Differential Analysis of Fluid Flow

Objectives
• Understand how the differential equations of
mass and momentum conservation are
derived.
• Calculate the stream function and pressure
field, and plot streamlines for a known
velocity field.
• Obtain analytical solutions of the equations of
motion for simple flows.
 Introduction
• CV, or integral, forms of equations are useful for determining
overall effects
• However, we cannot obtain detailed knowledge about the
flow field inside the CV  motivation for differential analysis
 Introduction
• Example: incompressible Navier-Stokes equations

• We will learn:
– Physical meaning of each term
– How to derive
– How to solve
 Introduction
• For example, how to solve?
Step Analytical Fluid Dynamics Computational Fluid Dynamics

1 Setup Problem and geometry, identify all dimensions and

parameters
2 List all assumptions, approximations, simplifications, boundary
conditions
3 Simplify PDE’s Build grid / discretize PDE’s
4 Integrate equations Solve algebraic system of
equations including I.C.’s and
5 Apply I.C.’s and B.C.’s to solve
B.C’s
for constants of integration
6 Verify and plot results Verify and plot results
 Conservation of Mass
We’ll examine two methods to derive
differential form of conservation of mass
– Divergence (Gauss’s) Theorem
– Differential CV and Taylor series expansions
 Conservation of Mass
Divergence Theorem

• Divergence theorem allows us to transform a

volume integral of the divergence of a vector
into an area integral over the surface that
defines the volume.
 Conservation of Mass
Divergence Theorem

• Rewrite conservation of momentum

• Using divergence theorem, replace area integral with

volume integral and collect terms

Integral holds for ANY CV, therefore:

 Conservation of Mass
Differential CV and Taylor series

• First, define an infinitesimal

control volume dx x dy x dz
• Next, we approximate the
mass flow rate into or out of
each of the 6 faces using
Taylor series expansions
around the center point,
e.g., at the right face

Ignore terms higher than order dx

 Conservation of Mass
Differential CV and Taylor series

Area of right
face = dy dz

Infinitesimal control volume

of dimensions dx, dy, dz

Mass flow rate through

the right face of the
control volume
 Conservation of Mass
Differential CV and Taylor series
• Now, sum up the mass flow rates into and out of the
6 faces of the CV
Net mass flow rate into CV:

Net mass flow rate out of CV:

• Plug into integral conservation of mass equation

 Conservation of Mass
Differential CV and Taylor series

• After substitution,

• Dividing through by volume dxdydz

Or, if we apply the definition of the divergence of a vector

 Conservation of Mass
Alternative form
• Use product rule on divergence term
 Conservation of Mass
Cylindrical coordinates
• There are many problems which are simpler to solve if the
equations are written in cylindrical-polar coordinates
• Easiest way to convert from Cartesian is to use vector form
and definition of divergence operator in cylindrical
coordinates
Conservation of Mass
Cylindrical coordinates
 Conservation of Mass
Special Cases
• Steady compressible flow

Cartesian

Cylindrical
 Conservation of Mass
Special Cases
• Incompressible flow
and  = constant

Cartesian

Cylindrical
 Conservation of Mass
• In general, continuity equation cannot be
used by itself to solve for flow field, however
it can be used to
1. Determine if velocity field is incompressible
2. Find missing velocity component
 The Stream Function
• Consider the continuity equation for an
incompressible 2D flow

• Substituting the clever transformation

• Gives
This is true for any smooth
function (x,y)
 The Stream Function
• Why do this?
– Single variable  replaces (u,v). Once  is
known, (u,v) can be computed.
– Physical significance
1. Curves of constant  are streamlines of the flow
2. Difference in  between streamlines is equal to
volume flow rate between streamlines
The Stream Function
Physical Significance

For equal slope of and

 Change in  along
streamline is zero
The Stream Function
Physical Significance

Difference in  between
streamlines is equal to
volume flow rate between
streamlines
Conservation of Linear Momentum

Body Surface
Force Force

ij = stress tensor

• Using the divergence theorem to convert area

integrals
Conservation of Linear Momentum
• Substituting volume integrals gives,

• Recognizing that this holds for any CV, the

integral may be dropped

This is Cauchy’s Equation

Can also be derived using infinitesimal CV and Newton’s 2nd Law (see text)
Conservation of Linear Momentum
• Alternate form of the Cauchy Equation can be
derived by introducing
(Chain Rule)

• Inserting these into Cauchy Equation and rearranging

gives
Conservation of Linear Momentum
• Unfortunately, this equation is not very useful
– 10 unknowns
• Stress tensor, ij : 6 independent components
• Density 
• Velocity, V : 3 independent components
– 4 equations (continuity + momentum)
– 6 more equations required to close problem!
 Navier-Stokes Equation
• First step is to separate ij into pressure and
viscous stresses
 xx  xy  xz   p 0 0   xx  xy  xz 
     
 ij   yx  yy  yz    0  p 0    yx  yy  yz 
     
 zx  zy  zz   0 0  p  
 zx  zy  zz 

Viscous (Deviatoric)
• Situation not yet improved Stress Tensor

– 6 unknowns in ij  6 unknowns in ij + 1 in P,

which means that we’ve added 1!
 Navier-Stokes Equation
• Reduction in the
(toothpaste) number of variables is
achieved by relating
(paint) shear stress to strain-
rate tensor.
• For Newtonian fluid
(quicksand) with constant
properties

Newtonian fluid includes most common

Newtonian closure is analogous
fluids: air, other gases, water, gasoline
to Hooke’s Law for elastic solids
 Navier-Stokes Equation
• Substituting Newtonian closure into stress
tensor gives

• Using the definition of ij (Chapter 4)

 Navier-Stokes Equation
• Substituting ij into Cauchy’s equation gives the
Navier-Stokes equations

Incompressible NSE
written in vector form

• This results in a closed system of equations!

