Fluid Mechanics: Fluid Properties

1.0 Fluid Properties

1.1

Definition of Fluids and Types of Fluids

Fluid is a substance in the liquid or gas phase, which can deform continuously under
the influence of shear stress.
Fluids can be categorized in five ways:
1. Viscous flow region: Flow in which the frictional effects are significant.
Inviscid flow region: Flow in which the inertia forces are significant.
2. Internal flow: Flow in which the fluids are completely bounded by solids.
External flow: Flow in which the fluids flow over a surface.
3. Compressible flow: Flow in which the density are changing with time.
Incompressible flow: Flow in which the density are constant with time.
4. Laminar flow: Highly ordered fluid motion characterized by smooth layers of
fluids, which typically occurs at low velocity.
Turbulent flow: Highly disordered fluid motion that typically occurs at high
velocities.
5. Steady flow: Flow in which there is no change of fluid properties such as
velocity, temperature etc with time.
Unsteady flow: Flow in which there is a change of fluid properties such as
velocity, temperature etc with time.
Do note that a flow can be described more than one type of categories, for example
the steady laminar external flow i.e. the flow across a bluff body with very low
velocity.

1.2

Fluid Density

Density is mass over volume (unit: kg/m3):

=

Specific volume is volume over mass (unit: m3/kg)

. =

Specific or relative gravity is the ratio between density of tested fluid over density of
water:
=

Fluid Mechanics: Fluid Properties

Specific weight is the product of density and gravitational constant (g = 9.81m2/s):
=

1.3

Derivation of Capillary Rise and Its Application

The underlying theory of capillary rise is the surface tension, in which the fluid at the
surface may tend to form attractive forces at its surface layer. When the fluid is
located in a tube, there will be curved free fluid surface, or meniscus.
The capillary rise, h, is an important indicator of a fluids surface tension.
Consider the following case:

Figure 1.1. Schematic for derivation of capillary rise. (Taken from: engel, Y., & Cimbala, J.
(2014). Fluid mechanics: Fundamentals and applications (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill Higher
Education.)

The capillary rise can be derived by equating the weight of the intended space, W and
the force resulted by the surface tension, .
= = = ( 2 )
= 2
=
( 2 ) = 2
=

where, is the contact angle. If is larger than 90o, it is non-wetting fluid, while, but
if is smaller than 90o, it is wetting fluid.

Fluid Mechanics: Fluid Properties

Examples:
1. A 0.6 mm diameter glass tube is inserted into water in a cup. Determine the
capillary rise of water in the tube. Assume the contact angle is zero while the
surface tension of water is 0.073 N/m. The density of water is 1000 kg/m3.
2. Mercury (s = 0.440 N/m, = 13560 kg/m3) is inserted with a 0.5 mm
diameter circular glass tube. If the capillary height of the mercury goes 8 mm
below the mercury level outside the tube, determine the value of contact angle.

1.4

Derivation of Torque-Viscosity Equation and Its Application

Viscosity is the internal resistance of fluid to motion. Consider Figure 1. Let as the
shear stress acting on the flow, U is the free stream velocity, l is the length needed for
the velocity to increase from zero to free stream velocity.
U
dy
l
du

Plate
=

is the dynamics/absolute viscosity while is the rate of deformation. Meanwhile

the kinematic viscosity, can be defined as:
=

The fluid in which the dynamics viscosity is constant over rate of deformation is
known as Newtonian fluid (e.g. water and ammonia), while the fluid in which the
dynamics viscosity is not constant over rate of deformation in known as nonNewtonian fluid (e.g. human blood and starch).
To measure the viscosity, viscometer is used. The principle of viscometer is based on
Torque-Viscosity Equation, derived as follows.

Fluid Mechanics: Fluid Properties

F
Figure 1.2. Viscometer. (Modified and taken from: engel, Y., & Cimbala, J. (2014). Fluid
mechanics: Fundamentals and applications (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill Higher Education.)

(1.1)

F is the rotational forces while R is the radius of moving shaft.

=

(1.2)

= 2

(1.3)

(1.4)

A is the contact area between moving shaft and fluid and L is the length of moving
cylinder. In this case, du equals the tangential velocity, V, which dy equals to the
distance along the fluid, l.
= =

(1.5)

(1.6)

is the angular velocity in radian per minute (rad/min). Combining (1.2)-(1.5) into
(1.1),

= 2 ( ) = 2 (

) =

2 3

(1.7)

To transform (rad/min) to (revolution per minute, rpm), one has to know that one
revolution is equivalent to 2:
= 2

(1.8)

Then the equation (1.7) can be written as:

=

(1.9)

Fluid Mechanics: Fluid Properties

Examples:
1. Let velocity profile of a fluid is given by u = 2y in which y is less than 1, while
the viscosity of 0.01 N.s/m2, determine its shear stress.
Now let velocity profile of a fluid is given by u = y2+2y in which y is less than
1, using the viscosity of 0.01 N.s/m2, draw the velocity profile, and try to
compute the relationship between deformation rate and shear stress.
Try the same thing for equation u = y3+ y2.
2. The viscosity of a fluid is to be measured by a viscometer constructed of two
40 cm long concentric cylinder. The outer diameter of the inner cylinder is 12
cm, and the gap between the two cylinders is 0.15 cm. The inner cylinder is
rotated at 300 rpm, and the torque measured is 1.8 N.m. Determine the
viscosity of the fluid.