2 - General Engineering and Science

Abstract

This chapter focuses on engineering design, chemistry, electricity, basic mechanics, strength of materials, fluid mechanics, and geological engineering. Mechanics is the physical science that deals with the effects of forces on the state of motion or rest of solid, liquid, or gaseous bodies. The field may be divided into the mechanics of rigid bodies, the mechanics of deformable bodies, and the mechanics of fluids. In fluid mechanics, the field is generally divided into hydrostatics and hydrodynamics and further subdivided on the basis of compressibility. The principles of strength of materials are applied to the design of structures to assure that the elements of the structures operate reliably under a known set of loads. Thermodynamics involves terms and concepts that are often used in a nontechnical setting. In thermodynamics, these terms are abstractions of the ordinary concepts and have precise meanings that may differ drastically from everyday usage. Geological engineering focuses on various technical details of the Earth, its internal and surface composition, structure, and the processes that cause changes in its composition and structure. Electricity deals with electrical charge, directions of flow, conductance, inductance, resistivity, circuit elements, magnetism, and magnetic flux. Analogies exist between electric and magnetic fields. The chapter also introduces basic chemistry, with emphasis on the compounds found in petroleum and selected physical chemistry topics likely to arise in petroleum engineering. The chapter also describes ideal gas laws. Engineering designs practiced by petroleum engineers are a small part of the chapter and are significant in developing petroleum resources.