This class focuses on fluid mechanics and how piping systems work. It involves properties of fluids, the pipes used, and the machinery that moves the fluid. This website is an EPortfolio detailing the homework, tests, and the final project that took place over the semester of fall 2021.

Course Reflection

over the course of this semester, I have learned a great deal about fluid mechanics. I feel there are topics I do well in, such as understanding the properties of fluids such as viscosity, fiction, and pressure. I feel I have a grasp on pressure and how it affects fluid in various machines. We also learned about Reynolds number and how it plays into almost every part of fluid mechanics This was the topic of the Section 1 Homework. In the second section of the class, I learned about orifice plates and how they affect the flow of fluid, as well as the effect water has on its container. One of the most important topics of this semester was Bernoulli’s equation and using it to find various values such as pressure drop or pump head. This section also focused on buoyancy as the water does not just apply force towards its container, but to anything floating on top of it as well. This also showed how the properties of a floating object can be determined just by looking at how the fluid reacts. All these concepts were demonstrated on the Section 2 Homework as well as the second test, MET330 Test 2 Robert Morris. The third and final section focused on using Bernoulli’s equation and understanding the properties of pumps and how to determine the correct pump for any given system. This section was relatively short as the topics simply required an understanding of the base concepts and once put together with the knowledge of how to find pump head, energy loss, and Reynolds number. The first half focused on series and parallel pipe systems, which I learned could become very complicated very quickly. The second half focused on pump selection was the culmination of all the information from the semester. The Section 3 Homework involved looking at and solving problems that mostly revolved around more complex piping systems. Bernoulli’s equation was key in understanding and performing the calculations and solving the problems. I feel that, after I failed Test 3, I still gained an understanding of the system and learned where I messed up. My time in this course has shown that there is always room for improvement and the more important thing is to learn from past mistakes, so I do not make them again.

I feel my learning is best shown in the homework problems that I did with my group. Throughout the semester I feel I did well on the homework because it was not as stressful as the tests. I could take my time, and if necessary, ask my teammates for help. One of the things I felt I improved in was manipulating equations. I have never been great at math, but once I got used to using Bernoulli’s equation, I learned how to find missing variables by twisting the equation around other equations. I feel the best example of that was on test 2. I am unsure how this all will affect my Engineering career, though if I do find myself in a position dealing with piping systems, I feel I am ready to handle it. While fluid mechanics is a diverse field, also dealing with gases, outside of the fluid mechanics lab I have not needed to use the concepts I have learned outside of class. I imagine if I was an aerospace engineer, a naval engineer, or a civil engineer, I would have to master fluid mechanics, but as a mechanical engineer, the most I can see myself working with is coolant lines for machinery. Though, who knows what the future holds, I may end up using my knowledge of fluid mechanics daily. If I were to restart this class, the best advice I could give would be to study harder and more often. The concepts are easy to grasp, applying them mathematically is difficult and read the test requirements VERY carefully.

After taking this class I feel I have improved as an engineer. I have gotten experience working in a group on a fairly complex project, as well as working on homework with them. I would say the biggest accomplishment in this class was the final project. It was a complex, slightly stressful, but enjoyable to work on. I feel I mastered the basic equation demonstrated in Section 1 Homework as well as manipulating equations as shown throughout my work. I feel my greatest weakness was my mathematic skills that I have struggled with for years. Even though I got a B in calculus, it still took me five tries to get there, so math will always be an uphill battle for me. My greatest strength though was my writing, as I was the communications person in my team, I wrote the paragraphs for the homework assignments, as well as a majority of the written sections in the final project. Before taking this class I expected it to be very difficult. The reason for this was because I know how to 3D model, and 3D modeling liquid is very, very difficult. That may seem tangential, but it is what my thought process was at the time. After taken this course, it is not as difficult as I expected, but still requires a lot of study and attention.