Information About

Catalog Description

Fundamentals of fluid mechanics.  Properties and statics of fluids.  Kinematics and dynamics of fluid motion-continuity, momentum, and energy conservation equations.  Dimensional analysis, flow in closed conduits. 

Prerequisites: GEN ENG 205-4.

Who takes it

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.

What it's about

ME 241 provides a fundamental understanding of fluid statics and fluid dynamics.

Lectures: 

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

Topics include:

• 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)
  • 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
• Dimensional analysis

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 4th Edition by Munson, Young, and Okiishi, Wiley 2002

Advanced Study: 

Students interested in pursuing further study in fluid mechanics can take the following courses:

• ME 373 Engineering Fluid Mechanics
• ME 377 Heat Transfer
• ME 379 Combustion
• ME 424 Computational Fluid Dynamics (graduate level)
• ME 425 Fundamentals of Fluid Dynamics (graduate level)