Ph.D. Qualifying Exam Description

Fluid Mechanics

Duration: 2.5 hours

Undergraduate level, ME-oriented knowledge of fluid mechanics is expected (i.e., ME317 material).

Section I: definitions, explanation of concepts, short derivations - closed book.
This section will test fundamental understanding of the subject. (15-20% of the total score)

Section II: open notes (handwritten or typed) and one textbook, but no solved problems books.
Three to four problems, calculator required. (80-85% of the total score)

Recommended Texts: Munson, White, Fox & McDonald. More in-depth graduate texts are Incompressible Flow by Panton, Viscous Fluid Flow by White, Viscous Flow by Sherman and Introduction to Viscous Flow by Hughes. Although graduate level knowledge is not expected, the graduate texts may give the reader a more fundamental understanding of certain principles (for example, "when is it appropriate to apply the Bernoulli equation?").

Topics covered:

Fluid statics, the continuum assumption
Eulerian and Lagrangian descriptions of fluid flow
Laminar vs. turbulent flow (introductory concepts)
Control volume analysis, open and closed systems
Fluid properties
Hydrostatics (buoyancy, hydrostatic pressure)
Kinematics (pathlines, streamlines, streaklines, acceleration)
Conservation laws (mass, momentum, energy, integral vs. differential approach)
Potential flow (stream function, velocity potential)
Bernoulli Equation
Dimensional analysis, Pi theorem, similitude
Viscous drag, drag coefficient
Pipe flow (friction factor, Moody chart, major and minor losses, energy input/removal)
Boundary layers (laminar, turbulent - introductory concepts)