CHAPTER 1

DIFFERENTIAL APPROACH TO FLOW

ANALYSIS
• Velocity field; Acceleration field; Local and convective
accelerations
• Derivation of Continuity equation in 3D and its
simplification
• Derivation of Navier- Stokes (momentum) equation.
Application of NSE
• Application of continuity, Navier-Stokes equation and
Energy equations to simple problems
Introduction
• There are 3 approaches to the flow analysis:
• Control volume (large scale analysis)
• Experimental (dimensional analysis)
• Differential (small scale analysis)
- Differential approach –describe the detailed flow
pattern at every point (x,y,z) in the flow field
Velocity field
• Consider a fluid particle is moving along its pathline.
• The field variable at a particular location at a particular time is the
value of the variable for whichever fluid particle happens to occupy
that location at that time.
• For example, the pressure field is a scalar field variable. We define
the velocity field as a vector field variable.

• Collectively, these (and other) field variables define the flow field.
The velocity field can be expanded in Cartesian coordinates as:
Acceleration field
From Newton’s 2nd Law:
Acceleration field
Acceleration field

**Note:
Local Advective (convective)
acceleration acceleration
Acceleration field:
The components of the acceleration vector in cartesian coordinates:
The material derivative
D/Dt is composed of a
local or unsteady part
and a convective or
advective part.
Reading assignment:

Please read on
Streamline
Pathline
Streakline
Continuity Equation
The control volume technique is useful when we are interested in the
overall features of a flow, such as mass flow rate into and out of the
control volume or net forces applied to bodies.
Differential analysis, on the other hand, involves application of
differential equations of fluid motion to any and every point in the flow
field over a region called the flow domain.
Boundary conditions for the variables must be specified at all
boundaries of the flow domain, including inlets, outlets, and walls.
If the flow is unsteady, we must march our solution along in time as the
flow field changes.
Continuity Equation

(a) In control volume analysis, the interior of

the control volume is treated like a black
box, but
(b) (b) in differential analysis, all the details of
the flow are solved at every point
within the flow domain.
 Continuity Equation
• Derived from Conservation of Mass

To derive a differential
conservation equation, we
imagine shrinking a control
volume to infinitesimal size.
Continuity Equation
(Cartesian Coordinates)
Continuity Equation
The mass flow rate through
a surface is equal to VnA.

The inflow or outflow of

mass through each face of
the differential control
volume; the blue dots
indicate the center of each
face.
The divergence
operation in Cartesian
and cylindrical
coordinates.
Continuity Equation
(Cylindrical Polar coordinates)
Velocity components and unit vectors in cylindrical coordinates: (a) two-
dimensional flow in the xy- or r-plane, (b) three-dimensional flow.
Continuity Equation
Special Case 1: Steady Compressible Flow
 Continuity Equation
Special Case 2: Steady and Incompressible Flow
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 The continuity
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equation can be used
to find a missing
velocity component.
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Streamlines and velocity profiles for (a) a line vortex flow and
(b) a spiraling line vortex/sink flow.
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Derivation of the Navier–Stokes Equation for
Incompressible, Isothermal Flow

The incompressible flow

approximation implies constant
density, and the isothermal
approximation implies constant
viscosity.

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The Laplacian operator, shown
here in both Cartesian and
cylindrical coordinates, appears
in the viscous term of the 27
incompressible Navier–Stokes
equation.
 The Navier–Stokes equation is an
unsteady, nonlinear, secondorder, partial
differential equation.
Equation 9–60 has four unknowns (three
velocity components and pressure), yet it
represents only three equations (three
components since it is a vector equation).
Obviously we need another equation to
make the problem solvable. The fourth 28
equation is the incompressible continuity
The Navier–Stokes equation is the
equation (Eq. 9–16).
cornerstone of fluid mechanics.
Continuity and Navier–Stokes Equations in
Cartesian Coordinates

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Continuity and Navier–Stokes Equations in
Cylindrical Coordinates

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An alternative
form for the first
two viscous
terms in the r-
and -
components of
the Navier–
Stokes equation.

