Fluid Mechanics – I

Kinematics of Flow

Maj Shahzad Aslam

 Kinematics of Flow
Branch of fluid mechanics which deals with the properties and
behavior of fluids in motion without considering forces and
energies.
 Classification of Flow

Depending upon fluid properties

• Ideal and Real flow
• Incompressible and Compressible flow

Depending upon flow properties

• Laminar and Turbulent flow
• Steady and Unsteady flow
• Uniform and Non-Uniform flow
Ideal and Real Fluids
Compressible / Incompressible Fluids
Compressible fluid
Is a fluid that can be compressed with the application of external
pressure. Volume can be reduced, and density can be changed by
applying pressure. [gases]

Incompressible fluid
Is a fluid that cannot be compressed with the application of external
pressure. Volume cannot be reduced, and density cannot be changed
by applying pressure. [liquids]
 Laminar and Turbulent Flows
• The flow in which adjacent layer do not cross to each other and move
along the well-defined path is called laminar flow.

• In laminar flow the subsequent

particle follow the path of the former
particle.
 Uniform Flow, Steady Flow

Uniform flow: A flow in which the

parameters of flow remains
constant with respect to position

Steady flow: A flow in which the

parameters of flow remains
constant with respect to time

*A steady flow is not necessarily uniform flow

Steady uniform flow
Conditions do not change with
position in the stream or with
time. An example is the flow of
water in a pipe of constant
diameter at constant velocity

Steady non-uniform flow

Conditions change from point to
point in the stream but do not
change with time. An example is
flow in a tapering pipe with
constant velocity at the inlet –
velocity will change as you
move along the length of the
pipe toward the exit.
Unsteady uniform flow
At a given instant in time the
conditions at every point are
the same, but will change
with time. An example is a
pipe of constant diameter
connected to a pump
pumping at a constant rate
which is then switched off.

Unsteady non-uniform flow

Every condition of the flow
may change from point to
point and with time at every
point. For example waves in a
channel
One, Two and Three Dimensional Flow
In general, all fluids are three
dimensional

Depends on the flow parameters

(velocity, pressure, depth etc)
varying in the direction
 Visualization of Flow Patterns
The flow velocity is the basic description of how a fluid moves in
time and space, but in order to visualize the flow patterns it is
useful to define some other properties of the flow. These
definitions correspond to various experimental methods of
visualizing the fluid flow.
Visualization of Flow Patterns
 Stream Lines and Path Lines
Stream Lines Path Lines
A curve that is everywhere Actual path travelled by an
tangent to the instantaneous individual particle over some
local velocity vector. time period.

It has the direction of velocity Path of particle same as

vector at each point of the flow streamline for steady flows.
across the streamline.
 Streak Lines and Stream Tubes
Streak Lines Stream Tubes
A line created by particles in Is an imaginary tube whose
a flow that have previously boundary consists of
passed through a common streamlines.
point.
Stream Lines, Path Lines and Streak Lines

*In steady flows, streamline, path line and streak line are the same.
 Mass Flow Rate
• How to measure the rate at which water is flowing along a
pipe ?

Collect all the water coming out of the pipe in a bucket over a fixed time
period. Measuring the mass of the water in the bucket and dividing this by
the time taken to collect this water gives a rate of accumulation of mass.
This is known as the mass flow rate.
• Mathematically it can be written as

or ṁ = ρAv

• Units : kg/s
 Volumetric Flow Rate
• In fluid mechanics more commonly we use volume flow rate,
commonly known as discharge

• Also, commonly (but inaccurately) simply called flow rate

• The discharge is the volume of fluid flowing per unit time

• Mathematically it can be written as

or Q = Av

• Units : m3/s (Cumec); ft3/s (Cusec).

 Volumetric Flow Rate
Cusec is the most widely used unit of fluid flow in civil
engineering problems.

Informal shorthand for cubic feet per second (ft3/s)

1 cusec = 28.316 litre/s

Where 1 liter = 1 decimeter cube = 1x10-3 m3

Mean Velocity

If we know the area of a section and flow rate,

mean velocity can be calculated

It is a statistical mean, do not confuse with (vmin + vmax)/2

 Control Volume
Is the volume in space having fixed volume and spatial coordinates
(basically a geometric entity) through which fluid may flow.
 Continuity Equation
Law of conservation of mass:
Mass can cannot be created or destroyed

Mass entering the control volume per unit time

= Mass leaving the control volume per unit time

ṁi = ṁ o
ρiAivi = ρoAovo

For incompressible flow

ρi = ρo

Aivi = Aovo
Qi = Qo
 Continuity Equation

Q1 = Q 2
A 1 v 1 = A 2 v2

Q1 = Q 2 = Q 3
A 1 v1 = A 2 v 2 = A 3 v 3

Q1 = Q 2 + Q 3
A 1 v 1 = A 2 v2 + A 3 v 3

Q1 + Q2 = Q 3 = Q 4 + Q 5
A 1 v1 + A 2 v 2 = A 3 v 3 = A 4 v 4 + A 5 v 5
 Example -1
If the diameter at section 1 is d1 = 30 mm and at section 2
d2 = 40 mm and the mean velocity at section 2 is v2 = 3
m/s. Find the velocity entering the diffuser.
 Example -1 (soln.)

If the diameter at section Q1 = Q2

1 is d1 = 30 mm and at
section 2 d2 = 40 mm
and the mean velocity at A1v1 = A2v2
section 2 is v2 = 3 m/s.
Find the velocity (𝜋/4)(30)2(v1) = (𝜋/4)(40)2(3)
entering the diffuser.

v1 = 5.33m/s
 Example -2
A tapering pipe “A” is branching out in two pipes “C” and
“D” at point “B”. The diameter of the pipes are dA =
0.45m, dB = 0.3m, dC = 0.2m, dD = 0.15m. If the flow
enters pipe A at 0.318 m3/s and the exit velocity at
pipe C is 4m/s. Determine the velocity and
discharge at B and D.
 Example -2 (soln.)
A tapering pipe “A” is branching out in AA = (𝜋/4)(0.45)2 = 0.16 m2
two pipes “C” and “D” at point “B”. The AB = (𝜋/4)(0.30)2 = 0.071 m2
diameter of the pipes are dA = 0.45m, dB =
0.3m, dc = 0.2m, dD = 0.15m. If the flow AC = (𝜋/4)(0.20)2 = 0.031 m2
enters pipe A at 0.318 m3/s and the exit AD = (𝜋/4)(0.15)2 = 0.017 m2
velocity at pipe C is 4m/s. Determine the
velocity and discharge at B and D.
QA = QB
0.318 = (0.071)vB
vB = 4.48 m/s
QB = 0.318 m3/s

To Find: vB , QB , vD , QD = ? QA = QC + QD
0.318 = (0.031)(4) + (0.017)vD
Soln. vD = 11.41 m/s

QA = QB = QC + QD QD = ADvD
QD = (0.017)(11.41)
AAvA = ABvB = ACvC + ADvD QD = 0.194 m3/s
 References
Textbook Textbook I

A Textbook of Hydraulics, Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulic Machines

by R.S. Khurmi.
Chapter No. 6
Topics Complete Chapter

Textbook Textbook II

Fluid Mechanics

by Munson
Chapter No. 4
Topics 4.1