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• Benoit Cushman-Roisin
• Thayer School of Engineering
• Dartmouth College

Syllabus & Schedule - Winter 2013

Instructor

Benoit Cushman-Roisin
134 Cummings Hall
Telephone: 1-603-646-3248
Email: Benoit.Cushman.Roisin@dartmouth.edu

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 (ex. Sea breeze in the context of the lower atmospheric boundary layer).

Prerequisites: ENGS-34 (Fluid Dynamics) and ENGS-37 (Introduction to Environmental Engineering), or equivalent.

Web address

http://thayer.dartmouth.edu/~d30345d/courses/engs151.html

Textbook (no purchase necessary)

Environmental Fluid Mechanics
by Benoit Cushman-Roisin
in preparation
under contract with John Wiley & Sons, © 2013

Course Objectives

• Ability to perform mass, momentum and energy balances in natural fluid systems
• Ability to perform a stability analysis of a particular fluid flow
• Understanding of physics of mechanical mixing and heat convection
• Knowledge of various forms of natural turbulence
• Basic understanding of meteorology and atmospheric boundary layer
• Basic understanding of hydraulics

Course Format

• Lectures by instructor (times to be arranged)
• Weekly graded homeworks (Friday to Friday)
• Occasional use of X-hour (for field trips)
• Mid-term exam (take home, 2+ days, open books)
• Final exam (take home, 2+ days, open books)

Grading

• 40% Homeworks
• 30% Mid-term exam
• 30% Final exam

Academic Honor Code

As always, students are expected to observe all aspects of the Academic Honor Principle, as defined in Organization, Regulations and Courses. In this course, collaboration is allowed during homework preparation, although students have to turn in their individual answers. No collaboration whatsoever is allowed during the mid-term and final examinations. During those assignments, questions can only be directed to the instructor or the TAs.

Dartmouth College policy requires that any apparent violation of the Honor Code be reported to the Committee on Standards. The professor does not have another choice, regardless of how he/she may feel.

Note on laptop use in class

Use of laptop computers is forbidden during class. The only granted exception is to students with documented writing disabilities who need a computer for note taking.

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.

Scheduling

Classes are held in Cummings 202 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 12:30 to 1:35pm (12 slot) with X-hour on Tuesdays from noon to 12:50pm.

© Copyright 2013 by Benoit Cushman-Roisin