Introduction to

Gas Dynamics
Meribeni L Jungio (62)
Merlin C Das (63)
Haritha N (68)

Gas Dynamics
Compressible flow (gas dynamics) is the branch of fluid
mechanics that deals with flows having significant
changes in fluid density.
It can be considered to be a unified analysis of fluid
dynamics and thermodynamics.

Types of Fluid Flow

The fluid flow is classified as:
Steady and unsteady flows
Unifom and non-uniform flows
Laminar and turbulent flows
Compressible and incompressible flows
Rotational and irrotational flows
One, two, and three-dimensional flows

Steady and Unsteady Flows

In steady flow, the flow
characteristics at a point
do not change with time.
In mathematical terms,

In unsteady flow, the flow characteristics at a point change with

respect to time.

Uniform and Non-Uniform Flows

In uniform flow, the
velocity at any given time
does not change with
space.
Mathematically,

In non-uniform flow, the velocity at any given time changes with

respect to space.

Or,

Laminar and Turbulent Flows

In laminar flows, the fluid
particles move along welldefined paths or streamlines
All stream-lines are
straight and parallel

In turbulent flows, particles move in a zig-zag fashion.

Eddies form, leading to loss of energy.

Reynold's Number
A non-dimensional number called the Reynolds number is
used to distinguish between laminar and turbulent flows
Reynolds number is given by

Compressible and
Incompressible Flows
In a compressible flow, the
fluid density changes from
point to point.
Gases are generally
compressible.

In an incompressible flow, the fluid density is constant.

Liquids are generally incompressible

Rotational and Irrotational

Flows
In rotational flows, the
fluid particles while
moving along stream-lines
also rotate about their oen
axes.

In irrotational flow, there is no rotation of fluid particles.

One, Two, and ThreeDimensional Flows

In one-dimensional flow, the flow parameters are a
function of time and one space-coordinate only.
In two-dimensional flow, the flow parameters are a
function of time and two space-coordinates.
In three-dimensional flow, the flow parameters are a
function of time and three space-coordinates.