– 4 equations (continuity and momentum equations)
– 4 unknowns (U, V, W, p)
 Navier-Stokes Equation
• In addition to vector form, incompressible N-S
equation can be written in several other forms
– Cartesian coordinates
– Cylindrical coordinates
– Tensor notation
 Navier-Stokes Equation
Cartesian Coordinates
Continuity

X-momentum

Y-momentum

Z-momentum

See page 431 for equations in cylindrical coordinates

 Navier-Stokes Equation
Tensor and Vector Notation
Tensor and Vector notation offer a more compact form of the equations.

Continuity
Tensor notation Vector notation

Conservation of Momentum
Tensor notation Vector notation

Repeated indices are summed over j

(x1 = x, x2 = y, x3 = z, U1 = U, U2 = V, U3 = W)
 Differential Analysis of Fluid Flow Problems

• Now that we have a set of governing partial

differential equations, there are 2 problems
we can solve
1. Calculate pressure (P) for a known velocity field
2. Calculate velocity (U, V, W) and pressure (P) for
known geometry, boundary conditions (BC), and
initial conditions (IC)
 Exact Solutions of the NSE
• There are about 80 • Solutions can also be
known exact solutions classified by type or
geometry
to the NSE
1. Couette shear flows
• The can be classified as: 2. Steady duct/pipe flows
– Linear solutions where 3. Unsteady duct/pipe flows
the convective 4. Flows with moving
term is zero boundaries
5. Similarity solutions
– Nonlinear solutions
6. Asymptotic suction flows
where convective term is
7. Wind-driven Ekman flows
not zero
 Exact Solutions of the NSE
Procedure for solving continuity and NSE
1.Set up the problem and geometry, identifying all
relevant dimensions and parameters
2.List all appropriate assumptions, approximations,
simplifications, and boundary conditions
3.Simplify the differential equations as much as
possible
4.Integrate the equations
5.Apply BC to solve for constants of integration
6.Verify results
 Boundary conditions
• Boundary conditions are critical to exact,
approximate, and computational solutions.
• Discussed in Chapters 9 & 15
– BC’s used in analytical solutions are discussed here
• No-slip boundary condition
• Interface boundary condition
– These are used in CFD as well, plus there are some BC’s
which arise due to specific issues in CFD modeling. These
will be presented in Chap. 15.
• Inflow and outflow boundary conditions
• Symmetry and periodic boundary conditions
No-slip boundary condition
• For a fluid in contact
with a solid wall, the
velocity of the fluid
must equal that of the
wall
Interface boundary condition
• When two fluids meet at an
interface, the velocity and
shear stress must be the
same on both sides

• If surface tension effects are

negligible and the surface is
nearly flat
 Interface boundary condition
• Degenerate case of the interface BC occurs at the free surface
of a liquid.
• Same conditions hold

Since air << water,

As with general interfaces, if surface

tension effects are negligible and the
surface is nearly flat Pwater = Pair
 Example exact solution
Fully Developed Couette Flow

• For the given geometry and BC’s, calculate the velocity and
pressure fields, and estimate the shear force per unit area
acting on the bottom plate

• Step 1: Geometry, dimensions, and properties

 Example exact solution
Fully Developed Couette Flow

• Step 2: Assumptions and BC’s

– Assumptions
1. Plates are infinite in x and z
2. Flow is steady, /t = 0
3. Parallel flow, V=0
4. Incompressible, Newtonian, laminar, constant properties
5. No pressure gradient
6. 2D, W=0, /z = 0
7. Gravity acts in the -z direction,
– Boundary conditions
1. Bottom plate (y=0) : u=0, v=0, w=0
2. Top plate (y=h) : u=V, v=0, w=0
 Example exact solnutio
Fully Developed Couette Flow
Note: these numbers refer
to the assumptions on the
• Step 3: Simplify 3 6 previous slide

Continuity

This means the flow is “fully developed”

or not changing in the direction of flow

X-momentum
2 Cont. 3 6 5 7 Cont. 6
 Example exact solution
Fully Developed Couette Flow
• Step 3: Simplify, cont.
Y-momentum
2,3 3 3 3,6 7 3 3 3

Z-momentum
2,6 6 6 6 7 6 6 6
Example exact solution Fully Developed Couette
Flow

• Step 4: Integrate
X-momentum
integrate integrate

Z-momentum
integrate
 Example exact solution
Fully Developed Couette Flow

• Step 5: Apply BC’s

– y=0, u=0=C1(0) + C2  C2 = 0
– y=h, u=V=C1h  C1 = V/h
– This gives

– For pressure, no explicit BC, therefore C3 can remain an

arbitrary constant (recall only P appears in NSE).
• Let p = p0 at z = 0 (C3 renamed p0)
1. Hydrostatic pressure
2. Pressure acts independently of flow
Example exact solution Fully Developed Couette
Flow

• Step 6: Verify solution by back-substituting into

differential equations
– Given the solution (u,v,w)=(Vy/h, 0, 0)

– Continuity is satisfied
0+0+0=0
– X-momentum is satisfied
 Example exact solution
Fully Developed Couette Flow
• Finally, calculate shear force on bottom plate

Shear force per unit area acting on the wall

Note that w is equal and opposite to the

shear stress acting on the fluid yx
(Newton’s third law).