FLUID FLOWS

FLUID MECHANICS
FLUID FLOW
• An ideal fluid is a fluid that is incompressible (that is, its density
cannot change) and has no internal friction (called viscosity).
FLUID FLOW
• Liquids are approximately incompressible in most situations,
and we may also treat gas as incompressible if the pressure
differences from one region to another are not too great.

• Internal friction in a fluid causes shear stresses when two

adjacent layers of fluid move relative to each other, as when
the fluid flows inside a tube or around an obstacle. In some
cases, we can neglect these shear forces in comparison with
forces arising from gravitation and pressure differences.
FLUID FLOW
• The path of an individual particle in a moving fluid is called a
flow line.

• If the overall flow pattern does not change with time, the flow
is called steady flow. In steady flow, every element passing
through a given point follows the same flow line. In this case,
the “map” of the fluid velocities at various points in space
remains constant, although the velocity of a particular particle
may change in both magnitude and direction during its
motion.
FLUID FLOW
• A streamline is a curve whose tangent at any point is in the
direction of the fluid velocity at that point.
FLUID FLOW
• When the flow pattern changes with time, the streamlines do
not coincide with the flow lines. We will consider only steady-
flow situations, for which flow lines and streamlines are
identical.

• The flow lines passing through the edge of an imaginary

element of area form a tube called a flow tube.
FLUID FLOW
• From the definition of a
flow line, in steady flow,
no fluid can cross the
side walls of a flow tube;
the fluids in different flow
tubes cannot mix.
TYPES OF FLUID FLOW
• The fluid flow is classified as:
• 1. Steady and unsteady flows
• 2. Uniform and non-uniform flows
• 3. Compressible and incompressible flows
• 4. Laminar and turbulent flows
• 5. Internal and External Flows
• 6. Natural and Forced Flows
STEADY AND UNSTEADY FLOWS
• The flow in which fluid characteristics like velocity, pressure,
density, etc., at a point, do not change with time is called a
steady flow.
• Example: flow of water with constant discharge through a pipeline

• The flow in which fluid characteristics like velocity, pressure,

density, etc., at a point change with time is called an unsteady
flow.
• Example: flow of water with varying discharge through a pipeline
STEADY AND UNSTEADY FLOWS
STEADY AND UNSTEADY FLOWS
UNIFORM AND NON-UNIFORM
FLOWS
• The flow in which velocity at a given time does not
change with respect to space (length of direction of
flow) is called uniform flow.
• Example: flow through a long straight pipe of uniform
diameter

• The flow in which velocity at a given time changes with

respect to space (length of direction flow) is called
non-uniform flow.
• Example: flow through a long pipe with varying cross
section
UNIFORM AND NON-UNIFORM
FLOWS
COMPRESSIBLE AND
INCOMPRESSIBLE FLOWS
• The flow in which the density of the fluid
changes from point to point is called
compressible flows. In a compressible flow,
the density is not constant for the fluid.

• The flow in which the density of the fluid

does not change from point to point is
called incompressible flows. In an
incompressible flow, the density is constant
for the fluid.
COMPRESSIBLE AND
INCOMPRESSIBLE FLOWS
COMPRESSIBLE AND
INCOMPRESSIBLE FLOWS
• The densities of liquids are essentially constant, and thus the
flow of liquids is typically incompressible. Therefore, liquids are
usually referred to as incompressible substances.

• Gases, on the other hand, are highly compressible. A pressure

change of just 0.01 atm for example, causes a change of 1
percent in the density of the atmospheric air.
LAMINAR AND TURBULENT FLOWS
• The flow in which the adjacent layer do
not cross to each other and move
along the well-defined path is called
laminar flow. In this flow, fluid flows
along the straight line.

• The flow in which the adjacent layers

cross each other and do not move
along the well-defined path is called
turbulent flow.
LAMINAR AND TURBULENT FLOWS
• The figure below shows patterns of fluid flow from left to right around
three different obstacles. The photographs were made by injecting
dye into water flowing between two closely spaced glass plates.
• LAMINAR FLOWS AROUND OBSTACLES OF DIFFERENT SHAPES
 LAMINAR AND TURBULENT FLOWS
• Whenever water is allowed to
flow at a low velocity by opening
the tap a little, the water flows
out smoothly with its surface in
the laminar state.

• But as the tap is gradually

opened to let the water velocity
increase, the flow becomes
turbulent and opaque with a
rough surface.
LAMINAR AND TURBULENT FLOWS
LAMINAR FLOW
Fluid moves slowly
Viscosity is relatively high
Flow channel is relatively small
There is poor transfer of heat
energy.
• A flow that alternates between laminar and turbulent is called
transitional flow.
TURBULENT FLOW
Low momentum diffusion
High momentum convection
Rapid variation of velocity and
velocity of the fluid
Good way to transfer thermal
energy
LAMINAR AND TURBULENT FLOWS
• Example of Laminar Flows
• Blood flow through capillaries

• Examples of Turbulent Flows

• Oceanic and atmospheric layers and ocean currents
• External flow of air/water over vehicles such as cars, ships and
submarines
• Turbulence during airplane’s flight
• Flow of most liquids through pipes
OSBORNE REYNOLDS
(1842 – 1912)
• In 1883, Osborne Reynolds, a British
engineer, demonstrated the transition
to turbulent flow in a classic
experiment in which he examined the
behavior of water flow under different
flow rates using a small jet of dyed
water introduced into the center of
flow in a larger pipe.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik
vQHYrO3jY
REYNOLD’S NUMBER
• British engineer Osborne Reynolds discovered that the flow
regime depends mainly on the ratio of internal forces to
viscous forces in the fluid. This ratio is called the Reynold’s
number (𝑅𝑁 ).
𝑰𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝑽𝒂𝒗𝒈 𝑫 𝝆𝑽𝒂𝒗𝒈 𝑫
• 𝑹𝑵 = = =
𝑽𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒗 𝝁

• The Reynold’s number at which the flow becomes turbulent is

called the critical Reynold’s number.
REYNOLD’S NUMBER
• Under most practical conditions, the flow in a circular pipe is:

REYNOLD’S NUMBER
𝑹𝑵 ≤ 𝟐𝟑𝟎𝟎 Laminar Flow

𝟐𝟑𝟎𝟎 ≤ 𝑹𝑵 ≤ 𝟒𝟎𝟎𝟎 Transitional Flow

𝑹𝑵 ≥ 𝟒𝟎𝟎𝟎 Turbulent Flow

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL FLOWS
• A flow is classified as being internal or external, depending on
whether the fluid is forced to flow in a confined channel or over a
surface.

• The flow of an unbounded fluid over a surface such as a plate, a

wire or a pipe is called external flow.
• Example: airflow over a ball or over an exposed pipe during a windy
day

• The flow in a pipe or a duct is internal flow if the fluid is completely

bounded by solid surfaces.
• Example: Water flow in a pipe
NATURAL AND FORCED FLOWS
• A fluid flow is said to be natural or forced, depending on how the
fluid motion is initiated.

• In forced flow, a fluid is forced to flow over a surface or in a pipe by

external means such as a pump or a fan.

• In natural flow (or unforced flow), any fluid motion is due to natural
means such as the buoyancy effect, which manifests itself as the rise
of the warmer (and thus lighter) fluid and the fall of cooler and (thus
denser) fluid.
VISCOUS AND INVISCID REGIONS
OF FLOW
VISCOUS AND INVISCID REGIONS
OF FLOW