UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI

TAKE HOME CAT FOR APRIL/MAY EXAMINATIONS 2020/2021

THIRD YEAR EXAMINATIONS FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN

CIVIL AND CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING

FCE 322 MECHANICS OF FLUIDS

DATE : TUESDAY 20TH APRIL 2021 TIME:

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NOTES TO CANDIDATES
1. Attempt ALL Questions
2. You have been given time between 20th April 2021 and 27th April 2021
3. Clean Hard Copy answers to the CAT with names and Registration Numbers should be
deposited at Civil Department office by 11:00 am on 27th April 2021
4. Reasonable assumptions may be made where necessary
5. Density of water =1000 kg/m3
Bulk modulus for water E=2.075x109 N/m2
Density of mercury m=13600 kg/m3
Gravitational acceleration g=9.81 m/s2
Atmospheric pressure 101.325 kPa where appropriate.
Kinematic viscosity =1.0x10-6 at 20 C. and=1.31x10-6 at 10 C.

1. (a) A 75 mm diameter pipe of 500 m length operates under a head of 60 m at its inlet. If a nozzle
is fitted at its outlet, determine its diameter and the power transmitted when the power
transmitted is a maximum. Take f=0.025 (6
marks)

(b) Compute the discharge capacity of a 2.5 m diameter wood stave pipe in its best condition
carrying water at 10C. The allowable head loss is 2 m/km of pipe length. Assume e = 0.3
mm for wood stave pipe. (5 marks)

(c ) A compound pipe system consists of 1830 m of 500 mm, 1220 m of 400 mm and 610 m of 300
mm new cast iron pipe. For a total head loss of 21 m what flow will pass through?
(7 marks)

(d ) For a three reservoir problem, the pipe characteristics are as follows:

D1 = 1000 mm l1 = 3000 m f1 = 0.015

D2 = 500 mm l2 = 600 m f2 = 0.024
D3 = 600 mm l3 = 1200 m f3 = 0.020
Further if Z1 = 140 m, Z2 = 120 m and Q2 = 0.60 m3/s towards the reservoir, determine Q1, Q3
and Z3. (7 marks)
2 (a) Water is pumped through a 600 mm diameter pipe with a head loss of 27 m. In order to
reduce the power consumption it is proposed to lay another main of appropriate diameter (but
with the same f and l as the first pipe) in parallel to the existing pipe and reduce the head loss to
9.6 m still carrying the same total discharge. Find the diameter of the second pipe.
(8 marks)

(b) Water is to be supplied to a turbine 200 m below the reservoir level through a 1500 m
length of penstock with f=0.025. Determine the smallest diameter of the penstock which will
produce 530 kW of power with a turbine efficiency of 80 per cent.
(10 marks)

(c) A simple surge tank 12 m in diameter is located at the downstream end of a 5000 m long
circular concrete tunnel 3.0 m in diameter and = 0.003 inches to protect an electric
generator. The maximum flow rate through the tunnel is 60 m 3/sec at 10°C. Determine
the maximum elevation of the water in the surge tank if a valve downstream suddenly
closes.
(7 marks)

3. (a ) Electrical transmission towers are stationed at 0.4 km intervals and a conduction cable
1.25 cm in diameter is stretched between them. If wind at 100 km/hr blows transversely across
the wire on a day that is 10C, compute the total drag force on one such wire between the two
towers. The specific weight of air is 13.4 N/m 3 and kinematic viscosity is =1.42x10-5 m2/s. The
drag coefficient for Reynolds number greater than 10 4 may be taken as 1.2 and drag force
2
C d . A . ρ. V
F=
2 where Cd is drag coefficient, A is frontal area,  and V are density and velocity
of air respectively.
(7 marks)

(b) In the following cases which refers to a fluid flowing over a flat plate, determine the
nature of the boundary layer and if it is turbulent the length of plate on which it is laminar.
(i) L = 10.0 m, U = 0.80 m/s, Fluid: Glycerine at 20°C
(ii) L = 200.0 m, U = 8.0 m/s, Fluid: Water at 20°C
(iii) L = 2.0 m, U = 10.0 m/s, Fluid: Air at 20°C
(6 marks)

(c) Water is flowing through a 800 mm diameter penstock of mild steel having 20 mm
thickness at a rate of 20 m 3/s. The penstock is 8000 m long. What will be the maximum
pressure rise in the penstock due to sudden complete closure of a valve at the downstream end?
Compare the results assuming the pipe to be rigid as well as elastic. What should be the
maximum closing time for the computed results to be valid? The elastic modulus of steel
Em=2.47x1011 N/m2 and the bulk modulus of water E=2.0x109 N/m2.
(7 marks)

4. (a) With the help of a neat clear diagram, describe the main features of boundary layer on a fluid
passing over a flat plate.
(5 marks)
(b) A spherical piece of boulder of small size rolls down the gentle slope of a hillock and falls deep
into a lake. It weighs 52 N in air and 24.9 N in water. The temperature of water in the lake
may be taken at 20 degrees centigrade at which its kinematic viscosity  is 10-6 m2/s. The
variation of drag coefficient CD with Reynolds number R is given below:

R 103 4x103 104 4x104 105 2x105 3x105 106

 CD 0.4 0.35 0.4 0.5 0.45 0.4 0.15 0.2

Estimate the terminal velocity of fall of the boulder in water. Linear interpolation may be used
for obtaining the drag coefficient at the desired Reynolds number
(10 arks)

6. Four pipes from reservoirs meet at a point J. The characteristics for the reservoirs and pipes are
as follows:

Pipe Reservoir level Pipe length Diameter Friction factor

m above datum m m f
a 100 10,000 1.5 0.016
b 120 8,000 1.2 0.028
c 90 9,000 1.0 0.024
d 50 12,000 2.0 0.016

Determine the flow at each pipe and the pressure at J. Head loss on pipes is:
8. f . L
2 K=
h f =K . Q where π 2 . g . D5 for each pipe
(15 marks)