Fluid Mechanics I

Instance: 2024/2025 - 2S

Cycles of Study/Courses

Last updated on 2025-01-22.

Fields changed: Learning outcomes and competences, Métodos de ensino e atividades de aprendizagem, Fórmula de cálculo da classificação final, Obtenção de frequência, Programa, Métodos de ensino e atividades de aprendizagem, Fórmula de cálculo da classificação final

Teaching language

Objectives

Analyze, understand and characterize, on the basis of their respective properties and fundamental laws of mechanics, the behavior of resting and moving fluids. Using specific methodologies and, in some cases, introducing relevant simplifications, solve problems of Fluid Mechanics in engineering and create the basis for the resolution of other more comprehensive, with the complementary knowledge to be transmitted in the scope of Fluid Mechanics II and of the master in Mechanical Engineering..

Learning outcomes and competences

Working method

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

Program

1.Introduction. Scope and relevance of fluid mechanics, concept of fluid, thermodynamic properties of fluids, hypothesis of continuous medium. Concept of pressure. Viscosity, Newton's law of viscosity. Couette flow, non-slip condition. Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids. Surface tension. Vapor pressure and cavitation.
2.Statics of fluids. Pressure in fluids atrest, invariability of pressure with direction. Principle of Pascal. The hydrostatics fundamental law. Absolute and relative pressure. Manometers and barometers. Forces on surfaces immersed and its center of pressures. Buoyancy.
3.Flow kinematics. Velocity field properties, lagrangean and eulerian perspectives, convective and local acceleration. Systems and control volumes. Flow rate and mean velocity, law of mass conservation (continuity). Concepts of trajectory, streamline and streakline.
4.Introduction to fluid dynamics. Newton's 2nd law applied to a fluid particle, integration along a streamline. Ideal flow concept. Equations of Euler and Bernoulli. Interpretations of the Bernoulli equation. Dynamic pressure and stagnation pressure. Velocity and volume flux measurements. Integration of Newton's 2nd law in the direction normal to streamlines. Pressure in free jets.
5.Fundamental equations - integral formulation. Reynolds transport theorem. Law of mas  conservation. Newton's law and linear momentum equation. Balance of forces acting on a control volume, contact forces and internal forces. Angular momentum. Principle of conservation of energy, 1st law of thermodynamics. Applications.
6. Fundamental equations - differential formulation. Movement and deformation of fluid elements. Acceleration field in a flow. Infinitesimal control volume. Mass conservation and simplifications. Incompressibility condition limit. Linear momentum. Forces acting on an infinitesimal control volume for any fluid. The stress tensor. Viscous flows of Newtonian fluids, Navier-Stokes equations. Applications of the Navier-Stokes equations
7. Dimensional analysis, similarity and modeling. Dimensional homogeneity, dimensional versus non-dimensional representations. Variables and reference dimensions of a problem, dimensionlessness of a functional dependency, Buckingham's "Pi" theorem. Dimensional groups and their interpretation. Introduction to the theory of similarity, models. Fundamental equations of fluid mechanics in dimensionless form.

Mandatory literature

Complementary Bibliography

Teaching methods and learning activities

The curricular unit will be delivered through two weekly face-to-face sessions (one lecture and one lecture–practical class), each lasting two hours. All classes are taught exclusively in Portuguese.

Each student will also participate, throughout the  semester, in three two-hour practical classes, in a  laboratory context. These sessions are taught by  monitors, supported by teachers, and whose  scheduling is carried out through the L.EM  secretariat.

If, for any reason, the student misses or cannot attend their previously scheduled laboratory session, they must contact the teaching assistants in order to reschedule.

Evaluation Type

Assessment Components

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Eligibility for exams

Attendance at all three laboratory sessions and at least 75% of classes.

Participation in the three laboratory sessions (each lasting two hours) is compulsory for students enrolling for the first time.

Students who have completed the laboratory sessions in the 2023–2024 academic year may choose not to repeat them and retain the grade previously obtained.

Calculation formula of final grade

TYPE OF EVALUATION

The evaluation of this Curricular Unit consists of 
two mini-tests, lasting 30 to 60 minutes (to be 
defined on a case-by-case basis), three laboratory 
questionnaires, to be carried out during the semester, and a final exam. All assessment components are without consultation, or with consultation of a restricted form provided with the test statement.

Each mini test is classified from 0 to 20 values and
 has a weight of 15% in the final classification. The 
first mini test will take place roughly in the middle
 of the semester and the second will take place at the
 end of the semester.