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Navier – Stokes Equation
(Cartesian Coordinates)
x - component:

y - component:

z - component:
 Navier – Stokes Equation
(Cylindrical Coordinates)
Radial component:

Tangential component:

Axial component:
 Steady, laminar flow between fixed parallel
plates. (Couette flow)

Problem:

Consider steady, incompressible, parallel, laminar flow of a viscous fluid flowing

between two fixed plates. The distance between the plates is 2h, and gravity acts in
the negative-y direction. The pressure gradient along x-direction is constant.
Determine the velocity distribution along the fixed plates.
 Steady, laminar flow in circular pipes
(Poiseuille flow)
Problem:

Consider steady, incompressible, laminar flow of a viscous fluid in a long, straight

horizontal pipe. The fluid with density, ρ and viscosity, μ flow through the pipe
which has a radius R. Determine the velocity distribution along the pipe.
Problem 1
•A  viscous liquid of constant ρ and viscosity µ falls due to gravity
between two vertical plates with a distance 2h apart. The flow is
fully developed, with a single component velocity . There are no
applied pressure gradients, but only gravity. Solve the Navier-
Stokes equation for the velocity profile between plates.
Problem 2
•Oil  of density, ρ and viscosity, µ, drains steadily down the side of
a vertical plate. After a development region near the top of the
plate, the oil film will become independent of z and constant
thickness, δ. Assume that only and that the atmosphere offers
no shear resistance to the surface of the film.
i. Solve the Navier-Stokes equation for and sketch the
approximate shape.
ii. Suppose that film thickness, δ and the slope of the velocity
profile at the wall wall are measured with a laser Doppler
anemometer. Determine an expression for oil viscosity, µ as a
function of ρ, δ , g and wall .
Viscous flow through an annulus
9–6 ■ DIFFERENTIAL ANALYSIS
OF FLUID FLOW PROBLEMS
There are two types of problems for which the differential equations (continuity
and Navier–Stokes) are useful:
• Calculating the pressure field for a known velocity field
• Calculating both the velocity and pressure fields for a flow of known geometry
and known boundary conditions

A general three-dimensional
but incompressible flow field
with constant properties 40
requires four equations to
solve for four unknowns.
Calculation of the Pressure Field for a
Known Velocity Field
The first set of examples involves calculation of the pressure
field for a known velocity field.
Since pressure does not appear in the continuity equation, we
can theoretically generate a velocity field based solely on
conservation of mass.
However, since velocity appears in both the continuity
equation and the Navier–Stokes equation, these two
equations are coupled.
In addition, pressure appears in all three components of the
Navier–Stokes equation, and thus the velocity and pressure
fields are also coupled.
This intimate coupling between velocity and pressure enables
us to calculate the pressure field for a known velocity field.
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For a two-dimensional flow
field in the xy-plane, cross-
differentiation reveals 44
whether pressure P is a
smooth function.
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Streamlines and
46
velocity profiles for
a line vortex.
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For a two-dimensional flow
field in the r-plane, cross- 48
differentiation reveals
whether pressure P is a
smooth function.
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The two-dimensional line
vortex is a simple
approximation of a
tornado; the lowest
pressure is at the center
of the vortex.

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Exact Solutions of the Continuity and Boundary Conditions
Navier–Stokes Equations

A piston moving at speed VP in a cylinder.

A thin film of oil is sheared between the
piston and the cylinder; a magnified view of
Procedure for solving the 51
the oil film is shown. The no-slip boundary
incompressible continuity and condition requires that the velocity of fluid
Navier–Stokes equations. adjacent to a wall equal that of the wall.
At an interface between two
fluids, the velocity of the two
fluids must be equal. In addition,
the shear stress parallel to the
interface must be the same in
both fluids.

Along a horizontal free surface of

water and air, the water and air
velocities must be equal and the
shear stresses must match.
However, since air << water, a good
approximation is that the shear
stress at the water surface is 52
negligibly small.
 Other boundary conditions arise
depending on the problem setup.
For example, we often need to define
inlet boundary conditions at a boundary
of a flow domain where fluid enters the
domain.
Likewise, we define outlet boundary
conditions at an outflow.
Boundary conditions along a plane of Symmetry boundary conditions are
symmetry are defined so as to ensure useful along an axis or plane of
that the flow field on one side of the symmetry.
symmetry plane is a mirror image of For unsteady flow problems we also 53
that on the other side, as shown here need to define initial conditions (at the
for a horizontal symmetry plane. starting time, usually t = 0).
Geometry of Example 9–
15: viscous flow between
two infinite plates; upper
plate moving and lower
plate stationary.

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A fully developed region of a flow
field is a region where the velocity
profile does not change with
downstream distance. Fully
developed flows are encountered in
long, straight channels and pipes.
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Fully developed Couette flow is
shown here—the velocity profile at x2
is identical to that at x1.
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For incompressible flow fields without
free surfaces, hydrostatic pressure
does not contribute to the dynamics
of the flow field.

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The linear velocity
profile of Example 9–15:
Couette flow between
parallel plates.

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Stresses acting on a
differential two-
dimensional rectangular
fluid element whose
bottom face is in contact
with the bottom plate of
Example 9–15.

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A rotational viscometer; the
inner cylinder rotates at
angular velocity , and a
torque Tapplied is applied, from
which the viscosity of the fluid
is calculated.

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