Abstract

Fluid mechanics encompasses the description and prediction of the motion of fluids. The physical principles and associated mathematical equations that are the basis of theoretical study are presented and the types of approximations employed for the study of different flow phenomena are explained. Special flow configurations and phenomena discussed include internal flows, flows near solid walls, flows past immersed bodies, free shear flows, compressible flows, flow instability and secondary flows, flows through porous media, non-Newtonian flows and two-phase flows. Essentials of computational fluid dynamics and flow measurement instrumentation and techniques are also presented.