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Unit of study_

CHNG9201: Fluid Mechanics

Semester 1, 2021 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

This unit of study is designed for postgraduate students who should be proficient at applying the basic principles of mass, energy and momentum balances to solve advanced engineering problems involving fluid flow, heat and mass transfer. Further, students will be able to perform simple dimensional analysis and to see the utility of this general approach in engineering: for example in friction factors, heat and mass-transfer correlations. Students will also develop skills in the advanced design of different types of chemical reactors, given the corresponding chemical rate law. The focus of this unit of study is to provide the key concepts and principles as tools through keynote lectures, with supporting tutorials and laboratory sessions giving valuable hands-on experience. Guidance will be provided to students to seek additional detailed information for specific applications in their projects. This unit of study runs concurrently with another enabling technology unit of study CHNG9202. These two units together will provide students with the tools and know-how to tackle the real-life engineering problems encountered in the concurrent project-based unit of study, CHNG9203. This integrated course structure is designed to help students become familiar with the multi-disciplinary nature of chemical engineering today.

Unit details and rules

Unit code CHNG9201
Academic unit Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Credit points 6
Prohibitions
? 
CHNG5701 OR CHNG2801
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

Calculus, Computations (Matlab, Excel), Mass and Energy Balances.

Available to study abroad and exchange students

No

Teaching staff

Coordinator Timothy Langrish, timothy.langrish@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Final exam (Record+) Type B final exam Final exam
Final examination covering all aspects of the unit of study, including labs
50% Formal exam period 2 hours
Outcomes assessed: LO7 LO8 LO9 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Skills-based evaluation Laboratory report, air flow experiment
The production of an individual laboratory report of 10-15 pages in length
8% Multiple weeks One afternoon session, 1.5-2 hours
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO7
Skills-based evaluation Laboratory report, water flow experiment
The production of an individual laboratory report of 10-15 pages in length
12% Multiple weeks One afternoon session, 1.5-2 hours
Outcomes assessed: LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Skills-based evaluation Tutorials
Four assessed tutorials, marked summatively with formative feedback
4% Multiple weeks Homework, 1-2 hours each
Outcomes assessed: LO4 LO5 LO6 LO8 LO9
Skills-based evaluation Advanced assignment
Written report: advanced assignment in fluid mechanics
11% STUVAC 2 hours
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO8 LO9
Tutorial quiz Quiz
Individual quiz, work covered up to week 6
15% Week 08 1 hour
Outcomes assessed: LO4 LO6 LO5
Type B final exam = Type B final exam ?

Assessment summary

Students will be required to be able to answer individual questions in fluid mechanics in the examination (50%) and the tutorial quiz (15%).

Laboratory, group work, and oral presentation skills will be addressed in two laboratory experiments (air flow, 8%, and water flow, 12%). Four of the 12 tutorials will be marked, for a sub total of 4%. There will be an individual assignment in advanced fluid mechanics, which will be reported orally for 11% of the total mark.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

Has mastered all aspects of fluid mechanics at this intermediate level.

Distinction

75 - 84

Has mastered most aspects of fluid mechanics at this intermediate level.

Credit

65 - 74

Has demonstrated a solid understanding of the application of fluid mechanics at this intermediate level.

Pass

50 - 64

Has demonstrated a satisfactory understanding of the application of fluid mechanics at this intermediate level, with gaps that are not critical.

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

10% per day for submitted work (tutorials and laboratory reports).

Academic integrity

The Current Student website  provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.  

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 1. Introduction; 2. Fluid statics and manometry: Introduction to laboratory safety. Lecture and tutorial (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO7
Week 02 1. Fluid statics and manometry; 2. Mass balances; More laboratory introduction Lecture and tutorial (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO7
Week 03 1. Momentum balance; 2. Bernoulli’s equation; 3. Flow measurement; Introduction to laboratory report writing Lecture and tutorial (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO8
Week 04 1. Pumps in Bernoulli’s equation; 2. Friction as a concept; 3. Laminar and turbulent flows; 4. Reynolds numbers; 5. Friction in laminar flows; Some laboratory groups may run. Lecture and tutorial (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Week 05 1. Friction in turbulent flows; 2. Non-circular ducts; 3. Fittings and valves; Some laboratory groups may run. Lecture and tutorial (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Week 06 Putting it all together; Some laboratory groups may run. Lecture and tutorial (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Week 07 Review of Bernoulli’s equation; Some laboratory groups may run. Lecture and tutorial (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Week 08 1. Dimensional analysis; 2. Scale up; Some laboratory groups may run. Lecture and tutorial (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO9
Week 09 1. Pumps and net positive suction head; 2. Piping networks; Some laboratory groups may run. Lecture and tutorial (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Week 10 1. The momentum equation 2. Safety analysis and Flixborough; 3. External flows; Some laboratory groups may run. Lecture and tutorial (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO6 LO7 LO8
Week 11 Compressible flows; Some laboratory groups may run. Lecture and tutorial (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Week 12 Computational fluid dynamics; Some laboratory groups may run. Lecture and tutorial (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Week 13 Revision; Some laboratory groups may run. Lecture and tutorial (4 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9

Attendance and class requirements

  • Tutorial: After each lecture, there will be 2-hour tutorial. Students will solve various problems relevant to the topics of the lecture.
  • Independent study: Students are expected to spend about 3-4 hours of self directed learning outside the specified contact periods.
  • Laboratory: Groups will be allocated in week 3. Each group will conduct two experiments. The report should be submitted after two weeks. There will be oral presentation for one of the experiments.
  • Presentation: Each group will present the outcomes of their research and experimental work. It is expected that each group conduct a critical thinking and analyse the data acquired from the experiments and discuss the errors.

Students are advised that attendance at all lectures and tutorials is helpful for maximising the benefits of the face-to-face learning and teaching style in this unit of study. Attendence at laboratory sessions is compulsory.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed as a Library eBook, available on the Library web site.

  • Granger, R.A., Fluid mechanics. 2012.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. compile a concise, informative engineering report
  • LO2. conduct group projects for professional reports in both written and oral English
  • LO3. explore and collate relevant information from literature, and other resources for an engineering context
  • LO4. understand fluid properties and defining a fluid
  • LO5. demonstrating an understanding of conservation of mass and energy
  • LO6. understand the basic principles of mass, energy and momentum balances
  • LO7. conduct and report laboratory experiments
  • LO8. derive differential and integral forms of the continuity and momentum equations for steady/unsteady, compressible/incompressible, viscous and inviscid flows
  • LO9. demonstrate the use of dimensional analysis (friction factors, heat and mass-transfer correlations) in order to generalise the understanding of all these rate processes.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

The weighting of assessments has been adjusted to reflect student feedback that the labs are more difficult and time-consuming than other non-exam components.

Additional costs

N/A

Site visit guidelines

N/A

Work, health and safety

Staff and students must comply with all University WHS requirements.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.