Module SOE3152/3153 : Fluid Dynamics A/B

Content

The aim of the course is to extend the students knowledge of basic fluid dynamics, to introduce the student to solution methodologies including Computational Fluid Dynamics, and to relate all this to design methods for common aerodynamic and hydraulic systems. At the end of the course the student should be able to
Explain basic physical principles of fluid flow and illustrate with reference to important building-block flows.
Identify the various terms in the Navier-Stokes equations, and apply them to derive solutions for particular flow problems.
Compute basic parameters of engineering systems (eg. lift of aerofoils, efficiency of pumps).
Combine solution techniques (experimental, analytical and computational) to solve engineering problems.
The sylabus is divided into 3 topics, and the material grouped into Core and Advanced levels of difficulty. The lecture course will consist of 16 Core lectures and 4 Advanced lectures, together with two web lectures, on Dimensional Analysis (Core) and Runge-Kutta solution of differential equations (Advanced). There will be 6 examples classes for B.Eng students and 6 for M.Eng students. 6 examples sheets will be issued for the Core material and 4 for the Advanced material, providing a range of problems for solution before and during the examples classes, together with suggested reading. There will also be laboratory sessions.

Assessment

Both M.Eng and B.Eng students will be required to complete a number of assessment question sheets, comprising 15% of the marks available for the module. These assess students abilities at applying analytical, computational and experimental techniques to solve engineering problems.

Both groups of students will sit a 1 hour test at the end of the autumn term. This will assess their abilities with basic computations such as evaluating lift and drag, and will comprise 15% of the marks available.

70% of the marks will be awarded on the basis of a 2 hour exam at the end of the semester. This will stress understanding of the subject and problem solving abilities. The exam will be divided into sections A and B, with section B including material from the advanced section of the course. B.Eng students will have a free choice of questions to answer on the exam paper. M.Eng students are constrained to attempt at least 2 questions from section B of the exam.

 

Sylabus

BEng students (SOE3152) follow the core sylabus, divided into A:Threshold level (left column) and B:Good to Excellent level (right column).

MEng students (SOE3153) are also required to learn the material in the Advanced sylabus. For these students the material in the Advanced sylabus represents the A:Threshold level for the MEng course.
  Core Advanced
Foundations of Fluid Mechanics Concept of fluid, viscosity, ideal/laminar /turbulent flow. Bernoulli (revision) Balance equations in integral formulation, von Karman integral method. Analytic and computational (CFD) solution. Navier-Stokes equations in 2d cartesian coordinates  Navier-Stokes equations in 3d vector notation. Derivation of NSE
Importance of dimensionless groups (Re, Fr) in fluid flow Use of dimensional analysis in experiment and theory
Turbulence and external flows Characteristics of laminar flow over a flat plate Outline of boundary layer flow. Blasius solution of laminar boundary layer
Physical picture of turbulence and its engineering importance Energy spectrum. Concept of time averaging. Turbulent kinetic energy and length scales. Turbulence modelling Prandtl mixing length model of turbulence. k-epsilon turbulence model in CFD.
Turbulent boundary layer, structure of turbulent flow over flat plate Law of the wall
External turbulent flows around cylinders and spheres. Drag coefficients Control of turbulent boundary layers, swing in cricket balls
Engineering applications of fluid mechanics Internal turbulent flows in pipes Frictional power loss in pipes Pipe networks. Non-circular pipes. Water hammer
Impellers, axial/centrifugal types. Inlet/outlet triangles. Efficiency issues Euler analysis of impellers. Pump/pipework systems
Physics of lift and aerofoils. Coefficients of Lift and Drag Elementary potential flow analysis of lift. Computer modelling of aerofoils Further study of potential flow theory