FLUID MECHANICS

Basic Concepts

ECP 2104
F.M. Saziya
 Expected Course Outcomes
• Understand the general characteristics of fluids and
how these characteristics influence the behaviour of
different fluids
• Create an understanding of the behaviour of fluids
under different conditions found in real chemical
processes
• Provide skills required to design new and optimize
existing fluid-based processes
• Provide skills required to size specific equipment for
chemical process unit operations
Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering
Harare Institute of Technology
 Assessment
Assessment Method Number Contribution
Assignments 3 5%
Tests 3 10%
Practicals 3 25%
Final Exam 1 60%

Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering

Harare Institute of Technology
 TOPICS
Lecture 1 – Basic Concepts
Lecture 2 – Fluid Statics
Lecture 3 – Fluid Dynamics
Lecture 4 – Flow of Real Fluids in Conduits
Lecture 5 – Flow of Viscous Fluids through pipes
and ducts
Lecture 6 – Turbo machines and accessories

Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering

Harare Institute of Technology
 Fluid Mechanics and its role in the
Chemical Engineering Discipline
• Study of the behaviour of liquids and gases
under states of both equilibrium and in
motion – Massey 2006
• Applies principles of conservation of mass
/energy, thermodynamics and Newton’s
Laws of motion

Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering

Harare Institute of Technology
 Why study Fluid Mechanics?
• Fluid Mechanics is applied in three main areas of industrial
manufacturing engineering:
– Industrial Processes
• Ventilation
• Air conditioning
• Heating and Cooling systems
• Mixing
– Manufacture of engineering components
• nozzles
• Manifolds
• Steam traps
• mixers
– Power generation
• Steam, gas and wind turbines
• Hydroelectric turbines

Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering

Harare Institute of Technology
 Lecture 1 – Basic Concepts
Introduction
1.1 Nature and character of Fluids
1.2 Properties of Fluids
1.3 Forces Acting on Fluids
1.4 Simplifications
1.5 Associated Mathematics
1.6 Symbols and Units

Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering

Harare Institute of Technology
 Lecture1:Basic Concepts
1.1 Nature and Character of Fluids
– Fluids – definite volume but no definite shape
– Solids – definite shape and definite volume

Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering

Harare Institute of Technology
 Lecture1:Basic Concepts

Steel Steel

Water Water

Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering

Harare Institute of Technology
 Lecture1:Basic Concepts
“A fluid is a substance that deforms continuously
under the action of shear force, no matter
how small”
• Two states of fluids: Liquids and gases
Free surface

Gas
Liquid

Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering

Harare Institute of Technology
 Lecture1:Basic Concepts
Comparative Analysis of Liquids and Gases
Liquids Gases
Volume Retains volume Occupies
available space
Free Surface Forms free Does not form
surface free surface
Intermolecular Relatively strong Relatively weak
Forces
Densities High Low
Compressibility Incompressible Compressible
Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering
Harare Institute of Technology
 Lecture1:Basic Concepts
1.2 Properties of Fluids
1.2.1 Pressure (Pa)
– Three sources
• Molecular collisions with each other and against the
walls of the container
• Weight of fluid in static state
• Due to motion
– Increase in temperature results in increased
diffusion of momentum at molecular level

Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering

Harare Institute of Technology
 Lecture1:Basic Concepts
1.2.2 Vapour Pressure

• Effect of total vapour pressure on Boiling Point

– Low total vapour pressure/low boiling point
– High total vapour pressure/high boiling point
Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering
Harare Institute of Technology
 Lecture1:Basic Concepts
1.2.3 Viscosity
Velocity profile of a fluid stream
Stream
Δn
n

Δv
v

τt~Δv/Δn

τt~ δv/ δn when Δn→0

τt=-μ δv/ δn
Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering
Harare Institute of Technology
 Lecture1:Basic Concepts
• τt=-μ* (δv/δn) Newton’s formula
• μ – dynamic viscosity (Pa.s) or cp
• Proportionality constant of velocity gradient
• Measures the resistance to flow
• ν=μ/ρ – kinematic viscosity (cs)
• Reason for viscosity:
– Intermolecular forces
– Transfer of molecular momentum
• Viscosity of liquids decreases with temp, while that of
gases increases with temp. Exceptions
Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering
Harare Institute of Technology
 Lecture1:Basic Concepts
Non-Newtonian Liquids
Stress τt Plastic
Psuedo-Plastic

Newtonian

Dilatant

Rate of shear (dv/dn)

Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering

Harare Institute of Technology
 Lecture1:Basic Concepts

Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering

Harare Institute of Technology
 Lecture1:Basic Concepts
1.2.4 Surface Tension
Phase 1 Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 2

