Unit Description and General Aims

The objective in presenting this unit is to provide students with detailed knowledge of the principles and practices governing the field of fluid mechanics. 

The unit will include: basic fluid properties and laws governing fluid statics; principal concepts and methods of fluid kinematics and dynamics; fluid system flow analysis utilising the Continuity, Bernoulli, and Momentum equations; flow system analysis including boundary layer concepts and modelling based on dimensional analysis. Students will also undertake a project work involving modelling (for example, computational fluid dynamics).

At the conclusion of this unit, students will have been imparted with the requisite knowledge to comprehend, distinguish, and apply the principles and practices governing the field of fluid mechanics in their future work.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this Unit, students are expected to be able to:

1. Evaluate fluid properties and make a distinction between ideal, real, Newtonian, and non-Newtonian fluids.
   Bloom’s Level 5

2. Identify and apply concepts related to statics and fluid flow dynamics.
   Bloom’s Level 3

3. Perform detailed flow system analysis
   Bloom’s Level 4

4. Apply the boundary layer and compressible flow concepts
   Bloom’s Level 3

5. Perform dimensional analysis to solve problems in fluid mechanics
   Bloom’s Level 4

Student assessment

Overall requirements: Students must achieve a result of 50% or above in the exam itself to pass the exam, and must pass the exam to be able to pass the unit. An overall final unit score of 50% or above must be achieved to pass the unit assessment.

Prescribed and Recommended readings

Textbook

D. F. Elger, B. A. LeBret, C. T. Crowe, J. A. Roberson, Engineering Fluid Mechanics, 12th Edition. John Wiley & Sons, 2019. ISBN 978-0470259771

Reference 

Graebel, WP 2001, Engineering Fluid Mechanics, International Student Edition, CRC Press, ISBN-13: 978-1560327110

Massey, BS 1998, Mechanics of Fluids, 7th edn, CRC Press, ISBN-13: 978-0748740437

Journal, website

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/fluid-mechanics-t_21.html

www.learnerstv.com/Free-Engineering-Video-lectures-ltv078-Page1.htm

Notes and Reference texts

IDC Technologies

Other material advised during the lectures

Unit Content

One topic is delivered per contact week, with the exception of part-time 24-week units, where one topic is delivered every two weeks.

Topic 1

Fluid Properties 

1. Ideal and real fluids 
2. Continuum concept 
3. Properties of fluids – mass density, weight density, specific volume, specific gravity, viscosity, surface tension, capillarity, vapour pressure, compressibility, bulk modulus  
4. Vapour pressure and cavitation 
5. Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids 
6. Engineering Analysis 
7. Resources 

Topic 2

Fluid Statics 

1. Pressure and Pascal’s law 
2. Pressure Variation with Elevation 
3. Pressure measurement 
4. Hydrostatic force on submerged plane and curved surface 

Topic 3

Buoyancy

1. Dimensions and Units 
2. Buoyancy and flotation 
3. Archimedes principle 
4. Equilibrium of floating and submerged bodies 
5. Determination of metacentric height 

Topic 4

Bernoulli Eq, Rate of Flow, Control Volume and Continuity Equation 

1. Bernoulli Eq 
2. Rate of Flow 
3. Control Volume Approach 
4. Continuity Equation 
5. Differential Form of the Continuity Equation 

Topic 5

Momentum Analysis 

1. Momentum Equation: Derivation 
2. Momentum Equation: Interpretation  
3. Common Applications 

Topic 6

Steady Flow Energy Equation and Flow through Conduits 

1. Energy, Work, and Power 
2. Energy Equation: General Form and Pipe Flow 
3. Contrasting the Bernoulli Equation and the Energy Equation  
4. Hydraulic and Energy Grade Lines 
5. Reynold’s number 
6. Shear stress and pressure gradient relationship 
7. Laminar flow through circular pipe-Hagen Poiseuille’s equation 

Topic 7

 Flow through Conduits and Flow Measurement 

1. Minor losses through pipes 
2. Darcy’s and Chezy’s equation for loss of head due to friction in pipes 
3. Flow velocity measurement 
4. Flow Measurement using orifice plates and venturi-meters 
5. Other flow meters (rotameter, ultrasonic, turbine, vortex, weir) 

Topic 8

Dimensional Analysis 

1. Need for Dimensional Analysis 
2. Buckingham Theorem 
3. Dimensional Analysis - Common Groups & Similitude 

Topic 9

Dimensional Analysis (cont.) 

1. Model Studies for Flows without Free-Surface Effects 
2. Model-Prototype Performance 
3. Approximate Similitude at High Reynolds Numbers 
4. Free-Surface Model Studies 

Topic 10

Flow Past Immersed Bodies and Boundary Layer Concept 

1. Drag and lift 
2. Displacement, momentum, and energy thickness 
3. Concept of boundary layer and definition of boundary layer thickness 
4. Analysis of laminar and turbulent boundary layers 
5. Boundary layer separation and control 

Topic 11

Compressible fluid flow 

1. Velocity of sound in a fluid 
2. Sonic velocity  
3. Mach number and Mach cone 
4. Propagation of sound waves in a compressible fluid. 
5. Sonic Velocity for Case of Adiabatic Ideal Gas 

Topic 12

Unit Review  

• In the final week students will have an opportunity to review the contents covered so far. Opportunity will be provided for a review of student work and to clarify any outstanding issues. 

Software/Hardware Used

Software

• Software: Ansys Fluent  
• Version: N/A 
• Instructions: In the Remote Labs 
• Additional resources or files: N/A 

ANSYS Fluent is a package for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) (part of Ansys suite of simulation tools named ANSYS Workbench).  Fluent is an invaluable tool for companies looking to reduce development costs, accelerate time-to-market, and improve product quality by properly understanding fluid flow.  

Hardware

• N/A

Unit Changes Based on Student Feedback

Fluid Kinematics is simplified for beginners, as it requires knowledge of partial differential equations, which are taught later in the course. 

The unit review is enhanced to provide support for the final exam.