FLUID FLOW PHENOMENA

Fluid Flow
- a part of fluid mechanics and deals with fluid dynamics.
- motion of fluid is subjected to unbalanced forces and this motion continue as long as the
unbalanced forces are applied.

Example: If you are pouring a water from a mug, the velocity of water is very high over the lip,
moderately high approaching the lip, and very low at the bottom of the mug. The unbalanced force is
gravity, and the flow continues as long as water is available and the mug is titled.

Classification of Fluid Flows

1. Viscous and Non-Viscous Flows

Non-Viscous Flows: One in which viscous effects do not significantly influence the flow rate and thus
neglected.
Viscous Flows: The effect of viscosity is not negligible.

2. Laminar and Turbulent Flows

Reynolds Number = ρDV / μ

NRe < 2100 : Laminar Flow

NRe > 4000 : Turbulent Flow (Geankoplis)
NRe > 5000 : Turbulent Flow (Perry)

Example: A Newtonian fluid with a dynamic or absolute viscosity of 0.38 N-s/m2 and a specific gravity of
0.91 flows through a 25mm diameter pipe with a velocity of 2.5 m/s. What is the nature of the flow?

3. Incompressible and compressible Flows

*Mach number is useful in deciding whether a particular gas flow is compressible or incompressible.

𝑉 (𝑔𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑) M < 0.3: Incompressible

𝑀𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 (𝑀) = M > 0.3: Compressible
𝑐 ( 𝑤𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑)

c = √kRT

FLUID FLOW PHENOMENA ENGR. NICO JOHN ROSALDO ABRATIQUE

Pressumptions for fluid dynamics:
1. Incompressible
2. Laminar flow
3. No viscosity

Volume flow rate and mass flow rate

Flow rate
-The volume of liquid passing through a given cross section in unit time is called the discharge. It is
measured in cubic meter per second, or similar units denoted by Q.

Q = A•v

Mass Flow rate

-The mass of fluid passing through a given cross section in unit time is called the mass flow rate. It is
measured in kilogram per second, or similar units.

ṁ=ρxAxv
= A•v
Example: If the diameter d = 15 cm and the mean velocity, v= 3 m/s, calculate the actual discharge in the
pipe in m3/s.

Example: Oil flows through a pipe at a velocity of 1.16 m/s. The diameter of the pipe is 8 cm. Calculate
the discharge and the mass flow rate of oil. (Spg of oil = 0.85)

FLUID FLOW PHENOMENA ENGR. NICO JOHN ROSALDO ABRATIQUE

Continuity Equation
- the relationship between the velocity of the fluid and the cross sectional area of the pipe that is
flowing through.

Q1 = Q2
A1V1 = A2V2

m1 = m2
ρ1V1S1 = ρ2V2S2

Q1 = Q2 + Q 3
A1V1 = A2V2 + A3V3

Example: Water flows at a uniform velocity of 3 m/s into a nozzle that reduces the diameter from 100 mm
to 20 mm. Calculate the water’s velocity leaving the nozzle and the flow rate.

Example: A pipe is split into 2 pipes which are BC and BD. The following information is given:

Diameter pipe AB at A = 0.45m

Diameter pipe AB at B = 0.3m
Diameter pipe BC = 0.2m
Diameter pipe BD = 0.15m

Calculate:
a. discharge at section A if vA = 2 m/s
b. velocity at section B and section D if velocity at section C = 4 m/s

FLUID FLOW PHENOMENA ENGR. NICO JOHN ROSALDO ABRATIQUE

Bernoulli Equation
- States that the higher a fluid’s velocity is through a pipe, the lower the pressure on the pipe’s walls, and
vice versa.
- States that the sum of all forms of energy in a fluid flowing along an enclosed path is the same at any
two points in the path.

The Bernoulli Equation can be considered to be a statement of the conservation of energy principle
appropriate for flowing fluids.

𝑉12 𝑃1 𝑉22 𝑃2
+ + 𝑔ℎ1 = + + 𝑔ℎ2
2 𝜌 2 𝜌

1
𝑃 + 𝜌𝑉 2 + 𝜌𝑔ℎ = 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡
2

3 Forms of Energy represents the B.E.

1. Work
2. Kinetic energy
3. Potential energy

Bernouli’s Equation has some restrictions in its applicability, they are:

a. the flow is steady
b. the density is constant
c. friction losses are negligible
d. the equation relates the state at two points along a single streamline

Torricelli’s Theorem: The velocity of the fluid coming out of the spout is the same as the velocity of a
single droplet of fluid that falls from the height of the surface of the fluid in the container.

Example: Water flows through a pipe below at the rate of 80 L/s. If the pressure at point 1 is 180 KPa,
find (a) the velocity at point 1, (b) the velocity at point 2 and (c) the pressure at point 2.

FLUID FLOW PHENOMENA ENGR. NICO JOHN ROSALDO ABRATIQUE

CONSERVATION EQUATIONS

The formal mathematical way of describing the black-box approach is with conservation equations which
explicitly state that what goes into the system must either come out of the system somewhere else, get
used up or generated by the system, or remain in the system and accumulate

Common Assumptions on the conservation equation

 Closed System: A closed system is one which does not have flows in or out of the substance.
Almost always, when one refers to a closed system, it is implied that the system is closed to mass
flow but not to other flows such as energy or momentum.

 No Generation: Certain quantities are always conserved in the strict sense that they are never
created or destroyed.

 Steady State: A system which does not accumulate a substance is said to be at steady-state. Often
times, this allows the engineer to avoid having to solve differential equations and instead use
algebra.

Conservation of Mass

Energy Equation

First law of thermodynamics: States that energy can neither be created nor destroyed
Accumulation = input – output

Types of Energy
 Kinetic Energy: Ek = (1/2) mv2
 Potential Energy: Ep = mgz
 Internal energy: U

Q: heat
∆T: between the system and the surroundings

FLUID FLOW PHENOMENA ENGR. NICO JOHN ROSALDO ABRATIQUE

Example: We have a reactor and the air around it is 25 0C. A reaction takes place and the products are at
5000C.

Q: positive when heat is transferred to the system from the surroundings

Q: negative when heat is transferred to the surroundings from the system

Work: a response to any other driving force other than temperature

Felder and Rousseau: Work is positive – system on the surrounding

Closed and Open Systems

 Closed System: mass does not cross the boundary between the system and surrounding

 Open System: mass will cross the boundary

Example: Consider a cylinder with a movable piston. The piston moves slowly to compress the gas.
Neglecting the potential energy, what is the energy balance?

Example: A liquid stream flows through a heat exchanger where it is heated. The inlet and outlet pipes
have the same diameter. There is no change in elevation.

FLUID FLOW PHENOMENA ENGR. NICO JOHN ROSALDO ABRATIQUE