Description:
This preliminary course on Fluid Mechanics deals with the statics and dynamics of fluids and provides an introduction to the parameters involved therein. Students are taught to formulate simple models to represent real-life flows. This course will help the students develop numerical and dimensional analysis skills for practical applications.
Course Content:
1 : Introduction and basic concepts
2 : Hydrostatics – Pressure and fluid statics
3 : Fluid kinematics
4 : Integral approach to fluid equations
5 : Differential approach to fluid equations
6 : Dimensional Analysis
7 : Internal flows – Fluid flow in pipes
8 : External flows – Fluid flow over bodies
Grading Structure:
1 : 4 Quizzes (best 3 out of 4) ->25%
2 : MidSem ->25%
3 : EndSem ->50%
The quizzes and the midsem are moderate, testing concepts as well as numerical problem-solving abilities. The endsem is high weightage, open notes(upper cap on number of sheets allowed) and quite challenging.
A thorough understanding of the concepts involved and practicing a variety of questions beforehand is essential for doing well in this course.
Motivation and key learning:
In the professor’s own words :
After this course, you are not expected to design a perfect streamlined car/airplane, or design a new heart valve, or select the correct ducting/pumping configuration for $1B building.
“You are expected to develop a good understanding of the concepts behind all these and this will take you a step further to work on such exciting fluid mechanics projects.”
This introductory course on Fluid Mechanics serves as an immediate pre-requisite for a variety of advance courses :
ME 346- Heat Transfer
ME 406- Steam and Gas Turbines
ME 410- Microfluidics
ME 651- Fluid Dynamics
ME 678- Fundamentals of Gas Dynamics
Resources and References:
Prescribed text references are :
1. Fluid mechanics, Frank M White
2. Introduction to fluid mechanics, Fox & McDonald,
3. Brief introduction to fluid mechanics, Munson, Young et al.
4. Fluid Mechanics: Fundamentals and Applications, Yunus Cengel, John Cimbala
Department Academic Mentorship Program Mechanical Engineering | IIT Bombay 