Department of Technical Education

Andhra Pradesh
Name : T.Subba Rayudu
Designation : Lecturer
Branch : Civil Engineering
Institute : S.V. Govt. Polytechnic, Tirupati
Year/Semester : III Semester
Subject : Hydraulics
Subject Code : C-304
Topic : Flow Of Liquids
Duration : 50 Minutes
Sub Topic : Types of flow
Teaching Aids : Diagrams, Photographs, Animations
Revised By : V. Srinivasa Rao, Lecturer, DAGPT, Ongole

9C304.15 1
Objectives

On completion of this session, you would be able to

• Understand the types of flows

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Hydrodynamics

It is that branch of Hydraulics which deals with the laws and

properties governing the fluids in motion considering the

effects of acceleration, force etc.

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Discharge
• It is defined as the quantity of liquid flowing through any
conduit in unit time (or) it is also defined as the rate of
flow

• It ‘A’ is the area of cross section and ‘V’ is the velocity of

water then discharge is defined as the product of area
and velocity. Discharge is denoted by ‘Q’

Q = AV
• Units: mm3 / sec, (or) cm3/ sec, (or) m3 / sec

• Dimensional formal for discharge is L3T-1

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Conversion of Discharge

1m3 / sec = 1000 lit / sec

1 lit / sec = 1000 cm3 / sec

1 m3 / sec = 106 cm3 / sec

1 m3/sec = 1 cumec

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Types of flow
• Uniform flow
• Non-Uniform flow
• Laminar flow
• Turbulent flow
• Steady flow
• Unsteady flow
• Compressible flow
• Incompressible flow
• Rotational flow
• Irrotational flow

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Uniform flow
• It is defined as that flow in which the velocity doesn’t
change from point to point with respect to time

• At any instant of time, if the velocity of flow is constant

at every point along the path of flow, the flow is treated
as “uniform flow”

• Ex: Flow through open channels with constant depth

flow through pipes of constant diameter etc.,

• [dv / ds] = 0 t = constant

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Non-uniform flow
• It is that flow in which the velocity at any given time
changes with respect to distance

• It is that flow in which the velocity changes form point

to point along the path of flow

[dv / ds]  0 t = constant

Ex: flow through tapering pipe

Flow through channels during floods

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Laminar flow
• It is that flow in which liquid
particles moves in layers such
that one layer glides over the
other layer
• The path lines of fluid
particles are straight lines and
they are parallel to each other
• No fluid particles will cross
each other in laminar flow
Ex. Flow of thick oil in a small tube,
flow of blood through the veins
Fig .1
of human body

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Turbulent flow
• It is that flow in which the path
lines of fluid particles irregular
curves, crossing each other
• The flow is erratic (not possible to
predict the direction of flow of fluid
particles)
Ex. Flow through rivers during floods
Fig .2 Flow through open channels when
the gates are just lifted

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Steady flow
• It is that flow in which the fluid characteristics such as
velocity, pressure, and density doesn’t change at a
particular point with respect to time
dv  0, dp  0, dp  0
dt dt dt
• If the discharge is constant at every point along the
path of flow, the flow is treated as steady flow

• Ex: flow through constant diameter pipes

• Flow through tapering pipes

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Unsteady flow
• If the fluid characteristics such as velocity,
pressure, and density change with respect to
time, then the flow is treated as “un – steady flow”
dv  0, dp  0, d  0
dt dt dt
• If the discharge varies form point to point along
the path of flow and if it is not constant, the flow is
treated as un – steady flow

Ex: flow through channels during floods.

Flow through channels when the gates are just lifted

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Compressible flow
• If the density of fluid particles changes form point to
point along the path of flow; the flow is called
compressible flow

Ex: flow of gas through the nozzles.

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Incompressible flow
• It is that flow in which the density of fluid particles
doesn’t change from point to point

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Rotational flow
• If the fluid particle rotates about it’s own mass center
while traversing along a path line the flow is treated as
rotational flow

Ex: flow inside the casing of centrifugal pump

Flow of tidal waves

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Irrotational flow

• If the fluid particle doesn’t rotate about it’s own mass

center while traveling along a path line, the flow is treated

as irrotational flow

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Summary
In this session, you have learnt about

• Various types of flow

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Quiz
1. Type of flow in uniform pipe of constant dia

(a) Uniform flow

(b) Steady flow
(c) Uniform & steady flow
(d) Uniform & unsteady flow.

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Quiz

2. Type of flow in tapering pipes

(a) Uniform flow

(b) Steady flow
(c) Uniform & steady flow
(d) Non uniform & steady flow

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Quiz

3. The branch of hydraulics which deals with laws &

properties governing the fluids in motion considering
the effects of acceleration, force is

(a) Hydro kinematics

(b) Hydrostatics
(c) Hydrodynamics
(d) Fluid mechanics

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. Distinguish between laminar and turbulent flow?

2. Define steady and Unsteady flow?

3. Define Uniform and Non-Uniform flow?

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