Mulungushi University
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
MEE 322 – Assignment 1: Dynamics of Fluid Flow
Due Date: 18th March 2024
85 Marks
Question 1[30 Marks]
A liquid jet of velocity Vj and area Aj strikes a single 180° bucket on a turbine wheel rotating
at angular velocity .
a) Find an expression for the power P delivered. [10 Marks]
b) At what  is the power a maximum? [10 Marks]
c) How does the analysis differ if there are many buckets, so the jet continually strikes at
least one? [10 Marks]
Question 2[20 Marks]
The large Turbine connected to an Electricity Generator in the figure diverts the river flow
under a dam as shown. The system friction losses are ℎ𝑓 =
3.5𝑣 2
2𝑔
, where v is the average
velocity in the supply pipe.
a) Assuming the efficiency of the Turbine is 80%, for what river flow rate, in cubic
metres per second, will the power delivered by the Turbine to an Electricity Generator
be 20MW? [15 Marks]
b) Which of the two possible solutions has a better “conversion efficiency”? Explain [5
Marks]
Question 3[10 Marks]
Water flows through a pipe reducer as is shown in the figure below. The static pressures at 1
and 2 are measured by the inverted U-tube manometer containing oil of specific gravity, SG,
less than one. Derive an expression for the Manometer Reading, h. [10 Marks]
Question 4 [25 Marks]
A converging elbow (see figure below) turns water through an angle of 135 in a vertical
plane. The flow cross section diameter is 400mm at the elbow inlet, section (1), and 200 mm
at the elbow outlet, section (2). The elbow flow passage volume is between sections (1) and
(2). The water volume flowrate is 0.4m3/s and the elbow inlet and outlet pressures are 150
kPa and 90 kPa. The elbow mass is 12 kg.
a) Calculate the horizontal (x direction) and vertical (z direction) anchoring forces
required to hold the elbow in place. [20 Marks]
b) Determine the Resultant force and its orientation relative to the x axis. [5 Marks]