Flow Mechanics

Bernoulli’s Principles and Equations

Introduction

This module will present to you how the Bernoulli’s equation relates pressure
and flow speed at different points in certain types of flow.
I. Learning Objectives
In this lesson, students will be able to:
 Define what is Bernoulli’s Principle, Different Flow Measurement and its
Application
 Explain the importance of Bernoulli’s equation in applying to systems with
pipe friction, minor losses, pumps or turbines.
 Calculate the Problem Solve in Bernoulli’s Equation

II. Learning Content

BERNOULLI’S PRINCIPLES

The Swiss Mathematician

and Physicist discovered the
Bernoulli’s Principle.
He found the concept of Bernoulli’s
Principle when doing the experiment of water
flow through the container.
Swiss Physicist Daniel Bernoulli in
1738.

What are Bernoulli’s Principles?

Bernoulli’s Principles states that:
“The total mechanical energy of the moving fluid comprising the
gravitational potential energy of elevation, the energy associated with the fluid
pressure and the kinetic energy of the fluid motion, remains constants.
Bernoulli’s Principles can be derived from the principle of conservation of
energy.
FLOW MEASUREMENTS
Several different flow measurement devices rely on Bernoulli’s
equation to determine the velocity of the flowing fluid.
1. Pitot-static-tube - it is often used in aircraft to measure airspeed

2. Venturi Meter -an instrument used to determine the flowrate through a pipe.

It

works by Measuring the pressure drop across a converging section of the pipe.

To

determine the flowrate Q which is the velocity multiplied by the pipe across sectional
area at point 1. We can easily rearrange the pressure drop equation we derived
earlier when we looked at a change in diameter, to get the equation for flowrate.
 If we place a tube into a flowing fluid and we attach pressure meter to the end
of it, the meter will measure the pressure at the end of the tube. At this point, the fluid

velocity is reduced to zero, so it’s called the stagnation point and the pressure
measured by the meter is called stagnation pressure. We can apply Bernoulli’s
equation between an upstream point and the stagnation
point and show that the stagnation pressure is equal to
the sum of the static pressure and the dynamic pressure
terms.

APPLICATION OF BERNOULLI’S PRINCIPLES

 LIFT
 The wings of plane have what it’s called an aero foil shape.
 The aero foil shape helps us overcome weight, which is the effect of gravity
pulling down on the mass of the aircraft.
 The aero foil shape gives us something called lift.
This is the upward force required to overcome
gravity.
 Somethings that slow us down is drag, which is
the resistance to airflow through the air. The drag
force is opposite to the flight path.
 Thrust is the forward force required to move an
aircraft through the air. This must be provided by
an engine.

 Bernoulli’s principle helps to explain that an aircraft can achieve lift,

because of the shape of its wings. They are shaped so that air flows faster
over the top of the wings and slower underneath.
Fast moving air = low air pressure while slow moving air = high air pressure.
 The high air pressure underneath the wings will
therefore push the aircraft up through the lower air
pressure.

 BASEBALL
This example explains the path of a baseball that’s
thrown with a clockwise spin.
  One side will experience more pressure than the other thus having more air
turbulence and a slower air speed over the ball. The other side would
accelerate and move faster, because of lesser
pressure.
 If a ball is thrown with a counter-clockwise spin, it
will curve towards the left.

 ATOMIZER
 Atomizer is a device that is used to emit liquid
droplets as fine spray. Atomize here means
splitting up a large body into particles.
 It works on Bernoulli’s principle. When high speed horizontal air passes over a
vertical tube, it creates a low pressure and draws the air and liquid inside the
vertical tube upward. Atomizer has a nozzle at the end of the horizontal tube
which causes the liquid to break up into small drops and mixes it with the air.
LIMITATIONS OF BERNOULLI’S EQUATION
There are several ways Bernoulli’s equation can be derived:
 It can be derived based on conservation of energy by considering that the
work done on the fluid increases its kinetic energy.
 It can be derived by applying Newton’s second law, which involves
determining the forces acting on a fluid particle and applying F equals
M*A.

