Mechanical Engineering 241 - Fluid Mechanics I

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Description

The flow of fluids is important in many applications ranging from blood flow in the human body to air flow over the wing of a jet aircraft.  As a result, this is a required course for Mechanical Engineering students.  Most students in Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Chemical Engineering take this course or one very similar to it.  Undergraduates take this course at the end of their second year or at the beginning of their third year.  The course uses integral calculus and differential equations, so these courses are prerequisites.  It also helps to have taken physics and thermodynamics prior to this course.

Lectures: 

The course meets four days per week for 50-minute lectures. 

Topics covered:

  • Dimensional analysis
  • Introduction to fluid properties (density, viscosity, surface tension)
  • Fluid statics
    • Manometry
    • Buoyancy
    • Forces on submerged surfaces
  • Elementary fluid dynamics--the Bernoulli equation
  • Control volume analysis
    • Mass conservation (mass cannot be created or destroyed) Flow Chart ME 377 ME 373 ME 224 ME 241
    • Momentum conservation (force = mass * acceleration)
    • Energy conservation (energy is conserved)
    • Practical applications
  • Differential fluid flow analysis
    • Continuity (mass conservation)
    • Navier-Stokes equation (momentum conservation)
  • Flow in pipes
    • Laminar flow
    • Turbulent flow
    • Frictional losses in pipes and pipe fittings

Labs: 

There are three two-hour labs during the course to provide practical experience in fluid flow and measurement.  Labs cover the following topics:

  • Fluid statics:  buoyancy, hydraulic jack, force on a submerged plate, manometry
  • Fluid Dynamics:  force of a fluid jet, drag on a cylinder in a wind tunnel
  • Pipe Flow:  frictional losses in pipes, pressure transducers, flow meters, turbulence

Assignments/Evaluation: 

Assignments and evaluation methods  vary by instructor.  Assignments/evaluations may include lab reports, homework, design problems, quizes, and exams.

Textbook: 

Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics 5th Edition by Munson, Young, and Okiishi, Wiley 2005

*Please note that all information listed is for informational purposes only. Please use this information as a guideline!*