FEEG2003 – 2018/19

Lecture 1 – Conservation Equations.

• What is a fluid?

Solid Liquid Gas

Roughly speaking a fluid is a state of matter that can flow.

More precisely it is a substance that cannot withstand a shear stress.

L1.1.1

Newtonian Fluid Newtonian Elastic Solid

L1.1.2
• Continuum Hypothesis

• We make the assumption that the fluid behaves as a continuum, i.e., the
number of molecules within the smallest region of interest (a point) are
sufficient that all fluid variables and properties are point functions (single
valued at a point).

M
• E.g. consider density r of a fluid  ( x, t )  lim where V* = limiting
 
V V * V
volume below which molecular variations are important ~ 10-9 mm3 for all
liquids and for gases at atmospheric pressure

• Typical the “smallest” measurement volumes ~ 10-1 – 1 mm3

Measured
property

Distance
(log scale)

Microscopic variation Continuum limit

Macroscopic variation L1.1.3

x3

1
i3
i2 x2
i1
1
1

x1

L1.1.4
• Control Volumes

• A control volume is a volume of fluid surrounded by an imaginary enclosing surface

known as the control surface.

• A control volume can be any shape, and the fluid is free to pass across the control
surface.

L1.1.5

• Dimensions and Units

Primary dimensions Secondary dimensions

Dimension Unit Dimension Unit
Mass kg Force N, kg.m.s-2
Length m Pressure Pa, N.m-2, kg.m-1.s-2
Time s Energy J, N.m, kg.m2.s-2
Temperature K Power W, N.m.s-1, kg.m2.s-3

• Variables
There are a number of variables that are used to describe the behaviour
of all fluids:
pressure p
volume U =(u1, u2, u3)
density 
temperature T or 
internal energy Eu
enthalpy Eh
entropy S L1.1.6
 L1.1.7

• Streamlines are a family of curves which are everywhere tangent to the

local velocity field.
• Pathlines are the trajectory an individual fluid ‘particle’ follows. An
individual smoke particle injected into a flow will follow a pathline (provided
the particle is light and has negligible drag).
• A streakline is a line which is made up of all particles which have passed
through a particular point. A streakline may be produced by releasing
smoke or dye into a fluid from a fixed point. A streakline is a curve made up
of the endpoints of the pathlines of many particles released from the same
point over time.
• For a steady flow, streamlines, streaklines and pathlines are coincident.

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L1.1.8
• Total Energy

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• Enthalpy

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• Entropy

L1.1.9

• Material Parameters
There are a number of variables that are used to describe the properties of the
fluid being considered:

specific heats cp and cV

viscosity or 
thermal conductivity k
etc…………
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• Specific heats

Roughly – the amount of heat needed to raise temperature by 1 degree,

More precisely (1st year Thermofluids):

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 L1.1.11

• Thermal Conductivity

Thermal conductivity is the property of a fluid which quantifies its ability to

conduct heat

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L1.1.12
 L1.1.13

• Other Equations Needed

• Conservation equations

These are the basic equations that describe the physics of the flow.

There are three conservation equations:

Conservation of mass

Conservation of momentum (Newton’s 2nd law)

Conservation of energy

L1.1.14
• What types of fluid flow are there?

Fluid flows can be classified in various

ways:

• Inviscid or viscous
• Incompressible or compressible
• Laminar or turbulent

Note that all fluids have some viscosity so

the inviscid flow approximation is not a
good one close to solid surfaces where a
boundary layer will always form.

In general liquids have quite high

viscosities and gases have low viscosities,
thus:

L1.1.15

Significant viscosity Low compressibility

Small viscosity High compressibility

Hydrodynamics:

Flow of fluids where density can be taken as constant. Liquids and low speed gas flows. This
is incompressible flow.

Gas Dynamics:

Flow of fluids for which density is variable such as high-speed gases.

This is compressible flow.

Generally when the viscosity is small its effects can be included in an ad hoc way --- e.g. by
allowing for decreased pipe area because of finite thickness of b/l’s.

A more important difference between the way we describe incompressible and compressible
flow arises from the need to include the energy equation when dealing with the latter.

L1.1.16