Department of Mechanical Engineering (UCL)

E405 Introduction to Fluid Mechanics

 
 

Teaching staff:                  Dr. A.V. Salsac (Lectures & Tutorials): a.salsac@ucl.ac.uk,
                                    Prof. S. Rusling (Tutorials): s.rusling@ucl.ac.uk
 
Lectures:                    Mondays 12:30-1:30pm (weeks 2-11, 13-22), room 421
Problem sessions:      Fridays 12:00-1:00pm (weeks 1-11, 13-22), rooms 421-422
Office hours:              Mondays 5:00-6:00pm

Homework:                due Fridays at the beginning of the problem session
 
Lab sessions:             Wind tunnel (full write-up)
                                    Venturi meter (demonstration + calculation)
                                    Laminar and turbulent flow in a pipe (full write-up)

Grades:                      30% Exam + 40% Final + 15% Labs + 15% Homework

 
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Theme:    Evaluation of forces acting on objects or bodies in static and flowing fluids due to pressure distributions and viscous effects.


Tools:      Equilibrium of forces, Newton’s laws of motion applied to a fluid.
                 Applied calculus, algebra, manipulations. Proofs.

 

OUTLINE SYLLABUS

Chapter 1: Introduction to Fluid Mechanics

Definitions (fluids, continuum, etc.). Dimensions and unit systems.
 
Chapter 2: Fluid Properties
Mass, weight and density. Temperature. Viscosity. Pressure
 
Chapter 3: Fluid Statics
Distribution of pressure in a fluid at rest. Fundamental equilibrium condition applied to (i) liquids, (ii) gases.
Manometry. Forces on immersed surfaces in liquids. Archimedes’ principle.
Pressure distribution in accelerated fluids; translation, rotation.
 
Chapter 4: Conservation Equations in Integral Form
Classification of flows. Definitions (streamlines, pathlines, etc.)
Conservation of mass
Conservation of momentum applied to a control volume
Examples: applications to blades, vanes, cascades, contractions, nozzles, jets, flat plate boundary layer.
 
Chapter 5: Incompressible Inviscid Flow
Bernoulli’s equation. Static, dynamic and stagnation pressure.
Pitot tube, stagnation point, static pressure hole. Pitot-static tube, free stream dynamic pressure. Dimensionless pressure coefficient.
Flow measurement or metering. Orifices, venturis, ducts, nozzles. Empirical discharge coefficients.
Steady flow energy equation. Relation to Bernoulli. Head loss due to friction. Power input to a pump.
 
Chapter 6: Dimensional Analysis and Similitude
Similarity and modelling.
Model testing.
 
Chapter 7: Internal Incompressible Viscous Flow
Effect of viscosity. Shear stress and velocity gradient. Wall shear stress.
Reynolds’ experiments in pipes, laminar motion, transition, turbulent motion.
Dynamic similarity. Reynolds number.
Analysis of pipe flow: Hagen-Poiseuille theory for laminar flows.
Friction factor. Darcy’s equation for head loss.
Empirical results for turbulent flow. Velocity profiles. 1/7th power law. Friction factor correlations. Head loss coefficients for valves bends, etc. Applications in pipe networks and in draining/filling problems. Quasi-steady flow.
 
Chapter 8: External Incompressible Viscous Flow
Dimensionless force coefficients. Drag coefficient. Lift coefficient. Bluff and slender bodies.
Nature of real flows at high Reynolds number.
Boundary layers. Phenomenon of separation. Favourable and adverse pressure gradients.
Contribution to total profile drag. Form drag, skin friction.

 

REFERENCES

 Fox R. W., McDonald A T., Pritchard P. J. “Introduction to Fluid Mechanics.” Wiley & Sons, 6th edition (2004). ISBN 0-471-20231-2