Fluid Kinematics

Velocity Field
• Continuum hypothesis:
– fluid is made up of fluid particles;
– each particle contains numerous molecules;
– infinitesimal particles of a fluid are tightly packed together
• Thus, motion of a fluid is described in terms of fluid particles rather than individual
molecules.
• This motion can be described in terms of the velocity and acceleration of the fluid
particles
• At a given instant of time, description of any fluid property may be given as a function
of fluid location
• Representation of fluid parameters as function of spatial coordinates is termed a field
representation of the flow
• Fluid parameters are functions of position ant time. For example, temperature in the
room is completely specified by temperature field
T  T  x, y , z , t 
 Velocity Field

Velocity of a particle

d rA
VA 
dt

Velocity magnitude

V  V  u 2  v 2  w2

Velocity field Particle location in terms of its position vector

V  u  x, y , z , t  ˆi  v  x, y , z , t  ˆj w  x, y , z , t  kˆ

V  V  x, y , z , t 
 Eulerian and Lagrangian Flow Description

There are two approaches in analyzing fluid mechanics problem

Eulerian method uses field concept
Lagrangian method involves following individual particle moving through the flow
Lagrangian information can be derived from the Eulerian data – and vice versa
Most fluid mechanics considerations involve the Eulerian method.

Eulerian and Lagrangian descriptions

of temperature of a flowing fluid
 One-, Two, and Three-Dimensional Flows.
Steady and Unsteady Flows
• Steady flow – the velocity at a given point in space does not vary with time,
otherwise, flow is unsteady

• In general, fluid flow is three-dimensional and unsteady

• In many situations, flow can be simplified to steady, two- or one-dimensional flow

in order to make solution easier without loss of accuracy

Flow visualization of the complex three-

dimensional flow past a model airfoil
 Streamlines, Srteaklines and Pathlines

• Streamlines, streaklines, and pathlines are used for flow visualization

• Streamline is used in analytical work while the streakline and pathline are used in
experimental work
• Streamline is a line, that is everywhere tangent to the velocity field
• Streamlines are obtained by integrating differential equation of streamline. For two-
dimensional flow dy/dx = v/u
• If flow is steady, streamlines are fixed lines in space
• Streakline consist of all particles in a flow that have previously passed through the
common point.
• Pathline is the line traced out by a given particle as it flows from one point to
another
• For steady flow streamlines, streaklines, and pathlines are the same
Example 4.3
Solution
(a) Streamline is given by solution of
dy v v0
 
dx u u0 sin    t  y v0  
Integration gives

u0  v0   cos    t  y v0    v0 x  C

At t = 0, C = u0v0/ω , and equation of streamline is

u0   y  
x  cos  
 1
  v
 0  
At t = π/2ω , C = 0, and equation of streamline is

u0  y 
x sin  
 v
 0 

These two streamlines are not the same because flow is unsteady

At the origin V  v0 j at t  0
V  u0 i  v0 j at t   2
(b) Pathline is obtained from velocity field
dx   y  dy
 u0 sin    t   and  v0
dt   v0   dt
Integration gives
  C1  
y  v0t  C1 and x    u0 sin   t  C2
 v
 0  
For the particle that was at the origin
at time t  0, the pathline is

x0 and y  v0t

For the particle that was at the origin

at time t   2 , the pathline is

     
x  u0  t   and y  v0  t  
 2   2 
(c) Discuss the shape of the streakline that passes through the origin
 Acceleration Field

• For Eulerian description one describes the acceleration field as a function of

position and time

• Acceleration is the time rate of change of velocity of a given particle

• For unsteady flow the velocity at a given point in space (occupied by different
particles) may vary with time, giving rise to a portion of the fluid acceleration

• In addition, a fluid particle may experience an acceleration because its velocity

changes as it flows from one point to another in space
 Acceleration Field
VA  VA  rA , t   VA  x A  t  , y A  t  , z A  t  

