Mechanical Engineering 373, Engineering Fluid Mechanics

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Catalog description:

Laminar and turbulent duct flows. Boundary layers and potential flows. Lift and drag forces. Thermodynamics and mechanics of compressible flow. Nozzle flows and choking. Wave motion and shock waves. Applications to fluid machinery.

Prerequisite: ME 220, ME 241, or equivalent.

 

Who takes it

ME 373 is the second course in fluid mechanics for undergraduates. ME undergraduates are required to take either Thermodynamics II (ME 370) or this course as a part of the required 11 courses in Mechanical Engineering. Most undergraduates take it during their junior year.

What it's about

Simply put, it's about developing a fundamental understanding of e.g. how a Jumbo Jet Boeing 747 flies, how tornadoes cause destruction, how a nuclear explosion causes destruction, how a Concorde flies, how the Saturn V rocket that took people to the moon worked. Basic theory will be covered that will help explain the fundamental principle of the above problems. These problems will be explicitly covered in class through assignments or solved examples.

Lectures:

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

  • Introduction:
    • A brief review of the governing equations of fluids
  • Internal flows:
    • Pipe flow
    • Major losses
    • Minor losses
  • Boundary layers:
    • Boundary layer theory
    • Laminar boundary layer flow
  • Ideal inviscid flow:
    • Euler equations, exact solutions of potential flows
    • Brief discussion of drag and lift
  • Compressible flow:
    • Isentropic flows
    • Shocks
    • Flow with friction and heat transfer
  • Conclusion:
    • Brief discussion of computational fluid dynamics and experimental techniques in fluid dynamics

Assignments/Evaluation:

Homework, Mid-term, Take-home exam, Final exam.

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

Contact:

Professor: Neelesh Patankar
e-mail: n-patankar@northwestern.edu