3.

Fluid Kinematics
(classification of types of
flows)

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 3.1 Introduction
• Fluid dynamics is the analysis of fluid in motion.
• If a fluid flows through pipes and channel or around
bodies such as aircraft and ships, the shape of the
boundaries, the externally applied forces and the fluid
properties cause the velocities of the fluid particles to
vary from point to point throughout the flow field.
• The motion of fluids can be predicted using the
fundamental laws of physics together with the physical
properties of the fluid.

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 Introduction
• The geometry of the motion of fluid particles in
space and time without considering the forces or
energy is known as the kinematics of the fluid
motion.
• A fluid motion may be specified by either tracing the
motion of a particle through the field of flow or
examining the motion of all particles as they pass a
fixed point in space.
• We will use the second method where the emphasis
is on the spatial position rather than on the particle,
or known as Eulerian Approach. The former
approach is known as the Lagrangian Approach.
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 Objectives
1. Comprehend the concepts necessary to analyze fluids in
motion.
2. Identify differences between steady/unsteady,
uniform/non-uniform and compressible/incompressible
flow.
3. Streamlines, pathlines, stream tubes and streaklines
4. Appreciate the Continuity principle through Conservation
of Mass and Control Volumes.
5. Introduce flow net.
6. Velocity and acceleration in steady and unsteady flow.

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 3.2 CLASSIFICATION OF TYPES OF FLOWS
3.2.1 Ideal and Real Fluid
• Ideal Fluid:
• No Viscosity
• An idealized situation that does not exist
• Assumption useful in many engineering problems
• For a fluid flowing in a straight conduit, fluid
particle move in straight lines with equal velocity
• Real Fluid:
• Viscosity present
• Results in the development of shear stresses
between neighbouring fluid particles when they are
moving at different velocities.
• The velocity adjacent to wall will be zero; will
increase rapidly within a short distance from the
wall.
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 CLASSIFICATION OF TYPES OF FLOWS
3.2.2 Compressible or Incompressible
 All fluids are compressible -
even water - their density will
change as pressure changes.
 Under steady conditions, and
provided that the changes in
pressure are small, it is
usually possible to simplify
analysis of the flow by
assuming it is incompressible
and has constant density.
 As you will appreciate, liquids
are quite difficult to
compress - so under most
steady conditions they are
treated as incompressible.
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 CLASSIFICATION OF TYPES OF FLOWS
3.2.3 Uniform Flow, Steady Flow

uniform flow:
Flow velocity has the same
magnitude and direction at every
point in the fluid.

non-uniform:
If at a given instant, the velocity is
not the same at every point of the
flow.

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 CLASSIFICATION OF TYPES OF FLOWS
Uniform Flow, Steady Flow
steady:
A flow in which the conditions (velocity, pressure
and cross-section) may differ from point to point
but DO NOT change with time.
unsteady:
If at any point in the fluid, the
conditions change with time, the
flow is described as unsteady.
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 CLASSIFICATION OF TYPES OF FLOWS
Uniform Flow, Steady Flow (cont.)
Steady uniform flow:
• Conditions: do not change

Complexity increases from top to bottom

with position in the stream or
with time.
Steady non-uniform flow:
• Conditions: change from
point to point in the stream
but do not change with time.
Unsteady uniform flow:
• At a given instant in time the
conditions at every point are
the same, but will change
with time.
Unsteady non-uniform flow:
• Every condition of the flow
may change from point to
point and with time at every
point. 9
 CLASSIFICATION OF TYPES OF FLOWS
3.2.4 Laminar and Turbulent Flow
 Laminar flow: all the particles proceed
along smooth parallel paths and all
particles on any path will follow it Typical
without deviation. Hence all particles particles
have a velocity only in the direction of path
flow.
Laminar flow

 Turbulent Flow: the particles move in an

irregular manner through the flow field.
Particle
Each particle has superimposed on its mean paths
velocity fluctuating velocity components
both transverse to and in the direction of
the net flow. Turbulent flow

 Transition Flow: exists between laminar

and turbulent flow. In this region, the flow is
very unpredictable and often changeable
back and forth between laminar and
turbulent states.
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 CLASSIFICATION OF TYPES OF FLOWS
Laminar and Turbulent Flow

Shows the stages that

molecules go through
as they move from the
turbulent stage of
viscous flow, transition
into laminar flow, and
then transition again
into molecular flow.

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 CLASSIFICATION OF TYPES OF FLOWS
3.2.5 One, two and three dimensional flows
• In general, all fluids flow three-dimensionally,
with pressures and velocities and other flow
properties varying in all directions.
• In many cases the greatest changes only occur
in two directions or even only in one.
• In these cases changes in the other direction
can be effectively ignored making analysis
much more simple.

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 CLASSIFICATION OF TYPES OF FLOWS
One, two and three dimensional flows
y

One dimensional flow means
that the flow velocity is a
function of one coordinate
V = f( X or Y or Z )
x
Two dimensional flow means that
the flow velocity is a function of
two coordinates
V = f( X,Y or X,Z or Y,Z )

Three dimensional flow means

that the flow velocity is
function of there coordinates
V = f( X,Y,Z)

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