Theoretical and Applied Fluid Mechanics

Course Aim

To introduce basic concepts, equations, and methods of the mechanics of fluids.

Course Description

Explore a wide spectrum of flows from nature to engineering while learning the basic concepts, equations, and methods of fluid mechanics.  Consider conservation laws and constitutive equations, derive the Navier-Stokes equations, and interpret exact and approximate solutions.  Discussion includes an introduction to the theory of hydrodynamic stability and turbulent flows.

Course Contents

Overview of fluid mechanics
Kinematics of flow
Review of Tensors and the Stress Tensor
Conservation Laws: Mass, Momentum, and Energy
Constitutive Equations: the Navier-Stokes Equations, Boundary Conditions.
Potential Flows
Vortex motion
Dimensional analysis and similarity
Exact solutions of viscous flows
Creeping Flows
Boundary Layers
Hydrodynamic Stability
Turbulent flows

Prerequisites or Prior Knowledge

B10 Analytical Mechanics and/or A104 Vector and Tensor Calculus.

Textbooks

No textbook is set.

Reference Books

Fluid Mechanics by L. D. Landau and E. M. Lifshitz, 2 edn (1987) Butterworth-Heinemann
Vectors, Tensors and the Basic Equations of Fluid Mechanics by Rutherford Aris (1990) Dover
General Continuum Mechanics by T. J. Chung (2007) Cambridge University Press
Fluid Dynamics for Physicists by T. E. Faber (1995) Cambridge University Press
An Introduction to Fluid Dynamics by G. Batchelor (2000) Cambridge
Scaling by G. I. Barenblatt (2003)
Fluid Mechanics by P. K. Kundu and I. M. Cohen, 5 edn (2011) Academic Press