Fluid Mechanics CEE 3311

LECTURE 1

L. Handia

Lecture 1 1
 Introduction
Mechanics
Mechanics is the science that describes and
predicts the conditions of rest or motion of bodies
under the action of forces.

Mechanics is divided into 3 categories:

(a) Mechanics of rigid bodies
(b) Mechanics of deformable bodies
(c) Fluid Mechanics or Mechanics of fluids is the
science dealing with the action of forces on fluids.

Lecture 1 2
 Introduction
 A fluid: gas or liquid
 Gas (compressible fluid)
 Liquid (incompressible fluid-not always)
In medicine: fluid usually used to mean liquid e.g. intravenous fluid

 A liquid is a state of matter in which the molecules

are relatively free to change their positions with
respect to each other but restricted by cohesive
forces so as to maintain a relatively fixed volume
 A gas is a state of matter in which the molecules
are practically unrestricted by cohesive forces. A
gas has neither definite shape nor volume

Lecture 1 3
 Introduction
 In contrast to a solid, a fluid is a substance that
deforms continuously when subjected to a shear
stress, no matter how small that shear stress may
be
 Shear stress is defined as the force component
tangent to a surface divided by the area of that
force. (like shears or scissors, which cut object tangent to surface area)

Lecture 1 4
 Introduction
 Principles of FM same as in solid particle motion:
 Conservation of mass
 Conservation of energy
 Conservation of momentum

 The subject of FM will be divided into 3 broad

categories:
 Fluid statics (fluid at rest)
 Classical fluid dynamics (mathematical approach of fluids in motion)
 Fluid dynamics (real fluids in motion)

Lecture 1 5
 Introduction
 Actual fluid relationship is made up of a collection
of discrete molecules.
 In most engineering applications, however, we are
interested in the average conditions of velocity,
pressure, temperature, density, etc.
 Therefore, a fluid will be regarded as a continuum:
a continuous distribution of matter with no empty
space (instead of the actual conglomeration of
separate molecules). In FM, this assumption is
normally justifiable because the no. of molecules
is so enormous and the distance between them is
very small.
Lecture 1 6
 Properties of fluids
Properties involving the mass or weight of the fluid
mass Water = 1000kg/m3
(a) Density   Air = 1.23kg/m3
volume

1
(b) specific Volume  


(c) Specific weight   g

 weight per unit volume.

weight of a fluid  fluid

(d ) Specific gravity  
weight of an equal volume of water  water
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 Properties of fluids
Viscosity
Definitions
1. Viscosity is that property of a fluid by virtue of
which it offers resistance to shear stress
2. Viscosity of a fluid is a measure of its resistance
to shear or angular deformation
3. Viscosity can be thought of as the internal
stickiness of a fluid.
Note: stress is pressure like pressure of exams, stress due to social problems
e.g., motor oil has high viscosity and resistance to shear , whereas gasoline (petrol) has low
viscosity. More energy required to pump a more viscous fluid

(A fluid is a substance which continuously deforms when subjected to a small amount of shear)

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 Properties of fluids
Viscosity
Consider the classic case of two parallel plates, sufficiently
large that edge conditions may be neglected, placed a small
distance Y apart, the space being filled with the fluid.
The lower surface is assumed to be stationary, while the
upper one is moved parallel to it with a velocity U by the
application of a force F corresponding to some area A of the
moving plate.

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 Properties of fluids
Viscosity

The lower plate is fixed, and a force F is

applied to the upper plate, which exerts a shear stress on any
substance between the plates

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 Properties of fluids
Viscosity
 At boundaries, particles of fluid adhere to the walls, and so
their velocities are zero relative to the wall. This so-called
no-slip condition occurs with all viscous fluids. Thus the
fluid velocities must be zero where in contact with the
plate at the lower boundary and U at the upper boundary.
 The form of the velocity variation with distance between
these two extremes is called a velocity profile.

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 Properties of fluids
Viscosity
 If the separation distance Y is not too great, the velocity U
is not too high, and if there is no net flow of fluid through
the space, the velocity profile will be linear, as shown in
Fig. The behaviour is much as if the fluid were composed
of a series of thin layers, each of which slips a little
relative to the next.

