🌊 Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics – Applications in Water Networks

🌊 Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics – Applications in Water Networks

Course Code: 4030-CIV
Category: Civil Engineering – Core Technical Skills
Duration: 6 Weeks | 36 Hours

Delivery: Blended (Lectures + Software Labs + Project)
Level: Intermediate – Advanced
Format: Live/Online + Software Labs + Final Project

---

📘 Introduction

Fluid mechanics is the cornerstone of civil and environmental engineering applications, especially in the design and operation of water supply, drainage, and irrigation systems. This course offers a structured approach to understanding the behavior of fluids and their practical use in hydraulic systems and infrastructure.

---

📝 Course Description

This course covers fundamental principles of fluid mechanics and hydraulics, with a practical focus on water distribution and drainage systems. Participants will study fluid properties, flow types, pressure systems, and open channel hydraulics. The course includes hands-on simulations using hydraulic modeling software and ends with a design project of a water distribution network for a residential area.

---

🎯 Objectives

• To introduce fluid properties and their implications in real-world systems.

• To develop competency in analyzing pipe and channel flow conditions.

• To enable participants to design functional and efficient hydraulic systems.

• To provide practical experience in simulating water distribution networks.

---

🔍 Course Outline in Detail

---

Week 1: Introduction to Fluid Mechanics

• Topics:

  • Importance of fluid mechanics in civil engineering.

  • Classification of fluids: ideal vs. real, compressible vs. incompressible.

  • Continuum assumption and basic physical concepts.

  • Units and dimensional consistency.

• Activities:

  • Problem-solving on pressure, mass, and volume.

  • Group discussion: role of fluid mechanics in hydraulic structures.

---

Week 2: Properties of Fluids

• Topics:

  • Key properties: density, specific weight, specific gravity.

  • Viscosity: dynamic and kinematic; Newtonian vs. non-Newtonian fluids.

  • Surface tension and capillarity.

  • Pressure measurement devices: manometers, Bourdon gauge.

• Activities:

  • Lab demo: measuring viscosity.

  • Calculations involving hydrostatic pressure and fluid statics.

---

Week 3: Flow in Closed Conduits (Pipes)

• Topics:

  • Classification of flow: steady vs. unsteady; laminar vs. turbulent.

  • Bernoulli’s Equation and its assumptions.

  • Head losses: major (Darcy-Weisbach, Hazen-Williams), minor losses.

  • Pipe networks: equivalent pipe, series/parallel configurations.

• Activities:

  • Hands-on pipe flow calculations.

  • Mini-project: analysis of a simple pipe network.

---

Week 4: Flow in Open Channels

• Topics:

  • Characteristics of open channel flow.

  • Specific energy, critical depth, and flow classification (subcritical, supercritical).

  • Manning’s equation and channel design.

  • Hydraulic jumps and gradually varied flow.

• Activities:

  • Case study: irrigation channel design.

  • In-class problem sets on flow depth and velocity profiles.

---

Week 5: Design of Water and Sewer Systems

• Topics:

  • Water demand estimation and pipe sizing.

  • Sewer design: flow types, slope, diameter.

  • Pump selection and head calculations.

  • Software tools: introduction to EPANET / WaterGEMS.

• Activities:

  • Software lab: model a basic water distribution system.

  • Guest lecture (optional): utility engineer presentation.

---

Week 6: Capstone Project – Hydraulic Network Design

• Objective: Apply all knowledge to design a water supply network.

• Tasks:

  • Define design criteria and layout for a residential neighborhood.

  • Model the network using simulation software.

  • Perform pressure, flow, and loss analyses.

  • Generate final design report and presentation.

• Deliverables:

  • Design drawings.

  • Simulation results.

  • Final presentation and peer feedback.

🏆 Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Describe key fluid mechanics concepts and their engineering applications.

2. Perform pressure and flow calculations for pipelines and channels.

3. Analyze and interpret hydraulic system performance.

4. Design water distribution and sewerage networks.

5. Use simulation tools to model fluid systems and assess performance.

6. Present a complete hydraulic network design based on real-world constraints.

---