Course
Description:
Applications of fluid mechanics to natural flows of water and air
in environmentally relevant systems.
The course begins with a review of fundamental fluid physics with
emphasis on mass, momentum and energy conservation. These concepts are then utilized to study
processes that naturally occur in air and water, such as boundary layers,
waves, instabilities, turbulence, mixing, convection, plumes and
stratification. The knowledge of these
processes is then sequentially applied to the following environmental fluid
systems: rivers and streams, wetlands, lakes and reservoirs, estuaries, the
coastal ocean, smokestack plumes, urban airsheds, the
lower atmospheric boundary layer, and the troposphere. Interactions between air and water systems
are also studied in context (
Prerequisites: ENGS-34 (Fluid Dynamics) and ENGS-37 (Introduction to Environmental Engineering), or equivalent
Instructor:
Benoit Cushman-Roisin
134 Cummings Hall
Tel: 1-603-646-3248
Textbook:
Environmental Fluid Mechanics
by Benoit Cushman-Roisin
under contract with John Wiley & Sons
Chapters available on web at http://thayer.dartmouth.edu/~cushman/courses/engs151.html
Course
Objectives:
1. Ability to perform mass, momentum and energy balances in natural fluid systems
2. Ability to perform a stability analysis of a particular fluid flow
3. Understanding of physics of mechanical mixing and heat convection
4. Knowledge of various forms of natural turbulence
5. Basic understanding of meteorology and atmospheric boundary layer
6. Basic understanding of hydraulics
Course Format:
1. Lectures by instructor
2. Weekly homework sets (Monday to Friday)
3. Mid-term exam (open books, take-home)
4. Final exam (open books, take-home)
Grading:
40% Homeworks
30% Mid-term exam
30% Final exam
Honor Code:
As always, students are expected to observe all aspects of the Academic Honor Principle, discussed on pages 44-46 of the Organization, Regulations and Courses. In this course, collaboration is allowed during homework, although students have to turn in their individual work. No collaboration whatsoever is allowed during the mid-term and final examinations. During those assignments, questions can only be directed to the instructor.
Note to students with
disabilities:
Students with any type of disability are encouraged to contact the instructor to discuss their needs and what accommodations are necessary. Such contact should be made at the beginning of the term or, in the case of a new condition, as soon as it occurs.