KEY BERNOULLI’S EQUATION ASSUMPTIONS

 LAMINAR AND STEADY - velocity doesn’t vary with time
 INVISCID - shear forces due to viscosity are negligible
 INCOMPRESSIBLE - density can be assumed to be constant

BERNOULLI’S EQUATION
The equation states that the sum of the three terms remains constant along a
streamline. Each of the term is the Static Pressure, which is just the pressure P of
the fluid. Then, we have Dynamic Pressure which is a function of the fluid density p
and velocity v that represents the fluid kinetic energy per unit volume. Last is the
Hydrostatic Pressure, which is the pressure exerted by the fluid due to gravity g
(gravitational acceleration) and h is the elevation of fluid, which is the height above a
reference level.
 It can also be
presented in the Head form, and the Energy form.

ENERGY FORM

HEAD FORM

We can think of Bernoulli’s Equation as a statement of conservation of

energy. It says that, along a streamline the sum of the pressure Energy, kinetic
energy and potential energy remains constant. This can help us analyze a whole
range of fluid flow problems.

 Streamline
A path traced by a single particle within the fluid or more technically as
a curve that at all points is tangent to the particle velocity vector.
Application:
Example where Bernoulli’s equation is being applied is to the flow through a
pipe which has a change in diameter. We will use the equation to see how the
pressure changes as the flow passes from the larger to the smaller diameter.
Bernoulli’s equation is usually used to compare two different locations.
We can rewrite it this way, with parts 1 and 2 being on the same streamline.
There is no significant change in elevation between points 1 and 2.

So, the potential energy terms cancel each other out

If we assume that the fluid is incompressible, the mass flow rate at points 1 and 2
must be equal.

This gives us continuity equation which is the statement of the conservation of

the mass. Mass flow rate is equal to the product of the fluid density, the pipe cross-
sectional Area and the fluid velocity.

So, we can re-arrange the continuity equation to obtain an equation for the
velocity at point 2. The cross-sectional A2 is smaller than A1, which means that the
velocity of the flow increases as it passes into the smaller diameter pipe.
BERNOULLI’S EQUATION FORMULA:
1 v2 1 2
P1 + ρ + ρ g h 1=P2+ ρ v 2+ ρg h2
2 1 2
Where:
ρ – fluid density
g – acceleration due to gravity
P1 – pressure at elevation 1

v 1 - velocity at elevation 1

h1 – height at elevation 1

P2 – pressure at elevation 2

v 2 - velocity at elevation 2

h2 – height at elevation 2

Sample Problem

1. Water is circulating through a closed system of pipes in a two-floor apartment.

On the first floor, the water has a gauge pressure of 3.4 x 10 5 pa and a speed
of 2.1m/s. however on the second floor, which is 4m higher, the speed of the
water is 3.7m/s. The speed is different because the pipe diameter is different.
What is the gauge pressure of the water on the second floor?
III. Assessment

1. Water flows at a speed of 3.4 m/s through a horizontal pipe of diameter

2.4cm. The gauge P1 of the pipe is 1.5 atm. A short segment of this pipe is
constricted to a smaller diameter of 1.4 cm.
a. Calculate the velocity of the water
b. Find the final pressure?

2. Water flows through a pipe shown below at the rate 80 L/s. If the pressure
at point 1 is 200 kpa.
a. Velocity at point 1
b. Velocity at point 2
c. Pressure at point 2
IV. References

1. Young,H.D. & Roger A. Freedman.(2008). Sears and Zemansky’s

University Physics: With Modern Physics (12thed). Pearson Education, Inc.

USA.
2. Frank M. White.(2003). Fluid Mechanics (5thed). The McGraw-Hill
Companies, Inc. New York.
VII. Syllabus on SCI 115: Fluid Mechanics
3. https://www.varsitytutors.com/ap_physics_2-help/bernoulli-s-equation

4. https://byjus.com/physics/bernoullis-principle/

5. https://m.youtube.com/watch?
v=FsvAxPZfIB0&t=903s&pp=ygUpYmVybm91bGxpIGVxdWF0aW9uIHByb
2JsZW1zIGFuZCBzb2x1dGlvbnM%3D

V. Answer Key
1.
2.
 GROUP 5

REPORTED BY:

SWELLYN KATE SERRANO

FRECY NAQUITA

KIYLYN BALONSIT

SARAH JANE FRANCO