FLUID FLOW- 2nd Year CHEMICAL ENG. DEPT.

LECTURE-ONE- INTRODUCTION
Fluid Properties & Newtons law of viscosity
Prof. Dr. Thamer J.Mohammed

Fluid:- (Liquids or Gases): It is a substance which deforms continuously under the

application of a shear stress in specific situation such as the simple shear situation
shown in Fig.1:

There are normal stresses and tangential

stresses.
Fn
normal stress=
dA
F
shear stress (  ) = t
dA

o Pressure is an example of a normal stress,

and acts inward, toward the surface, and
perpendicular to the surface.
o A shear stress is an example of a tangential
stress, i.e. it acts along the surface, parallel to
the surface. Friction due to fluid viscosity is the primary source of shear stresses in a fluid. Fig1
o Fluids at rest cannot resist a shear stress; in other words, when a shear stress is applied to a
fluid at rest, the fluid will not remain at rest, but will move because of the shear stress, as shown in
Figs.2,3

Fig.2 Fig.3

Therefore conclude:
 Fluid continues to deform (or move) under the application of a shear force.
 Fluid at rest cannot sustain a shear stress.

Fluid Mechanics:- It is the basic for all engineering science, it deals with TWO type of fluid
and application of the laws force and motion:
 Static , The main equation required for this is Newton's second law for non-accelerating
bodies, i.e.  F  0
 Dynamic , The main equation required for this is Newton's second law for accelerating
bodies, i.e.  F  ma
Fluid application in Ch. Eng. in Unit operation such as filtration, mixing, fixed & fluidization beds,
sedimentation, distillation…etc. Therefore student learn Fundamental concept of fluid static and
motions, including governing equations that describe the basic principles and Pressure-drop
calculations for laminar, tubular , incompressible, compressible and flow in packed-beds of
solid particles.
- 1 --Lect.1 Prof. Dr. Thamer J.Mohammed
Dimensions & Units:-There are Four fundamental dimensions as:
 Mass [M]
 Length [L]
 Time [T]
 Temperature [θ]
and all others dimensions can be derived for ex, acceleration [LT-2], area [L2], density [ML-3] ..etc.
and 2nd law Newton's related to [MLT] as F=(mass,m) (acc.,a) , therefore [ F ]  [MLT 2 ]
Systems: SI (International systems of units), and BG (British gravitational units).

Physical Properties of Fluids:-

A. Density, Specific Weight, Relative

Density

Density (ρ) = mass per unit volume of

substance = δm/δv; [ρ] = [ML-3].
Specific weight (γ) = force exerted by the
earth's gravity upon a unit volume of the
substance = ρg; [γ] = [ML-2T-2]. The common
units used is (N/m3), (dyne/cm3).
sp. vol=1/ρ
Relative density (specific gravity) = ratio of
mass density of the substance to that of water
at a standard temperature and pressure = ρ/ρw (non-dimensional). i.e
sp.gr.=mass of density/mass density of water
Typical values: Water = 1, Mercury = 13.5, Paraffin Oil =0.8.

B. Viscosity
Viscosity, µ (mu) is a measure of the importance of friction in fluid flow. Consider,
for example, a fluid in two-dimensional steady shear between two parallel plates, as
shown below. The bottom plate is fixed, while the upper plate is moving at a steady
speed of U, as shown in Fig.4

All fluids are viscous, “Newtonian

Fluids” obey the linear relationship
given by Newton’s law of viscosity.

where: τ (tau) shear stress,

du
is the velocity gradient or rate of
dy
shear strain, (s-1) Fig.4
µ is the “coefficient of dynamic
du force velocity force  time mass
viscosity=  /  /  
dy area dis tan ce area length  area

- 2 --Lect.1 Prof. Dr. Thamer J.Mohammed

Units: Newton seconds per square metre, N sm or Kilograms per meter per second,
kg m s . or in Poise, P, where 10 P = 1 kg m s .)
Kinematic Viscosity υ (nu)- It is defined as the ratio of dynamic viscosity to mass

density.   , units: m2/s or in stoke (104 St = 1 m2 s .)

