Chapter 5

Conservation Laws: Control-Volume Approach

5.1 Macroscopic Mass Balance (Integral Relation)
The general balance equation can be written as
Accumulation = Input + Generation - Output - Consumption
The terms (Generation - Consumption) are usually combined to call Generation with
positive value for net generation and negative value for net consumption.
Let
M = total mass (kg) of A within the system at any time.
in = rate (kg/s) at which A enters the system by crossing the boundaries.
m
out
m
= rate (kg/s) at which A leaves the system by crossing the boundaries.

rgen = rate (kg/s) of generation of A within the system by chemical reactions.

rcons
= rate (kg/s) of consumption of A within the system by chemical
reactions.
Then the mass balance on species A can be written as
dM
in + rgen m
out rcons
= m
dt

(5.1-1)

If there is no chemical reaction, the mass balance equation is simplified to

dM
in m
out
= m
dt

(5.1-2)

Example 5.1-1. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------A tank contains 2 m3 of pure water initially as shown in Figure 5.1-1. A stream of brine
containing 25 kg/m3 of salt is fed into the tank at a rate of 0.02 m 3/s. Liquid flows from
the tank at a rate of 0.01 m 3/s. If the tank is well mixed, what is the salt concentration
(kg/m3) in the tank when the tank contains 4 m3 of brine.
V(t=0)=2cubicmeter

Fi , Ai

Fi =0.02m3 /s
Ai=25kg/m3

F, A
Figure 5.1-1 A tank system with input and output.

Solution -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Step #1: Define the system.

System: salt and water in the tank at any time.
Step #2: Find equation that contains A, the salt concentration in the tank at any time.
The salt balance will contain A.
Step #3: Apply the salt balance around the system.

d (V A )
= FiAi - FA = 0.5 0.01A
dt

(E-1)

where V is the brine solution in the tank at any time. Need another equation to solve
for V and A.
dV
= Fi F = 0.02 0.01 = 0.01 m3/s
dt

Step #4: Specify the boundary conditions for the differential equation.
At t = 0, V = 2 m2, A = 0, at the final time t, V = 4 m2
Step #5: Solve the resulting equations and verify the solution.
Integrate Eq. (E-2)
V

dV = 0.01

dt ,
0

to obtain V = 2 + 0.01t

When V = 4 m3, t = 200 sec

The LHS of Eq. (E-1) can be expanded to
V

d A
dV
+ A
= 0.5 0.01A
dt
dt

Hence
(0.01t + 2)

d A
+ 0.01A = 0.5 - 0.01A
dt

The above equation can be solved by separation of variables

2

(E-2)

d A
dt
=
0.5 0.02 A 0.01t 2

1
1
ln (0.5 0.02A) =
ln(0.01t + 2) + C1
0.02
0.01

1
ln (0.5 0.02A) = ln(0.01t + 2) + C
2

(E-3)

at t = 0, A = 0, hence

1
ln(0.5) = ln(2) + C
2

(E-4)

Eq. (E-3) - Eq. (E-4)

1 0.5 .02 A
0.01t 2
ln

= ln
2
2
.5

1 - 0.04A = (1 + 0.005 t)-2

Finally

A = 25 -

25
(1 0.005t ) 2

(E-5)

at t = 200 sec

A = 25 -

25
(1 0.005 200) 2

= 18.75 kg/m3

Verify the solution

At t = 0, from (E-5); A = 0, as t , A = 25 kg/m3
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We now consider the general open system or control volume fixed in space and located in a
fluid flow field, as shown in Figure 5.1-2. The streamline of a fluid stream is the curve where
the velocity at any point is tangent to it. For a differential element of area dA on the control
surface, the rate of mass efflux from this element = ( v)( dAcos), where ( dAcos) is the
area dA projected in a direction normal to the velocity vector v, is the angle between the
velocity vector v and the outward-directed unit normal vector n to dA, and is the density.
C o n tr o l v o lu m e
dA

S t r e a m lin e s o f
flu id s t r e a m

v
n

N o rm a l to s u rfa c e d A
C o n tro l s u r fa c e
Figure 5.1-2 Flow through a differential area dA on a control surface.
(v)(dAcos) is the scalar or dot product of (vn)dA. Since the normal vector n is pointing
outward, the mass (efflux) leaving the control volume is positive ( < 90o) and the mass
(influx) entering the control volume is negative ( > 90o). If we now integrate this quantity
over the entire control surface A, we have the net outflow of mass across the control surface
~
or the net mass efflux from the entire control volume V .

net

efflux

volume

mass

from control
mass
rate of

from

control

mass
control

output

volume

input

volume

net

mass

from

control

rate of

from

efflux
=
volume

v cos dA
A

Since the rate of mass accumulation in control volume is

(vn)dA
A

dM
= t
dt

dV , the mass

balance with no chemical reaction is

dV = A (vn)dA

(5.1-3)

Equation (5.1-3) has the same physical meaning as equation (5.1-2)

dM
in - m
out .
= m
dt

However equation (5.1-3) is more general since it can account for the variation of density
~
over the control volume V and the variation of velocity v over the control surface A.

