General Hydraulics (Course and Exercises)

Abstract

This course and exercises introduce the fundamental principles of fluid mechanics and their applications in Civil Engineering, and it is intended for second-year undergraduate engineering students in Civil Engineering. The course is structured progressively, starting from the study of fluids at rest and advancing toward more complex flow phenomena encountered in hydraulic engineering as follows: The first chapter focuses on the study of fluids at rest, emphasizing the physical properties of fluids, pressure distribution, hydrostatic forces acting on submerged surfaces, and buoyancy principles governing floating bodies; The second chapter addresses the motion of fluids by introducing flow descriptions and classifications, and by developing the governing equations based on the conservation of mass, momentum, and energy, with particular attention to the Bernoulli equation and its applications to ideal fluid flow; The third chapter extends the analysis to real fluids by accounting for viscosity and energy losses. This chapter examines flow regimes, friction losses, local head losses, and the differences between ideal and real fluid behavior in practical engineering systems; The fourth chapter IV concentrates on flow measurement and discharge phenomena through hydraulic openings. It analyzes the characteristics of orifices, flow coefficients, and discharge under constant and variable head conditions, highlighting their relevance in hydraulic structures and water control systems; The fifth chapter explores the calculation of frictional pressure losses using the Manning equation, a cornerstone of open-channel hydraulics. It details the interaction between flow velocity, slope, and the Manning roughness coefficient, while introducing the Reynolds number to characterize the flow regime; The sixth chapter deals with open-channel hydraulics, focusing on free surface flow characteristics, flow regimes, critical conditions, and basic principles of spillway hydraulics, which are essential for the design and analysis of channels, dams, and water conveyance structures; At the end of this course and exercises, students will be able to understand and analyze the behavior of fluids at rest and in motion, apply the fundamental equations of fluid mechanics, and solve practical hydraulic problems related to civil engineering structures and water flow systems. This handout was drawn from existing documentation available in all libraries and websites.