HYDRO-KINEMATICS

What is Hydro-kinematics ?
• In Hydro – Kinematics we shall study

– The motion of liquids without any reference to the

force causing motion.

– Velocity and acceleration of the liquid particles

without taking into consideration any force or
energy.
 Rate of Discharge
• The quantity of a liquid, flowing per second
through a section of a pipe or a channel, is known
as the Rate of Discharge or simply Discharge. It is
generally denoted by Q.

• Q = Area x Average Velocity = a.v

• a = Cross Sectional Area of Pipe
• v = Average velocity of the liquid
• Units = m3 / sec
• 1 m3 = 1000 liters
Equation of Continuity of a Liquid Flow
• If an incompressible liquid is continuously
flowing through a pipe or a channel (whose
cross sectional area may or may not be
constant), the quantity of liquid passing per
second is same at all sections.
1 2 3
Q1 = a1 . v1
Q2 = a2 . v2
Q3 = a3 . v3

Q1 = Q2 = Q 3
 Example 1
• Water is flowing through a pipe of 100 mm
diameter with an average velocity of 10
m/sec. Determine the rate of discharge of the
water. Also determine the velocity of water at
the other end of pipe, if the diameter of pipe
is gradually changed to 200 mm?
 Example 2

A pipe AB branches into two pipes C and D. The

pipe has diameter of 0.45m at A, 0.3m at B, 0.2m
at C and 0.15m at D. Find the discharge at A, if the
velocity of water at A is 2 m/sec. Also find out the
velocities at B and D, if the velocity at C is 4m/sec.
Solution
 Motion of Fluid Particles
• A fluid consists of innumerable number of particles, whose
relative positions are never fixed.

• Whenever a fluid is in motion, these particles move along

certain lines, depending upon the characteristics of the fluid
and the shape of the passage through which the fluid
particles move.

• For complete analysis of the fluid motion, it is necessary to

observe the motion of fluid particles at various points and
times.
 Motion of Fluid Particles (Cont’d)
LAGRANGIAN METHOD EULERIAN METHOD
It deals with the study of flow It deals with the study of flow
pattern of the individual pattern of all the particles
particles. simultaneously at one section.
The paths traced by a particle The paths traced by all the
under consideration with the particles at one section and
passage of time is studied. one time are studied.

Example :
 Study of movement of number of vehicles on a busy road.

 The Lagrangian method deals with the study of movement of only one vehicle
through a specified distance.
 The Eulerian method deals with the study of movement of all the vehicles on
the road at one section and at one instant.

EULERIAN METHOD IS COMMONLY USED ; THE MOVEMENT OF INDIVIDUAL FLUID

PARTICLE IS NOT OF SUCH IMPORTANCE.
 Types of Flow Lines
• Path Lines:
– The path followed by a fluid particle in motion is
called path line. The path line shows the direction
of a particle for a certain period of time or
between two given sections.
 Types of Flow Lines (Cont’d)
• Stream Lines:
– The imaginary line, drawn in the fluid in
such a way that the tangent to any point
gives the direction of motion at the point, is
called the stream line. Thus the stream line
shows the direction of motion of a number
of particles at the same time.
– An element of fluid, bonded by a number of
streamlines, which confine the flow, is
called stream tube.
– As there is no movement of fluid across a
stream line, therefore no fluid can enter or
leave the stream tube except at the ends.
– Stream tube behaves live a solid tube.
 Types of Flow Lines (Cont’d)
• Streak Lines or Filament Lines:
– The instantaneous pictures of the position of all fluid
particles, which have passed through a given point at some
previous time, are called streak lines or filament lines.
– Example : the line formed by smoke particles ejected from a
nozzle is a streak line.
 Types of Flow Lines (Cont’d)
• Potential Lines or Equipotential Lines:
– There is always a loss of head of the fluid particles, as we proceed along
the flow lines. If we draw lines joining the points of equal potential on
adjacent flow lines, we get potential lines or equipotential lines.

– The lines AB, CD, EF , GH are streamlines and LM, NO , PO are potential
lines as shown in figure.
 Types of Flow Lines (Cont’d)
• Flow Net:
– There is relation between streamlines and potential lines. If we draw both
the lines for a flow, the patterns obtained by the inter-section of two sets of
lines, is called flow net.

– The flow net helps us in depicting and analyzing the behavior of certain flow
phenomenon, which can not be easily analyzed by mathematical means.
Such a phenomenon is generally analyzed and studied by drawing flow nets.

– A flow net may be constructed by drawing a system of stream lines between

the boundaries by judgment and then a system of equipotential lines, so as
to form a square mesh net.

