BERNOULLI’S EQUATION

Learning Objectives
By the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

• Explain with an aid of diagram to express Bernoulli’s

equation
• Calculate pressure, velocity, area, density from
Bernoulli’s and continuity equation
• With the aid of diagram, define pressure head of a
liquid on a piezometer
• Using Bernoulli’s equation, explain variation of
pressure head along the pipe
• Solve equation to find the pressure head friction
 DENSITY
• In physics, density is defined as mass per unit volume.
• That is the ratio of the amount of matter in an object
compared to its volume.
• Density is expressed as:

• Where, in SI units:
ρ – density of the substance, measured in kgm-3
m – mass of the substance, measured in kg
v – volume of the substance, measured in m3
 LIQUIDS OF DIFFERENT DENSITIES
• When liquids that are different in density mixed
together, the liquids will separate on its own
whereby the lighter density liquid will rise while
the heavier density will sink at the bottom.
• Example: water and oil
• Although the volume of oil is the same as water,
the two liquids have different masses causing it to
have different densities.
• How about water and syrup?
 BERNOULLI’S EQUATION
• In any fluid that is in motion, it contains energy by virtue of its
pressure and density (pressure energy), velocity (kinetic energy)
and its position relative to a datum (potential energy).
• The qualitative behaviour that relates to this equation is that an
increase in the speed of the fluid occurs simultaneously with a
decrease in pressure or a decrease in the fluid’s potential energy.
• For an incompressible liquid in motion, these three forms of energy
may be interchange between them.
• These energies are often expressed in term of specific energy,
which means energy per unit mass of fluid.
• Bernoulli’s principle can be applied to different types of fluid flow,
resulting in what is loosely denoted as Bernoulli’s Equation.
 BERNOULLI’S EQUATION
• Bernoulli’s equation states that the total energy contained
in a given quantity of fluid is composed of
a. Potential energy, by virtue of its height
b. Pressure energy, by virtue of its pressure
c. Kinetic energy, by virtue of its velocity
• Bernoulli’s equation can be considered as the
conservation of energy principle appropriate for flowing
fluids.
• This states that the sum of all mechanical energy in a fluid
along a streamline is the same at all points on that
streamline.
• Therefore, this requires the sum of energies remains
constant.
 BERNOULLI’S EQUATION
• Consider a small amount of fluid, whose mass m, density ρ
with a velocity V, at a height of h above a horizontal datum
level, with a pressure of P.
• The three energies can be formulated as:
Pressure energy = pressure x volume = Pm / ρ
Kinetic energy = ½mv2
Potential energy = mgh
• The sum of energies are said to be constant, so
Pressure energy + kinetic energy + potential energy = constant
Pm / ρ + ½mv2 + mgh = constant
 BERNOULLI’S EQUATION
• Since mass of fluid flow in any flow is common
to all energy term,
P / ρ + ½v2 + gh = constant
 Bernoulli Equation
• Equation for fluid flow
• Derived from the conservation of energy and
work energy ideas that come from Newton’s
Law of Motion
• Restrictions:
– Incompressible
– Non-viscous fluid (no friction)
– Follows a streamline motion (no turbulence)
 Derive Bernoulli’s Equation
• Consider the case of water flowing though a
smooth pipe.

• We examine a fluid
section of
mass m traveling to
the right as shown in
the diagram.
The net work done in moving the fluid is

F= force ; x= displacement
-ve for F2x2 because the F and x are in opposite directions

Pressure is the force exerted over the cross-sectional

area (P = F/A). Rewriting this as F = PA and
substituting into Eq.(1) we find that

The displaced fluid volume V is the cross-sectional area A times the

thickness x. This volume remains constant for an incompressible
fluid, so
Using Eq.(3) in Eq.(2) we have

Since work has been done, there has been a change in

the mechanical energy of the fluid segment. This
energy change is found with the help of the next
diagram.
The energy change between the initial and final positions
is given by

Here, the the kinetic energy K = mv²/2 where m is the fluid mass
and v is the speed of the fluid. The potential energy U =
mgh where g is the acceleration of gravity, and h is average fluid
height.

The work-energy theorem says that the net work done is

equal to the change in the system energy. This can be
written as

Substitution of Eq.(4) and Eq.(5) into Eq.(6) yields

 Dividing Eq.(7) by the fluid volume, V gives us

Where Density,

To complete our derivation, we reorganize Eq.(8)

Finally, note that Eq.(10) is true for any two positions. Therefore,

Equation (11) is commonly referred to as Bernoulli's equation. Keep in

mind that this expression was restricted to incompressible fluids and
smooth fluid flows.
 Falling droplet of water
• Apply conservation of energy (assume friction
negligible)
• Sum of KE and PE is constant

• Initial KE = 0
initial PE = mgh
Final KE = ½ mv2
Final PE = 0

• Therefore sum of initial energies = sum of final

energies
mgh = ½ mv2
Piezometer

Specific weight
 FLOW FROM A RESERVOIR AND
DISCHARGE THROUGH SMALL ORIFICE
• We can use a very similar application of the energy conservation concept to determine the
velocity of flow along a pipe from a reservoir. Consider the 'idealised reservoir' in the figure.
• The level of the water in the reservoir is z1. Consider Energy situation (no movement of water
initially so KE is zero but Gravitational PE is mgz1.
• If a pipe is attached at the bottom water flows along this pipe out of the tank to a level z2. the
water flowing from the top of the reservoir to the nozzle gains velocity u2. So KE now is ½mu22
and PE is mgz2.
• We know KE+PE = constant

• If A is the area of the orifice, the theoretical

flowrate Qt is given by:
Qt = A x u2
Qt = A 2𝑔 𝑧1 − 𝑧2
 EXERCISES
1. A block of steel measuring 200mm x 100mm x 60mm, has a mass
of 9.42kg. Calculate:
• Density
• Relative density
2. If the density of aluminium is 2700 kg/m3, what is the volume, in
cubic centimetres of 5kg of this material?
3. A block of wood measuring 300mm x 150mm x 60mm has a mass
of 2.3kg. Calculate the density of the wood.
4. A 2m length of iron pipe has a mass of 137kg. The external and
internal diameters of the pipe are 160mm and 120mm
respectively. Calculate:
• Density
• Relative density
 EXERCISES
5. Water enters a pipeline with a pressure of 2 bar and velocity of 5 m/s. If
the pressure in the water 25m below the entry point is 1.2 bar, calculate
the velocity. [ρwater = 1000 kg/m3]
6. Part of a vertical fresh water pipe line tapers uniformly from 120mm
diameter at the bottom to 60mm diameter at the top. The difference in
height is 5m. When the volume of flow rateat the bottom is 0.0424 m3/s
and the pressure at the bottom is 160 kN/m2 , find the pressure at the
top?
7. Oil flows along a horizontal pipe, which varies uniformly in section from
100mm diameter at A to 150mm diameter at B. At A the gauge pressure
is 126 kN/m2 and at B, the gauge pressure is 140 kN/m2. Find the flow
rate in litres per second and kilograms per second. The density of water
is 1000 kg/m3 and the relative density of oil is 0.8.
8. Water flows down a sloping pipe, which has one end 1.3m above the
other. The pipe section tapers from 0.9m diameter at the top end A to
0.45m diameter at the lower end B. The flow of water is 9 tonnes/min.
Find the difference in pressure between A and B in kilonewtons per
square metre. Density of water = 1 kg/litre.