Note: this is just a general information page, not an official site for students enrolled in ME 50900, who should visit https://purdue.brightspace.com/.

Course Description

Continuum description and fluid properties. Basic laws for a continuum in integral and differential form. Kinematics of fluid flow and tensor calculus using index notation. Navier–Stokes equations and elementary solutions. Ideal fluid flow and basic inviscid hydrodynamics. Vorticity and streamfunction. Dimensional analysis of fluid mechanics problems. Boundary layer theory. Equations of motion for viscous flows. Viscous flow applications and lubrication theory. Instability and transition to turbulence.

Typically offered in the Fall semester, and via Purdue Engineering Online. 3 credit hours.

Syllabus

Representative course syllabi from past semesters are available at https://sswis.mypurdue.purdue.edu/CourseInsights/ (search for "ME 50900" including the space after "ME", some syllabi may require logging in with your Purdue career account credentials to view).

Learning Objectives/Course Outcomes

1. Unify and strengthen the student’s background in fluid mechanics.
2. Develop an understanding of the Lagrangian and Eulerian forms of the basic conservation equations.
3. Master classic solution techniques for basic fluid mechanics problems.
4. Prepare students to read the current literature and to pursue advanced studies in fluid mechanics or aerodynamics.

Prerequisites

Undergraduate fluid mechanics/aerodynamics or equivalent, advanced (multivariate and vector) calculus, linear algebra and differential equations (including basic partial differential equations/boundary value problems).

Topics Covered

1. Concept of a continuum and index notation.
2. Eulerian and Lagrangian descriptions of a flow field.
3. The Reynolds Transport Theorem and basic laws (mass, momentum, energy) for a continuum.
4. Derivation of the Navier–Stokes equations of a Newtonian fluid and elementary solutions.
5. Vorticity transport and vorticity-streamfunction equations.
6. Dimensional analysis.
7. Ideal fluids: potential flow theory and solutions in terms of complex variables.
8. Derivation of Prandtl's boundary layer equations and solution of Blasius' problem.
9. Low Reynolds number hydrodynamics, Stokes' equations and solutions.
10. Lubrication theory and viscous flows with a small length scale.
11. Introduction to hydrodynamic stability.
12. Introduction to turbulence and Reynolds averaging.

Sample course profile.

Textbook

R. L. Panton, Incompressible Flow, 4th ed., Wiley (2013).

Computational lecturebook

I. C. Christov, ME 50900 - Intermediate Fluid Mechanics, GitHub Repository (2025–present).

Computer Requirements

Basic MATLAB, Scientific Python or equivalent knowledge to generate plots and use builtin functions to solve simple transcendental and differential equations numerically.