ENCH3FM:NavierStokesequations

Differentialequationsofmotion
TheNavierStokesequations

The NavierStokes equations describe momentum balances across a differential element of

incompressiblefluidinaparticularcoordinatesystem.

Newtonssecondlawofmotionstatesthattherateofchangeofmomentumofanelementoffluid
isequaltothenetforceactingonthefluid

Consideradifferentialelementofflowingfluid.LetthefluidbeNewtonian(viscosityisconstantfor
constant T) and incompressible (density is constant for constant T). In a rectangular coordinate
system,theelementmaybecharacterisedbylengthx,heightyanddepthz.ByNewtonssecond
law,thechangeofmomentumofthatelementinthexdirectionwithtimecanbedescribedby

Itcanbeshownthatthismaybeexpressedmathematicallyas

2u 2u 2u
u x
u
u
u
P
+ u x x + u y x + u z x =
+ 2x + 2x + 2x + g x .............(66)
x
y
z
x
y
z
t
x

WheretheLHSisthedifferentialchangeinmomentumoftheelementinthexdirection.Thefirst
termontheRHSisduetodifferencesofpressureupstreamanddownstream(inthexdirection)of
theelement;thesecondtermisduetoshearstressesactingonthesurfacesoftheelementinthex
direction,andthefinaltermisduetotheforceofgravityontheelement.

Similar balances can be written for the y and zdirections to give a complete set of differential
equationsinrectangularcoordinates:

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ENCH3FM:NavierStokesequations

Inrectangularcoordinates
xcomponent

u x
u
u
u
+ ux x + uy x + uz x
x
y
z
t

2u

2u x 2u x
P
=
+ 2x +
+ 2
x
y 2
z

+ g x

2u y 2u y 2u y
u y
u y
u y
u y
P
=
+ ux
+ uy
+ uz
+ 2 +
+
x
x
y
z
y
y 2
z 2
t

+ g y

2u
u z
u
u
u
2u z 2u z
P
+ u x z + u y z + u z z =
+ 2z +
+
x
y
z
z
y 2
z 2
t
x

+ g z

ycomponent

zcomponent

These are the differential equations of motion, or the NavierStokes equations that describe the
changesinvelocity(directionandmagnitude)ofapackageofincompressiblefluidasaresultofthe
forcesactingonthatfluid.

Thesemayalsobewrittenincylindricalcoordinates:

Incylindricalcoordinates
u r

rcomponent

+ ur

2
u
u r u u r u
P

+ uz r =
+

z
r
r
r
r

1
u
2u
2u
+
(ru r ) + 12 2r 22 + 2z
z
r
r
r r r

+ g r

u
u u
uu
u
1 P
u
+ ur + r + u z =
r
r
r
r
z
t

component

2
2
1
(ru ) + 12 u2 22 u r + u2
+
r
z
r
r r r

+ g

u u u
u
P
u z
+ ur z + + u z z =
r
z
r
z
t

2
2
1 u z 1 u z u z
+ 2 + g z
+
r
+ 2
2
z
r r r r

zcomponent

There are no general solutions to the NavierStokes equations. However, it is possible to reduce
these equations to forms that can be handled manually by identifying which of the terms in the
aboveexpressionsarenegligibleandcanbeeliminated.

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ENCH3FM:NavierStokesequations
Thefullsetofequationscanonlybeusedbyfiniteelementcomputingprogrammes(computational
fluiddynamics)thatareusedforpredictingfluiddynamicsincomplicatedgeometries.

BoundaryConditions

Boundaryconditionsareneededtosolvedifferentialequationsinfluidflow.

Anumberofcommonlyusedboundaryconditionsareincludedbelow:

1. Thevelocityofafluidparticleincontactwithaboundaryatrestiszero.

2. Thevelocityofafluidparticleincontactwithamovingboundaryisthesameasthevelocity
ofthemovingboundary.

3. Fortwoimmiscibleliquidsflowingthroughapipe:
a. the fluids particles have a common velocity at the liquidliquid interface; ie

vliquid 1 = vliquid

b. thefluidsparticleshaveacommonmomentumfluxperpendiculartothesurface;ie

liquid 1
where

dv1
dv
= liquid 2 2
dx
dx attheinterface
liquid1istheviscosityofliquid1andliquid2istheviscosityofliquid2
v1isthevelocitydistributionforliquid1
v2isthevelocitydistributionforliquid2
isthevelocitygradientinxdirection(itcanbeinydirection,rdirection,

,etcdependingonthesystemofcoordinates)
4. Atliquidgasinterfacesthemomentumflux(hencethevelocitygradient)intheliquidphase
isverynearlyzeroandcanbeassumedtobezeroinmostcalculations.

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ENCH3FM:NavierStokesequations

ApplicationsofNavierStokesequations

1.SteadyLaminarflowbetweenfixedparallelplates(infiniteplates)

Considerlaminarflowbetweentwohorizontalinfiniteparallelplatesasshowninthefigurebelow

Ux

TheflowisinthexdirectionandwethereforeneedthexcomponentoftheNavierStokesequations
i.e.

