Compressible versus Incompressible Flow

Compressible versus Incompressible Flow

A flow is classified as being compressible or incompressible, depending on the level of variation of density during flow. Incompressibility is an approximation, in which the flow is said to be incompressible if the density remains nearly constant throughout. Therefore, the volume of every portion of fluid remains unchanged over the course of its motion when the flow is approximated as incompressible. The densities of liquids are essentially constant, and thus the flow of liquids is typically incompressible. Therefore, liquids are usually referred to as incompressible substances. A pressure of 210 atm, for example, causes the density of liquid water at 1 atm to change by just 1 percent. Gases, on the other hand, are highly compressible. A pressure change of just 0.01 atm, for example, causes a change of 1 percent in the density of atmospheric air.

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THE NO-SLIP CONDITION

THE NO-SLIP CONDITION Fluid flow is often confined by solid surfaces, and it is important to understand how the presence of solid surfaces affects fluid flow. We know that water in a river cannot flow through large rocks, and must go around them. That is, the water velocity normal to the rock surface must be zero, and water approaching the surface normally comes to a complete stop at the surface. What is not as obvious is that water approaching the rock at any angle also comes to a complete stop at the rock surface, and thus the tangential velocity of water at the surface is also zero. Consider the flow of a fluid in a stationary pipe or over a solid surface that is nonporous (i.e., impermeable to the fluid). All experimental observations indicate that a fluid in motion comes to a complete stop at the surfaceand assumes a zero velocity relative to the surface. That is, a fluid in direct contact with a solid “sticks” to the surface, and there is no slip. This is known as the no-s...

CLASSIFICATION OF FLUID FLOWS

CLASSIFICATION OF FLUID FLOWS Earlier we defined fluid mechanics as the science that deals with the behavior of fluids at rest or in motion, and the interaction of fluids with solids or other fluids at the boundaries. There is a wide variety of fluid flow problems encountered in practice, and it is usually convenient to classify them on the basis of some common characteristics to make it feasible to study them in groups. There are many ways to classify fluid flow problems, and here we present some general categorie Viscous versus Inviscid Regions of Flow When two fluid layers move relative to each other, a friction force develops between them and the slower layer tries to slow down the faster layer. This internal resistance to flow is quantified by the fluid property viscosity, which is a measure of internal stickiness of the fluid. Viscosity is caused by cohesive forces between the molecules in liquids and by molecular collisions in gases. There is no fluid with zero visc...

capillary rise

A liquid of density ρ ρ and surface tension σ σ rises in a capillary of inner radius r r to a height h = 2 σ cos θ ρ g r h = 2 σ cos ⁡ θ ρ g r where θ θ is the contact angle made by the liquid meniscus with the capillary’s surface. The liquid rises due to the forces of adhesion, cohesion, and surface tension. If adhesive force (liquid-capillary) is more than the cohesive force (liquid-liquid) then liquid rises as in case of water rise in a glass capillary. In this case, the contact angle is less than 90 deg and the meniscus is concave. If adhesive force is less than the cohesive force then liquid depresses as in case of mercury in a glass capillary. In this case, the contact angle is greater than 90 deg and the meniscus is convex. The formula for capillary rise can be derived by balancing forces on the liquid column. The weight of the liquid ( π r 2 h ρ g π r 2 h ρ g ) is balanced by the upward force due to surface tension ( 2 π r σ cos θ ...

Fluid mechanics

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