Version | 1.1 |
Unit Name | Fluid Mechanics |
Unit Code | BSC109 |
Unit Duration | 1 Semester |
Award |
Bachelor of Science (Engineering) Duration 3 years |
Year Level | One |
Unit Creator / Reviewer | John Brussen / Dr Milind Siddhpura / Dr Ana Evangelista |
Common/Stream: | Common (Mechanical and Civil-Structural Engineering) |
Pre-requisites | None |
Credit Points |
3 Total Course Credit Points 81 (27 x 3) |
Mode of Delivery | Online or on-campus. |
Unit Workload | (Total student workload including “contact hours” = 10 hours per week; 5 hours per week for 24 week delivery) Pre-recordings / Lecture – 1.5 hours Tutorial – 1.5 hours Guided labs / Group work / Assessments – 2 hours Personal Study recommended – 5 hours |
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:
-
Evaluate fluid properties and make a distinction between ideal, real, Newtonian, and non-Newtonian fluids.
Bloom’s Level 5 -
Identify and apply concepts related to statics and fluid flow dynamics.
Bloom’s Level 3 -
Perform detailed flow system analysis
Bloom’s Level 4 -
Apply the boundary layer and compressible flow concepts
Bloom’s Level 3 -
Perform dimensional analysis to solve problems in fluid mechanics
Bloom’s Level 4
Student assessment
Assessment Type |
When assessed |
Weighting (% of total unit marks) |
Learning Outcomes Assessed (Topics covered) |
Assessment 1 Type: Weekly Quizzes Description: Students will need to complete multiple-choice quiz questions to demonstrate a good understanding of the fundamental concepts. |
Ongoing |
10% |
All (Topics 2-11) |
Assessment 2 Type: Test (Invigilated) Description: Students will need to answer some short and/or long answer questions and/or solve some numerical problems. |
After Topic 5 |
25% |
1, 2, 3 (Topics 1-5) |
Assessment 3 Type: Practical (Report) Description: Students will need to complete this practical project using a software. |
After Topic 9 |
25% |
2, 3, 4 (Topics 1-9) |
Assessment 4 Type: Exam (Invigilated) Description: An examination with a mix of MCQs, theoretical short/detailed answer questions and some engineering problems. |
Exam Week |
40% |
All (All topics) |
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
- Ideal and real fluids
- Continuum concept
- Properties of fluids – mass density, weight density, specific volume, specific gravity, viscosity, surface tension, capillarity, vapour pressure, compressibility, bulk modulus
- Vapour pressure and cavitation
- Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids
- Engineering Analysis
- Resources
Topic 2
Fluid Statics
- Pressure and Pascal’s law
- Pressure Variation with Elevation
- Pressure measurement
- Hydrostatic force on submerged plane and curved surface
Topic 3
Buoyancy
- Dimensions and Units
- Buoyancy and flotation
- Archimedes principle
- Equilibrium of floating and submerged bodies
- Determination of metacentric height
Topic 4
Bernoulli Eq, Rate of Flow, Control Volume and Continuity Equation
- Bernoulli Eq
- Rate of Flow
- Control Volume Approach
- Continuity Equation
- Differential Form of the Continuity Equation
Topic 5
Momentum Analysis
- Momentum Equation: Derivation
- Momentum Equation: Interpretation
- Common Applications
Topic 6
Steady Flow Energy Equation and Flow through Conduits
- Energy, Work, and Power
- Energy Equation: General Form and Pipe Flow
- Contrasting the Bernoulli Equation and the Energy Equation
- Hydraulic and Energy Grade Lines
- Reynold’s number
- Shear stress and pressure gradient relationship
- Laminar flow through circular pipe-Hagen Poiseuille’s equation
Topic 7
Flow through Conduits and Flow Measurement
- Minor losses through pipes
- Darcy’s and Chezy’s equation for loss of head due to friction in pipes
- Flow velocity measurement
- Flow Measurement using orifice plates and venturi-meters
- Other flow meters (rotameter, ultrasonic, turbine, vortex, weir)
Topic 8
Dimensional Analysis
- Need for Dimensional Analysis
- Buckingham Theorem
- Dimensional Analysis - Common Groups & Similitude
Topic 9
Dimensional Analysis (cont.)
- Model Studies for Flows without Free-Surface Effects
- Model-Prototype Performance
- Approximate Similitude at High Reynolds Numbers
- Free-Surface Model Studies
Topic 10
Flow Past Immersed Bodies and Boundary Layer Concept
- Drag and lift
- Displacement, momentum, and energy thickness
- Concept of boundary layer and definition of boundary layer thickness
- Analysis of laminar and turbulent boundary layers
- Boundary layer separation and control
Topic 11
Compressible fluid flow
- Velocity of sound in a fluid
- Sonic velocity
- Mach number and Mach cone
- Propagation of sound waves in a compressible fluid.
- 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.