σ= m2/s

Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering

Harare Institute of Technology
 Lecture1:Basic Concepts
• Surface Tension Phenomenon
– Wettability
– Capillarity
– Spray Drying
• Surfactants and their use in the manufacture of:
– Detergents
– Emulsifiers
– Flotation agents
– Solubilizers
Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering
Harare Institute of Technology
 Lecture1:Basic Concepts
1.2.5 Other Properties
• Density
– Liquids generally have higher densities than gases
– When considering forces and pressures, the effect of the weight
(density) of gases may be ignored
• Thermal conductivity
– Transport property that mediates diffusion of heat through fluids
– Effect of temperature on thermal conductivity in fluids follows the
same pattern as viscosity
• Mass Diffusity
– Transport property that mediates diffusion of solutes through fluids

Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering

Harare Institute of Technology
 Lecture1:Basic Concepts
1.2.6 Perfect Gas States
– Kinetic theory states that for equilibrium conditions ,the relationship
between pressure (P), Volume (V) and temperature are related via the
following state equation:
pV=mRT→p=ρRT – Perfect Gas Equation
where m – mass of gas, R- universal gas constant
– Assumptions
• Total volume of actual molecules negligible
• Molecules only interact with each other on collision
• Molecules of a gas are tiny perfectly elastic spheres (billiard balls)
– Most gases if well away from liquid phase and from dissociation (high
temperatures and low pressures) obey this relationship

Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering

Harare Institute of Technology
 Lecture1:Basic Concepts
1.3 Forces acting on Fluids
• Body Forces
– Proportional to the mass of the fluid
– act on every particle of the fluid
– Examples: gravity, centrifugal, electromagnetic
• Surface forces
– Proportional to the surface on which the force is acting on
• Normal forces e.g Pressure Gradient
• Tangential Forces e.g frictional force
• Surface tension

Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering

Harare Institute of Technology
 Lecture1:Basic Concepts
1.4 Simplifications
• Continuity Hypothesis
– From discrete to continuous
• Homogeneity and Isotropy
– Homogenous fluid: properties are the same in all locations
– Isotropic fluid: properties are the same in all directions
• Ideal fluid
– Liquids are incompressible
– Gases are compressible

Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering

Harare Institute of Technology
 Lecture1:Basic Concepts
1.5 Mathematics
1.5.1 Variation of parameters in space and time
• Parameters
– Dependent variables
– Independent variables
• Space defined by coordinates
– Cartesian
– Polar

Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering

Harare Institute of Technology
 Lecture1:Basic Concepts
Cartesian Coordinates; x, y, z
y z

A
A y

A
x x
x

A(x) A(x,y) A(x,y,z)

Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering

Harare Institute of Technology
 Lecture1:Basic Concepts
Polar Coordinates: p,α,β,γ where p is the polar
distance and α,β,γ are the angles

γ A
β
α

Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering

Harare Institute of Technology
 Lecture1:Basic Concepts
• A(x), A(x,y), A(x,y,z) A(p,α,β,γ)Variation of
dependent variable A due to independent
space variables or location) (parameters x,y,z)
• Variation of dependent variable A with respect
to time A(t)
• Total variation of dependent variable A due to
location and time A(x,y,z,t) or A(p,α,β,γ,t)

Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering

Harare Institute of Technology
 Lecture1:Basic Concepts
1.5.2 Mathematical Analysis – the nature of
distribution of dependent variables and how
they change with the independent variables
• Nature of distribution – functions
y=f(x), z=f(x,y), u=f(x,y,z), v=f(x,y,z,t)
lines, curves, plane surfaces, curved surfaces
• Rate of change or derivative dy/dx or f’(x)
• Geometrical interpretation- slope
Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering
Harare Institute of Technology
 Lecture1:Basic Concepts
Function type Rate of Change (derivative) Differential form

w=f(x) dw/dx=f’x(x) dw=fx’(x)dx

w=f(x,y) δw/δx=fx’(x,y) dw=(δw/δx)dx+(δw/δy)dy
δw/δy=f’y(x,y)
w=f(x,y,z) δw/δx=fx’(x,y,z) dw=(δw/δx)dx+(δu/δy)dy+ (δu/δz)dz
δw/δy=fy’(x,y,z)
δw/δz=fz’(x,y,z)

Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering

Harare Institute of Technology
 Lecture1:Basic Concepts
• Integral F(x) of a function f(x) is the anti-derivative of the
function f(x)
• Denoted F(x)=∫f(x)dx
• F(x)=f(x)+C – indefinite integral
• F(x)- family of parallel curves
• Define C get definite integral
• Area under a curve
• df(x)/dx=0→ F(x)=constant
• Definite integral – the limit to which the sum tends as the largest
subinterval approaches zero
• ∫ab where b-a interval of integration, a lower limit, b-upper limit
Dept. of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering
Harare Institute of Technology