Introduction and Fundamentals

The aim of this textbook is to provide a structured introduction to fluid dynamics to process and mechanical engineers, presenting a unified method of analysis that involves three steps. First, the fundamental principles of fluid dynamics are discussed. Second, the governing equations and the physical models stemming from first principles are presented. Third, equations are solved considering a wide range of relevant engineering examples. It is worthwhile to note that many of the problems that will be analyzed in this book only admit an approximate solution and that the precise identification of the flow field in complex geometries is, in many cases, still an unsolved physical problem. This is why, in the broad area of applied sciences, fluid mechanics is and will continue to be a field of intense research activity. In recent years, research has received a considerable boost from the development of numerical techniques and the availability of increasingly powerful computing infrastructures, which have led to a growing interest in the solution of complex fluid dynamic problems relevant to both science and engineering. Examples include industrial applications such as multiphase flows, combustion, propulsion, fluid machinery and aerodynamics, as well as environmental applications, such as oceanic or atmospheric flows, rain formation and ice crystals growth in clouds..