ME

351A Ali Mani Fall 2018

Problem Set 1
Due Tuesday October 2 (in class at the beginning of lecture)
Reminder from guidelines: You should develop your work independently without
using help from others. The use of problem set solutions from previous years or other
resources is prohibited. Start each problem on a new side of paper. Provide complete
answers by explaining the process; do not leave out critical intermediate steps. Box final
answers. Write your name and SUnetID on homework. Staple pages together (do not use
paperclips).

Problem 1) (20 points) An Inverse Problem: In class we have always assumed that a
velocity field is given, i.e. the velocity components, 𝑢 and 𝑣 are known functions of
𝑥, 𝑦 and 𝑡. The question has been how such fields deform shapes, or more directly
stated, how points following the fluid move? In practice however, experimentalists
often deal with the reverse process: trajectories of particles following the fluid are
recorded and from such data they reconstruct the velocity field. In each one of the
questions below the trajectories of particles are given as a function of time and their
initial position, (𝑥! , 𝑦! ) at 𝑡 = 0. Your task is to determine the velocity field (𝑢, 𝑣) as a
function of 𝑥, 𝑦, and 𝑡.
a) 𝑥 = 𝑥! 𝑒 !!! , 𝑦 = 𝑦! 𝑒 !
b) 𝑥 = 𝑥! 𝑒 !! + 𝑦! 1 − 𝑒 !! , 𝑦 = 𝑦! 𝑒 !!
!
c) 𝑥 = 𝑥! 𝑒 ! , 𝑦 = 𝑦! 1 + 𝑡
Hint#1: The final answer should not involve 𝑥! or 𝑦! .
Hint#2: Solution to part (a) results in a steady field, while solution to parts (b) and (c)
result in unsteady fields. It is interesting that by merely seeing the expressions it is not
trivial to guess which velocity fields are steady and which ones are not.

Problem 2) (30 points) Incompressibility: In this problem we would like to derive
the condition on the velocity gradient tensor that pertains incompressibility. In two-
dimensional settings that means a condition under which fluid regions do not change
area under deformation.
Consider an arbitrary two-dimensional velocity gradient tensor:
𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑣
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥 𝑎 𝑏
𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑣 = 𝑐 𝑑
.
𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑦

Next, consider an arbitrary infinitesimal fluid element. As discussed in class, for such
elements the entire extent of the element can be assumed to be exposed to the same
velocity gradient tensor, and thus we consider 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐 and 𝑑 to be constant numbers.
Under such conditions the rate of change of the area of the element, 𝐴(𝑡), can be
expressed as:
𝑑𝐴
= 𝑓(𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐, 𝑑)𝐴,
𝑑𝑡
ME 351A Ali Mani Fall 2018

where 𝑓 does not depend on shape of the element, and is only a linear function of 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐
and 𝑑. That is:
𝑓 = 𝛼𝑎 + 𝛽𝑏 + 𝛾𝑐 + 𝛿𝑑.
Your task is to determine coefficients 𝛼, 𝛽, 𝛾, and 𝛿.
a) Consider a square element of size ℎ×ℎ as shown below
y

B C

O h D x

By tracking the deformation of this element at time 𝑡 + 𝑑𝑡, find expressions for 𝑑𝐴/𝑑𝑡.
Since 𝑓 is linear, you may decompose the problem into four easier problems in which
you will find only one of the coefficients at a time. Show schematics of deformation in
each case. By combining all results write an expression for 𝑓 in terms of 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐 and 𝑑.

b) What is the condition for incompressibility (no change in area) in terms of elements
of the velocity gradient tensor? Does this condition involve the symmetric or anti-
symmetric part of the tensor?
c) (0 points) Explain qualitatively why 𝑓 should not depend on the shape of the initial
element, and that deriving 𝑓 using only square elements is sufficient.
d) (0 points) Provide an explanation why 𝑓 should be linear?
Hint: parts (c) and (d) are about infinitesimal shapes deformed over infinitesimal time

