DISCHARGE

and
MEAN VELOCITY

Discharge
Total quantity of fluid flowing
in unit time past any
particular cross-section
Can be measured as:
Mass flow rate /
mass rate of flow, (kg/s)
Volume flow rate /
volume rate of flow, Q (m3/s)

Discharge
In ideal fluid (no friction),
Cross-section, A
Velocity, u of the fluid would be
the same at every point of the
cross-section
u (m/s)
In unit time, a prism of fluid
would pass the cross-section,
Ideal Fluid
If the cross-sectional area
normal to the direction of flow
is A, the volume passing would
be Au, thus
in unit time
Q = Au

Discharge
In real fluid,
Velocity profile for a pipe would be: -

dr
r

Laminar flow

Turbulent flow

Discharge
If u is the velocity at radius r,
The flow dQ through an angular
element of radius r, and
thickness dr will be
dQ = Area of element x velocity

= 2pr dr x u
dr
r
r

R
Laminar flow

Turbulent flow

Discharge
Hence,
R

Q 2 ur dr
0

Volume flow rate can be determined by

knowing the relationship between u and r

dr
r

R
Laminar flow

Turbulent flow

Discharge
In many problem, the variation of
velocity over the cross-section can
be ignored
Velocity is assumed to be constant,
and
Equal to the mean velocity, , and,
Is defined as
= Q/A

A = cross-section area
normal to the stream
Q = volume flow rate

CONTINUITY OF FLOW
Flow direction

 Consider a fixed region in a

flow constituting a control
volume
Increase of
Mass of fluid
Mass of fluid
mass in the
entering per = leaving per +
control volume
unit time
unit time
per unit time
Mass of fluid
entering

Control volume

Mass of
fluid leaving

 For steady flow, the mass of

fluid in the control volume
remains constant, therefore
Mass of fluid
Mass of fluid
entering per = leaving per
unit time
unit time

 For steady flow in a

streamtube having a crosssection area small enough
1
for the velocity to be
dA1
consider constant over
u1
given cross-section,

r1

Mass leaving
Mass entering
per unit time = per unit time
at section 2
at section 1

dA2
u2

r2

Mass entering
per unit time
at section 1
Mass leaving
per unit time
at section 2

= dA1u1 r1

dA1
= dA2u2 r2

u1

r1

dA2
u2

r2

For steady flow,

dA1u1 r1 = dA2u2 r2 = constant

This is equation of continuity
for the flow of a compressible
fluid through a streamtube and dA 1
1
the velocities measured at right u
1
angles to the cross-section
r
1

dA2
u2

r2

For the flow of a real fluid through a

pipe or other conduit,
A11 r1 = A22 r2 =
Where A1 and A2 are
total cross-section areas
and = mass flow rate
A 1
1

u1

r1

A2
u2

r2

If the fluid can be consider as

incompressible, so that r1 = r2
A11 = A22 = Q
Continuity of flow equation is one of
the major tools in fluid mechanics
for calculating velocities at different
point in a system
A1 1
u1

r1

A2
u2

r2

Inlet

Outlet

Qin = 1A1

Qout = 2A2

Qin = Qout = 1A1 = 2A2

If A1 = 2A2
Then 1 = 2

Continuity equation can also be

applied to determine the relation
between the flow into and out of a
junction
A1
1
Q1
Total inflow
Total outflow
to junction = from junction

r1Q1 = r2Q2 + r3Q3

A2
2
Q2
A3
3
Q3

For incompressible fluid,

r1 = r2 = r3

or

Q1 = Q2 + Q3

A1
1
Q1

A1 1 = A2 2 + A3 3

A2
2
Q2
A3
3
Q3