Chapter 4 Description of a

Fluid in Motion

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 Main Topics
 Introduction
 Fundamental Physical Laws
 Fluid Flow Fields
 Steady and Unsteady Flows
 Visualizing the velocity field: Flow Lines
• Streamline
• Pathline
• Steakline
• Timeline
 Systems and Control Volumes
 A relation between System and the Control
Volume Approaches
 One and Two Dimensional Flows

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 4.0 Introduction

The development of an analytical description of fluid flow is based upon the

expression of the physical laws related to fluid flow in a suitable mathematical
form. Accordingly, we shall present the pertinent physical laws and discuss
the methods used to describe a fluid in motion.
In this chapter vector notation will be used occasionally, primarily for the
purpose of abbreviating otherwise lengthy expressions.
In many ways this chapter is one of the most important chapter in the course,
for it paves the way for everything that follows. The student who masters its
contents before proceeding will be rewarded for his/her efforts. Before taking
up the main business of the chapter, we pause briefly to make a few comments
regarding three kinds of time derivatives used in this chapter. We might
illustrate them with a homely example -- namely reporting the concentration
(population) of fish in the Singapore River. Because the fish are moving, the
fish concentration c will be a function of position (x,y,z) and time (t).

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 4.0 Introduction
 Partial Time Derivative, ∂c/∂t
c
t

 Total Time Derivative, dc/dt

dc c c dx c d y cdz
   
dt t x dt  y dt z dt

 Substantial Time Derivative, Dc/Dt

Dc  c c c c
  vx  vy  vz
Dt  t x y z

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4.1 Fundamental Physical Laws

 The law of Conservation of mass

 Continuity equation

 Newton’s Second Law of Motion

 Momentum equation

 First Law of Thermodynamics

 Energy equation

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 4.2 Fluid Flow Fields
 Lagrangian Representation
v(x(t), y(t), z(t), t)

 Eulerian Representation
v(x1, y1, z1, t)

The difference between these approaches lies in the manner in

which the position in the field is identified.
For Eulerian approach, we express at a fixed position in space, the
variables of a continuous ‘string’ of fluid particles moving by this
position. On the other hand, for Lagrangian approach, we try to
study a particular fluid particle in the flow, we must ‘follow the
particle’.

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 4.2 Fluid Flow Fields
An amusing illustration of the Eulerian and Lagrangian
descriptions of fluid motion as applied to traffic on a highway has
been suggested by White.
Engineers who design the highway are concerned with the number
of cars that must pass over the road, the movement of traffic as a
whole, and the number of cars that may be expected to enter or
leave the highway at each ramp. An Eulerian description is
perfectly suited because the highway designer has no interest in
any particular car and its characteristics- whether it is red or blue,
manual or automatic transmission, and so on. A police officer
patrolling the highway, however, is interested in identifying those
particular cars that are breaking the law and in giving the drivers
tickets. Only a Lagrangian approach would stand up in court!

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4.3 Steady and Unsteady Flows

If the flow at every point in the fluid is independent of

time, the flow is termed steady. If the flow at a point
varies with time, the flow is termed unsteady.
It is possible in certain cases to transform an unsteady
flow problem to a steady flow problem by changing the
frame of reference.

Fig.4.3.1 and 4.3.2

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4.4 Visualizing the Velocity Field: Flow
Lines
 Streamline – an imaginary line that is everywhere
tangent to the fluid velocity vector
 Pathline - the curve marked out by the trajectory of a
particular fluid particle as it moves through the flow
field
 Streakline - a fluid line (that is, a line composed of
fluid particles) made up of all particles that have
passed a certain point
 Timeline - a line of fluid particles that have been
marked at a particular instant of time

Visualization

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 4.5 Systems and Control Volumes
In employing the fundamental and subsidiary laws, either one of the following modes
of application may be adopted.
1) The activities of each and every given mass must be such as to satisfy the
basic laws and the pertinent subsidiary laws.
2) The activities in each and every volume in space must be such that the basic
laws and the pertinent subsidiary laws are satisfied.
In the first instance, the laws are applied to an identified quantity of matter called
system. A system may change shape, position and thermal condition, but must always
entail the same matter.
For the second case, a definite volume is designated in space, and the boundary of this
volume is known as the control surface. The amount and identity of this matter in the
control volume may change with time., but the shape of the control volume is most of
time fixed.
The activities of each and every given mass must be such as to satisfy the basic laws
and the pertinent subsidiary laws – System Approach
The activities in each and every volume in space must be such that the basic laws and
the pertinent subsidiary laws are satisfied – Control Volume Approach

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 4.6 A Relation between the System and
the Control Volume Approaches

In thermodynamics, one usually makes a distinction between those properties of a

substance whose measure depends on the mass of the substance present and those
properties whose measure is independent of the mass of the substance present. The
former are called extensive properties while the latter are called intensive properties.
For each extensive variable, one can introduce by distributive measurements, the
corresponding intensive property, simply divided by mass, such quantity is termed
specific. It is with extensive properties that we shall now relate the system approach
with the control volume approach.