– In a region, where the boundaries converge, diverge or bend, the flow net
does not contain squares.
 Types of Flow Lines (Cont’d)
• Flow Net (Cont’d):
• Consider a flow net when the stream lines are
diverging and two sections of flow nets 1 and 2.
• Let
– x1=Spacing between two streamlines at section 1
– v1= Velocity of liquid particles at section 1
– x2 , v1 = Corresponding values at section 2

Since there can be no flow across the streamlines, therefore discharge per unit
length, between two consecutive streamlines, will be equal. Therefore, discharge per
unit depth
q = x 1 . v 1 = x 2 . v2

 The velocity of liquid particles varies inversely with the spacing between
the streamlines.
 The velocity decreases with the increase in spacing and vice versa.
 Types of Flow Lines (Cont’d)
• Flow Net (Cont’d):
• Example:
 Types of Flows in a Pipe
i. Uniform Flow:
A flow, in which the velocities of liquid particles
at all sections of a pipe or channel are equal, is
called a uniform flow. This is applied to flow in
channels.
ii. Non- Uniform Flow:
A flow, in which the velocities of liquid particles
at all sections of pipe or channel are not equal,
is called non-uniform flow.
 Types of Flows in a Pipe (cont’d)
iii. Streamline Flow / Laminar
Flow:
A flow, in which each liquid particle
has a definite path and the paths of
individual particles do not cross
each other, is called a streamline
flow or laminar flow.

iv. Turbulent Flow:

A flow, in which each liquid particle
does not have a definite path, and
the paths of individual particles also
cross each other, is called a
turbulent flow.
 Types of Flows in a Pipe (cont’d)
v. Steady Flow:
A flow, in which the quantity of liquid flowing per
second is constant, is called a steady flow. A
steady flow may be uniform or non-uniform.

vi. Unsteady Flow:

A flow, in which the quantity of liquid flowing per
second is not constant, is called unsteady flow.
 Types of Flows in a Pipe (cont’d)
vii. Compressible Flow:
A flow, in which the volume of a fluid and its density
changes during the flow, is called a compressible flow. All
the gases are considered to have compressible flows.

vii. Incompressible Flow:

A flow, in which the volume of the flowing fluid and its
density does not change during the flow, is called an
incompressible flow. All the liquids are generally
incompressible flow.
 Types of Flows in a Pipe (cont’d)
viii. Rotational Flow:
A flow, in which the fluid particles
also rotate (i.e. have some
angular velocity) about their own
axes while flowing, is called a
rotational flow.

ix. Irrotational Flow:

A flow, in which the fluid particles
do not rotate about their own
axes and retain their original
orientations, is called an
Irrotational flow.
 Types of Flows in a Pipe (cont’d)
x. One – dimensional Flow:
A flow, in which the streamlines of its moving particles may be
represented by straight line, is called one dimensional flow. It is
because of the reason that a straight streamline, being a
mathematical line, possesses one dimension only i.e. either x-x or y-
y or z-z direction.
xi. Two – dimensional Flow:
A flow, whose streamlines may be represented by a curve, is called
a two dimensional flow. It is because of the reason that a curved
streamline will be along any two mutually perpendicular directions.
xii. Three – dimensional Flow:
A flow, whose streamlines may be represented in space i.e. along
three mutually perpendicular directions, is called three dimensional
flow.
 Stream Function
It is a function, which describes the form of pattern
of flow. Or in other words, it is the discharge per unit
thickness. Mathematically stream function,
Ψ = f (x,y)
Where
f = coefficient of stream function
x,y = co-ordinates of the point, where stream
function is required to be found out.

Consider a point P along a streamline as shown in

figure.
Let
u = Velocity component in x-x direction
v = Velocity component in y-y direction
Ψ = Stream Function at P
 Stream Function (Cont’d)
•   let us consider another streamline, such that point P
Now
is displaced through a small distance dy in y-y direction
and dx in x-x direction.
Let the stream function of this new position be Ψ + dΨ.
The flow rate across dy will be given by:
dΨ = u . dy or ------- (i)
Similarly, the flow rate across dx will be given by
dΨ = - v . dx or ----- (ii)
(minus sign indicates that the velocity (v) acts
downwards.
 Stream Function (Cont’d)
•  
Now with dx and dy as the components of differential distance, and u and v as the
velocity components in x and y directions, we find that

Or v . dx = u . dy
u . dy – v . dx = 0

Now substituting the values of u and v from (i) and (ii) in above equation.

X dx=0
Or
dΨ = constant
The above expression shows that the discharge between the two streamlines is the
difference in the two stream functions.
The resultant velocity at any point P (with x and y coordinates) will be given by the
relation
Stream Function (Cont’d)
Stream Function (Cont’d)