Lecturer: Stefano Sibilla  

Course name: Fluid mechanics
Course code: 502473
Degree course: Ingegneria Industriale
Disciplinary field of science: ICAR/01
The course relates to:
University credits: CFU 9
Course website: n.d.

Specific course objectives

The course gives the elements of hydraulics and fluid mechanics needed to describe the flow phenomena inside pipes (internal hydraulics) and around bodies (external aerodynamics) and to obtain (through theoretical and/or experimental methods) their essential characteristics, such as velocity and pressure distributions, energy dissipations, hydrodynamic and aerodynamic forces.

Course programme

Fluid properties
Internal stresses in continua and tensor properties. Density, compressibility, viscosity, vapour tension. Equation of state.

Hydrostatics
Stevin law and pressure measurement. Hydrostatic force on plane and curved surfaces and immersed bodies. Mariotte formula. Statics of heavy cmpressible fluids: pressure distribution in the atmosphere.

Cinematics of fluids
Eulerian and Lagrangian description of motion. Cinematic entities (trajectories, flow lines, flow tubes, flux across a surface). Accelerated, unform and decelerated motion. Uniform and gradually varied flow. flow rate and average velocity. Rotation and vorticity.

Dynamics of ideal fluids
Continuity equation. Dynamic equilibrium equations: local and integral form of the Euler equations. Irrotational motion: velocity potential, Bernoulli's Theorem. Computation of aerodynamic forces: lift and pressure drag. Hydraulic flows: mechanical energy of a flow. Pressure distribution in a cross-section. flow through orifices. Discharge and velocity measrurement: Venturimeter, Pitot tube.

Dissipative effects in pipe flows
Instability of laminar flows, characteristic scales and features of the turbulent flow. Turbulent stresses and energy dissipation, effect of wall roughness. Moody's diagram. Computation of distributed and local head losses in pipe flows. Energy exchange between hydraulic machines and flows.

buondary layers
Boundary layer features. Laminar boundary layer on a flate plane. favourable and adverse pressure gradient. Separation and wakes. Bonudary layer and displacement thickness. Friction drag. Turbulent buondary layers.

Aerodynamics of ground vehicles
Car aerodynamics: lift anf negative lift, drag, aerodinamic coefficients. Interaction with the road: ground effect. Racing gar aerodynamics. Train aerodynamics: friction drag. Effect of train head shape. Transversal wind loads. pressure wave propagation in railway tunnels.

Course entry requirements

Calculus: function of several variables, limits, derivative and integral. Geometry: trigonometry, elementary algebra, elementary analytical geometry . Physics: principles and fundamental equations of Mechanics, energy, power. vector calculus.

Course structure and teaching

Lectures (hours/year in lecture theatre): 48
Practical class (hours/year in lecture theatre): 30
Practicals / Workshops (hours/year in lecture theatre): 12

Suggested reading materials

M. Gallati, S. Sibilla. Fondamenti di idraulica. Carocci.

Testing and exams