Introduction to Fluid Mechanics

FLUID MECHANICS (MECHANICS OF FLUIDS/HYDRAULICS)

 It is a physical science that deals with the study of fluids at Rest or in Motion,
and with the applications of devices in engineering using fluids.
Two Major areas of Fluid Mechanics
1. Fluid Statics (Hydrostatics) - study of behavior and pressure exerted by fluids at
rest.
2. Fluid Dynamics (Hydrodynamics) – study of behavior and pressure exerted by
fluids in motion. It is applied to the flow of liquids in a certain hydraulic structure.
 By definition, FLUIDS are substances capable of flowing. It has no definite shape
of its own. It assumes the shape of its own container and which deform
continuously when subjected to shear stresses.
 Fluids embrace both liquids and gasses.
 TYPES OF FLUID
 1. Ideal Fluids – also known as Perfect fluids
 They assume to have no viscosity (viscidness/stickiness) and hence no
resistance to shear.
 Incompressible
 Have uniform velocity when flowing
 No friction between moving layers of fluid
 No turbulence (disorder/instability)
 Practically, no ideal fluid exist.
 2. Real Fluids (Definite/tangible/actual)
 Inhibit infinite viscosities
 Non-uniform velocity distribution when flowing
 Compressible
 Experience friction and turbulence flow
Ex. Kerosene, petrol, castor oil
3. Newtonian Fluids – are those that obey Newton’s Law of Viscosity.
- for a Newtonian fluid, viscosity is entirely dependent upon
the temperature and pressure of the fluid.
Ex. Water, air, emulsions (mixtures)

4. Non-Newtonian Fluids – are those that don’t obey Newton’s Law of Viscosity.
Ex. Flubber, Oobleck (suspension of starch in water)
 Newton’s Law of Viscosity states that “ the shear stress in a flowing fluid is directly
proportional to the rate of shear strain”

 Principal Differences Between Liquids and Gasses:

1. A liquid has a free surface and a given mass of a liquid occupies
only a given volume in a container, whereas a gas does not have
a free surface and a given mass occupies all portions of its
container.
2. Liquids are practically incompressible and usually maybe so
considered without introducing appreciable error whereas
gasses are compressible.
Properties of Fluids
- Properties of fluids determine how fluids can be used in engineering and technology.
- They also determine the behaviour of fluids in fluid mechanics.

Basic Properties of Fluids

 
• Density
 is the mass per unit volume of a fluid. In other words, it is the ratio between mass (m) and volume
(V) of a fluid.
 It is denoted by the symbol ‘ρ’ (rho). Its unit is kg/m3, g/cc, slug/ft3

 In general, density of a fluid decreases with

increase in temperature. It increases with increase
in pressure.
 For gasses, the ideal gas equation is to be used If the pressure (P) and
temperature (T) are known.

 Approximate Room Temperature Densities of Common

Fluids:
Fluid Density (kg/m^3)
Air (STP) 1.29
Air (21 oF, 1 atm) 1.20
Alcohol 790
Note: 
Ammonia 602
The density of standard liquid (water) is 1000
kg/m3, 1 g/cc or 1.94 slugs/ft3 Gasoline 720
Glycerin 1,260
Mercury (Hg) 13,600
Water 1000
 Specific Weigh/Unit weight (ᴕ)
 Specific weight is the weight possessed by unit volume of a fluid or the force exerted by gravity over
a unit volume of the substance.
 Specific weight varies from place to place due to the change of acceleration due to gravity (g).
 It is expressed in (N/m3, KN/m^3, lbs/ft3).
 
Unit Weight, ᴕ = Weight = W = mg
Volume V V

 Specific Volume – it is the volume of a substance per unit of weight.

 Units in (m3/KN, ft3/lb). It is also referred as the volume occupied by a unit mass of fluid.

v = volume =V
weight W
or v = 1/ ρ
Specific Gravity
 Specific gravity is the ratio of specific weight of the given fluid to the specific weight
of standard fluid.
 It is also the ratio of density of given fluid to the density of standard fluid.
 It has no unit.

or S = Density of a given fluid

Density of Standard Fluid

For liquids and solids, the reference density is water at 4oC or 39.2 oF.

Note: The standard fluid is Water.

 Temperature
 It is the property that determines the degree of hotness or coldness or the level of heat
intensity of a fluid. Temperature is measured by using temperature scales.
The 3 commonly used temperature scales.
1. Celsius (or centigrade) scale
2. Fahrenheit scale
3. Kelvin scale (or absolute temperature scale)
 Kelvin scale is widely used in engineering. This is because, this scale is independent of
properties of a substance.

 Pressure
 Pressure of a fluid is the force per unit area of the fluid. In other words, it is the ratio of force on
a fluid to the area of the fluid held perpendicular to the direction of the force.

Pressure, P = Force/Area = KN/m^2

Viscosity,u (MU)
 Viscosity is the fluid property that determines the amount of resistance of the fluid to shear
stress. It is the property of the fluid due to which the fluid offers resistance to flow of one layer
of the fluid over another adjacent layer.
 In a liquid, viscosity decreases with increase in temperature. In a gas, viscosity increases with
increase in temperature.
 Increasing the temperature of a fluid reduces the cohesive forces and increases the
molecular interchange
Viscosity/Absolute/Dynamic Viscosity (u) = (N.s/m2, Kg/m.s , lb.s/ft2)

Kinematic Viscosity, v(NU) = ratio of dynamic viscosity to the mass density of fluid. (m/s^2)
v = u/ρ
Viscometer – instrument use to measure viscosity.
Surface Tension and Capillarity

Surface Tension (ơ) – small tensile forces at the interface between the liquid and
air. (N/m)
Capillarity (Capillarity action) is the name given to the behavior of the liquid in a
thin-bore tube. The rise or fall of a fluid in a capillary tube is caused by surface
tension and depends on the relative magnitudes of the cohesion of the liquid and the
adhesion of the liquid to the walls of the containing vessel.
 Liquids possess the properties of cohesion (mutual attraction of like particles to
stick together due to molecular forces) and adhesion (ability of unlike particles
to stick together)
 
 Capillary Rise will occur when adhesion is greater than cohesion.
 Capillary Depression will occur when cohesion is greater than adhesion
 
 
 Applications:

Problem #1: A reservoir of glycerin has a mass of 1500 kg and a volume of 0.90
m^3. Determine the specific gravity of the glycerin?

Solution: Specific weight = weight/volume = W/V

but W = m.a or m.g
Specific weight = m.g/V = 1500(9.81)/0.90 = 16.35 KN/m^3

Specific Gravity, S = Specific Weight of glycerin = 16.35 = 1.67

Specific weight of water 9.81
Problem#2: Determine the Unit weight of dry air at 6 degrees celcius
and at 93 Kpa absolute. Gas constant R = 287 J/kg.K.