Problem Set-1

Fluid Machinery

Submitted by:Jerrome P. Datu

Submitted to:Engr. Manuntag
• 1-IC What is a fluid? How does it differ from a solid? How does a gas
differ from a liquid?
• A fluid is a substance that can flow and easily change its shape,
including both liquids and gases. Unlike solids, which have a fixed
shape and resist changes, fluids can move and adapt to the shape of
their container. The difference between a gas and a liquid lies in their
behavior and properties. Liquids have a definite volume but can
change shape, flowing to fit the bottom of their container. Gases, on
the other hand, have no fixed shape or volume; they expand to fill
any container they are in. Additionally, gases are much less dense
than liquids and can be compressed easily, while liquids are relatively
incompressible.
• 1-2C Consider the flow of air over the wings of an aircraft.
• The flow of air over an aircraft wing is crucial for generating lift, which allows the aircraft
to fly. The wing's shape, known as an airfoil, is designed to create a pressure difference
between the upper and lower surfaces. As air flows over the curved upper surface, it
speeds up, resulting in lower pressure compared to the higher pressure beneath the
wing. This difference in pressure, explained by Bernoulli's Principle, produces lift.

• 1-3C Define incompressible flow and incompressible fluid. Must the flow of a
compressible fluid necessarily be treated as compressible?
• Incompressible flow refers to a situation where the density of the fluid remains constant
throughout its flow. This means that the volume of the fluid does not change significantly
as it moves and undergoes various forces and pressures. An incompressible fluid is one
where the density is assumed to be constant, which is often a good approximation for
liquids like water or oil, as their densities do not change much under normal conditions.

• 1-4C Define internal, external, and open-channel flows. Fluid flow with a free surface
exposed to the atmosphere is typically influenced by gravity.
• Fluid flow with a free surface exposed to the atmosphere, like open-channel flow, is
typically influenced by gravity, affecting the flow's velocity, direction, and behavior. The
free surface allows for direct interaction between the fluid and atmospheric pressure,
making gravity an essential factor in determining the flow characteristics.
• 1-5C How is the Mach number of a flow defined? What does a Mach number of 2
indicate?
• The Mach number (M) of a flow is a dimensionless quantity representing the ratio
of the speed of an object moving through a fluid (usually air) to the speed of
sound in that same fluid. A Mach number of 2 indicates that the object is
traveling at twice the speed of sound in the surrounding medium. This is
considered supersonic flow and can have significant aerodynamic effects,
including shock waves and sonic booms.
• 1-6C When an airplane is flying at a constant speed relative to the ground, is it
correct to say that the Mach number of this airplane is also constant?
• The speed of sound (c) in air varies with temperature. As an airplane climbs to
higher altitudes, the temperature generally decreases, causing the speed of
sound to decrease as well. Even if the airplane maintains a constant speed
relative to the ground, its speed relative to the air (airspeed) can change due to
wind.
• 1-7C Consider the flow of air at a Mach number of 0.12. Should this flow be
approximated as being incompressible?
• Yes, for most engineering applications, a flow with a Mach number of 0.12 can be
approximated as incompressible. This means the density of the air can be
considered constant throughout the flow.
• 1-8C What is the no-slip condition? What causes it?
• The no-slip condition is a fundamental principle in fluid mechanics. It states that in a viscous fluid
flowing past a solid boundary (like a pipe wall), the fluid particles in direct contact with the solid
will have zero relative velocity. In simpler terms, the fluid sticks to the surface and moves at the
same speed as the surface itself (if stationary, the fluid velocity is zero). Cause: This phenomenon
arises due to the intermolecular forces between the fluid molecules and the solid surface. These
forces create a thin layer of fluid that adheres to the surface, dragging subsequent layers along
with a gradually increasing velocity as you move away from the solid.
• 1-9C What is forced flow? How does it differ from natural flow?
• Is flow caused by winds forced or natural flow? Forced flow: Occurs when an external force is
applied to cause fluid motion. This force can be pressure difference (pumps), gravity (waterfalls),
or mechanical devices (fans). Natural flow: Arises due to natural phenomena like buoyancy or
density differences within the fluid itself. Convection currents in oceans or rising hot air are
examples. Flow caused by winds: Wind is a form of natural flow. Pressure differences in the
atmosphere cause air to move from high-pressure regions to low-pressure regions, resulting in
wind.

• 1-10C What is a boundary layer? What causes a boundary layer to develop?

• A boundary layer is a thin region of fluid adjacent to a solid surface where the fluid velocity is
significantly affected by viscous forces. Due to the no-slip condition, the fluid in direct contact
with the surface has zero velocity. As you move away from the surface, the fluid velocity gradually
increases until it reaches the free stream velocity (the main flow velocity).
• 1-11C What is the difference between the classical and the statistical
approaches?
• Classical mechanics treats objects as deterministic systems, meaning their motion
can be precisely predicted if their initial conditions (position, momentum) are
known. Statistical mechanics, on the other hand, deals with the probabilistic
behavior of large numbers of particles. It uses statistical methods to understand the
average properties of a system, rather than the exact trajectory of every particle.

