Exit Exam Preparation on Fluid Mechanics: Sample Questions with Answer (Part 2)

1. You are part of a team designing a new high-speed boat. The boat needs to minimize drag and maximize
lift for efficient movement through water. Which principle of fluid behavior should be considered
when designing the shape of the boat hull to minimize drag and generate lift?
A. Archimedes' Principle
B. Bernoulli's Principle
C. Pascal's Law
D. The viscosity of the water will have the most significant impact
2. You are tasked with designing a water pipeline system for a new residential area. The goal is to deliver
water efficiently while minimizing pumping costs. To minimize pumping costs, what factor related to
fluid behavior should you prioritize when designing the pipeline diameter?
A. Increase the diameter to reduce flow velocity and pressure drop
B. Decrease the diameter to increase flow velocity for faster delivery
C. Use a material with high surface roughness to create turbulence
D. The diameter choice won't significantly impact pumping costs
3. An orifice plate is a common device used for measuring fluid:
A. Pressure
B. Viscosity
C. Temperature
D. Flow rate
4. When designing a lubrication system for a high-speed pump, an engineer should
consider:
A. Using a lubricant with a low viscosity for better flow characteristics
B. Using a lubricant with a high viscosity to maintain a thicker film
C. Friction has minimal impact on high-speed pumps
D. The type of material the pump is made of only
5. A city's main pipeline delivers water at a constant pressure for residential and commercial use.
From a fluid mechanics perspective, what factors influence the pressure within the pipeline?
Considering fluid mechanics principles, which instrument would be most suitable for
monitoring the pressure in the pipeline?
A. Ultrasonic flowmeter (measures flow rate, not pressure)
B. Manometer
C. Orifice plate (used for flow rate measurement based on pressure differential)
D. Coriolis flowmeter (another type of flowmeter)

6. In a pipe flowing with water, the momentum balance equation can be used to analyze:

A. The pressure drop across a valve

B. The change in flow rate due to a change in pipe diameter
C. The force exerted by the flowing water on a bend in the pipe
D. The temperature change of the water due to friction
7. A fire hose discharges water at a velocity of 10 m/s through a nozzle with a diameter of 0.05
meters. The density of water is 1000 kg/m³. Calculate the force exerted by the water jet due to
its momentum.
8. A pump lifts 5 kg/s of water to a height of 10 meters. The pump efficiency is 70% (meaning 70% of
the input energy is converted to useful work, while 30% is lost as heat. Calculate the minimum work
required by the pump to achieve this task.

Answers
1. Answer : B
A. Archimedes' Principle (important for buoyancy, not drag reduction)
B. Bernoulli's Principle - pressure and velocity relationship for lift generation
C. Pascal's Law - pressure transmission for structural integrity
D. The viscosity of the water will have the most significant impact
2. Answer : A
Increasing the diameter is the best approach for minimizing pumping costs:
In fluid flow, a smaller diameter pipe creates more friction with the flowing water. This friction
translates to a pressure drop along the pipeline, requiring more energy (higher pumping costs) to
maintain the desired flow rate.
By increasing the diameter, you reduce the surface area in contact with the water proportionally,
leading to less friction and a lower pressure drop. Consequently, less energy is needed from the
pump to deliver the same amount of water.
3. Answer : D
An orifice plate is a restriction placed in a pipe. As the fluid flows through the restriction, the
pressure drop across the plate is proportional to the flow rate. By measuring the pressure difference
and using appropriate calculations, the flow rate of the fluid can be determined.
4. Answer : B
 In a high-speed pump, the shearing forces between the moving parts and the
lubricant can be significant.
 A lubricant with a high viscosity offers more resistance to these shearing forces,
allowing it to maintain a thicker film between the surfaces.
 This thicker film provides better separation, reducing friction and wear on the
pump components.
5. Answer: B

 Manometer: - Simple and effective for measuring pressure due to the hydrostatic
principle. This instrument utilizes the concept of hydrostatic pressure to measure
the pressure difference between a column of liquid and the pressurized fluid in the
pipeline. It is a simple and effective choice for monitoring pressure in this scenario.

 Ultrasonic flowmeter: This meter measures the flow rate of the fluid by sensing
the velocity using sound waves. While it can be used in pipelines, it doesn't directly
measure pressure.
 Orifice plate: This device creates a pressure drop in the pipeline to infer flow rate
based on the pressure difference. While pressure is involved, the orifice plate is
not the primary tool for monitoring pressure itself.
  Coriolis flowmeter: This advanced meter measures mass flow rate directly. It can
be used in pipelines, but it is not the most practical or cost-effective option for
simply monitoring pressure in this situation.

6. Answer: C
The momentum balance equation relates the forces acting on a fluid element to its resulting
acceleration or change in momentum.

Pressure drop across a valve: While pressure forces are involved in momentum balance,
pressure drop itself is not directly calculated. The focus is on the overall force exerted by
the flowing fluid.
Change in flow rate due to diameter change: This is related to the continuity equation,
which ensures mass conservation. Momentum balance deals with the forces acting on the
fluid.
Temperature change due to friction: This is a consequence of energy balance, where
frictional losses can lead to a temperature increase. Momentum balance does not directly
address thermal effects.

7. Solution:

1. Mass flow rate:

𝐷 2 0.05 m 2
𝐴𝑁𝑜𝑧𝑧𝑙𝑒 = π ∗ ( ) = π ∗ ( )
2 2
≈ 0.001963 m²
𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 = 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 ∗ 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 ∗ 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎
kg m
= 1000 3 ∗ 10 ∗ 0.001963 m2
m s
≈ 19.63 kg/s
2. Momentum:
𝑀𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑚 = 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 ∗ 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦
kg m
= 19.63 ∗ 10
s s
= 196.3 kg ∗ m/s

8. Solution:

Work done by the pump:

𝑊 = 𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 , 𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒
𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑢𝑚𝑝 = 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 ∗ 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 ∗ ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡
𝑚
𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑢𝑚𝑝 = 5 𝑘𝑔 ∗ 9.81 2 ∗ 10 𝑚
𝑠
= 490.5 𝐽
Minimum work required:
𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐦 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 = 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑢𝑚𝑝 / 𝑝𝑢𝑚𝑝 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦
= (490.5 J) / (0.7) = 700.7 J