Physical principles
Fluid mechanics is concerned with the study of forces and movements of liquids and gases. Both substances are continua whose elements can easily move against each other. They are grouped together under the term fluid.
Isothermal and isochoric change of state of air
Learning objectives/experiments
- demonstrating the laws of state changes in gases experimentally
- isothermal change of state, Boyle-Mariotte law
- isochoric change of state, Gay-Lussac’s 2nd law
Determination of the adiabatic exponent according to Clément-Desormes
Learning objectives/experiments
- determination of the adiabatic exponent according to Clément-Desormes
- adiabatic change of state of air
- isochoric change of state of air
Pressure and temperature measurement in a steam boiler
Learning objectives/experiments
- recording the vapour pressure curve of water
- presentation of the relationship between pressure and temperature in a closed system
- temperature and pressure measurement
Vertically falling body in liquid using specimens of different sizes and different materials
Learning objectives/experiments
- influence of the following parameters on the settling velocity of spheres:
- diameter of the sphere
- density of the sphere
- density of the fluid
- viscosity of the fluid
In fluid mechanics, the measurement of temperature, pressure and flow rate are of particular interest.
Experimental introduction to temperature measurement: methods, areas of application, characteristics
Learning objectives/experiments
- learning the fundamentals of temperature measurement by experimentation
- familiarisation with the various methods, their areas of application and special features
- non-electrical methods: gas- and liquid-filled thermometers, bimetallic thermometers and temperature measuring strips
- electric methods: thermocouple, resistance temperature detector Pt100, thermistor (NTC)
- determining air humidity with a psychrometer
….
Measurement of positive and negative pressure with different measuring devices
Learning objectives/experiments
- familiarisation with 2 different measuring methods:
- direct method with U-tube manometer and inclined tube manometer
- indirect method with Bourdon tube pressure gauge
- principle of a Bourdon tube pressure gauge
- calibrating mechanical manometers
Pressure generation via weight-loaded piston
Learning objectives/experiments
- working principle of a Bourdon tube pressure gauge
- calibrate manometers, read off applied pressure
- determine systematic errors
- principle of operation and working with a piston manometer
Comparison of different measuring methods and determining the flow coefficients
Learning objectives/experiments
- flow measurement with
- orifice plate flow meter and measuring nozzle
- Venturi nozzle
- rotameter
- pressure measurement with Pitot tube
….
Comparison and calibration of different flow meters
Learning objectives/experiments
- together with different flow meters available as accessories
- different flow meters and their principles of operation
- calibration of different flow meters
- position dependency of flow meters
- plotting and comparison of pressure loss curves
Hydrostatics is the study of fluids at rest.
Experiments on buoyancy, density, capillarity etc.; various methods of pressure measurement
Learning objectives/experiments
- study of buoyancy on a variety of bodies
- study of the density of liquids
- hydrostatic pressure, Pascal’s law
- communicating vessels
- determination of the centre of pressure
….
Investigation of fluid pressure on vessel walls
Learning objectives/experiments
- pressure distribution along an effective area in a liquid at rest
- lateral force of the hydrostatic pressure
- determination of the centre of pressure and centre of area
- determination of the resulting compressive force
Determining metacentre and buoyancy using a rectangular hull cross-section
Learning objectives/experiments
- study and determination of
- buoyancy, centre of buoyancy
- centre of gravity, metacentre, stability
- heel
Comparison of two different hull shapes: hard chine and round hull
Learning objectives/experiments
- comparison of two different frame shapes: hard chine and round bilge
Hydrodynamics is concerned with the study and description of fluids in motion. The main emphasis is the teaching of the conservation laws of mass, energy and momentum.
Static pressure and total pressure distribution along the venturi nozzle
Learning objectives/experiments
- energy conversion in divergent/convergent pipe flow
- recording the pressure curve in a Venturi nozzle
- recording the velocity curve in a Venturi nozzle
- determining the flow coefficient
- recognising friction effects
Demonstration of the principle of linear momentum and impact forces on interchangeable deflectors with different deflection angles
Learning objectives/experiments
- demonstration of the principle of linear momentum
- study of the jet forces
- influence of flow rate and flow velocity
- influence of different deflection angles
Visualisation of laminar and turbulent flow
Learning objectives/experiments
- visualisation of laminar flow
- visualisation of the transition zone
- visualisation of turbulent flow
- determination of the critical Reynolds number