EVB 2253: Fluid Mechanics

Topic 1: Introduction to Fluid Mechanics

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of this lecture, students should be able to:

1. Define the basic concepts of fluid mechanics.

2. Distinction between solid and fluid.
3. Distinction between a liquid and gas-fluid continuum
 FLUID MECHANICS
 The branch of physics that studies the
behavior of fluids, either at rest (fluid statics)
or in motion (fluid dynamics).
 Fluids can be classified into 2 forms of
matter; liquids and gases.
 Fluid mechanics is highly relevant to our
daily life. Water that we drink, the air which
we breathe and the blood which flows in
our arteries are major examples which
indicate that human existence is impossible
without fluids.
FLUID MECHANICS
 We live in the world full of fluids.
 Example – A day full of fluid mechanics
1.You wake up in the morning and the room
cool. Coolant circulating inside it and cool
air which it gives is fluid.
 FLUID MECHANICS
2. After that, you washed your face at the sink.
The water which comes at your tap is fluid
and has come through the piping system
which also comes under fluid mechanics.
FLUID MECHANICS
3. After that you decided to have fresh milk
for your breakfast. The coolant moving inside
the small pipes at back of your refrigerator
and the air circulating inside it are both fluids.
FLUID MECHANICS
4. After finishing your breakfast, you decided to
do some cleaning. Proper suction of air and
filtering the dust from vacuum requires the
knowledge of fluid mechanics.
 FLUID MECHANICS
• Fluid mechanics can be divided into:-
1. Fluid statics – the study of fluid at rest
2. Fluid kinematics – the study of fluids in
motion. Deals with translation, rotation
and deformation of fluid.
3. Fluid dynamics – the study of the effect
of forces on fluid motion.
FLUID MECHANICS
 Fluid mechanics covers many areas
such as meteorology, oceanography,
aerodynamics, biomechanics,
mechanical engineering, civil
engineering, naval architecture
engineering and etc.
 FLUID MECHANICS
To an engineer, the study of fluid mechanics is
very important, as the subject provides basic
principles in many engineering applications
such as:-
1. Determination of stability of floating and
submerged objects which leads to the
design of ships and submarines.
2. Determination of hydrostatic forces,
which leads to the evaluation of forces
acting submerged surfaces such as dams
or gates.
FLUID MECHANICS
3. Determination of flow pipes and evaluation
of energy losses in pipelines which leads to the
design of pipes sizes, gradients and selection of
pipe material for pipelines used in water
supply networks.
FLUID MECHANICS
4. Determination of forces exerted by moving
fluid, which is essential in the design of
anchorage blocks for pipe mains.
 FLUID MECHANICS
5. Determination of flow rate, energy
dissipation from spillway and flow in open
channels such as rivers.
 FLUID MECHANICS

6. Design and application of flow measurement

devices in closed conduits or open channels.

7. Design and application of fluid mechanics

such as pumps and turbines in a flow system.
 FLUID MECHANICS
• All matter can be divided into 2 major
classes:-
1. Solid
2. Fluid – Liquid & Gas
• The difference between a solid and fluid can
be divided by:-
1. The stress-strain relationship
2. The elasticity
 FLUID MECHANICS
 The stress-strain relationship
1. Solid – Requires external forces to cause it
deform
2. Fluid – Will deform without the application
of external forces. Will take on the shape
of container in which they are held
(eg.water, oil, gas etc)
 FLUID MECHANICS
 The elasticity relationship
1. Solid – When external forces stress and
deform solids, the solid will regain their
original shape when these external forces
are removed ( Elasticity)

2.Fluid – Fluid will continue to change shape

in time even after the removal of the
external forces causing the deformation.
 FLUID MECHANICS
 The difference between a liquid and gas can
be defined by:-
1. The compressibility
2. The continuity
Compressibility
- To compress something into a small space
• Liquids
1. Liquids are considered to be
incompressible
2. Liquids only change in volume even when
subjected to very high pressure.
 FLUID MECHANICS
 Gases
1. Gases are very compressible
2. Their volume can be increase/decrease
when subjected to slight variation in pressure
FLUID MECHANICS
Continuity
- Is the state of being continuous

 Liquids
When a liquid is held in a container, its entire
mass will arrange itself so as to be in contact
with the bottom and the sides of that container
and a well-defined surface of the liquid will form.
• Gases
A gas held in a closed container will not form
A well-defined surface and will tend to fill the
entire container.
 CONTINUUM CONCEPT
 Materials such as solids, liquid and gases are
consists of molecules with a lot of space in
between.
 On a macroscopic scale, materials have
cracks and discontinuities.
 However, for our analysis we assumed that
the materials exist as continuum, meaning
the matter in the body is continuously
distributed and filled the entire region with
no empty space.
CONTINUUM CONCEPT
 Therefore, it is reasonable to consider
fluid as continuum – A continuous
substance where quantities such as
velocity and pressure can be taken as
constant at any section irrespective of the
individual fluid particle velocity.
 CONTINUUM CONCEPT
 Even though fluids properties depend on
their molecular structure, the problems
normally encountered by engineers do not
require knowledge and prediction of
behaviour at the molecular level but on the
properties of the fluid mass that may result.
 Note that the fluid particle consists of an
assembly of molecules each having
properties such as pressure, temperature,
density.
 FLUID PROPERTIES AND UNIT
 In any technical work the units in which
physical properties are measured must be
stated. A system of units specifies the units
of the basic quantities of length, time, force
and mass. The units of terms are derived
from these.
 Students are expected to be familiar with
the various systems of units used in
engineering.
 FLUID PROPERTIES AND UNIT
These systems of units include:
 S.I Units (International System of Units; the
standard use of metric units throughout the
world)
 Where; length = meters (m)
mass = kilograms (kg)
time = seconds (s)
 FLUID PROPERTIES AND UNIT
 c.g.s
System of Unit
 Where; length = centimeters(cm)
mass = gram (g)
time = seconds (s)

 Imperial Units (British Gravitational System;

English Units)
 Where; length = foot (ft)
mass = pound (lb)
time = seconds (s)
 FLUID PROPERTIES AND UNIT
Example
1. A commonly used equation for
determining the volumetric flow rate, Q
of a liquid through an orifice located in
the side of a tank is given by;
Q = 0.65a√2gh
Investigate the dimensional homogeneity
of this equation.
 FLUID PROPERTIES AND UNIT
Example
2. Imagine you are traveling in a car at a
constant speed of 80 kilometers per hour
(km/h). How many seconds (s) would it take
to travel 1.5km?
 DENSITY
Density
 Defined as the amount of mass per unit
volume.

ρ = m/V

Unit:kg/m3 , Dimensions: ML-3

SPECIFIC WEIGHT
Specific weight
 Defined as the amount of weight per unit
volume
ɤ = w/V
Unit: N/m3 , Dimensions: FL-3

 Relation between density and specific

weight
ɤ= ρxg
RELATIVE DENSITY OR SPECIFIC
GRAVITY

 SPECIFIC VOLUME
 Defined as volume per unit mass
V = 1/ρ
Unit: m3/kg , Dimensions: L3M-1

Example
If the specific volume of a certain gas is 0.73
m3/kg, calculate its specific weight.
TEMPERATURE

ABSOLUTE TEMPERATURE
