Elementary Fluid Mechanics

This textbook describes the fundamental OC physicalOCO aspects of fluid flows for beginners of fluid mechanics in physics, mathematics and engineering, from the point of view of modern physics. It also emphasizes the dynamical aspects of fluid motions rather than the static aspects, illustrating vortex motions, waves, geophysical flows, chaos and turbulence. Beginning with the fundamental concepts of the nature of flows and the properties of fluids, the book presents fundamental conservation equations of mass, momentum and energy, and the equations of motion for both inviscid and viscous fluids. In addition to the fundamentals, this book also covers water waves and sound waves, vortex motions, geophysical flows, nonlinear instability, chaos, and turbulence. Furthermore, it includes the chapters on superfluids and the gauge theory of fluid flows. The material in the book emerged from the lecture notes for an intensive course on Elementary Fluid Mechanics for both undergraduate and postgraduate students of theoretical physics given in 2003 and 2004 at the Nankai Institute of Mathematics (Tianjin) in China. Hence, each chapter may be presented separately as a single lecture."

This textbook provides a clear and concise introduction to both theory and application of fluid dynamics. It has a wide scope, frequent references to experiments, and numerous exercises (with hints and answers).

Fluid mechanics is the study under all possible conditions of rest and motion. Its approaches analytical, rational, and mathematical rather than empirical it concerns itself with those basic principles which lead to the solution of numerous diversified problems, and it seeks results which are widely applicable to similar fluid situations and not limited to isolated special cases. Fluid mechanics recognizes no arbitrary boundaries between fields of engineering knowledge but attempts to solve all fluid problems, irrespective of their occurrence or of the characteristics of the fluids involved. This textbook is intended primarily for the beginner who knows the principles of mathematics and mechanics but has had no previous experience with fluid phenomena. The abilities of the average beginner and the tremendous scope of fluid mechanics appear to be in conflict, and the former obviously determine limits beyond which it is not feasible to go these practical limits represent the boundaries of the subject which I have chosen to call elementary fluid mechanics. The apparent conflict between scope of subject and beginner ability is only along mathematical lines, however, and the physical ideas of fluid mechanics are well within the reach of the beginner in the field. Holding to the belief that physical concepts are the sine qua non of mechanics, I have sacrificed mathematical rigor and detail in developing physical pictures and in many cases have stated general laws only without numerous exceptions and limitations in order to convey basic ideas such oversimplification is necessary in introducing a new subject to the beginner. Like other courses in mechanics, fluid mechanics must include disciplinary features as well as factual information the beginner must follow theoretical developments, develop imagination in visualizing physical phenomena, and be forced to think his way through problems of theory and application. The text attempts to attain these objectives in the following ways omission of subsidiary conclusions is designed to encourage the student to come to some conclusions by himself application of bare principles to specific problems should develop ingenuity illustrative problems are included to assist in overcoming numerical difficulties and many numerical problems for the student to solve are intended not only to develop ingenuity but to show practical applications as well. Presentation of the subject begins with a discussion of fundamentals, physical properties and fluid statics. Frictionless flow is then discussed to bring out the applications of the principles of conservation of mass and energy, and of impulse-momentum law, to fluid motion. The principles of similarity and dimensional analysis are next taken up so that these principles may be used as tools in later developments. Frictional processes are discussed in a semi-quantitative fashion, and the text proceeds to pipe and open-channel flow. A chapter is devoted to the principles and apparatus for fluid measurements, and the text ends with an elementary treatment of flow about immersed objects.

This book introduces the subject of fluid dynamics from the first principles.

Suitable for both a first or second course in fluid mechanics at the graduate or advanced undergraduate level, this book presents the study of how fluids behave and interact under various forces and in various applied situations - whether in the liquid or gaseous state or both.

It is over three hundred and fifty years since Torricelli discovered the law obeyed by fountains, yet fluid dynamics remains an active and important branch of physics. This book provides an accessible and comprehensive account of the subject, emphasising throughout the fundamental physical principles, and stressing the connections with other branches of physics. Beginning with a gentle introduction, the book goes on to cover Bernouilli's theorem, compressible flow, potential flow, surface waves, viscosity, vorticity dynamics, thermal convection and instabilities, turbulence, non-Newtonian fluids and the propagation and attenuation of sound in gases. Undergraduate or graduate students in physics or engineering who are taking courses in fluid dynamics will find this book invaluable, but it will also be of great interest to anyone who wants to find out more about this fascinating subject.

This book gives an overview of classical topics in fluid dynamics, focusing on the kinematics and dynamics of incompressible inviscid and Newtonian viscous fluids, but also including some material on compressible flow. The topics are chosen to illustrate the mathematical methods of classical fluid dynamics. The book is intended to prepare the reader for more advanced topics of current research interest.

This is a graduate-level textbook for students in the natural sciences. After reviewing the necessary math, it describes the logical path from Newton's laws of motion to our modern understanding of fluid mechanics. It does not describe engineering applications but instead focuses on phenomena found in nature. Once developed, the theory is applied to three familiar examples of flows that can be observed easily in Earth's atmosphere, oceans, rivers and lakes: vortices, interfacial waves, and hydraulic transitions. The student will then have both (1) the tools to analyze a wide range of naturally-occurring flows and (2) a solid foundation for more advanced studies in atmospheric dynamics and physical oceanography. Appendices give more detailed explanations and optional topics.

This textbook deals with the fundamental principles of fluid dynamics, heat and mass transfer. The basic equations governing the convective transfer by fluid motion of matter, energy and momentum, and the transfer of the same properties by diffusion of molecular motion, are presented at the outset. These concepts are then applied systematically to the study of fluid dynamics in an engineering context and to the parallel investigation of heat and mass transfer processes. The influence of viscosity and the dominant role of turbulence in fluid motion are emphasised. Individual chapters are concerned with the important subjects of boundary layers, flow in pipes and ducts, gas dynamics, and flow in turbo-machinery and of a liquid with a free surface. Later chapters cover some of the special types of flow and transfer process encountered in chemical engineering applications, including two-phase flow, condensation, evaporation, flow in packed beds and fluidized solids.

This book presents the foundations of fluid mechanics and transport phenomena in a concise way. It is suitable as an introduction to the subject as it contains many examples, proposed problems and a chapter for self-evaluation.