Example 5.1-2. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Water is flowing through a large circular conduit with inside radius R and a velocity
profile given by the equation

v(fps) = 8 1 R

Determine the mass flow rate through the pipe and the average water velocity in the 2.0 ft
pipe.
r

r
6 ft

2 ft

Solution -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Since v is a function of r, we first need to determine the mass flow rate through the
differential area dA = 2rdr
= (v)(dAcos) = (v)( 2rdr) since cos = cos(0) = 1
dm

The mass flow rate through the area R2 is then obtained by an integration over the area

= 2 0 8 1
m
R

Let z =

rdr

(E-1)

r
dr = Rdz, equation (E-1) becomes
R

= 16R2 0

1 z
2

zdz

= 16R

= 4R2 = 462.432 = 7057 lb/s

m

The average velocity in the 2-ft pipe is

vave =

m
7057
= 36 ft/s
2 =
R
62.4 12

5.2 Microscopic Mass Balance (Differential Relation)

5

z2
z4

4
2 2

z
v y |y+ y
z
v x|x
x

v x|x+ x
y

x v |
y y
y
Figure 5.2-1 Illustration of a differential element in Cartesian coordinates.
Appling the conservation of mass to a 3-D control volume xyz in Cartesian coordinates
we obtain
dM

in m
out
= xyz
= m
dt
t

The mass flow into and out of each surface are given by
in - m
out = yz[(vx)|x (vx)|x+x] + xz[(vy)|y (vy)|y+y]
m

+ xy[(vz)|z (vz)|z+z]
Therefore
xyz

= yz[(vx)|x (vx)|x+x] + xz[(vy)|y (vy)|y+y]

t

+ xy[(vz)|z (vz)|z+z]

Divide the equation by xyz and take the limit as xyz 0

In the limiting process of making x, y, z 0

(5.2-1)

x dx
y dy
z dz
lim
x 0
y 0 t
z 0

( v x ) |x x ( v x ) |x ( v y ) | y y ( v y ) | y ( v z ) |z z ( v z ) |z

y
x
z

This limit process produces partial derivatives

limit ( v x ) |x x ( v x ) |x
( v x )
=
x 0
x
x
limit ( v y ) | y y ( v y ) | y
y 0
y

( v y )
y

( v z )
z
We then obtain the differential mass balance or the continuity equation. This equation must
be satisfied at all points within any flowing fluid.
limit ( v z ) |z z ( v z ) |z
z 0
z

( v x ) ( v y ) ( v z )

y
t
x
z

(5.2-2)

If the fluid is incompressible, is a constant and equation (5.2-2) becomes

v y
v x
v z
+
+
=0
y
x
z

(5.2-3)

Equation (5.2-2) can be written in vector notation as

= v
t

The vector differential or del operator is defined in RCCS (Rectangular Cartesian

Coordinate System) as

= ex x + ey

+ ez z

In this expression, ex, ey, and ez are the units vector in RCCs with the properties
ei ej = 0 for i j and ei ei = 1 for i = j where i, j = x, y, or z
Therefore

v = (ex x + ey
v =

Since

+ ez z )( exvx + eyvy + ezvz)

( v x ) ( v y ) ( v z )
+
+
y
x
z

( v x )
v x

=
+ vx
, v = v + v
x
x
x

v is the divergence of vector v and is given in RCCS as

v =

v y
v x
v z
+
+
y
x
z

is the gradient of the scalar and is given in RCCS as

= ex

+ ey y + ez
x
z

The gradient of is a vector in the direction in which increases most rapidly with distance.
The term v is the overall or net rate of mass loss. v is the rate of outflow of volume
(per unit volume). This situation could occur if the fluid were expanding due to a decrease in
pressure. This would result in an outflow of volume across the boundaries of a fixed unit
volume. Therefore v is the rate of mass loss due to expansion. v is the net loss of mass
due to flow if there is an increase in density in the gradient direction. There will be more
mass flow out of the system than the flow in.
Example 5.2-1. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Evaluate the divergence of the velocity vector v = vxex + vyey, where
vx = ceky sin(kx t), vy = ceky cos(kx t); c, k, and are constants
Solution -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------v =

v y
v x
+
=
y
x

[ ceky sin(kx t)] +

v = ckeky cos(kx t) + ckeky cos(kx t) = 0

The flow is incompressible since v =

v y
v x
+
= 0.
y
x

[ceky cos(kx t)]