V V V V DV
a u v w or a
t x y z Dt

Velocity and position

of particle A at time t
 Material Derivative
D    u   v    w  
Operator 
Dt t x y z

is termed the material derivative or substantial derivative

In vector notation:
D   
  Vg   
Dt t

Material derivative of any variable is the rate at which that variable changes with time for a
given particle (as seen by one moving along with the fluid – Lagrangian description.
Material derivative is also called comoving derivative)
For example, the time rate of change of temperature of a fluid particle (particle A) as it
moves through the temperature field T = T(x,y,z,t) is given by

DT T T T T T
 u v w   VgT
Dt t x y z t
 Material Derivative. Unsteady Effects

Portion of material derivative represented by time derivative is termed the local derivative
Local derivative is the result of the unsteadiness of the flow

Uniform, unsteady flow in

a constant diameter pipe
 Material Derivative. Convective Effects

Portion of the material derivative represented by the spatial derivative is termed the
convective derivative
Convective derivative is a result of the spatial variation of the flow

Steady state operation of

a water heater
 Material Derivative. Convective Effects

Portion of the material derivative represented by the spatial derivative is termed the
convective derivative
Convective derivative is a result of the spatial variation of the flow

Uniform, steady flow in a variable area pipe

 Control Volume and System Representation

• System is a collection of matter of fixed identity (always the same atoms or fluid
particles), which may move, flow, and interact with its surroundings
• Control volume is a volume in space (geometric entity, independent of mass)
through which fluid may flow

Typical control volumes: (a) fixed control volume, (b) fixed or moving control volume, (c) deforming control volume
Control Volume and System Representation

• Both, control volume and system concepts can be used to describe fluid flow

• Governing laws of fluid motion are stated in terms of fluid systems, not control
volume

• To shift from one representation to the other Reynolds transport theorem is used
 Reynolds Transport Theorem

Physical laws are stated in terms of physical parameters (velocity, acceleration, mass,
temperature, momentum etc.)
Let B represent fluid parameter and b represent amount of that parameter per unit mass.
Then
B  mb

Parameter B is termed an extensive property, and the parameter b is termed an intensive

property
Amount of extensive property that system possesses at a given instant is

Bsys    bdV
sys

Time rate of change of extensive property of a system

dBsys

d sys
 bdV 
dt dt
 Reynolds Transport Theorem. Derivation

Control volume and

system for flow
through a variable
area pipe

Simplified version of the Reynolds transport theorem for fixed control volume with one
inlet and one outlet having uniform properties (density, velocity, and the parameter b)
across the inlet and outlet with the velocity normal to sections (1) and (2) is

DBsys Bcv
   2 A2V2b2  1 AV
1 1b1
Dt t
 Reynolds Transport Theorem. General Form
General form for of the Reynolds transport theorem for a fixed, nondeforming control
volume is given by (details)

DBsys 
Dt

t cv
 bdV    b V gnˆ dA
cs

Control volume and system for flow through

an arbitrary, fixed control volume
 Physical Interpretation
DBsys 
Dt

t cv
 bdV    b V gnˆ dA
cs

Possible velocity configurations on portions of the control surface: (a) inflow,

(b) no flow across the surface, (c) outflow
Reynolds Transport Theorem. Moving CV

Example of a moving control volume

Reynolds Transport Theorem. Moving CV

V  W  Vcv

DBsys 
Dt

t cv
 bdV    b Wgnˆ dA
cs
Selection of a Control Volume
END OF CHAPTER
Supplementary slides
Outflow across a typical portion of the control surface
 Outflow across a typical portion of the control surface

 B  b  V  b  V cos  t   A

 B&out  lim
 b V
 lim
  bV cos  t   A   bV cos  A
 t 0 t  t 0 t

B&out   dB&out    bV cos  A B&out    b V gnˆ dA

csout csout csout
Inflow across a typical portion of the control surface

B&in     bV cos  dA     b V gnˆ dA

csin csin

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