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Open channel flow; pipe networks; Navier-Stokes equations; scale and dimensional analysis; inviscid flow; boundary layers; turbulent flow; lift and drag.
Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics is the second, and final, compulsory course on fluid mechanics in the undergraduate curriculum for civil and natural resources engineering students. It follows on from ENCN242, Fluid Mechanics and Hydrology, in the first professional year. Generally, mathematical skills are quite important in the study of fluid motion and for this reason both ENCN242 and EMTH210 are prerequisites for this course. The course is split into two self-contained sections that reflect a general philosophy of the course. The course aims to provide undergraduate civil and natural resources engineers with an understanding of, and an ability to solve, problems that arise in standard hydraulic problems that a practising hydraulics engineer would encounter. This includes the modelling of open channel flow and of pipe network systems. At the same time the course aims to provide you with a fundamental understanding of the fluid flow principles that underpin all types of fluid motion. While these principles appear to be rather less practical than, say, the analysis of open channel flow, they are applicable across a broad range of fluid dynamical problems that an engineer might encounter in their professional life – for example in the analysis of effluent dispersal in the environment, in the modelling of the interaction of ocean waves with coastal structures, in the modelling of groundwater flow in underground aquifers, or the erosion of sediments around bridge piers in a gravel bed river. Fluid mechanics and hydraulics courses in the third professional year, and at graduate level, build on these principles, providing students with experience and problem solving ability in a range of typical applications.
At the conclusion of this course you should be able to:Analyse transitions, hydraulic jumps, uniform flow and gradually varied flow in steady open channel hydraulics.Analyse and design simple pipe networks.Analyse problems in fluid mechanics from first principles using approximations to the Navier Stokes equations and the tools of dimensional analysis, scale analysis and dynamic similarity
ENCN242, EMTH210
ENCI341
ENCN342
For further information see Civil and Environmental Engineering Head of Department
The assessment for this paper will comprise five components – 3 assignments, a tutorial submission, a laboratory report, a mid-semester test and the final exam. All of the material covered in the first section (open channel flow and pipe network systems) will be assessed in the mid-semester test. The second section (basic fluid mechanics) will be covered in the final exam. The internal assessment for the course has two aims. The first is clearly for us to obtain information about how well you understand the material being taught. Such assessment is known as summative assessment. However the assessment also plays a second more important role, in that it provides you with feedback on your progress, and highlights things that you haven’t completely understood. This is called formative assessment. Make sure you do all internal assessments for the course conscientiously and reflect on your work after it has been marked.1. You cannot pass this course unless you achieve a mark of at least 40% in each of the mid-semester test and the final exam. A student who narrowly fails to achieve 40% in either the test or exam, but who performs very well in the other, may be eligible for a pass in the course.2. All assignments must be submitted by the due date. Late submissions will not be accepted. If a student is unable to complete and submit an assignment by the deadline due to personal circumstances beyond their control they should discuss this with the lecturer involved as soon as possible.3. Students in this course can apply for aegrotat consideration provided they have sat the mid-term test, the final exam or both.4. All assignments can be done individually or in pairs. If done in pairs a single submission for marking is required and both students receive the same mark. It is important that both students play an equal role in completing the assessment as the internal assessment is designed to prepare you for the formal assessments.5. All laboratory reports must be done individually.
Course Workload and DeliveryThis course is primarily a lecture course. In the four lectures each week we will present, and discuss, the core material covered in the course. This material will be presented in a variety of ways including notes written on the whiteboard or OHP and slide presentations. It is our teaching philosophy that lectures are best spent explaining and clarifying fundamental concepts and trying to simplify the “hard stuff”. We will use examples and problems to illustrate techniques and concepts but we expect that you will put in time outside lectures to refine your understanding through revision and additional reading, and to hone your problem solving skills by working through illustrative problems. We have no doubt that the understanding you gain in this course is directly related to the time you spend independently wrestling with the concepts presented.We find that the development of a lecture course is easier if it is well structured. Our experience tells us that students also appreciate a clear structure to the material they are trying to assimilate. For this reason we have constructed the course from sets of logically related modules. The lecture material is also supported through a number of tutorials where we will set example problems for you to work through under the guidance and supervision of a number of tutors. These tutorials provide you with an excellent opportunity to develop your problem solving skills in a supportive environment. Make sure you take full advantage of these sessions.Our role in this course is to help you learn. We cannot do the learning for you, nor transfer our understanding to you without you doing your part in assimilating the ideas and concepts contained in the course. We try to provide as much outside-of-lectures support as we can by operating an open door policy to our offices. If you are struggling with concepts come and see us, but see us early! The week before the exam is too late. However, before you come to see us make sure you have worked on the problem at hand. Come to us armed with your ideas and problem solving attempts. Then we can have a productive session together!Here is a rough guide to the amount of time you should be putting into the various aspects of this course.Activity Contact Hours Lectures 48 hoursTutorials 6 hoursLaboratories 3 hours Independent study Lecture review 15 hoursTest and exam preparation 24 hoursAssignments 32 hoursTutorial preparation 12 hoursLabs 8 hours Total 152
Domestic fee $901.00
International fee $4,863.00
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
For further information see Civil and Environmental Engineering .