Laboratory questionnaires: during the semester there
 will be three laboratory sessions, lasting 2 hours 
each, to carry out experimental work. In all sessions, a questionnaire is answered and evaluated which, as a whole, will constitute the classification of the laboratory component, with a weight of 10% in the final grade (each questionnaire, classified from 0 to 20 values, has a weight of 1/3 of 10 % in the final classification).

Written exam: has a weight of 60% in the final 
classification and is only accessible to students 
who have simultaneously obtained an average of 7/20 
in the set of two mini-tests and an average of 7/20 
in the set of three questionnaires laboratory.

Approval of the subject: the student whose weighted 
average of the evaluation elements is equal to or 
greater than 9.5 points will pass the subject, requiring a minimum score of 7 points in each of the 3 evaluation elements (average of the two mini-tests, average of the three lab quizzes and final exam)
Repeating students who have obtained a minimum grade 
in the laboratory component in the immediately 
previous academic year, may, if they wish, keep that 
grade and not carry out the work in the current 
academic year. However, as this decision is personal, 
they will have to formalize this wish in writing with 
the course secretariat, until the end of registration 
in the laboratory groups, otherwise they will have to 
carry out the work in the current academic year.

All the elements of evaluation (lab assignements 
and exams) are in portuguese only.

Resit exam

The appeal period is also made up of 3 evaluation 
elements, namely:

    the resource mini-test, which will take place 
before the written exam, and which has a weight of 
30% in the final classification;
    the average value of the three questionnaires 
carried out during the semester, which has a weight 
of 10% in the final classification;
    the written exam itself, which has a weight of 
60% and to which only students who have obtained an 
average of 7/20 in the resource mini-test and an 
average of 7/20 in the set of the two laboratory 
questionnaires have access carried out during the 
semester.

 

Approval to the subject at the time of appeal: the 
student whose weighted average of the 3 evaluation 
elements is equal to or greater than 9.5 points will 
pass the subject, requiring a minimum score of 7 
points in each of the evaluation elements.

 

Summary

Final classification= 0.6 x (Exam or Resource) + 0.3 
x Average of the Mini-tests (semester or resource) + 
0.1 x Laboratory Questionnaires (performed during the 
semester).


In the mini-tests, the use of  a moodle or operating system calculator will be 
allowed. In written exams, the use of a graphing calculator is only allowed if it is in exam mode.


During any assessment test, students are not allowed 
to have any type of communication device, such as a 
mobile phone, smartphone, digital watch, tablet or 
computer. Possession of any of these devices during 
the evaluation tests, even if it is turned off, is 
sufficient cause for the test to be canceled. Before 
the test begins, and if you so wish, the student can 
deposit his device on a table designated by the 
invigilator for this purpose, but the invigilator 
team cannot be held responsible in case of equipment 
disappearance.

Examinations or Special Assignments

Internship work/project

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

According to the FEUP rules, simultaneously and with
the same rules as the resit exam. 

The final grade of the special assessment 
consists of the following three assessment 
elements:
(1) the three laboratory questionnaires 
carried out during the semester with a 
minimum average grade of 7.0/20 and a weight 
of 10%;
(2) the theoretical component of the special 
assessment test, also known as the 
mini-special assessment theoretical test, 
with a minimum grade of 7.0/20 and a weight 
of 30%;
(3) the practical component of the special 
assessment test, also called the written 
special assessment test, with a minimum 
grade of 7.0/20 and a weight of 60%.

Classification improvement

According to the FEUP rules, simultaneously and with the same rules as the resit exam. 

The final grade improvement grade consists of the
 following three evaluation elements:
(1) the three laboratory questionnaires carried 
out during the semester with a minimum average 
grade of 7.0/20 and a weight of 10%;
(2) the theoretical component of the classification
 improvement test, also called mini-theoretical 
classification improvement test, with a minimum 
grade of 7.0/20 and a weight of 30%;
(3) the practical component of the classification 
improvement test, also known as the written 
classification improvement test, with a minimum 
grade of 7.0/20 and a weight of 60%.

Observations

Language of instruction: Portuguese

Classes and exams are only in portuguese.

To successfully attend this course, the student must 
have solid knowledge of calculus, algebra, statics, 
kinematics, dynamics and thermodynamics.

In case of doubt in the interpretation of the content 
of this sheet, the Portuguese version always 
prevails.