Problem 3) (30 points) Principal coordinates: It is a property of symmetric second-
order tensors, such as the strain rate, 𝑺, that there exists a coordinate rotation that
makes the tensor diagonal. In other words, any strain field can be written in terms of
only normal strains in the appropriate rotated coordinate system, called the principal
coordinates. The axes of the principal coordinate system are also referred to as
principal axes of the tensor. Since we did not discuss rules of transformation of such
tensors under coordinate rotation, we first focus on the derivation of this
transformation by considering the easier 2D scenarios.
a) Consider the velocity gradient tensor written in the following form
𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑣 𝜕
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥 𝑢 𝑣
𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑣 = 𝜕 × (2.1),
𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑦
ME 351A Ali Mani Fall 2018

where × represents matrix product. Now consider a new coordinate system 𝑥′ − 𝑦′

whose axes make angle 𝛼 (counter clockwise) with the original system. Write the
functional dependence of (𝑥, 𝑦) on (𝑥′, 𝑦′), and by application of the chain rule on the
!! !!
gradient operator, derive a relation that transforms !!! into !!!!. Show that this
! !
transformation can be written as:
𝜕𝑢! 𝜕𝑢!
! = 𝑅! ! ! × .
𝜕𝑥! 𝜕𝑥!

What are the elements of matrix 𝑅? Show schematics of the two coordinates and 𝛼.
b) The task of transformation is not complete yet, as we have not written the velocity
fields in the new coordinate. Consider new velocity components, 𝑢′ and 𝑣′, respectively
indicating the velocity field in the direction of 𝑥′ and 𝑦′ axes. Write a matrix
multiplication relation that transforms the velocity vector into the new coordinate
system. By considering equation (2.1) again, write an overall relation that transforms
!!! !!!
!!
into !!!!. Show that the final transformation involves multiplication by a matrix from
! !
right and a matrix from left. What is the relation between the left and right matrices?
Side notes: In tensor notation, the new coordinate system is indicated by indices 𝑘 and
!!! !!
𝑙, and the transformation is written as !!!
= 𝐶!! !!! 𝐶!" , where components of 𝐶
!
represent the cosines of angles between the new and old coordinates. Often this
!! !!
expression is written even more compactly as !! ! = 𝑄!"!" !!! , where 𝑄!"!" = 𝐶!! 𝐶!" .
! !

c) Now that you have the transformation at hand, quickly explain why the same
transformation can be used to find the strain rate tensor in the new coordinate system.
Hint: first show how your result can be used to find a transformation for the transpose
of the velocity gradient tensor.
1 1
d) Consider 𝑺 = . What are the components of 𝑺 in the new coordinate system?
1 −1
For what values of 𝛼 𝑺 becomes diagonal? Test your final answer using the Matlab demo
code provided in class. What is the strain rate tensor in the new coordinate system?
Hint: you may need to use the following relations to ease your analysis:
cos ! 𝛼 − sin! 𝛼 = cos 2𝛼, 2sin𝛼 cos𝛼 = sin 2𝛼

Problem 4) (20 points) Vorticity: The quantity called vorticity is defined as the curl of
the velocity field, 𝜔 = 𝛻×𝑢. Later in the class we will become more familiar with this
quantity.
a) Consider a two-dimensional flow field whose velocity components in polar
coordinates are 𝑢! = 0, 𝑢! = 𝐴/𝑟, where 𝐴 is a positive constant. What are the Cartesian
velocity components, 𝑢(𝑥, 𝑦), and 𝑣(𝑥, 𝑦)? What is the vorticity field?

b) Repeat (b) for the velocity field 𝑢! = 0, 𝑢! = 𝐴𝑟.

ME 351A Ali Mani Fall 2018

c) Consider the infinitesimal, square fluid element depicted below, the center of which
is offset from the origin by a distance 𝑦0 (which is not infinitesimal). Make a plot to
show how this fluid element evolves over an infinitesimal time interval 𝑑𝑡 under the
action of the velocity fields in (a) and (b). Use the following numerical values: 𝐴 = 2,
𝑑𝑡 = 0.1, 𝑥0 = 0, 𝑦0 = 1, 𝑑𝑥 = 0.1. Start by getting the velocity components at the
corners A, B, C, and D of the fluid element for some initial time 𝑡 = 0. Use these
velocities to approximate the locations after the infinitesimal time step 𝑑𝑡. Compare the
shape of this evolved fluid element to the original one by plotting them on top of
another such that the centers are in the same position.