COMPRESSIBLE VS INCOMPRESSIBLE FLUIDS

Fluids are a subcategory of the matter which includes gases and liquids. Gases and liquids called fluids
because of their ability to flow, ability to deform when a force is applied, and high fluidity. At the atomic
level, fluids are composed of atoms or molecules which flow easily; they are not tightly packed and fluid
obtains the shape of the container which it occupies.
What is Compressible Fluid?
In general, gases (and plasma=ionized gas) are called compressible fluid. In normal temperature
and pressure conditions, the volume or the density of a fluid does not change. But gases show variation in
volume (hence in density) in the presence of even small variations in temperature or pressure. To name a
particular fluid compressible, it should show a considerable change of density when a pressure or a force
is applied. In more advanced fluid dynamic terms, the ratio between the velocity of flow and the velocity
of sound in the fluid is greater than 0.3 for compressible fluids. This ratio is also called Mach number.
At the molecular level, when a pressure is applied on a gas, the pressure affects the gas in all directions,
causing the molecules of the gas to result in a high degree of collisions. These collisions give more time
for the gas molecules to interact with each other and more attraction forces between molecules may occur.
These attraction forces reduce the motion of gas molecules. This results in the compression of the gas.

What is Incompressible Fluid?

Liquids are called incompressible fluid. The volume or the density of liquids is not changed easily when a
pressure is applied on it. According to fluid dynamics, the ratio between flow velocity and the velocity of
sound in the medium should be less than 0.3 for a fluid to be incompressible.  Hence, this ratio is less than
0.3 for liquids, making it an incompressible fluid. Unlike in gases, the molecules or atoms of the liquids
are more closely packed (not tightly packed as in solids). Thus, a pressure applied on liquid does not
change the density to a considerable degree. In other words, the volume of the liquid is not reduced with
an applied pressure on the liquid. Although liquids are considered as incompressible according to the
fluid dynamics, liquids are also compressible when a pressure is applied but the change of the density or
volume is too small to be calculated. Hence, it is considered as an incompressible fluid.
 THE CONCEPT OF VISCOSITY

Fluid flow plays a very important part in the processing of materials. Most processes are based on the use
of fluids either as raw materials, reagents, or heat transfer media. In this book, we will see many examples
of processes where the rates of heat transfer, mass transfer and chemical reaction between two phases
depend on the fluid flow phenomena in the system. It is therefore necessary to start our study of rate
phenomena in processing systems by examining the motion of fluids.

Viscosity is define in terms of the force required to move one plane surface continuously past another
under specified steady state condition when the space between is filled by the liquid in question

Real- life applications of liquid with low viscosity:

1. One example is brake fluid. Brake fluid transmits force through the braking system, and it would
not operate properly if it had a different viscosity,
2. Gum that we use are highly viscous, to hold mating part before powerfully before sticking action
complete,
3. Lubricants for machine systems also work the way they do in part as a result of their viscosity,
4. using coolant while machining at lathe shops,
5. petrol (as a cleaner) being used in mobile shops.

Bernoulli’s Equation

The application of the principle of conservation of energy to frictionless laminar flow leads to a

very useful relation between pressure and flow speed in a fluid. This relation is called Bernoulli’s
equation, named after Daniel Bernoulli (1700–1782), who published his studies on fluid motion.

Consider an incompressible fluid flowing through a pipe that has a varying diameter and height, as shown
in Figure below Subscripts 1 and 2 in the figure denote two locations along the pipe and illustrate the
relationships between the areas of the cross sections A, the speed of flow v, the height from ground y, and
the pressure p at each point. We assume here that the density at the two points is the same—
therefore, density is denoted by ρρ without any subscripts—and since the fluid in incompressible, the
shaded volumes must be equal.

See class note for the derivation

Example we found that the speed of water in a hose increased from 1.96 m/s to 25.5 m/s
going from the hose to the nozzle. Calculate the pressure in the hose, given that the  absolute
pressure  in the nozzle is 1.01 x 105 N/m2 (atmospheric, as it must be) and assuming level,
frictionless flow taking the density to be 10 3kg/m3.
See class note for the solution