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 Properties of fluids
Viscosity
 Experiments have shown that for a large class of fluids
under such conditions
AU where A is the area over which shear is acting i.e., along the surface of the
Fmoving plate or for any depth y, the surface of the thin water layer (U x width) &
Y of the water (Y x width)
not cross section

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 Properties of fluids
Viscosity
 From similar triangles in Fig, U/Y can be replaced by
velocity gradient du
(with v=0 at bottom and v=U at the top)
dy

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 Properties of fluids
Viscosity
If a constant of proportionality µ is now introduced, the
shearing stress τ between any two thin sheets of fluid may be
expressed by
AU F U
F  
Y A Y

F U du
Newton’s Equation of Viscosity
   
A Y dy

  which is called absolute viscosity, dynamic viscosity,
du dy
coefficient of viscosity or simply the
viscosity of the fluid
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 Properties of fluids
 
dv
dy


v


06/16/2023 Lecture 1 16
 Properties of fluids
Perfect gas
Molecules of a perfect gas:
 Would behave like tiny, perfectly elastic
spheres in random motion
 Would influence each other only at collision
 Form a volume which would be negligible in
comparison with the volume in which they
moved

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 Properties of fluids
 

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 Properties of fluids
Compressibility
 All liquids compress if the pressure increases,
resulting in an increase in density
 Compressibility is expressed by its bulk
modulus of elasticity or coefficient of
compressibility, K
dP dP
K or K
dV d

V 
 Small density changes in liquids can be very significant when large
pressure changes are present e.g. water hammer which can be heard
shortly after sudden closing of a valve in a pipeline: when the valve is
closed an internal pressure wave propagates down the pipe, producing a
hammering sound due to pipe motion when the wave reflects from the
closed valve
06/16/2023 Lecture 1 19
 Properties of fluids
Surface tension
 Surface tension is the property of a fluid
surface to behave as if it were covered with a
tight skin (the meniscus), so that a needle or
fine powder can be made to float on cold water
without being wetted (dictionary of civil
engineers).
 Surface tension is a property that results from
the attractive forces between molecules.
 As such it manifests itself only in liquids at an
interface, usually a liquid-gas interface.

06/16/2023 Lecture 1 20
 Properties of fluids
Surface tension
 The forces between molecules in the bulk of a
liquid are equal in all directions, and as a result
no net force is exerted on the molecules.
 However, at an interface the molecules exert a
force that has a resultant in the interface layer:
 force holds drop of water suspended on a rod
 force causes the small drops from a sprayer to
assume spherical shapes
 force plays significant role when two immiscible
liquids (e.g., oil & water) are in contact with each
other

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 Properties of fluids
Surface tension
 In most cases of fluid mechanics and
hydraulics, surface tension and its effects may
be neglected in comparison with hydrostatic
and dynamic forces

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 Properties of fluids
Vapour pressure
 Liquids evaporate because of molecules escaping
from the liquid surface.
 Vaporisation will terminate when equilibrium is
reached between the liquid & gaseous states of the
substance in the container i.e., when the no. of
molecules escaping from the water surface is equal
to the no. of molecules striking the liquid surface
and condensing (the conversion of a vapour or gas to a liquid).
 The pressure resulting from molecules in the
gaseous state is the vapour pressure.
 Boiling occurs when the pressure above a liquid
equals the vapour pressure.

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 Properties of fluids
Vapour pressure
 In general, a transition from the liquid state to the gaseous state
occurs if the local absolute pressure is less than the vapour pressure
of the liquid.
 When this happens, bubbles are formed locally
 This phenomenon, called cavitation, can be very damaging when
these bubbles are transported by the flow to higher pressure regions.
 The bubbles collapse (implosion) upon entering the higher pressure
regions, and this collapse produces local pressure spikes which have
the potential to damage hydraulic pumps and turbines, ship’s
propeller, pipes, overflow spillway in dams (pitting, spongy
appearance)

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 Properties of fluids
Vapour pressure
 damage hydraulic pumps

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 Properties of fluids
Vapour pressure
 overflow spillway in dams (pitting, spongy appearance)

 Ways are there to avoid cavitation-for later courses

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