Fluid dynamics is the study of fluids in motion. Velocity vectors are often used to illustrate fluid motion in applications like meteorology. For example, wind—the fluid motion of air in the atmosphere—can be represented by vectors indicating the speed and direction of the wind at any given point on a map. Another method for representing fluid motion is a streamline. A streamline represents the path of a small volume of fluid as it flows. When the flow pattern changes with time, the streamlines...

Hydrostatic pressure on curved surfaces is a fundamental concept in fluid mechanics with broad applications in the civil engineering field. When fluid is in contact with a curved surface, as in a reservoir, dam, or storage tank, it exerts pressure that varies in magnitude and direction along the curved surface. To assess the total hydrostatic force exerted by the fluid on a curved structure, engineers typically isolate the fluid volume adjacent to the surface and analyze the forces acting on...

Bernoulli's equation relates the energy conservation in a fluid moving along a streamline. The equation applies to incompressible and inviscid fluids under steady flow. For such a flow, Newton's second law is applied to a small fluid element, which experiences forces due to pressure differences, gravity, and velocity variations. The force balance leads to the following form of Bernoulli's equation:

Bernoulli's equation for flow normal to a streamline explains how pressure varies across curved streamlines due to the outward centrifugal forces induced by the fluid's curvature. The pressure is higher on the inner side of the curve, near the center of curvature, and decreases outward to balance these centrifugal forces.
The pressure difference depends on the fluid's velocity and radius of curvature. The pressure variation is minimal in flows with nearly straight streamlines. However, the...

Plane potential flows simplify fluid motion by assuming the fluid to be irrotational and incompressible. These characteristics allow these flows to be described by a velocity potential function, ϕ, representing the flow speed in a given direction, and a stream function, ψ, that visualizes the flow path, both governed by Laplace's equation. These parameters help in estimating flow patterns, velocity distributions, and pressure fields around various hydraulic structures.
Uniform Flow
Uniform flow...

Scaled hydraulic models of dam spillways provide a practical way to replicate and study the intricate flow dynamics of these structures. Often built to a 1:15 ratio, these models allow for observing critical water behavior, such as velocity distribution, flow patterns, and energy dissipation.