BASIC CONCEPTS

OBJECTIVES
Understand the basic concepts of Fluid Mechanics. Recognize the various types of fluid flow problems encountered in practice. Model engineering problems and solve them in a systematic manner.

BASICS
Mechanics: The oldest physical science that deals with both stationary and moving bodies under the influence of forces. Statics: The branch of mechanics that deals with bodies at rest. Dynamics: The branch that deals with bodies in motion. Fluid mechanics: The science that deals with the behavior of fluids at rest (fluid statics) or in motion (fluid dynamics), and the interaction of fluids with solids or other fluids at the boundaries. Fluid dynamics: Fluid mechanics is also referred to as fluid dynamics by considering fluids at rest as a special case of motion with zero velocity.

Hydrodynamics: The study of the motion of fluids that can be approximated as incompressible (such as liquids, especially water, and gases at low speeds). Hydraulics: A subcategory of hydrodynamics, which deals with liquid flows in pipes and open channels. Gas dynamics: Deals with the flow of fluids that undergo significant density changes, such as the flow of gases through nozzles at high speeds. Aerodynamics: Deals with the flow of gases (especially air) over bodies such as aircraft, rockets, and automobiles at high or low speeds. Meteorology, oceanography, and hydrology: Deal with naturally occurring flows.

CONVERSION FACTORS
Acceleration 1m/s2 = 100cm/s2 Area 1m2 =104 cm2 Density 1 g/cm3 =1kg/L =1000kg/m3 Energy 1kJ =1000J=1000Nm =1 Kpa.m3 1kj/kg =1000m2/s2 1 kWh=3600kj Force 1N =1 kg.m/s2 = 10 1kgf = 9.80665N
5

dyne
6

Length 1m =100cm =1000mm= 10 Mass 1kg =1000g

m 1 km =1000m

1 ton = 1000kg

Power 1W = 1 J/s

1 KW = 1000w =1kj/s

1 HP = 745.7w

CONVERSION FACTORS
Pressure 1 Pa = 1 N/m2 1KPa = 1000 Pa

= 1/ 1000 Mpa

1 atm = 101.325 kpa =1.01325 bar = 760mm of Hg = 1.03323 kgf/cm2 1 mm Hg = 0.1333kPA Specific volume 1 m3/kg =1000L/kg=1000cm3/g Viscosity (dynamic) 1 kg/m.s =1 N .s/m2= 1 Pa.s =10 poise
4

Kinematic viscosity 1 m2/s = 10

Volume = 1 m3 = 1000 L = 10
6

cm2/s

1 stoke =1cm2/s

cm3
6

Volume flow rate = 1 m3/s = 60,000 L/min = 10

cm3/s

CONVERSION FACTORS
STANDARD ACCELERATION OF GRAVITY

G = 9.80665M/S2
STANDARD ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE P

(ATM) = 1ATM=101.325KPA =1.01325BAR=760MM OF HG =10.3323 M OF WATER

UNIVERSAL GAS CONSTANT RU = 8.31447KJ/MOL .K = 8.31447KN.M/KMOL.K

Fluid: A substance in the liquid or gas phase. A solid can resist an applied shear stress by deforming. A fluid deforms continuously under the influence of a shear stress, no matter how small. In solids, stress is proportional to strain, but in fluids, stress is proportional to strain rate. When a constant shear force is applied, a solid eventually stops deforming at some fixed strain angle, whereas a fluid never stops deforming and approaches a constant rate of strain.

Deformation of a rubber block placed between two parallel plates under the influence of a shear force. The shear stress shown is that on the rubberan equal but opposite shear stress acts on the upper plate.

Stress: Force per unit area. Normal stress: The normal component of a force acting on a surface per unit area. Shear stress: The tangential component of a force acting on a surface per unit area. Pressure: The normal stress in a fluid at rest. Zero shear stress: A fluid at rest is at a state of zero shear stress. When the walls are removed or a liquid container is tilted, a shear develops as the liquid moves to reestablish a horizontal free surface.

The normal stress and shear stress at the surface of a fluid element. For fluids at rest, the shear stress is zero and pressure is the only normal stress.

In a liquid, groups of molecules can move relative to each other, but the volume remains relatively constant because of the strong cohesive forces between the molecules. As a result, a liquid takes the shape of the container it is in, and it forms a free surface in a larger container in a gravitational field. A gas expands until it encounters the walls of the container and fills the entire available space. This is because the gas molecules are widely spaced, and the cohesive forces between them are very small. Unlike liquids, a gas in an open container cannot form a free surface.

Unlike a liquid, a gas does not form a free surface, and it expands to fill the entire available space.

Application Areas of Fluid Mechanics