patm + 1gh1 + 2gh2 + 3gh3 P1 = 1gh1 + 2gh2 + 3gh3
Variation of Pressure with Depth
Pressure always acts normal to the local area in direction
 Pascal’s and Hydrostatic Law
Pascal's law states that the pressure at a point in a fluid at rest is the same in all directions

Hydrostatic Law - At any point inside a static fluid the vertical rate of increase of pressure
must equal the local specific weight of the fluid
 Barometer
Atmospheric pressure is measured by a device
called a barometer; thus, the atmospheric pressure
is often referred to as the barometric pressure.
Barometer

The length or the cross-sectional area of the tube has no

effect on the height of the fluid column of a barometer,
provided that the tube diameter is large enough to avoid
surface tension (capillary) effects.
 Pressure Drop Measurement Across Fluid Flow

Measuring the pressure drop across a flow section

or a flow device by a differential manometer.
 Pressure Measurement
Pressure

Mechanical
Manometers
Gauges

Simple Differential

Piezometer
U-tube Differential
Manometer
Single Column
Inverted U-tube
Differential Manometer
U-tube
Manometer
 Pressure measurement Devices
Types of pressure measuring devices
• Manometers
• Simple manometer
• Piezometer
• U-tube manometer
• Gauge, Vacuum
• Single column manometer
• Vertical, Inclined
• Differential
• U-tube manometer
• Inverted U-tube manometer
• Mechanical gauges
 Piezometer

Simple

U-tube
Piezometer Manometer
Single Column

PA,Gag =   g  h

Piezometer
Piezometer
 U-tube Manometer Simple

U-tube Single
Piezometer
Manometer Column

h2
h1
Gauge
A A
Vacuum

Gauge pressure
U-tube manometer
U-tube Manometer Simple

U-tube Single
Piezometer
Manometer Column

Gauge

Vacuum

Vacuum pressure
U-tube manometer
 Vacuum pressure
U-tube manometer
Single Column Manometer
Simple

U-tube Single
Piezometer
Manometer Column

Vertical

Inclined
Single Column Manometer
(Micrometer)

Vertical Inclined (sensitive)

Single Column Manometer
Vertical Single Column Manometer

Vertical
Inclined Single Column Manometer
Formula is same as vertical single column
manometer. The value of h2 has to be
replaced with (Lsin)

Inclined (sensitive)
= L sin 
U-tube Differential manometer

Two pipes are at different level Two pipes are at same level
U-tube Differential manometer
 U-tube Differential manometer
Two pipes are at different level
 U-tube Differential manometer
Two pipes are at same level
Inverted U-tube Differential
manometer
 Inverted U-tube Differential
manometer
Two pipes are at different level
Problem 1
 Find the pressure ratio, PBottom/PTop

Water

Pbottom = ? Pbottom = ?
Problem 2
Problem 3
Problem 4
Problem 5
Analog Pressure Gauge

Analog pressure gauge

Digital Pressure Gauge

Digital pressure gauge

Application of Pressure Gauge
 References
• Yunus Cengel and John M. Cimbala, Fluid Mechanics Fundamentals and Applications

• Frank M. White, Fluid Mechanics

• R. K. Bansal, A textbook of Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulic Machines

• B.R. Munson, A.P. Rothmayer, T.H. Okiishi, W.W. Huebsch - Fundamentals of fluid mechanics