Introduction, Importance and Development of Fluid Mechanics

Flows occur in all fields of our natural and technical environment and anyone perceiving their surroundings with open eyes and assessing their significance for themselves and their fellow beings can convince themselves of the farreaching effects of fluid flows. Without fluid flows life, as we know it, would not be possible on Earth, nor could technological processes run in the form known to us and lead to the multitude of products which determine the high standard of living that we nowadays take for granted. Without flows our natural and technical world would be different, and might not even exist at all. Flows are therefore vital.

Flows are everywhere and there are flow-dependent transport processes that supply our body with the oxygen that is essential to life. In the blood vessels of the human body, essential nutrients are transported by mass flows and are thus carried to the cells, where they contribute, by complex chemical reactions, to the build-up of our body and to its energy supply. Similarly to the significance of fluid flows for the human body, the multitude of flows in the entire fauna and flora are equally important (see Fig. 1.1). Without these flows, there would be no growth in nature and human beings would be deprived of their “natural food”. Life in Nature is thus dependent on flow processes and understanding them is an essential part of the general education of humans.