Chapter 5

Energy Equations
5–4 ■ THE BERNOULLI EQUATION
Bernoulli equation: An approximate relation between pressure,
velocity, and elevation, and is valid in regions of steady,
incompressible flow where net frictional forces are negligible.
Despite its simplicity, it has proven to be a very powerful tool in fluid
mechanics.
The Bernoulli approximation is typically useful in flow regions outside
of boundary layers and wakes, where the fluid motion is governed by
the combined effects of pressure and gravity forces.

Fig. 5-22
The Bernoulli equation is an
approximate equation that is valid
only in inviscid regions of flow where
net viscous forces are negligibly
small compared to inertial,
gravitational, or pressure forces.
Such regions occur outside of
boundary layers and wakes. 2
Bernoulli Equation

Steady, incompressible flow:

Bernoulli
equation

The Bernoulli equation between any two

points on the same streamline:

3
Fig. 5-25
The incompressible Bernoulli equation is
derived assuming incompressible flow,
and thus it should not be used for flows
with significant compressibility effects. 4
 • The Bernoulli equation can be viewed as the
“conservation of mechanical energy principle.”
• This is equivalent to the general conservation
of energy principle for systems that do not
involve any conversion of mechanical energy
and thermal energy to each other, and thus the
mechanical energy and thermal energy are
conserved separately.
• The Bernoulli equation states that during
steady, incompressible flow with negligible
Fig. 5-26 friction, the various forms of mechanical
The Bernoulli equation energy are converted to each other, but their
states that the sum of the sum remains constant.
kinetic, potential, and flow • There is no dissipation of mechanical energy
energies of a fluid particle is during such flows since there is no friction that
constant along a streamline converts mechanical energy to sensible
during steady flow. thermal (internal) energy.
• The Bernoulli equation is commonly used in
practice since a variety of practical fluid flow
problems can be analyzed to reasonable
accuracy with it.
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 Limitations on the Use of the Bernoulli Equation
1. Steady flow The Bernoulli equation is applicable to steady flow.
2. Frictionless flow Every flow involves some friction, no matter how small, and
frictional effects may or may not be negligible.
3. No shaft work The Bernoulli equation is not applicable in a flow section that
involves a pump, turbine, fan, or any other machine or impeller since such
devices destroy the streamlines and carry out energy interactions with the
fluid particles. When these devices exist, the energy equation should be
used instead.
4. Incompressible flow Density is taken constant in the derivation of the
Bernoulli equation.
5. No heat transfer The density of a gas is inversely proportional to
temperature, and thus the Bernoulli equation should not be used for flow
sections that involve significant temperature change such as heating or
cooling sections.
6. Flow along a streamline Strictly speaking, the Bernoulli equation is
applicable along a streamline. However, when a region of the flow is
irrotational and there is negligibly small vorticity in the flow field, the
Bernoulli equation becomes applicable across streamlines as well.
6
Fig. 5-32
Frictional effects, heat transfer, and components that disturb the streamlined
structure of flow make the Bernoulli equation invalid. It should not be used in
any of the flows shown here.
7
Fig. 5-33
When the flow is irrotational, the Bernoulli equation becomes applicable
between any two points along the flow (not just on the same streamline).

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Examples

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5–6 ■ ENERGY ANALYSIS OF STEADY FLOWS

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5–6 ■ ENERGY ANALYSIS OF STEADY FLOWS

The net rate of energy transfer to a control volume

by heat transfer and work during steady flow is
equal to the difference between the rates of
outgoing and incoming energy flows by mass
flow.

single-stream devices
Fig. 5-52 A control volume
…………………………… with only one inlet and one
…………………………… outlet and energy
…………………………… interactions.
……………………………
……………………………
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Eenergy equation in terms of energy rates:

Eenergy equation in terms of energy/mass :

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Energy equation in terms of heads and (useful & extracted terms:

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Fig. 5-55 Mechanical energy flow chart for a fluid flow system that
involves a pump and a turbine. Vertical dimensions show each energy
term expressed as an equivalent column height of fluid, i.e., head. 15
 (5-74)

Special Case: Incompressible Flow with No

Mechanical Work Devices and Negligible Friction
When piping losses are negligible, there is negligible dissipation of
mechanical energy into thermal energy, and thus hL = emech loss, piping /g ≅
0. Also, hpump, u = hturbine, e = 0 when there are no mechanical work
devices such as fans, pumps, or turbines. Then Eq. 5–74 reduces to

This is the Bernoulli equation presented earlier

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Kinetic Energy Correction Factor, 
The kinetic energy of a fluid stream obtained
from V2/2 is not the same as the actual kinetic
energy of the fluid stream since the square of
a sum is not equal to the sum of the squares
of its components.
This error can be corrected by replacing the
kinetic energy terms V2/2 in the energy
equation by Vavg2/2, where  is the kinetic
energy correction factor.
The correction factor is 2.0 for
fully developed laminar pipe Fig. 5-56 The determination of the
flow, and it ranges between 1.04 kinetic energy correction factor using
and 1.11 for fully developed the actual velocity distribution V(r) and
turbulent flow in a round pipe. the average velocity Vavg at a cross
section.

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Examples

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