Newtonian, Non-Newtonian Fluids: Fluids obey Newton law are called Newtonian
fluids, i.e “applied shear stress varies linearly with the rate of deformation” slope=µ, and
fluids do not obey this law are called Non-Newtonian fluids, i.e, slope ≠ µ, as shown in
Figs,5,6

Fig.5 Fig.6
Typically, as temperature increases, the viscosity The fluid is non-Newtonian if the
will decrease for a liquid, but will increase for a gas. relation between τ & du/dy is non-linear

C. Surface Tension and Capillarity

 Surface tension (σ, sigma) is a property of liquids which is felt at the interface
between the liquid and another fluid (typically a gas). Surface tension has
dimensions of force per unit length, and always acts parallel to the interface.
 Surface molecules are subject to an attractive force from nearby surface
molecules so that the surface is in a state of tension, as shown in Fg.7
 A soap bubble is a good example to illustrate the effects of surface tension., as
shown in half bubble Fig.7

Fig.7 a
- 3 --Lect.1 Prof. Dr. Thamer J.Mohammed
Consider a soap bubble of radius R with internal pressure pin and external (atmospheric) pressure
pout
pbubble  pin  pout Hence, balancing the forces due to surface tension and pressure difference:
pbubble  4 s / R and for droplet liquid, Eq. become, pdroplet  2 s / R

Surface tension is also important at the interface between a liquid, a gas, and a solid.
For example, a meniscus occurs when the surface of a liquid touches a solid wall, as
most readily noticed when a capillary tube is placed in a liquid , as shown in Figs.:
weight of fluid column = surface tension pulling force

g (R 2 h)  2R S cos 

2 s cos 
h
gR

D. Vapor Pressure
Vapor pressure is defined as the pressure at which a liquid will boil (vaporize). Vapor
pressure rises as temperature rises. Vapor pressure is important to fluid flows
because, in general, pressure in a flow decreases as velocity increases. This can lead
to cavitation, which is generally destructive and undesirable.
E. Ideal & Real Fluid
An ideal fluid is one that is incompressible, and having µ=0, this is imaginary fluid,
and a fluid which posses viscosity, is known as real fluid, all the fluids actually
having viscosity.
The Common Symbol Flow Rate :-
Volumetric flowrate, Q=u A (u-velocity, A-cross sectional area of flow).
Mass flowrate, m=Q ρ=u A ρ
.
m
Mass flux or mass velocity, G=  u has unit in SI (Kg/m2.s
A
- 4 --Lect.1 Prof. Dr. Thamer J.Mohammed
F. Compressibility (E): All fluids are compressible under the application of external
forces. The compressibility of a fluid is expressed by its bulk modulus of elasticity
E, which is the ratio of the change in unit pressure to the corresponding volume
change per unit volume.
P P
E  E=[M L-1 T -2]
 V / V  /
G. Incompressible Fluid: If the difference in pressure (∆p < 10%) i.e temp. is
nearly constant then the physical properties can be considered constant with fluid
flow, such as (ρ, µ ..). This fluid is called incompressible, for ex. all liquids, water.

H. Compressible Fluid: If the difference in pressure (∆p ˃ 10%) i.e temp. is change
through flow then physical properties must be considered in designing data , for ex.
all gases.
I. Pressure: It is the force /cross sectional area, common unit (N/m2=Pa. The
pressure between two points refers (∆p), P=h ρ g and ∆P=∆h ρ g

J. The energy: It is defined as the capacity of a system to perform work or produce

heat. There are many types of energy such as [Internal energy (U), Kinetic energy
(K.E), Potential energy (P.E), Pressure energy (Prs.E), and others.
The common units used for energy is (J ≡ N.m), (erg ≡ dyne.cm), (Btu), (lb f.ft)
(cal).The energy could be expressed in relative quantity per unit mass or mole (J/kg
or mol). The energy could be expressed in head quantity [(m) (cm) (ft)] by dividing
the relative energy by acceleration of gravity.
K. The Power [symbol: P] It is the energy per unit time. The common units used for
Power is (W ≡ J/s), (Btu/time), (lbf.ft/time) (cal/time), (hp).