2u
2u x 2u x
u x
u
u
u
P
+ 2x +
+
+ u x x + u y x + u z x =
x
x
y
z
y 2
z 2
t
x

+ g x

Simplifications
Therearenoflowsintheyandzdirectionsandthereforethereisnovelocityintheyandz
directions.I.e.uyanduz=0.

Thereisnochangeinvelocityalongthexaxis(uniformflow)i.e.

Thereisnovariationofuxinthezdirection.I.e.

theflowissteadystatei.e

Theplatesarehorizontalandthereforethereisnoeffectofgravity.I.e.

0,butux=f(y)

0.
0

ReducetheNavierstokesequationbyapplyingtheaboveconditions:

0=

2u
P
+ 2x
x
y

2u x
P
or
2
=

y
x

Thevelocityuxisafunctionofonlyy(i.e.ux=f(y))andtherefore.

i.e

whichcannowbeintegratedtoobtain

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ENCH3FM:NavierStokesequations

i.e.

WhereC1isaconstantofintegration.

Furtherintegrationyields
i.e.

WhereC2isaconstantofintegration.

(Note:inthiscase isregardedasconstantforintegrationsincetheintegrationiswithrespecttoy
directionandPisnotafunctionofy.)

C1andC2canbedeterminedwiththehelpoftheboundaryconditions.

Thetwoplatesarefixed;

Aty=+h;ux=0;

Thus,

C1=0and

Aty=h;ux=0;

Therefore

andthevelocityprofileisparabolic.

VolumetricflowrateQ
Thevolumetricflowrate,Qbetweenthetwoparallelplates (foraunitwidthinthezdirection) is
obtainedfromtherelationship

(=velocitycrosssectionalarea[=]m3/s)

(foraunitwidth)
Therefore

Thepressuregradientisnegativeasthepressuredecreasesinthedirectionofflow.
Ifwemaketheapproximation

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ENCH3FM:NavierStokesequations

Then

Thevolumetricflowrateisdirectlyproportionaltothepressuregradient,inverselyproportionalto
theviscosityandstronglydependentonthedistancebetweentheplates.

Averagevelocity,uave
For a unit depth between the plates i.e.
1, the overall volumetric flow may be described by
Q=crosssectionalareaaveragevelocity

i.e.

2 1

Thereforetheaveragevelocitycanbedescribedby

Themaximumvelocity,umax

Themaximumvelocityumaxoccursmidway(i.e.aty=o)betweenthetwoplates.

i.econsidertheoriginalequationforux.

Wheny=0,

Notethatwecancalculatedirectlytherelationshipbetweenumaxanduave:i.e.

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ENCH3FM:NavierStokesequations

2. Steady Laminar flow of a liquid (with constant density and viscosity)

throughahorizontalcircularpipeofradius,Randlength,L

ConsidersteadylaminarflowofanincompressibleNewtonianfluidinacircularpipe:

TheflowisinthezdirectionandwethereforeneedthezcomponentoftheNavierStokesequations
incylindricalcoordinatesi.e.

u u
u
u
u z
+ ur z +
+ uz z
r
r
z
t

1 u z
P

+
=
r
z

r r r

2
2
1 uz uz
+
+

2
2
z 2
r

+ g z

Simplifications
Thereisnoflowsintherdirectionandnoflowaroundthepipeaxis(direction);therefore

0

0
Thereisnochangeinvelocityalongthezaxis(uniformflow)i.e.

Thereisnovariationofuzinthedirection.I.e.

Theflowissteadystatei.e

Thepipeishorizontalandthereforethereisnoeffectofgravity.I.e.

0,butuz=f(r)

0.
0

ReducetheNavierstokesequationbyapplyingtheaboveconditions:

Theequationreducesto

Thevelocityuzisafunctionofonlyr(i.e.uz=f(r))andtherefore

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ENCH3FM:NavierStokesequations
Sotheequationbecomes

Or

Thismaybeintegratedtoobtain

Settingr=0,itcanbeseenthatC1+0=0,orC1=0;

Therefore

Andintegratingforasecondtimegives

Theboundaryconditionforthisproblemisthatatr=R,uz=0(i.e.noslipatthewalls)
Thus

Gives

Andfinally

Thepressuregradientisnegativeasthepressuredecreasesinthedirectionofflow.

Asbefore,Ifwemaketheapproximation

Then

i.e.,thevelocityprofileisparabolic

As before, the pressure gradient , is treated as a constant as far as integration is concerned

becausetheintegrationiswithrespecttordirectionandalsoPisnotafunctionofr.

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ENCH3FM:NavierStokesequations
Themaximumvelocity(umax)

Fromthevelocityprofile,thevelocityismaximumwhenr=0
i.e

Thevolumetricflowrate,Q
Asbefore,thevolumetricflowrateis

Thereforeintegratingwithrespecttorandgives

Integratingwrt:

Integratingbypartsgives

Thusthesolutionis

Which is the HagenPoiseuille equation for laminar flow in a circular pipe, which was originally
determinedusinganenergybalance(equation15).Clearlythetwoapproachesareequivalent.

Meanvelocity,uave

Meanvelocity,uaveisgivenbyQ/Area,i.e.

Thus

1
8

In this case, it can be seen that the volumetric average velocity uave is exactly the maximum
velocity(umax).

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