Conservation of energy: Bernoulli’s principle

Daniela Blessent, PhD

Profesora Ingeniería Ambiental
 Objectives

• To understand the physical meaning of the Bernoulli’s

principle, which is the most used equation in fluid mechanics
• To apply the Bernoulli’s principle to ideal and real fluids
• To draw the energy and piezometric lines
 Topics

• Navier-Stokes equations
• Euler equations
• Bernoulli equation and its physical interpretation
• Cavitation explained with Bernoulli equation
• Application of Bernoulli’s equation for ideal and real fluids
• Drawing of energy and piezometric lines for ideal and real
fluids
 Navier-Stokes equations

• Forces applying on a fluid volume δxδyδz are considered

• Volume force (weight)

W  mg
• Surface forces (pressure + area)

Fs : Fn F1 F2

(Munson et al., 2009)

 Navier-Stokes equations

• Newton’s second law applied to a small fluid volume δx δy

δz, where hydrostatic forces F are expressed by
pressure*area, in each direction (x, y, z)
pressure area

area
pressure

pressure area pressure area

pressure area

pressure area
(Munson et al., 2009)
 Navier-Stokes equations

• Considering
• Known relations for axial and tangent stresses
u  u v 
 xx   p  2   xy   yx     
x  y x 
v  v w 
 yy   p  2  yz   zy     
y  z y 
w  w u 
 zz   p  2  zx   xz     
z  x z 
• And continuity equation
u v w
  0
x y z
 Navier-Stokes equations

• These equations can be obtained:

 u u u u  p   2u  2u  2 u 
   u  v  w    gx     2  2  2 
 t x y z  x  x y z 

 v v v v  p   2v  2v  2v 
   u  v  w   gy     2  2  2 
 t x y z  y  x y z 
We will consider the equation along the Z direction to explain each term:

 w w w w  p  2w 2w 2w 

 u v  w    gz   2  2  2 
 t x y z  z  x y z 
 Navier-Stokes equations

• Physical interpretation
• Forces / volume (N/m3)

• These equations apply to:

• Laminar flow
• Real and incompressible fluids
 Euler’s equations

• Ideal fluids (neglecting viscosity)

 w w w w  p  2w 2w 2w 

 u v  w    gz   2  2  2 
 t x y z  z  x y z 

p  u u u u 
 gx      u  v  w 
x  t x y z 
p  v v v v 
gy      u  v  w 
y  t x y z 
p  w w w w 
 gz      u v w 
z  t x y z 
 Bernoulli’s equation

• Hypothesis
• Viscosity neglected (ideal fluids)
• Steady-state flow
• Incompressible fluid
• Application along a streamline
 Bernoulli’s equation

• We consider fluid motion

along a streamline:
• We apply the Newton
law:
F = m· a
with weight and hydrostatic
force (neglecting viscosity, for
ideal fluids)
 Bernoulli’s equation

• We obtain, along a streamline, between point 1 and point 2

and for an incompressible fluid, the following equation:

 dz  dp  d V 2 
1
2
All terms
have units
of pressure 1
Pa or N/m2: p  V  z  C
2

2
 Physical interpretation

• It expresses the conservation of mechanical energy along a

streamline, for a steady-state flow:
 Physical interpretation

• If we divide each term by the specific weight γ, we obtain the

heads (cargas, cabezas o alturas, en español)
 Physical interpretation

• The sum of elevation, pressure and velocity head is constant

along a streamline:

p V2
z  C
 2g
 Bernoulli: cavitation

• If the fluid pressure equals the vapor pressure at the

considered temperature, cavitation occurs

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Usure_par_cavitation_d'un_impulseur_de_p
ompe_centrifuge_01.jpg
 Bernoulli: cavitation

• Cavitation should be avoided in hydraulic systems (pipe,

turbines and pumps)
• It happens when p=pVapor
• Critical points are those where pressure decreases
• If pipe elevation is constant (for a horizontal pipe), pressure
decreases when velocity increases, because of a diameter
reduction Cavitation risk (small diameter)

• If velocity is constant (because the diameter is constant),

pressure decreases when elevation increases (the pipe is not
horizontal)
Cavitation risk
(large elevation)
 Bernoulli: how is it used?

