FLUID MECHANICS
STATIC OF FLUID MECHANICS
Characteristics of a fluid:
The beginning of fluid mechanics:
The science of flow has been classified into:
Hydraulics: Which developed from experimental studies.
and:
Hydrodynamics: Which developed through theoretical studies.
In recent years, however, both have merged into the single discipline called fluid
mechanics.
Fluid Mechanics = Hydraulics + Hydrodynamics
Characteristics:
Fluid: A fluid is a substance that deforms continuously when subjected
to a shear stress, no matter how small that shear stress may be.
Fluids are divided into liquids and gases.
Liquid is hard to compress and as in the ancient saying ‘Water takes the
shape of the vessel containing it’. There is free surface in it.
Gas is easy to compress, and fully expands to fill its container. There is thus
no free surface.
Compressible and incompressible fluids:
If the density of a fluid varies significantly due to moderate changes in
pressure or temperature, then the fluid is called compressible fluid.
Generally gases and vapors under normal conditions can be classified
as compressible fluids. In these phases the distance between atoms or
molecules is large and cohesive forces are small.
So increase in pressure or temperature will change the density by a
significant value.
If the change in density of a fluid is small due to changes in
temperature and or pressure, then the fluid is called incompressible
fluid.
All liquids are classified under this category (incompressible).
When the change in pressure and temperature is small, gases and
vapors are treated as incompressible fluids.
For certain applications like propagation of pressure disturbances,
liquids should be considered as compressible.
Dimensions and units:
It is necessary to distinguish clearly between the terms “Units” and
“Dimensions”.
Dimension is used to describe basic concepts like mass, length, time,
temperature and force.
Dimension merely describes the concept and does not provide any
method for the quantitative expression of the same.
Units are the means of expressing the value of the dimension
quantitatively or numerically the term “second” for example is used to
quantify time.
Example:
Variable Dimension Unit
Length L m , cm, mm, ….etc.
Mass M or kg, g, mg, ……… etc.
Time T day, hour, sec, …. etc.
Dimension
1- Force - Length – Time system
1- Mass - Length – Time system
Definition of some common terminology:
Pressure (P):
A pressure at a point in a fluid at rest has the same magnitude in all
directions.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------(1)
F: force
A: area
Density (ρ): Mass of fluid contained in a unit volume.
---------------------------------------------------------------(2)
ρ: mass density
M: mass
V: volume
Ex.
water
ρ w = 1000 kg/m3 at 50 C
ρ w = 998.2 kg/m3 at 20 0C
ρ w = 958.4 kg/m3 at 100 0C
Air
ρ air = 1.225 kg/m3 at 150 C
ρ benzene = 876.2 kg/ m3 at 20 0c
ρ mercury (Hg)= 13555 kg/ m3 at 20 0c
Weight density (ϒ): weight of fluid contained in a unit volume.
----------------------------------------------------------------(3)
ϒ: weight density
W: weight
V: volume
W= Mass * acceleration due to gravity
W= M*g
Sub. In Eq.(3) above:
= ρ *g ------------------------------------------------------------(4)
g= 9.81 m/s2
Relative density (r.d.): The ratio of density of a substance to the
density of water at a specific temp. and pressure. Also known as
specific gravity (S.G.).
= ϒs/ϒw --------------------------------------------------------(5)
Ex. Find the relative density of mercury (Hg) at 200c ?
ρ mercury (Hg)= 13555 kg/ m3 at 20 0c
ρ w = 998.2 kg/m3 at 20 0C
solution:
r.d. = ρHg/ρW = 13555/998.2 = 13.58 at 200c
Specific volume (S.V.): Is the reciprocal of the density (ρ).
----------------------------------------------------------------(6)
Compressibility, Elasticity:
For most purposes a liquid can be considered as incompressible, but
for situations involving either sudden or great changes in pressure it
compressibility becomes important.
Liquids and gases compressibility also becomes important when
temperature changes are involved. The compressibility of a liquid is
expressed by its bulk modulus of elasticity.
Bulk modulus of elasticity (E):
If pressure of a unit volume of liquid is increased by (dp), it will cause a volume
decrease (-dv).
V1= volume at initial pressure.
V= volume at final pressure.
-------------------------------------------------------------(7)
dv= final volume – initial volume
Examples on Bulk Modulus of Elasticity:
Ex.1 Water at 200c, its bulk modulus of elasticity (E=2.2 GPa.),
consider the application of 1 atm. (0.1 MPa.) to a cubic meter of water.
How the volume may change?
Solution:
E= (-dp)/(dv/v1)
2.2 *109 Pa.= (-0.1*106 Pa.)/(dv/1.0 m3)
dv = 1/22000 m3 = 45.5 cm3
Ex.2 A liquid compressed in a cylinder has the volume of 1 liter
( 1 liter= 1000 cm3) at 1 MN/m2 and a volume of 995 cm3 at 2 MN/m2.
What is its bulk modulus of elasticity?
Solution :
E=(-dp)/(dv/v1)
dp= 2 MPa. – 1 MPa. = 1 MPa.
dv= 995-1000 = -5 cm3
dv/v = -5/1000 = -0.005
E= -1/-0.005 = 200 MPa.
