Introduction to Fluid Mechanics

Name: Introduction to Fluid Mechanics
Rating: 4.0 (14 reviews)

Learn Fluid Properties, Fluid Statics, Dynamics, Flow Thro' Pipes, Dimensional Analysis and more-For Aspiring Engineers

Created byBaskar P

Last updated 7/2025

English

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What you'll learn

Learn fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics and its applications.
Understand various fluid properties such as density, specific weight, viscosity, and so on.
Estimate the power lost due to friction in bearings and sleeves.
Determine the velocity and acceleration of fluid at various point in a flow field.
Calculate the pressure and center of pressure on plane and curved surfaces.
Determine the pressure drop between two points in a pipe flow.
Derive a governing equation between different physical variables.

Course content

7 sections • 26 lectures • 2h 44m total length

Welcome to the Course - Fluid Mechanics3:29

Introduction to Fluid Mechanics2:24
Fluid Properties - Part-18:56
Explore fluid properties including mass density, weight density, specific gravity, specific volume, and viscosity, and learn Newton's law of viscosity with dynamic and kinematic viscosity.
Numerical Example - 1 _ Mass density, specific weight, and specific gravity4:50
Determine the oil’s specific weight, mass density, and specific gravity from 8 m^3 and 64 kN. Gamma = 8000 N/m^3, rho ≈ 814.5 kg/m^3, SG ≈ 0.815.
Numerical Example - 2_ Mass density, specific weight, and specific gravity3:00
Numerical Example - 3 _ Viscosity6:09
Solve a free-body problem on an inclined plane to compute dynamic viscosity mu and the kinematic viscosity nu from mu and density.
Numerical Example - 4 _ Viscosity5:15
Compute the terminal velocity of a 0.64 m² square plate sliding down an inclined oil film using dynamic viscosity, shear stress, and weight components on a 21.8° incline.
Numerical Example - 5 _ Viscosity7:16
The lecture demonstrates calculating the oil's dynamic viscosity in a concentric cylinder setup using Newton's law of viscosity, shear stress, and viscous torque, yielding 0.0729 N·s/m^2 (0.729 poise).
Numerical Example - 6 _ Viscosity9:06
Numerical Example - 7 _ Viscosity3:11
Apply Newton’s law of viscosity to relate force and speed in a sleeve clearance with f = mu a/y · u. Compute u2 = (F2/F1)·u1, yielding 350 cm/s.
Numerical Example - 8 _ Kinematic Viscosity2:11
Use nu = mu / rho to compute density, giving rho ≈ 1,371 kg/m^3 from mu = 0.0048 Pa·s and nu = 0.035×10^-4 m^2/s.
Numerical Example - 9 _ Viscosity4:55
Apply Newton's law of viscosity to a thin oil film between piston and cylinder, relating viscous force to torque. The calculation yields a tangential velocity of about 4.87 m/s.
Numerical Example - 10 _ Capillarity2:20
Numerical Example - 11 _ Bulk Modulus2:01

Introduction to Fluid Statics15:08
Explore Fluid Statics, the essential branch of fluid mechanics focusing on fluids at rest. This lesson covers fundamental concepts like pressure, its variation with depth (hydrostatic equation), and the behavior of fluids under gravity. Learn about Pascal's Principle (hydraulic systems), Buoyancy, and Archimedes' Principle (floating/sinking). Discover practical pressure measurement using manometers. Ideal for B.Tech. and Diploma engineering students in Fluid Mechanics, this module provides the bedrock for understanding dams, submarines, and hydraulic lifts. Master hydrostatics for core engineering applications.

Introduction to Fluid kinematics3:08
Analyze the velocity and acceleration of fluid particles to determine the pressure distribution and flow forces, and compare the lagrangian and eulerian methods.
Types of Fluid Flow7:45
Explore six types of fluid flow: steady and unsteady; uniform and non-uniform; laminar and turbulent; compressible and incompressible; rotational and irrotational; and one, two, and three dimensional flows.
Rate of Flow or Discharge and Continuity Equation2:37
Describe rate of flow or discharge (Q) using Q = rho A V for compressible fluids and Q = A V for incompressible fluids, and discuss the continuity equation.
Continuity Equation3:14
Continuity equation enforces conservation of mass in flow, linking area and velocity; incompressible fluids satisfy a1 v1 equals a2 v2, compressible fluids satisfy rho1 a1 v1 equals rho2 a2 v2.
Velocity and Acceleration of a Fluid Particle9:33
Compute the velocity components u, v, w = y^2+z^2, x^2+z^2, x^2+y^2 for a three-dimensional flow and determine a_x, a_y, a_z and the total acceleration at (1,2,3) using partial derivatives.

