UNIVERSITI TENAGA NASIONAL

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

MEHB221 - FLUIDS MECHANICS LAB

(INFORMAL REPORT)
EXP 2. TITLE: FLOW VISUALIZATION
GROUP MEMBERS:
1 ID:ME094992
2 ID:ME096010
3 ID:ME094995

NAME: ABDULLAH HELMI BIN ISAHAK

NAME: AHMAD SYAKIRIN BIN RUSLAM
NAME: MOHAMMAD FADZLY MURSYID
BIN AHMAD SHAIRAZI
NAME: MOHAMAD AMREE BIN ABD

4 ID:ME094317

RAHIM
5 ID:ME094302

NAME: AMIRUL ASHRAF BIN AZIZUL

SHUHAILI

SECTION

: 01

INSTRUCTOR

: MUHAMMAD IBRAHIM BIN MAHMOOD, ENCIK.

Performed Date
3 NOVEMBER 2015

GROUP
Due Date*
10 NOVEMBER 2015

Late submission penalty: Late 1 day: 10%,

than 3 days: 50%

:B
Submitted Date
17 NOVEMBER 2015

Late 2 days: 20%,

TABLE OF CONTENT

Late 3 days: 30%,

More

TITLE

PAGE

ABSTRACT

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE OR OBJECTIVE

RESULTS & ANALYSIS

4-6

DISCUSSIONS

7-8

CONCLUSIONS

REFERENCES

10

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this experiment is to study the flow lines and path lines in fluids
mechanics (steady flow), and investigate the influence of different shaped bodies on the
flow. The flow lines or flow pattern will be presented by dye water that will be released
into the water chamber. In the analysis of problems in fluid mechanics, frequently it is
advantageous to obtain a visual representation of a flow pattern.
Such a representation is provided by timelines, pathlines, streaklines, and
streamlines (flow lines). Flow lines that produced relied on the shape of the bodies in the
flow due to different skin drag on the surface of the bodies. In flow lines there is
important features that called critical points and by the end of the experiment the critical
points can be classified into six groups; center, source, sink, repelling-spiral, attractingspiral, and saddle. All these groups are depending on the nature of the flow.
By the end of the experiment, the concept of viscous effects is also has been
understood. By using different shape of bodies, the flow lines has been observed and
understood about how it change direction around the solid an produce a phenomenon
called form drag. All of the observation that has been made during this experiment prove
that the objective of this experiment has been achieved.

PURPOSE OR OBJECTIVE

To study the flow lines and path lines in fluids mechanics (steady flow), and
investigate the influence of different shaped bodies on the flow.

RESULT AND ANALYSIS

PART I

Figure 1: water flow without resistance

Figure 1 shows the flow pattern of ink. The flow pattern is produce by the
uniform velocity flow (steady flow). Pathlines refer to a path followed by a
fluid particle over a period of time. In addition, the ink is used to create
timelines. Streaklines are identical to streamlines for steady flow. The blue
ink represents the flow streamlines.

PART II
1)

Figure 2: water flow with circular block

Figure 2 illustrates the flow pattern around a cylinder block. The blurry lines
above and below the body indicate the boundary layer. A perfect fluid
flowing past an infinitely long cylinder is represented as streamlines. The
streamlines flow over the cylinder and all forces are balanced front/back and
top/bottom and there is therefore no form drag. A perfect fluid cannot
transfer shear stress so there is no viscous drag. In real fluids there is a
pressure build up on the front surface as the fluid is slowed and the
streamlines are redirected round the cylinder. As the fluid flows over the
cylinder the fluid separates into a wake which is a lower pressure region.
There is therefore significant form drag. There is also skin-friction drag as the
fluid passes over the surface.

2)

Figure 3: water flow with rectangular block

Figure 3 illustrates the flow pattern around a quadrate-shaped 2-D body. The
blurry lines above and below the square indicate the boundary layer. The
skin friction causes the water particles in the immediate vicinity to get
dragged. On the rear side of the square, a wake that is V-shaped can be seen
by identifying the boundary between the blurry lines and the sharp lines.

3)

Figure 4: water flow with triangle block

In Figure 4, the flow pattern around a triangular block is shown. The
stagnation point can be seen in the middle of the flat side facing towards the
water source on the left side. The blurry lines on the rear side of the triangle
indicate a wake caused by the recirculating flow of water in that region.

DISCUSSION
Streamlines are a group of curves that are instantaneously tangent to the velocity
vector of the flow. These show the direction a massless fluid element will travel in
at any point in time.
Streaklines are the loci of points of all the fluid particles that have passed
continuously through a particular spatial point in the past. Dye steadily injected
into the fluid at a fixed point extends along a streakline.
Pathlines are the trajectories that individual fluid particles follow. These can be
thought of as "recording" the path of a fluid element in the flow over a certain
period. The direction the path takes will be determined by the streamlines of the
fluid at each moment in time.
Timelines are the lines formed by a set of fluid particles that were marked at a
previous instant in time, creating a line or a curve that is displaced in time as the
particles move.
Steady flow is one in which the conditions (velocity, pressure and cross-section)
may differ from point to point but DO NOT change with time.
Unsteady flow at any point in the fluid, the conditions change with time, and the
flow is described as unsteady. (In practice there is always slight variations in
velocity and pressure, but if the average values are constant, the flow is considered
steady.
Form drag or pressure drag arises because of the shape of the object. The
general size and shape of the body are the most important factors in form drag;
bodies with a larger presented cross-section will have a higher drag than thinner
bodies; sleek ("streamlined") objects have lower form drag. Form drag depends on
the longitudinal section of the body. A prudent choice of body profile is essential
for a low drag coefficient. Streamlines should be continuous, and separation of the
boundary layer with its attendant vortices should be avoided.
Skin friction drag arises from the friction of the fluid against the "skin" of the
object that is moving through it. Skin friction arises from the interaction between
the fluid and the skin of the body, and is directly related to the wetted surface, the
area of the surface of the body that is in contact with the fluid.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Open the water chamber gently (do not break the glass).
Check for any leaking of water from the water chamber. Tighten the screws if
necessary.
Close the ink flow regulating valve.
Wear proper footwear that is closed. Sandals and open toed slippers are a strict no
and should be avoided.
Should know how to use the lab equipments properly and should ask the right
way of usage, in case do not know.
Make sure all valves in water sinks manifold and water sources manifold is fully
closed.

POSSIBLE SOURCES OF ERROR

Bubbles is produced during experiment.

The obstacle shape misplaced when close the water chamber.
Some of the valves might be open, so the flow line cannot be seen straight line.
Lack of ink inserted in the ink container may cause the flow lines not seen clearly

CONCLUSION
Based on the experiments that we have conducted, we have achieved the objective
of this experiment which is to study the flow lines and the path lines in fluid mechanics
(steady flow), and investigate the influence of different shaped bodies on the flow. The
flow patterns may be differ according to the shape of the obstacles. From the experiments
we also know about timelines, pathlines, streaklines, and streamlines. We also have
learned about flow vector visualization. Various visualization approaches have been
developed for vector data. Also we have studied that important features in a flow field are
called critical points. There are six groups of critical point that can be classified by
depending on the nature of flow. Last but not least, we have understand about the concept
of viscous effect.

REFERENCES

http://www.efm.leeds.ac.uk/CIVE/CIVE1400/Section3/dynamics.htm
Lab Manual Exp#2 Flow Visualization