Engineering Certification Thermodynamics & Fluid Mechanics Flashcards
6 cards from real Engineering Certification practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Engineering Certification Thermodynamics & Fluid Mechanics flashcards as text
Which pump type is best suited for high-flow, low-pressure applications such as HVAC circulation?
Answer: Centrifugal pump
Centrifugal pumps impart velocity to fluid via a rotating impeller and are ideal for high-flow, relatively low-head applications like HVAC and water circulation.
What does the Darcy-Weisbach equation calculate in pipe flow?
Answer: Head loss due to friction in a pipe
The Darcy-Weisbach equation h_f = f(L/D)(V²/2g) calculates the major (friction) head loss in a pipe due to viscous effects and pipe roughness.
In a steam power plant Rankine cycle, what device converts the thermal energy of steam into mechanical work?
Answer: Turbine
The turbine extracts thermal energy from high-pressure, high-temperature steam and converts it to shaft work that drives the electrical generator.
What is the specific heat capacity (c_p) of a substance?
Answer: The heat required to raise 1 kg of the substance by 1°C at constant pressure
Specific heat capacity c_p is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1°C (or 1 K) at constant pressure.
Which flow condition exists when the Mach number equals exactly 1.0?
Answer: Sonic (choked) flow
When the Mach number equals 1.0, the flow velocity equals the local speed of sound, a condition called sonic or choked flow that limits mass flow rate in a nozzle.
Fourier's Law of heat conduction states that heat flux is proportional to which quantity?
Answer: Temperature gradient (dT/dx)
Fourier's Law states q = -kA(dT/dx), meaning heat flux is proportional to the negative of the temperature gradient — heat flows from hot to cold proportional to how steep the temperature change is.