Basics of Fluid Mechanics

Preface :

Basics of Fluid Mechanics, describes the fundamentals of fluid mechanics phenomena for engineers and others. This book is designed to replace all introductory textbook(s) or instructor’s notes for the fluid mechanics in undergraduate classes for engineering/science students but also for technical peoples. It is hoped that the book could be used as a reference book for people who have at least some basics knowledge of science areas such as calculus, physics, etc.

The structure of this book is such that many of the chapters could be usable independently. For example, if you need information about, say, statics’ equations, you can read just chapter (4). I hope this makes the book easier to use as a reference manual. However, this manuscript is first and foremost a textbook, and secondly a reference manual only as a lucky coincidence.

I have tried to describe why the theories are the way they are, rather than just listing “seven easy steps” for each task. This means that a lot of information is presented which is not necessary for everyone. These explanations have been marked as such and can be skipped.10 Reading everything will, naturally, increase your understanding of the many aspects of fluid mechanics. Many in the industry, have called and emailed this author with questions since this book is only source in the world of some information.

These questions have lead to more information and further explantion that is not found anywhre else. This book is written and maintained on a volunteer basis. Like all volunteer work, there is a limit on how much effort I was able to put into the book and its organization. Moreover, due to the fact that English is my third language and time limitations, the explanations are not as good as if I had a few years to perfect them.

Nevertheless, I believe professionals working in many engineering fields will benefit from this information. This book contains many worked examples, which can be very useful for many. In fact, this book contains material that was not published anywhere else.

I have left some issues which have unsatisfactory explanations in the book, marked with a Mata mark. I hope to improve or to add to these areas in the near future. Furthermore, I hope that many others will participate of this project and will contribute to this book (even small contributions such as providing examples or editing mistakes are needed).

I have tried to make this text of the highest quality possible and am interested in your comments and ideas on how to make it better. Incorrect language, errors, ideas for new areas to cover, rewritten sections, more fundamental material, more mathematics (or less mathematics); I am interested in it all. I am particularly interested in the best arrangement of the book. If you want to be involved in the editing, graphic design, or proofreading, please drop me a line.

Naturally, this book contains material that never was published before (sorry cannot avoid it). This material never went through a close content review. While close content peer review and publication in a professional publication is excellent idea in theory.

About This Author :

Genick Bar-Meir holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from University of Minnesota and a Master in Fluid Mechanics from Tel Aviv University. Dr. Bar-Meir was the last student of the late Dr. R.G.E. Eckert. Much of his time has been spend doing research in the field of heat and mass transfer (related to renewal energy issues) and this includes fluid mechanics related to manufacturing processes and design. Currently, he spends time writing books (there are already three very popular books) and softwares for the POTTO project (see Potto Prologue). The author enjoys to encourage his students to understand the material beyond the basic requirements of exams.

In his early part of his professional life, Bar-Meir was mainly interested in elegant models whether they have or not a practical applicability. Now, this author’s views had changed and the virtue of the practical part of any model becomes the essential part of his ideas, books and software.

He developed models for Mass Transfer in high concentration that became a building blocks for many other models. These models are based on analytical solution to a family of equations1. As the change in the view occurred, Bar-Meir developed models that explained several manufacturing processes such the rapid evacuation of gas from containers, the critical piston velocity in a partially filled chamber (related to hydraulic jump), application of supply and demand to rapid change power system and etc. All the models have practical applicability. These models have been extended by several research groups (needless to say with large research grants). For example, the Spanish Comision Interministerial provides grants TAP97-0489 and PB98-0007, and the CICYT and the European Commission provides 1FD97-2333 grants for minor aspects of that models. Moreover, the author’s models were used in numerical works, in GM, British industry, Spain, and Canada.

In the area of compressible flow, it was commonly believed and taught that there is only weak and strong shock and it is continue by Prandtl–Meyer function. Bar–Meir discovered the analytical solution for oblique shock and showed that there is a quiet buffer between the oblique shock and Prandtl–Meyer. He also build analytical solution to several moving shock cases. He described and categorized the filling and evacuating of chamber by compressible fluid in which he also found analytical solutions to cases where the working fluid was ideal gas. The common explanation to Prandtl–Meyer function shows that flow can turn in a sharp corner. Engineers have constructed design
that based on this conclusion. Bar-Meir demonstrated that common Prandtl–Meyer explanation violates the conservation of mass and therefor the turn must be around a finite radius. The author’s explanations on missing diameter and other issues in fanno flow and ““naughty professor’s question”” are used in the industry.

In his book “Basics of Fluid Mechanics”, Bar-Meir demonstrated that fluids must have wavy surface when the materials flow together. All the previous models for the flooding phenomenon did not have a physical explanation to the dryness. He built a model to explain the flooding problem (two phase flow) based on the physics. He also constructed and explained many new categories for two flow regimes.

The author lives with his wife and three children. A past project of his was building a four stories house, practically from scratch. While he writes his programs and does other computer chores, he often feels clueless about computers and programing. While he is known to look like he knows about many things, the author just know to learn quickly. The author spent years working on the sea (ships) as a engine sea officer but now the author prefers to remain on solid ground.

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