Welcome to Level 2

BEng (Hons)/MEng Civil Engineering

 Fluid Mechanics
(UBLLCL-20-2)
Dr. Roshan Suminda Ranasinghe

Northshore College of Business & Technology

22nd January 2013

Module content
SECTION A: fundamentals

1. Statics: General properties of fluids, hydrostatic pressure,

buoyancy, pressures and measurement, forces on submerged
surfaces, stability of floating bodies.
2. Basic Concepts of Fluid Motion: Flow of water, types of flow,
stream lines, flow nets, drag.
3. Two Dimensional Inviscid Flow: Conservation equations,
continuity, Euler and Bernouilli equations, kinematics of fluid
motion, velocity, acceleration, streamlines, streamtubes,
particle paths, definition of rotational and irrotational flow.
4. Dynamics: Laminar and turbulent flows, Reynold's number, fluid
acceleration, energy equation, momentum equation, flow
around a cylinder, pressure distribution, flow around aerofoils
and vanes.
5. An introduction to Viscous Flow.
6. An introduction to Particle Mechanics.
Module content
SECTIONB: Applications

1. Steady Flow in Pipes: The Darcy-Weisbach formula, relationship

between friction factor, Reynolds number and relative roughness. The
design of complete pipe systems involving energy changes as well as
friction losses, analysis of pipe networks, iterative solutions.
2. Steady Flows in Open Channels: The use and limitations of power
formulae (Chezy, Manning), uniform flow, conservation equations of
energy and force/momentum for non uniform flow, the hydraulic jump,
flow through flumes and over weirs.
3. Dimensional Analysis: principles, dimensionless groups, economy in
presentation of data, dynamic similarity, experimental verification.
4. Selection of Criteria: Parameters and scales for models of rivers,
coasts, harbours and hydraulic structures.
5. Unsteady Pipe Flow: Compressibility waves, water hammer, surge
tanks.
6. Machines: The use and characteristics of roto-dynamic pumps and
turbines, pump loads.
Learning outcomes
By the time you have completed this module you should be
able to :

1. Explain basic concepts of fluid flow.

2. Derive logical equations for fluid flow.
3. Calculate pressures and loads imposed by static and
moving fluids.
4. Discuss the use of model testing to predict prototype
behaviour.
5. Recognise the limitations of design methods and CAD
software.
6. Design pipe and open channel systems.
7. Determine water levels and flows in channels.
8. Assess water resources and river flows qualitatively.
9. Apply standard design methods and computer software.
Assessment

 Formative
07 tutorials

 Summative
COMPONENT WEIGHTING DATE
A: Examination (3hr) 60% August 2013
B: Coursework (lab
40%
experiments)
Lecture 1: Introduction to Fluid
Mechanics
Introduction

What is a Fluid?

A fluid is a substance, which

deforms continuously under
the action of “shearing
forces”.
A solid undergoes definite
displacement (or breaks
completely) when subjected to
shearing forces 8
Newton’s Law of Viscosity
Shear stress,
F
τ
A

Experiments show that when other quantities are held

constant, F is directly proportional to A and to the
velocity gradient, u/y. Thus: F  A
u
u FA
F y
y
The ratio u/y, may also be expressed as du/dy. Thus:
du
τμ
dy 9
Rheological Classification of Fluids

Variation of shear stress with

velocity gradient.

10
Liquids and Gases

11
Properties of Fluids
1. Density
m
ρ
V
2. Viscosity
du
τμ
dy

Dynamic viscosity coefficient = μ

μ
Kinematic viscosity coefficient = ν
ρ 12
Properties of Fluids…
3. Surface Tension
The force due to internal pressure = p.πr 2
Force due to surface tension around perimeter = σ .2πr
For equilibrium,= pπr 2  σ .2πr
p  2σ / r
4. Capillarity
Weight of fluid column raised/lowered =  πr H . ρg
2

Upward pull due to surface tension = σ cos θ.2πr

For equilibrium , σ cos θ.2πr  πr 2 Hρg
Capillary rise, H  2σ cos θ / ρgr
13