Fundamentals of Fluid Flow

Discharge or Flow Rate, Q

Discharge or flow rate is the amount of fluid passing through a section per unit
of time. This is expressed as a mass flow rate (ex. kg/sec), weight flow rate (ex.
kN/sec), and volume flow rate (ex. m3/s, lit/s).
Definitions of Terms
• Steady Flow
This occurs when the discharge Q passing a given cross-section is
constant with time. If the flow Q at the cross-section varies with time, the
flow is unsteady.
• Uniform Flow
This occurs if, with steady flow for a given length, or reach, of a stream,
the average velocity of flow is the same at every cross-section. This
usually occurs when an incompressible fluid flows through a stream with
uniform cross-section. In stream where the cross-sections and velocity
changes, the flow is said to be non-uniform.
• Continuous Flow
This occurs when at any time, the discharge Q at every section of the
stream is the same (principle of conservation of mass).
• Laminar Flow
The flow is said to be laminar when the path of individual fluid particles
do not cross or intersect. The flow is always laminar when the Reynolds
number Re is less than (approximately) 2000.
• Turbulent Flow
The flow is said to be turbulent when the path of individual particles are
irregular and continuously cross each other. Turbulent flow normally
occurs when the Reynolds number exceed 2,000, (although the most
common situation is when it exceeds 4000).
• One-Dimensional Flow
This occurs when in an incompressible fluid, the direction and magnitude
of the velocity at all points are identical.
• Two-Dimensional Flow
This occurs when the fluid particles move in planes or parallel planes and
the streamline patterns are identical in each plane.
❑ Energy and Head
The energy possessed by a flowing fluid consists of the kinetic and
the potential energy. Potential energy may in turn be subdivided
into energy due to position or elevation above a given datum, and
energy due to pressure in the fluid. The amount of 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.

▪ Pressure Energy (Potential Energy)

❑ Total Flow Energy, E
The total energy or head in a fluid flow is the sum of the kinetic and
the potential energies. It can be summarized as:
❑ Power and Efficiency
Power is the rate at which work is done. For a fluid of unit weight 
(N/m3) and moving at a rate of Q (m3/s) with a total energy of E
(m), the power in N-m/s (Joule/sec) or Watts is:
❑ Bernoulli’s Energy Theorem
The Bernoulli’s energy theorem results from the
application of the principles of conservation of
energy.
Bernoulli’s Principle, in physics, the concept that
as the speed of a moving fluid (liquid or gas)
increases, the pressure within that fluid decreases.
Originally formulated in 1738 by Swiss
mathematician and physicist Daniel Bernoulli, it
states that the total energy in a steadily flowing
fluid system is a constant along the flow path. An
increase in the fluid’s speed must therefore be
matched by a decrease in its pressure. This
equation may be summarized as follows:
❑ Energy Equation without Head Lost
If the fluid experiences no head lost in moving from section1 to
section 2 then the total energy at section1 must be equal to the total
energy at section 2. Neglecting head lost in fluid flow, the values that
we get are called ideal or theoretical values.
Energy Grade Line, EGL

2
Datum
❑ Energy Equation with Head Lost
Considering head lost, the values that we can attain are called actual
values.

2
Datum
❑ Energy Equation with Pump
Pump is used basically to increase the head. (Usually to raise water
from a lower to a higher elevation). The input power (Pinput) of the
pump is electrical energy and its output power (Poutput) is the flow
energy.
❑ Energy Equation with Turbine or Motor
Turbines or motors extract flow energy to do mechanical work
which in turn converted electrical energy for turbines.
❑ Energy and Hydraulic Grade Lines
• Hydraulic Grade Line (HGL)
Also known as pressure gradient, hydraulic grade line is the
graphical representation of the total potential energy of flow. It is
the line that connects the water levels in successive piezometer
tubes placed at intervals along the pipe. Its distance from the datum
plane is

• Energy Grade Line (EGL)

Energy Grade line is a graphical representation of the total energy of
flow (the sum of the kinetic and potential energies). Its distance
from the datum plane is
Problem 1: Water flows through a 75 mm diameter pipe at a
velocity of 3 m/sec. Find (a) the volume flow rate in m3/sec and
lit/sec, (b) the mass flow rate in kg/sec, and (c) the weight flow rate
in N/sec.
Problem 2: A 100-mm diameter plunger is being pushed at 60
mm/sec into a tank filled with oil having specific gravity of 0.82. If
the fluid is incompressible, how many N/s of oil is being forced out
at a 30-mm diameter hole?
Problem 3: A liquid
having specific gravity of
2.0 is flowing in a 50 mm
diameter pipe. The total
head at a given point was
found to be 17.5 Joule per
Newton. The elevation of
the pipe above the datum
is 3 m and the pressure in
the pipe is 65.6 kPa.
Compute the velocity of
flow and the horsepower
in the stream at that
point.
Problem 3: A liquid
having specific gravity of
2.0 is flowing in a 50 mm
diameter pipe. The total
head at a given point was
found to be 17.5 Joule per
Newton. The elevation of
the pipe above the datum
is 3 m and the pressure in
the pipe is 65.6 kPa.
Compute the velocity of
flow and the horsepower
in the stream at that
point.
Problem 4: A 50-mm diameter siphon discharges oil (s =0.82) from
a reservoir (elev. 20m) into open air (elev. 15m). The head loss from
the reservoir (point 1) to the summit (point 2, elev. 22m) is 1.5m
and from the summit to the discharge end is 2.4m. Determine the
flow rate in the pipe in lit/sec and the absolute pressure at the
summit assuming atmospheric pressure to be 101.3 kPa.
Problem 5: Water enters a motor through a 600mm diameter pipe
under a pressure of 14 kPa. It leaves through a 900mm diameter
exhaust pipe with a pressure of 4 kPa. A vertical distance of 2.5 m
separates the centers of the two pipes at the sections where the
pressures are measured. If 500 liters of water pass the motor each
second, compute the power supplied to the motor.
Problem 6: The pump shown draws water from reservoir A at
elevation 10 m and lifts it to reservoir B at elevation 60 m. The loss
of head from A to 1 is two times the velocity head in the 200 mm
diameter pipe and the loss of head from 2 to B is 10 times the
velocity head in the 150 mm diameter pipe. Determine the rated
horsepower of the pump and the pressure heads at 1 and 2 in
meters when the discharge is 0.03 m3/sec.