Hydraulics – Prelim to Finals Terms Unit Weight or Specific Weight – Is the

weight of a unit volume of a fluid

Properties of fluids
Specific Gravity – is a dimensionless ratio of
Fluid Mechanics - is a physical science
a fluid’s density to some standard reference
dealing with the action of fluids at rest or in
density.
motion, and with applications and devices in
engineering using fluids. Viscosity- the property of a fluid which
determines the amount of its resistance to
Fluid Mechanics Two Major Areas
shearing forces.
Fluid Statics – deals with fluids at rest
Kinematic Viscosity- is the ratio of the
Fluid Dynamics – concerned with fluids in dynamic viscosity of the fluid to its mass
motion density.

Hydraulics – deals with the application of Surface Tension (Sigma) – The membrane of
fluid mechanics to engineering devices “skin” that seems to form on the free surface
involving liquids, usually water or oil. of a fluid is due to the intermolecular
cohesive forces.
Types of fluid
Compressibility – also known as coefficient
Ideal Fluids of compressibility, is the fractional change in
– Have no viscosity (no resistance to shear) the volume of a fluid per unit change in
pressure in a constant temperature process.
-Incompressible
Bulk Modulus of Elasticity – The ratio of the
-Uniform velocity when flowing change in unit pressure to the corresponding
-No friction between moving layers of fluid volume change per unit of volume.

-No eddy currents or turbulence Pressure Disturbances- the velocity or

celerity of pressure wave (acoustical or sonic
Real Fluids velocity)
-Exhibit infinite viscosities Vapor Pressure – the vaporization and
condensation at constant temperature are
-Non-uniform velocity distribution when
equilibrium processes, the equilibrium
flowing
pressure exerted by these free molecules is
-compressible known as the vapor pressure

-experience friction and turbulence in flow Principles of Hydrostatics

Real fluids are further divided into Newtonian Unit Pressure or Pressure – is the force per
and non-Newtonian fluids. unit area exerted by a liquid or gas on a body
or surface, with the force acting at right
Mass Density, p (RHO)- The density of a fluid
angles to the surface uniformly in all
is its mass per unit of volume
directions.
Specific Volume – the volume occupied by a
unit mass of fluid
Pascal’s Law – states that the pressure on a Dams – are structures that block the flow of a
fluid is equal in all directions and in all parts river, stream, or other waterway.
of the container.
Purpose of Dam
Gage Pressure (Relative Pressure) – are
1. Irrigation and drinking water
pressures above or below the atmosphere
2. Power supply (hydroelectric)
and can be measured by pressure gauges or
3. Navigation
manometers.
4. Flood Control
Atmospheric Pressure and Vacuum – is the 5. Multipurpose
pressure at any one point on the earth’s
Types of Dams
surface from the weight of the air above it. A
vacuum is a space that has all matter 1. Gravity Dams use only the force of
removed from it. gravity to resist water pressure that is,
they hold back the water by the sheer
Absolute Pressure – is the pressure above
force of their weight pushing
absolute zero (vacuum)
downward.
Mercury Barometer – A mercury barometer is 2. Embankment Dam- is a gravity dam
an accurate and relatively simple way to formed out of loose rock, earth, or a
measure changes in atmospheric pressure. combination of these materials.
3. Arch Dams – are concrete or masonry
Aneroid Barometer – a partially evacuated
structures that curve upstream into a
metal drum expands or contracts in response
reservoir, stretching from one wall of a
to changes in air pressure
river canyon to the other.
Pressure Head – is the height of the column 4. Buttress Dam – consists of a wall, or
of a homogeneous liquid of unit weight that face, supported by several buttresses
will produce an intensity of pressure. on the downstream side.

Manometer – is a tube, usually bent in a form Discharge or Flow Rate – is the

of a U, containing a liquid of known specific amount of fluid passing through a
gravity, the surface of which move section per unit of time.
proportionally to changes of pressure.
Steady Flow – occurs when discharge Q
Types of Manometer passing a given cross-section is constant with
Open Type – has an atmospheric surface in time.
one leg and is capable of measuring gage Uniform Flow – This occurs if, with steady
pressure flow for a given length, or reach, of a stream,
Differential Type – without an atmospheric the average velocity of flow is the same at
surface and capable of measuring only every cross-section. This usually occurs when
differences in pressure an incompressible fluid flows through a
stream with uniform cross section.
Piezometer – the simplest form of open
manometer. It is a tube tapped into a wall of a Continuous Flow – this occurs when at any
container or conduit for the purpose of time, the discharge Q at every section of the
measuring pressure.
stream is the same (principle of conservation Venturi Meter – is an instrument used in
of mass) measuring the discharge through pipes.

Laminar Flow – when the path of individual Nozzle – is a converging tube installed at the
fluid particles do not cross or intersect. end of a pipe or hose for the purpose of
increasing the velocity of the issuing jet.
Turbulent flow- when the path of individual
fluid particles are irregular and continuously Pitot Tube – Named after French physicist
cross each other. and an engineer Henri Pitot, is a bent tube
with both ends open used to measure the
One-Dimensional flow- when an
velocity of fluid flow or velocity of air flow.
incompressible fluid, the direction and
magnitude of the velocity at all points are Gates – is an opening in a dam or other
identical. hydraulic structure to control the passage of
water.
Two-Dimensional Flow- when the fluid
particles move in planes or parallel planes Weir – overflow structure which are built
and the streamline patterns are identical in across an open channel for the purpose of
each plane. measuring or controlling the flow of liquids.

Streamlines – imaginary curves drawn

through a fluid to indicate the direction of
motion in various sections of the flow of the
fluid system.

Streamtubes – these represent elementary

portions of a flowing fluid bounded by a group
of streamlines which confine the flow.

Flow Nets – These are drawn to indicate flow

patterns in case of two-dimensional flow, or
even three-dimensional flow.

Head – the energy per pound or Newton of

fluid is called the head.

Kinetic Energy – The ability of the fluid mass

to do work by virtue of its velocity.

Elevation Energy (Potential Energy) – The

energy possessed by the fluid by virtue of its
position or elevation with respect to a datum
plane.

Power and Efficiency – Power is the rate at

which the work is done.

Orifice – an orifice is an opening (usually

circular) with a closed perimeter through
which fluid flows.