• It is applied between points 1 and 2, if they belong to the

same streamline
• Continuity equation is also often used if there is more than one
unknown (V1A1=V2A2)
• Simplifications can be made to neglect z, V or p
• Reference system (z=0) (its location is arbitrary)
• Free-water surface and water jets (p=0)
• Tanks larger than pipes and stagnation points (V=0)

2 2
p1
V1 p2 V2
FOR IDEAL
z1    z2  
 2g  2g
FLUIDS:
 Bernoulli: Energy line (LE)

• It expresses the total energy available in the fluid

• Potential energy (z), pressure energy (p/γ), kinetic energy (V2/2g)
• LE is horizontal in an ideal fluid because there are no friction losses
during its motion

(Munson et al., 2013)

 Bernoulli: piezometric line (LP)

• The sum of pressure head (p/γ) and elevation (z), expresses the
piezometric or hydraulic head h=z+p/γ
• Pipe with variable diameter: when D decreases, the velocity
increases The distance between LE and LP increases too

(Munson et al., 2013)

 Bernoulli: piezometric line (LP)

• The location (above or below) of piezometric line (LP) with

respect to the pipe axis, it allows establishing if there is positive
or negative pressure

(Munson et al., 2013)

 Bernoulli: piezometric line (LP)

• Negligible velocity and zero pressure (=patm) in (1)

• Diameter variation: LP decreases according to V2/2g
• At the pipe exit (3), p=patm because there is a free water jet,
therefore LP coincide with the pipe axis

(Munson et al., 2013)

 Bernoulli applied to real fluids

• Viscosity is considered
• A viscous fluid does not flow readily and requires more energy
for its motion
• Energy losses are indicated as hf
• The term hf is added to the right (it represents a loss)
• All terms have dimensions of [L]

2 2
p1 V1 V2 p2 Energy loss between
z1    z2    hf 1 and 2, because of
 2g  2g real fluid motion
 Bernoulli + friction losses

• If there are friction losses hf (because a real fluid is considered),

LE is inclined
• Its slope depends on the hf value
• LP will also be inclined
• LP has variable slope (it is not parallel to LE) if the pipe diameter
is not constant
• LE and LP are parallel if velocity is constant (when diameter is
constant too)
• LP has a variable slope (it is not parallel to LE) if the pipe
diameter is not constant
 Ejemplo 1

• Se considera el edificio
mostrado en la figura a lado
• En los puntos 1, 2 y 3, donde
sale el agua y está en
contacto con la presión
atmosférica, se consideran
chorros libres
• Calcular la velocidad del agua
en los puntos 2 y 3

(Munson et al., 2013)

 Ejemplo 2

• Calcular la altura máxima H

para extraer el agua del
tanque sin generar
cavitación en el punto (2)
• Considerar una presión de
vapor del agua igual a
agua
1765 Pa (escala absoluta)

Resultado:
H=8.5 m considerando patm=100 kPa
H= 8.56 m considerando patm=101 kPa

(Munson et al., 2013)

 Ejemplo 3

• Determinar una expresión

para la altura manométrica
h, en función de la SG
densidad relativa del
aceite (SG), V2 y las áreas
de las secciones de la
tubería en los puntos 1 y 2. agua

Resultado:

1 1  ( A2 / A1 )²
h  V22  
2g (1  SG ) agua

(Munson et al., 2013)

 Ejemplo 4

• Se considera el tanque
cerrado indicado en la
Figura a lado
• Las pérdidas por fricción en
la tubería son hf = 0.7 m
• Calcular la presión del aire
en el tanque para que el
caudal en la tubería sea Q
= 0.018 m3/s
• Dibujar LE y LP
 Referencias bibliográficas

• MUNSON Bruce R, YOUNG, Theodore H. OKIISHI y Wade W.

HUEBSCH, 2009. Fundamentals of fluid mechanics, 6th
edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 796 p.
• MUNSON Bruce R, Alric P. ROTHMAYER, Theodore H. OKIISHI y
Wade W. HUEBSCH, 2013. Fundamentals of fluid mechanics,
7th edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 796 p.