DCN3113 HYDRAULICS

Chapter 1
Fluid Characteristics
ZAIFAH BT. CHE WIL
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
POLITEKNIK SULTAN IDRIS SHAH
JUNE 2015

DCN3113 HYDRAULICS

FLUIDS
Fluids a substance which deforms continuously, or

flows when subjected to shear stress.

Both liquid and gases are classified as fluid.
Hydraulics - The study of liquid and gases at rest
(statics) and motion (dynamics).
Engineering applications
Dams and reservoirs
Water supply pipelines
Groundwater movement
Pumps, filters, rivers

DCN3113 HYDRAULICS

Physical characteristic of liquid and gases

LIQUID

GASES

Fluids do not resist a change in shape.

Assume the shape of container they occupy
Fixed volume

No fixed volume

Almost incompressible

Easily compressed

Properties do not get affected due to

change in temperature

Properties get affected due to

change in temperature

Free surface is formed if the volume of No free surface is formed

container is greater than that of the
liquid

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Fluid properties
Fluids properties is defined to be a characteristic of the

material structure of the fluid.

There are five properties of fluids
Density
Specific weight
Specific gravity
Specific volume

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Density or mass density,

Mass
of substance per unit volume.

Density, =
=

(kg/).

Specific Weight or Weight Density,

The force exerted by the earths gravity up on a unit volume of
substance.

Specific Weight, =
= = =

(N/m).

DCN3113 HYDRAULICS

Specific gravity (relative density), s

The
ratio of the fluid density to the weight density of a standard fluid.
Specific Gravity, s (for liquid) =

(dimensionless).

Specific volume, Vs
The volume of fluid occupied by a unit mass or volume per unit mass
of a fluid.
Specific Volume, Vs =
= =

(m/kg).

DCN3113 HYDRAULICS

Example
1.

Calculate the specific weight, density and specific gravity of one

litre of a liquid which weight 7 N.

2.

A container of volume 3.0 has 25.5 kN of an oil. Calculate

specific weight, density and specific gravity.

3.

Calculate density, specific weight, and weight of one litre of

petrol of specific gravity = 0.7

4.

One litre of crude oil weight 15.5 N. calculate its specific weight,
density, specific gravity and specific volume

5.

Mass of a liquid is 5655 g and 3300 litre respectively. Determine

weight, density, and specific weight for the liquid.

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Viscosity in fluid flows

Viscosity
Viscosity is a quantitative measure of a fluids resistance to

flow.
Determines the amount of resistance to shear force
Decrease as temperature increase
Not affected by pressure changes

DCN3113 HYDRAULICS

Dynamic (or Absolute) Viscosity:

The

dynamic viscosity() of a fluid is a measure of the

resistance it offers to relative shearing motion.

kg/ms

or

Ns/

where ; = Shearing stress(Ns/)

= dynamic viscosity (Ns/)

DCN3113 HYDRAULICS

Kinematic Viscosity :
It

is defined as the ratio of absolute viscosity to the

density of fluid.

= ;

m/s = 1 stoke

Where;
= dynamic viscosity (Ns/)
= density (kg/)

DCN3113 HYDRAULICS

Applications
Selection of lubricants for various purpose

- we can choose an optimum range of viscosity for

engine oil.
- for high load and also for speed operation high
viscous lubricants is required.
In pumping operation
- for high viscous fluid high power will require.
- for low viscous fluid low power will require.
In making of blend fuel
- less viscous fuels easy to mix.

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EXAMPLE