The Equation of Continuity and the Equation of Motion in

Cartesian, cylindrical, and spherical coordinates

CM310 Fall 1998 Faith A. Morrison

Continuity Equation, Cartesian coordinates
   
@ @ @
@t
+ vx
@x
+ vy @y + vz @
@z
+ @vx
@x
+ @vy
@y
+ @vz
@z
= 0

Continuity Equation, cylindrical coordinates

@
@t
+ 1r @ (rv
@r
r)
+ 1r @ (@
v )
+ @ (@z
vz )
= 0

Continuity Equation, spherical coordinates

+ r12 @ (r@r vr ) + r sin
1 @ (v sin ) + 1 @ (v ) = 0
2
@
@t  @ r sin  @

Equation of Motion for an incompressible uid, 3 components in Cartesian coordinates

   
@vx

@t
+ vx @v
@x
x
+ vy @v
@y
x
+ vz @v
@z
x
= ; @P
@x
; @xx
@x
+ @yx
@y
+ @zx
@z
+ gx
   
@vy

@t
+ vx @v
@x
y
+ vy
@vy
@y
+ vz
@vy
@z
= ; @P
@y
; @xy
@x
+ @@yyy + @@zzy + gy
   
@vz

@t
+ vx @v
@x
z
+ vy @v
@y
z
+ vz @v
@z
z
= ; @P
@z
; @xz
@x
+ @yz
@y
+ @zz
@z
+ gz

Equation of Motion for an incompressible uid, 3 components in cylindrical coordinates

   

@vr
@t
+ vr @v
@r
r
+ v @vr
r @
; v2
r
+ vz @v
@z
r
= ; @P
@r
; 1r @ (r
@r
rr )
+ 1 @r ;  + @rz + g
r @ r @z
r
   

@v
@t
+ vr @v
@r

+ v @v
r @
+ v vr
r
+ vz
@v
@z
= ; 1r @P
@
; 1 @ (r2 r ) + 1 @ + @z + g
r2 @r r @ @z

   

@vz
@t
+ vr @v
@r
z
+ v @vz
r @
+ vz @v
@z
z
= ; @P
@z
; 1r @ (r
@r
rz )
+ 1 @z + @zz + g
r @ @z
z

Equation of Motion for an incompressible uid, 3 components in spherical coordinates

 2 2 
 @ ;
v  + v
 @v
@t
r + vr @v@rr + vr @v@r + r sin
v @vr
r
 
= ; @P
@r ;
1
r2
@ (r 2 rr )
@r + r sin
1

@ (r sin  )
@ + r sin
1
 @ ;
@r  +
r + gr
 2 
 @ + r ;
v cot 
@t + vr @r + vr @v@ + r sin
v @v
 @v @v vr v
r
 
= ; 1r @P
@ ; + r sin1  @ (@sin ) + r sin1  @@ + rr ; (cot r) + g
2 @ (r r )
1
r2 @r
 

@v
@t + vr @v@r + vr @v@ + r sin  @ + r +
v @v vr v v v cot 
r
 
= ; r sin1  @P
@ ;
1
r2
@ (r 2 r )
@r + r1 @@ + r sin
1
 @ + r +
@ r (2 cot  )
r + g

1
 Equation of Motion for incompressible, Newtonian uid (Navier-Stokes equation) 3 components in
Cartesian coordinates
   
@vx @ 2 vx @ 2 vx @ 2 vx

@t
+ vx @v
@x
x
+ vy @v
@y
x
+ vz @v
@z
x
= ; @P
@x
+ @x2
+ @y 2
+ @z 2
+ gx
   
@vy @ 2 vy 2 2

@t
+ vx @v
@x
y
+ vy @v
@y
y
+ vz @v
@z
y
= ; @P
@y
+ @x2
+ @@yv2y + @@zv2y + gy
   
@vz @ 2 vz @ 2 vz @ 2 vz

@t
+ vx @v
@x
z
+ vy @v
@y
z
+ vz @v
@z
z
= ; @P
@z
+ @x2
+ @y 2
+ @z 2
+ gz

Equation of Motion for incompressible, Newtonian uid (Navier-Stokes equation), 3 components in

cylindrical coordinates
    

@vr
+ vr @vr
+ v @vr
; v
+ vz
@vr 2
= ; @P + @ 1 @ (rvr ) + 1 @ 2 vr 2 @v + @ 2 vr + g ;
r
@t @r r @ r @z @r @r r @r r2 @2 r2 @ @z 2
     

@v
+ vr @v 
+ v @v
+ vr v
+ vz
@v
= ; 1 @P +  @ 1 @ (rv ) + 1 @ 2 v + 2 @vr + @ 2 v + g

@t @r r @ r @z r @ @r r @r r2 @2 r2 @ @z 2
     

@vz
+ vr @vz
+ vr @v z
+ vz @vz
= ; @P
+ 
1 @ r @vz + 1 @ 2 vz + @ 2vz + g
z
@t @r @ @z @z r @r @r r2 @2 @z 2

Equation of Motion for incompressible, Newtonian uid (Navier-Stokes equation), 3 components in

spherical coordinates
 2
v2 +v
 @v@t
r + v @vr + v @vr + v @vr
r @r r @ r sin  @ ; r
 
= @P ;
@r + 
2
rvr ;
2 v
r2
r ; 2 v
r 2 @ ; 2 v  cot
r2

; r 2 sin  @ + gr
2 @v

 2 cot  
 @v @t
 + v @v + v @v + v @v + vr v
r @r r @ r sin  @ r ; v
r
 
;
= 1r @P @ +  2
r
v  + 2 @vr
2
r @ ; 2
v
r sin 2 ; r sin  @ + g
2 cos 
2 2
@v 

 
 @t + vr @r + vr @ + r sin + +
@v @v @v v @v vr v v v cot 
 @ r r
 
;
= r sin
1
 @ + 
@P 2
r
v r2 sin ; v 
 + r 2 sin  @ + r 2 sin2  @ + g
2 @vr 2 cos  @v

;
;
 
where, in these equations, r  r12 @r@ @
r2 @r + r2 sin
1
 @ sin  @ + r 2 sin2 
@ @ 1 @2
@2 .

Reference: R. B. Bird, W. E. Stewart, and E. N. Lightfoot, Transport Phenomena, Wiley: NY, 1960.