Fig.4.6.1
Derivation of eq.4.6.5

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The extensive property N relates to its specific property η by the following

N / III η ρ dV

The change of property Ns of system during time interval Δt is

where NI + NII is NC.V. as Region I + Region II is our C.V.

The time rate of change of property Ns of the system is

(1)

We will evaluate the three terms a, b, c separately.

First term: This is the rate of change of property N contained within the C.V.

(2)

Second term: This refers to the amount of property N contained in region III, which is part of the
volume occupied by the system at time t + Δt, which is outside the original C.V. Consider a fluid
element in the C.V., in contact with an elementary area dA on part of the control surface (C.S.II)
which is between the C.V. and region III. During a small time interval Δt, this element will move
through region III and reach its surface on the other side, moving by a distance ΔL where ΔL =
v Δt, thus defining a volume

This volume contains fluid that leaves the C.V. during Δt (outflow). Thus, -90o < θ < 90o, so that
cos θ > 0 and the volume dV is positive, as it should be. The amount of property N within dV
at time t + Δt is
while the total amount of N within region III at time t + Δt is

(3)

Third term: This refers to the amount of property N contained in region I at time t + Δt, region
I is part of the C.V. that is occupied by new fluid (not part of the orginal system) at time t + Δt.
This fluid enters the volume from outside (inflow), so that 90o < θ < 180o, or -180o < θ < -90o,
which means that cos θ < 0.
Consider a fluid element outside of the C.V., in contact with an elementary area dA on part of
the control surface (C.S.I) which will remain outside region I during time Δt. During a small time
interval Δt, this element will move through region I and reach the interface between Regions I
and II, moving by a distance ΔL where ΔL = v Δt, thus defining a volume

The amount of property N within dV at time t + Δt is

The total amount of N within region I at time t + Δt, which represents the total inflow of fluid
into the C.V. during Δt is

then

(4)

The sum b + c represents the total flux of fluid through the entire surface C.S. of the C.V., i.e.

Substituting the above and eqn (2) back into (1), we have

(eq.4.6.5)
4.7 One and Two Dimensional Flows
One dimensional flow is a simplification, where all properties and flow
characteristics are assumed to be expressible as function of one space coordinate
and time. The position is usually the location along some path or conduit. For
instance, a one dimensional flow in a pipe would require that the velocity, pressure
etc. be constant over any given cross section at any given time. In reality, flow in
pipes and conduits is never truly one dimensional, since the velocity will vary over
the cross section.
If the departure is not too great or if average effects at a cross section are of interest,
one dimensional flow may be assumed to exist. For instance, in pipe and duct, this
assumption is often acceptable, where
1. Variation of cross section of the container is not too excessive
2. Curvature of the streamlines is not excessive
3. Velocity profile is known not to change appreciably along the duct
Two dimensional flow is distinguished by the condition that all properties and flow
characteristics are functions of two coordinates, say x, y and time and hence do not
change along the z direction at a given instant. All planes normal to the z direction
will, at a given instant, have the same stream line pattern.

Fig.4.7.1
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 Points to remember
 Partial Time Derivative, ∂c / ∂t observes how the concentration
changes with time at a fixed position in space. Hence by ∂c / ∂t
we mean the "changing of c with respect to t, holding x, y, z
constant.“

 Total Time Derivative, dc / dt observes how concentration

changes with respect to time.

 Substantial Time Derivative, Dc / Dt observes how concentration

changes with respect to time along the flow.

 Eulerian approach observes the property at a particular fixed

coordinates, whereas, Lagrangian approach will follow a specific
fluid particle to see how the property will change along the way.

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 Points to remember
 A system may change shape, position and thermal condition, but
must always entail the same matter. A control volume is a
definite volume in space, the amount and identity of this matter
in the control volume may change with time, but the shape of the
control volume is most of time fixed.

 Reynolds transport equation has the following form,

DN
Dt
' II c.s.
η ρ (Pv • Pn) dA % M
Mt III c.v.
η ρ dV

The velocity vector Pv is observed from the a reference frame

xyz and the control volume is also observed from the same
reference frame, as such, we can say that the velocity vector
v is observed from the control volume.
P

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