OVERVIEW

Introductory course on the basic elements of fluid dynamics.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course will provide the basic elements useful to understand and interpret the behavior of fluids, understood as continuous media, in static and dynamic conditions, introducing concepts such as pressure, density, flow rate, stress, etc. The equations of motion will be illustrated, and the essential tools will be provided to make estimates of forces and moments produced by a fluid in interaction with a solid body, in laminar and turbulent conditions. Laboratory activities will be conducted to complement the theoretical aspects of the discipline.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon terminating the course, the student will have learned the meaning of the continuum model in fluid mechanics and understood the role of the main terms present in the equations of motion.

In the case of static phenomena, the student will be able to evaluate the resulting forces on flat and curved surfaces. In the presence of fluid motion, the student will be able to analyze, possibly in a simplified way, the relationships between the terms of kinetic, pressure and potential loads. Furthermore, he will be able to identify and evaluate different regions of the flow and phenomena related to the fluid motion, e.g. laminar/turbulent flow, attached/separated flow, boundary layer vs irrotational motion, presence or absence of vortices in the field, effect of pressure and shear stresses, effect of the main dimensionless parameters (Reynolds number, etc.)

PREREQUISITES

Knowledge of the basic laws of mechanics.

TEACHING METHODS

The course consists of lectures, for a total of 28 hours, plus a 4-hour laboratory part.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

1. What is a fluid
2. Fluid statics
3. Kinematics
4. Equations of motion in integral form: conservation of mass, energy, Bernoulli
5. Momentum equation in integral form
6. Dimensional analysis and similarity
7. Laboratory experiments

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Meccanica dei Fluidi, Y.A. Cengel & J.M. Cimbala, McGraw Hill 2024

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

ALESSANDRO BOTTARO (President)

ANDREA MAZZINO

JAN OSCAR PRALITS

LESSONS

LESSONS START

https://corsi.unige.it/corsi/11429/studenti-orario

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam will consist of (1) a written test, (2) a written report on the experiences carried out in the laboratory, and (3) an oral part. To be allowed to take the oral exam, students must have received a grade greater than or equal to 15 in the written test.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The written test will evaluate the ability to solve some fluid dynamics problems on the topics covered in the course. The report on the laboratory experiments will serve to evaluate the student's actual understanding of the phenomena observed and of the measurements carried out with the instruments available. The oral exam will mainly focus on the topics covered during the lectures and will aim to evaluate whether the student has reached an adequate level of knowledge and whether he has acquired the ability to critically analyze the main phenomena related to the motion of a fluid. 

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the instructor and with Professor Federico Scarpa (federico.scarpa@unige.it ), the Polytechnic School's disability liaison.