Fluid Mechanics

Fluid Mechanics (251 - 15334)
Study: Bachelor in Aerospace Engineering
Semester 2/Spring Semester
2ND Year Course/Lower Division

*Considered lower division; however, please note the prerequisite.

Students are expected to have completed:

Calculus I & II, Linear Algebra, Physics I & II, Introduction to Fluid Mechanics

Competences and skills that will be acquired and learning results:

Fundamental and applied knowledge of the laws that determine the fluid motion and their application to the description of problems of interest in aerospace engineering.

Description of contents:

Introduction to ideal flow: The Navier-Stokes equations. External aerodynamic flow: the Reynolds number and the Mach number. Euler equations. Isentropic flow. Quasi-steady motion: the Strouhal number. Euler-Bernoulli equation. Total (stagnation) thermodynamic properties.

Applications of ideal flow: Ideal flows in pipes. Incompressible motion. Steady gas flow in pipes. Subsonic and supersonic flow. Convergent nozzels. Analysis of ideal fluid machines. Pumps, compressors, and turbines.

Irrotational flow: Irrotational motion. Plane potential flow. The complex potential. Superposition of elementary solutions. Flow over a cylinder. Conformal mapping. Joukowski transformation. Exercises.

Boundary-layer flow: Boundary-layer concept. Introduction. Scales. Equations and boundary conditions. Boundary-layer thickness. Blasius solution. Boundary-layer integral methods. Thermal boundary layer. Boundary-layer separation.

Flows with discontinuities: Tangential and normal discontinuities. Shock waves. Normal shock relations. Oblique shock waves. Prandtl-meyer expansion. Convergent-divergent nozzels.

Turbulent flow: Flow stability. Turbulence characteristics. Reynolds stresses. Turbulent motion near walls. The Moody diagram. Incompressible turbulent flow in pipes. Equations. Gaseous turbulent flow. Simplified solutions for long pipes. Turbulent flow in insulated pipes. Frintionless flow with heat addition.

Learning activities and methodology:

The methodology will combine lecture classes for presentation of the fundamentals with problem solving sessions. The four laboratory sessions are to take place in the computer room (1) and in the experimental laboratory (3). The problems to be addressed include external aerodynamics and turbulent flow in pipes.

Assessment System:

Laboratory reports (20%)
Midterm (35%): it will cover from ideal flows to boundary layers, including both subjects. If the grade is greater or equal to 5.0, the student will not have to take this part in the final exam.
Homework (10%): it will cover the topic of potential flows.
Final exam (35%): it will cover flows with discontinuities and turbulent flows. A minimum grade of 5.0 is required to pass the course.

Basic Bibliography:

G. K. Batchelor. An Introduction to Fluid Dynamics. Cambridge University Press. 1967
L. D. Landau & E. M. Lifshitz. Fluid Mechanics. Pergamon Press. 1987
Liepman HW and Roshko A. Elements of gas dynamics. Dover publications. 2002
P. A. Lagerstrom. Laminar Flow Theory. Princeton University Press. 1996