DISCHARGE
and
MEAN VELOCITY
Discharge
Total quantity of fluid flowing
in unit time past any
particular cross-section
Can be measured as:
Mass flow rate /
mass rate of flow, (kg/s)
Volume flow rate /
volume rate of flow, Q (m3/s)
Discharge
In ideal fluid (no friction),
Cross-section, A
Velocity, u of the fluid would be
the same at every point of the
cross-section
u (m/s)
In unit time, a prism of fluid
would pass the cross-section,
Ideal Fluid
If the cross-sectional area
normal to the direction of flow
is A, the volume passing would
be Au, thus
in unit time
Q = Au
Discharge
In real fluid,
Velocity profile for a pipe would be: -
dr
r
Laminar flow
Turbulent flow
Discharge
If u is the velocity at radius r,
The flow dQ through an angular
element of radius r, and
thickness dr will be
dQ = Area of element x velocity
= 2pr dr x u
dr
r
r
R
Laminar flow
Turbulent flow
Discharge
Hence,
R
Q 2 ur dr
0
Volume flow rate can be determined by
knowing the relationship between u and r
dr
r
R
Laminar flow
Turbulent flow
Discharge
In many problem, the variation of
velocity over the cross-section can
be ignored
Velocity is assumed to be constant,
and
Equal to the mean velocity, , and,
Is defined as
= Q/A
A = cross-section area
normal to the stream
Q = volume flow rate
CONTINUITY OF FLOW
Flow direction
Consider a fixed region in a
flow constituting a control
volume
Increase of
Mass of fluid
Mass of fluid
mass in the
entering per = leaving per +
control volume
unit time
unit time
per unit time
Mass of fluid
entering
Control volume
Mass of
fluid leaving
For steady flow, the mass of
fluid in the control volume
remains constant, therefore
Mass of fluid
Mass of fluid
entering per = leaving per
unit time
unit time
For steady flow in a
streamtube having a crosssection area small enough
1
for the velocity to be
dA1
consider constant over
u1
given cross-section,
r1
Mass leaving
Mass entering
per unit time = per unit time
at section 2
at section 1
dA2
u2
r2
Mass entering
per unit time
at section 1
Mass leaving
per unit time
at section 2
= dA1u1 r1
dA1
= dA2u2 r2
u1
r1
dA2
u2
r2
For steady flow,
dA1u1 r1 = dA2u2 r2 = constant
This is equation of continuity
for the flow of a compressible
fluid through a streamtube and dA 1
1
the velocities measured at right u
1
angles to the cross-section
r
1
dA2
u2
r2
For the flow of a real fluid through a
pipe or other conduit,
A11 r1 = A22 r2 =
Where A1 and A2 are
total cross-section areas
and = mass flow rate
A 1
1
u1
r1
A2
u2
r2
If the fluid can be consider as
incompressible, so that r1 = r2
A11 = A22 = Q
Continuity of flow equation is one of
the major tools in fluid mechanics
for calculating velocities at different
point in a system
A1 1
u1
r1
A2
u2
r2
Inlet
Outlet
Qin = 1A1
Qout = 2A2
Qin = Qout = 1A1 = 2A2
If A1 = 2A2
Then 1 = 2
Continuity equation can also be
applied to determine the relation
between the flow into and out of a
junction
A1
1
Q1
Total inflow
Total outflow
to junction = from junction
r1Q1 = r2Q2 + r3Q3
A2
2
Q2
A3
3
Q3
For incompressible fluid,
r1 = r2 = r3
or
Q1 = Q2 + Q3
A1
1
Q1
A1 1 = A2 2 + A3 3
A2
2
Q2
A3
3
Q3