L. Important Laws: The following laws are common and applied in problems of
fluid mechanics;
1. Law of conservation of mass
“ The mass can neither be created nor destroyed, and it can not be created from
nothing”
2. Law of conservation of energy
“ The energy can neither be created nor destroyed, though it can be transformed from
one form into another”
Newton’s Laws of Motion: three statements describing the relations between the
forces acting on a body and the motion of the body, first formulated by English
physicist and mathematician Isaac Newton, which are the foundation of
classical mechanics.
3. Newton’s first laws of motion
“Newton’s first law states that if a body is at rest or moving at a constant speed in a
straight line, it will remain at rest or keep moving in a straight line at constant speed
unless it is acted upon by a force.
- 5 --Lect.1 Prof. Dr. Thamer J.Mohammed
 4. Newton’s second laws of motion
“Newton’s second law is a quantitative description of the changes that a force can
produce on the motion of a body. It states that the time rate of change of
the momentum of a body is equal in both magnitude and direction to the force
imposed on it.
The momentum of a body is equal to the product of its mass and its velocity.
Momentum, like velocity, is a vector quantity, having both magnitude and
direction,[momentum=mass* velocity] . A force applied to a body can change the
magnitude of the momentum or its direction or both. Newton’s second law is one of
the most important in all of physics. For a body whose mass m is constant, it can be
written in the form F = ma, where F (force) and a (acceleration) are both vector
quantities.
5. Newton’s third laws of motion
“Newton’s third law states that when two bodies interact, they apply forces to
one another that are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction".

M. Classification of Fluid:-

It can be classified as following:

FLUID
↓
↓---------------------------------------------------------------------------------↓
DYNAMIC STATIC
↓ (no effect µ)
according to effect pressure
↓
↓ ------------------------------------------------------↓
COMPRESSIBLE INCOMPRESSIBLE
(Temp. CHANGE) (physical properties constant)
↓
according to effect shear stress
↓ --------------------------------------------↓
NEWTONIAN NON-NEWTONIAN
↓
↓-----------------------------------------↓------------------------------↓
Time-Independent Time-Dependent Viscoelastic
↓ ↓
Bingham fluid ← │
Pseudoplastic fluid ← │ Thixotropic liquid
Dilatant fluid ← │

- 6 --Lect.1 Prof. Dr. Thamer J.Mohammed

 EXAMPLES Lect. No.1
Note: Answer these Ex. In Class room

EX.(1)- A body requires a force of 100 N to accelerate it at rate of 0.20 m/s2.

Determine the mass of the body in kg and in slugs.
sol.:
EX.(2)- A reservoir of CCl4 has m=500 Kg & V=0.315 m3. Find the CCL4: weight,
mass density. sp.wt. & sp.gr..
sol.:
EX.(3)- Under st. conditions a certain gas wt. 0.14 1b/ft 3 calculate the density,
sp.vol., sp.gr. relative to air weighing 0.075 1b/ft 3.
sol.:
EX.(4)- A large plate moves with speed νo
over a stationary plate on a layer of oil (see
Fig.). If the velocity profile is that of a
parabola, with the oil at the plates having the
same velocity as the plates, what is the shear
stress on the moving plate from the oil? If a
linear profile is assumed, what is the shear
stress on the upper plate?
sol.:

EX.(5)- A square block weighing 1.1 KN

and 250mm on an edge slides down an
incline on a film of oil 6.0µm thick (see
Fig.) Assuming a linear velocity profile
in the oil, what is the terminal speed of the block? The viscosity of the oil is 7 mPa.s.
sol.:
Ex.(6)-The space between two large plane
surfaces kept 2.5 cm apart is filled with liquid of
viscosity 0.0825 kg/m.s. What force is required
to drag a thin plate of surface area 0.5 m2
between the two large surfaces at speed of 0.5
m/s, (i) when the plate is placed in the middle of
the two surfaces, and (ii) when the plate is placed 1.5 cm from one of the plates
surfaces.
Sol:

Ex. (7): The velocity distribution within the fluid flowing

over a plate is given by where u is the velocity in (m/s)
and y is a distance above the plate in (m). Determine
the shear stress at y=0 and at y=0.2 m. take that μ=8.4
poise.
Sol:

- 7 --Lect.1 Prof. Dr. Thamer J.Mohammed