Fluid Mechanics-I

Properties of Fluids & Dimensional Analysis. 

a) Definition of fluid and fluid mechanics: examples and practical applications involving fluids at rest and in motion, physical properties of fluids: density, specific weight, specific volume, relative density and viscosity. Newton’s law of viscosity, classification of fluids, rheological diagram, Dynamic and kinematic viscosity, compressibility, cohesion, adhesion, surface tension, capillarity, vapour pressure, problems involving use of above fluid properties. 

b) Dimensions of physical quantities, dimensional homogeneity, dimensional analysis using Buckingham’s π theorem method, geometric kinematic and dynamic similarity, important dimensionless parameters, Reynold’s No., Froude No. and their significance.

Fluid Statics, Buoyancy 

a) The basic equation of hydrostatics, concept of pressure head, measurement of pressure (absolute, gauge), application of the basic equation of hydrostatics, simple manometers, differential manometers and precision manometers. Centre of pressure, total pressure on plane and curved surfaces, practical applications. 

b) Principle of floatation and buoyancy, equilibrium of floating bodies, stability of floating bodies. Metacentre and metacentric height and its determination.

Fluid Kinematics. 

a) Methods of describing the motion of fluid, velocity and acceleration, and their components in Cartesian co-ordinates, stream line, stream tube, path line, and streak line, control volume. Classification of flow, steady and unsteady, uniform and non-uniform, laminar and turbulent. One, two, and three-dimensional flows. 

b) Equation of continuity for three dimensional flow in Cartesian co-ordinates, equation of continuity for one-dimensional flow along a streamline, types of motion, rotational and irrotational motion, velocity potential, stream function and flow net, methods of drawing flow net, uses and limitations of flow net.

Fluid dynamics, Bernoulli’s equation 

a) Forces acting on fluid mass in motion, Euler’s equation of motion along a streamline and its integration, assumptions of Bernoulli’s equation, kinetic energy correction factor. Hydraulic grade line and total energy line. Linear momentum equation and momentum correction factor. 

b) Venturimeter, orifice meter, Rotameter, Flow through sharp edged circular orifice discharging free, Hydraulic coefficient for orifice, experimental determination, mouthpiece, pitot tube,. Introduction to weirs and notches . 

Laminar flow & boundary layer theory. 

a) Reynolds experiment, laminar flow through a circular pipe, flow between two parallel platesCouette flow only , Stokes’ law, methods of measurement of viscosity, flow through porous media, Darcy’s law. Transition from laminar to turbulent flow. 

b) Development of boundary layer on a flat plate, nominal, displacement, momentum, energy thicknesses, laminar, transitional and turbulent boundary layer, laminar sub layer, Local and mean drag coefficients, hydrodynamically smooth and rough boundaries. Boundary Layer separation and its control. 

Turbulent flow & Flow through Pipes 

a) Characteristics of flow, instantaneous velocity, temporal mean velocity, scale of turbulence and intensity of turbulence, Prandtl’s mixing length theory, velocity distribution in turbulent flow. 

b) Flow through pipes: energy losses in pipe flow Darcy Weisbach Equation,Borda Carnot equation, variation of friction factor for laminar flow and for turbulent flow, Nikuradse’s experiments on artificially roughened pipes, resistance to flow in smooth and rough pipes, friction factor for commercial pipes, Moody’s diagram, flow through pipes such as simple, compound, series parallel, Dupits equations, branched pipes,