• 1-12C What is a steady-flow process?

• In a steady-flow process, the properties of a fluid element at any given point in space
remain constant over time. This means the mass, momentum, and energy flowing
through a specific location (like a pipe) stay the same, even though individual
particles are constantly moving through. Steady-flow processes are idealizations but
are useful for analyzing many engineering systems.
• 1-13C Define stress, normal stress, shear stress, and pressure.
• Stress is a measure of the internal forces acting within a material. It's calculated as
force divided by area. There are different types of stress depending on the direction
of the force: Normal stress acts perpendicular to the surface of a material, like when
you push on a wall. Shear stress acts parallel to the surface, causing deformation, like
when you try to tear a piece of paper. Pressure is a specific type of normal stress that
acts equally in all directions. It's often associated with fluids pushing on the walls of
their container.
• 1-14C When analyzing the acceleration of gases as they flow through a nozzle,
what would you choose as your system? What type of system is this?
• A control volume is a region in space through which mass can flow. In this case,
the control volume would have boundaries at the inlet and outlet of the nozzle.
The gas entering the nozzle would be considered as entering the control volume,
and the gas exiting the nozzle would be considered as leaving the control volume.
• 1-15C When is a system a closed system, and when is it a control volume?
• The main difference lies in whether mass can cross the system boundaries. In a
closed system, mass cannot cross the boundaries, while in a control volume, mass
can flow in and out.
• 1-16C You are trying to understand how a reciprocating air compressor (a piston-
cylinder device) works. What system would you use? What type of system is this?
• To understand how a reciprocating air compressor works, you would use a closed
system for your analysis. A closed system is one where mass cannot cross the
system boundaries, but energy can be exchanged with the surroundings in the
form of heat and work. In a reciprocating air compressor, the air (the mass) is
trapped within the piston-cylinder device, and cannot escape. Work is done on
the system to compress the air, and heat may be transferred to the surroundings
as the air temperature increases during compression. This type of system is ideal
for studying the energy transformations that occur during the compression
process, such as the conversion of mechanical work into internal energy of the
air, and the subsequent transfer of heat to the environment.
• 1-17C What are system, surroundings, and boundary?
• In thermodynamics, a system, surroundings, and boundary are fundamental concepts
that help us define and analyze the interactions between matter and energy.
• System: The system is the specific part of the universe that is the focus of our study. It
can be anything from a simple container filled with gas to a complex chemical reaction in
a reactor.
• Surroundings: The surroundings are everything else in the universe that is not part of the
system. They can exchange energy and/or matter with the system.
• Boundary: The boundary is the real or imaginary surface that separates the system from
its surroundings. It defines the limits of the system and controls how it interacts with the
surroundings.

• 2-1C For a substance, what is the difference between mass and molar mass? How are
these two related?
• Mass is the amount of matter in a substance, while molar mass is the mass per mole of
the substance. They are related by the number of moles present in the sample.
• 2-2C What is the difference between intensive and extensive properties?
• The main difference between intensive and extensive properties is their dependence on
the amount of matter in a system. Intensive properties remain the same regardless of
the amount of matter, while extensive properties change with the amount of matter.
• 2-3C What is specific gravity? How is it related to density?
• Specific gravity (SG) is a dimensionless quantity that measures the ratio of the density of a
substance to the density of a reference substance, usually water at 4°C (39.2°F). Since it's a ratio
of two densities, it has no units.
Specific gravity is directly related to density. A substance with a higher density than water will
have a specific gravity greater than 1, while a substance with a lower density will have a specific
gravity less than 1. Since the density of water at 4°C is approximately 1 g/cm³, the specific gravity
of a substance is numerically close to its density in g/cm³.

• 2-4C The specific weight of a system is defined as the weight per unit volume (note that this
definition violates the normal specific property-naming convention). Is the specific weight an
extensive or intensive property?
• Specific weight is not an intensive property, but rather a derived intensive property.
Specific weight is derived from intensive properties but retains a dependence on the external
factor of gravity, making it a derived intensive property rather than a purely intensive one.

• 2-5C What is the state postulate?

• The state postulate is a fundamental principle in thermodynamics. It states that the state of a
simple compressible system is completely specified by two independent, intensive properties.
• 2-6C Under what conditions is the ideal-gas assumption suitable for real
gases:?
• The ideal gas assumption is suitable for real gases when the pressure is low
and the temperature is high. Under these conditions, the behavior of real
gases closely approximates that of an ideal gas.

• 2-7C What is the difference between R and R'? How are these two related?
• R represents a set. A set is simply a collection of things. R' (read as "R
prime") represents a subset of R. This means it's a set that contains some
(or maybe all) of the elements from R.