SIO 214a Introduction to Fluid Mechanics (section 822644), Fall 2014 (4 units)
syllabus & course information
Instructors: Sarah Giddings & Myrl Hendershott
Class times: Oct 2 – Dec 12, Tu 9:30-11:00, Fri 15:30-17:00
Problem sessions: Oct 2 – Dec 12, Tu 11:00-12:00
Location: Vaughn Hall, room 100
Office hours: Thurs 13:00-15:00, MESOM 151, or email me or Myrl to set up an appointment
course summary:
A survey of classical problems in fluid mechanics and approximate techniques of analysis. Topics include conservation equations, straight laminar flows, low and high Reynolds number laminar flow, stability of laminar flows, turbulent flow. Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
course schedule:
* Week 1-2: Introduction, mathematics refresher, kinematics
* Week 2-3: Conservation laws
* Week 4: Vorticity, Reynolds experiment
* Week 5 – 10: Problem vignettes (Bernoulli, Blazius boundary layer, Plane-Couette flow, wind driven flow on a lake, lubrication problem, gravity current, horizontal convection, Raleigh Bernard, lift/drag, instability, etc.)
* Week 11: turbulence, course review
credit & homework:
Participation in class and problem sessions is critical as we expect you to become proficient at problem solving and intuitive reasoning. While many of the assignments, mini-labs, and participation are not directly graded, a lack of engagement and understanding will be evident during the final exam. Grades will be based on homework (not graded but must participate in problem sessions, turn in homework, and make your own corrections, roughly 20%), mid-term (big graded homework, roughly 20%), and an written and oral final exam (roughly 60%).
references:
Textbooks:
Fluid Mechanics by Kundu & Cohen, Academic Press (3rd, 4th, or 5th edition)
The 5th edition, with one more coauthor Dowling is now available online
Additional optional textbooks:
Introduction to Fluid Mechanics, G. K. Batchelor, Cambridge University Press.
Fluid Mechanics, Lev D. Landau and Evgeny M. Lifschitz, 1959, Pergamon Press.
Lectures on Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, R. Salmon, 1998, Oxford University Press.