Technical Terms in Fluid Mechanics
Some commonly used technical terms in fluid mechanics
| Term | Category | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Acoustic theory | Sound & Waves | Relating to mathematical description of sound waves |
| Aerodynamics | Flow of Gases | The study of the flow of gases |
| Aeronautics | Flight Mechanics | The mathematics and mechanics of flying objects, in particular airplanes |
| Bernoulli's equation | Fluid Dynamics | Describes the behavior of moving fluids along a streamline |
| Boundary layer | Fluid Mechanics | The layer of fluid in the immediate vicinity of a bounding surface |
| Cavitation | Fluid Phenomena | Formation of vapor bubbles in liquid flow, related to Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH) |
| Compressible flow | Flow Types | Flow where the compressibility of the fluid must be taken into account |
| Coanda effect | Fluid Behavior | The tendency of a stream of fluid to stay attached to a convex surface |
| Conservation laws | Fundamental Principles | Particular measurable properties of an isolated physical system do not change as the system evolves |
| Darcy-Weisbach Equation | Pressure Loss | Equation for pressure loss and head loss due to friction in ducts and tubes |
| Density | Fluid Properties | Mass per unit volume of a fluid |
| Euler equations | Governing Equations | Govern the motion of a compressible, inviscid fluid, representing conservation of mass, momentum, and energy |
| Euler Number | Dimensionless Numbers | A dimensionless number in fluid mechanics |
| Flow Coefficient (Cv, Kv) | Flow Measurement | Coefficients used to characterize flow through control valves |
| Flow measurement | Instrumentation | Tools and methods for measuring fluid flow rates |
| Fluids | General Fluid Mechanics | Substances that flow and conform to the shape of their containers |
| Froude number | Dimensionless Numbers | A dimensionless number in fluid mechanics |
| Gas | Fluid Types | A state of matter characterized by low density and high compressibility |
| Hydraulics | Engineering Applications | Science and engineering concerned with the use of liquids to perform mechanical tasks |
| Hydrodynamics | Fluid Dynamics | Fluid dynamics applied to liquids, such as water, alcohol, and oil |
| Ideal Gas | Gas Laws | A gas that obeys the ideal gas law |
| Knudsen number | Dimensionless Numbers | Used to determine the validity of continuum mechanics |
| Laminar Flow | Flow Types | Flow characterized by smooth, parallel layers with no mixing between layers |
| Laplace's equation | Mathematical Physics | Describes the behavior of gravitational, electric, and fluid potentials |
| Lift (force) | Aerodynamics | Sum of all aerodynamic forces normal to the direction of external airflow |
| Liquids | Fluid Types | A state of matter with definite volume but no definite shape |
| Mach number | Dimensionless Numbers | Ratio of an object's speed to the speed of sound in that medium |
| Navier-Stokes Equations | Governing Equations | Equations governing the motion of a non-turbulent, Newtonian fluid |
| Newtonian Fluid | Fluid Types | A fluid with constant viscosity regardless of applied shear force |
| Non-Newtonian fluid | Fluid Types | A fluid whose viscosity changes with the applied shear force |
| Prandtl number | Dimensionless Numbers | Ratio of momentum diffusivity to thermal diffusivity |
| Pressure | Fluid Properties | Force per unit area exerted by a fluid |
| Reynolds Number | Dimensionless Numbers | Used to determine whether a flow is laminar or turbulent |
| Richardson number | Dimensionless Numbers | Expresses the ratio of potential to kinetic energy |
| Shock wave | Wave Phenomena | A strong pressure wave produced by explosions or violent pressure changes |
| Sound barrier | Speed Phenomena | The apparent physical boundary stopping large objects from becoming supersonic |
| Streamline - Stream function | Flow Visualization | The path that an imaginary particle would follow if embedded in the flow |
| Strouhal number | Dimensionless Numbers | Describes oscillating flow mechanisms |
| Supersonic Flow | Flow Types | Flow with speed above the speed of sound |
| Surface tension | Fluid Properties | Force within the surface layer of a liquid causing it to behave as an elastic sheet |
| Transonic | Flow Types | Flow with speed at velocities just below and above the speed of sound |
| Turbulent Flow - Turbulence | Flow Types | Flow characterized by chaotic, irregular fluid motion |
| Vapor pressure | Fluid Properties | Pressure at which the vapor of a substance is in equilibrium with its liquid or solid forms |
| Velocity | Flow Properties | Speed and direction of fluid motion |
| Venturi | Flow Control | A system for speeding the flow of a fluid by constricting it in a cone-shaped tube |
| Viscosity | Fluid Properties | Measure of a fluid's resistance to flow |
| Vorticity | Flow Characteristics | Circulation per unit area at a point in the flow field |
| Wave drag | Aerodynamic Phenomena | Sudden and powerful drag appearing on aircraft flying at high-subsonic speeds |
| Weber Number | Dimensionless Numbers | A dimensionless number in fluid mechanics |