411-203 Fluid Mechanics

Credit Points

HECS Band

Coordinator

Prerequisites

411-201 Introduction to Transport Processes and 421-204 Engineering Analysis A or equivalent.

Corequisites

421-205 Engineering Analysis B or equivalent.

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

Manometry. Derivation of the continuity equation, mechanical energy balance. Friction losses in a straight pipe, Fanning friction factor, treatment of roughness, valves and fittings. Simple network problems. Principles of open channel flow. Compressible flow - thermodynamic preliminaries, propagation of a pressure wave, isothermal and adiabatic flow equations in a pipe, choked flow. Pumps - pump characteristics, centrifugal pumps, derivation of theoretical head; head losses leading to the actual pump head curve, calculating system head, determining the operating point of a pumping system, throttling for flow control, cavitation and NPSH, introduction to positive displacement pumps. Stirred tanks - radial, axial and tangential flow. Types of agitators, vortex elimination, the standard tank configuration, power number and power curve, dynamic and geometric similarity in scale-up. Multi-dimensional fluid flow - Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids, momentum flux, development of multi-dimensional equations of continuity and for momentum transfer, heat and mass transfer, application to tube flow, Couette flow, Stokes flow etc, solutions for creeping flow, potential flow & boundary layer theory, turbulence, including models for Reynolds stresses to generate the universal velocity profile.

Assessment

One examination not exceeding three hours.