Introduction to Fluid Dynamics13:55
Dive into Fluid Dynamics, the study of fluids in motion, a cornerstone of Fluid Mechanics for B.Tech and Diploma engineering students. This lesson introduces key flow characteristics (steady, unsteady, uniform), and the fundamental conservation laws: mass, momentum, and energy. Explore the Continuity Equation (A1V1=A2V2), Euler's Equation, and the crucial Bernoulli's Equation with its terms (pressure head, velocity head, elevation head). Understand Bernoulli's Principle applications (Venturi meter, Pitot tube, lift) and the practical General Energy Equation accounting for real fluid losses and pumps. Essential for aerospace, civil, mechanical, and biomedical engineering.
Euler's Equation of Motion7:45
Explore steady and unsteady, uniform and non-uniform, laminar and turbulent, compressible and incompressible, rotational and irrotational flows across one, two, and three dimensions, with Reynolds number criteria.

Introduction to Dimensional analysis and Similarity (Part-1)10:17
Discover how dimensional analysis and similarity simplify fluid mechanics problems by reducing variables with Buckingham's pi theorem into dimensionless terms, enabling reliable scaling from models to prototypes.
Introduction to Dimensional analysis and Similarity (Part-2)9:43
Explore dimensional analysis and similarity to scale model results to full-scale prototypes, using geometric, kinematic, and dynamic similarity and key dimensionless numbers like Reynolds, Froude, Mach.

Flow Through Pipes10:02
Master Flow Through Pipes, a critical module in Fluid Mechanics for B.Tech and Diploma students. This lesson introduces the dynamics of fluid movement in conduits, distinguishing between laminar flow and turbulent flow using the Reynolds Number. Understand the vital concept of head loss, including major losses (friction) and minor losses (fittings). Learn to apply the Darcy-Weisbach Equation and use the Moody Diagram for friction factor determination. Explore real-world pipe flow applications in water supply, HVAC, oil & gas pipelines, and pumping systems. Essential for efficient network design and fluid transport.
Numerical Example - Branched Pipes6:35

Requirements

Basic mathematics and science.

Description

What is Fluid Mechanics?

Fluid Mechanics is a branch of science that deals with fluids at rest and in motion.

How will this course help me in my studies and career?

Fluid Mechanics is one of the core subjects in the field of engineering and technology. Literally speaking, without the concept of Fluid Mechanics, there is no life in the world.

This subject plays a vital role in everything from agriculture to aviation. This is an important core subject for science and engineering students at the Diploma, and Degree level for various streams like Aeronautical, Automobile, Biotechnology, Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, and so on worldwide.

This course will teach you how the fluid properties affect one another, and how the forces act on the containing bodies. Also, you will learn how the fluids flow in a pipe or channel and how much energy is lost during the flow. This course is the core foundation for the design of pumps, turbines, dams, biomedical devices, cryogenic equipment, and so on.

At the end of the course, you will be able to draw out the important information from the descriptive real-world problems and perform mathematical modeling and calculation to obtain the optimum solution. This is what you call a problem-solving ability. Also, you will be able to apply the concepts to other areas of engineering applications. In other words, you will be able to utilize the skills and knowledge gained from this course in advanced-level subjects like Design of Hydraulic Structures and Machines, Biomedical Devices, Design of Thermal Systems, and so on.

Who this course is for:

Beginners who want to gain better understanding of Fluid Mechanics.
Diploma and Degree level Engineering students.
Practicing Engineers who want to refresh their knowledge on Fluid Mechanics.

Introduction to Fluid Mechanics

What you'll learn

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Course content

Introduction1 lecture • 3min