Advanced Fluid Dynamics

2015

Navier Stokes equation in curvilinear coordinate systems

1. Cylindrical polar coordinates (r, , z)

The cylindrical polar system is related to Cartesian coordinates (x, y, z) by x = r cos and
y = r sin , where r > 0 and 0 < 2.
For a scalar function F (r, , z) and the velocity field u = ur r + u + uz z, we find that


 (x, y, z) 
 = r.


(r, , z) 
1 F
F
F
+
+ z
.
F = r
r
r
z


1
F
1 2F
2F
2 F =
.
r
+ 2 2 +
r r
r
r
z 2
1
1 u uz
. u =
(rur ) +
+
.
r r
r
z






1 uz u
ur uz
1 (ru ) 1 ur

u = r
+
+ z
.
r
z
z
r
r r
r
The rate of strain tensor:
ur
1 u ur
uz
err =
, e =
+ , ezz =
,
r   r
r
z
1 ur
1 uz 1 u
1 ur 1 uz
r u
+
, ez =
+
, ezr =
+
.
er =
2 r r
2r
2r
2 z
2 z
2 r
The incompressible Navier-Stokes equations with no body force:


ur
u2
1 p
ur
2 u
2
+ u. ur
=
+ ur 2 2
t
r
r
r
r


u
ur u
1 p
u
2 ur
2
+ u. u +
=
+ u 2 + 2
t
r
r
r
r
uz
1 p
+ u. uz =
+ 2 uz
t
z

c
University
of Bristol 2015. This material is the copyright of the University unless explicitly stated otherwise. It is provided
exclusively for educational purposes at the University and is to be downloaded or copied for your private study only.

2. Spherical polar coordinates (r, , )

The spherical polar system is related to Cartesian coordinates (x, y, z) by x = r sin cos ,
y = r sin sin and z = r cos , where r > 0, 0 < and 0 < 2.
we find that
For a scalar function F (r, , ) and the velocity field u = ur r + u + u ,


 (x, y, z) 
 = r2 sin .

(r, , ) 
1 F
F
1 F .
+
+
F = r
r
r
r sin




1
1

F
1
2F
2
2 F
F = 2
r
+ 2
sin
+ 2 2
.
r r
r
r sin

r sin 2
1
1 u
1 2

r ur +
(sin u ) +
.
. u = 2
r r
r sin
r sin






1
(sin u ) u
1
1
u

(ru
)
1

(ru
)
u
r

u = r

.
r sin

r sin
r
r
r

The rate of strain tensor:

ur
1 u ur
1 u ur u cot
err =
, e =
+ , e =
+
+
,
r
r
r
r sin
r
r
r  u 
1 ur
sin  u 
1 u
er =
+
, e =
+
,
2 r r
2r
2r sin
2r sin
1 ur r  u 
er =
+
.
2r sin
2 r r
The incompressible Navier-Stokes equations with no body force:


u2 u2
1 p
2ur
2 (u sin )
2 u
ur
2
+ u. ur

=
+ ur 2 2
2
t
r
r
r
r
r sin

r sin


2
u
ur u u cot
1 p
u
2 ur
2 cos u
2
+ u. u +

=
+ u 2 2 + 2
2 2
t
r
r
r
r sin r
r sin
u (ur + u cot )
1 p
u
+ u. u +
=
t
r
r sin


u
2 ur
2 cos u
2
+ u 2 2 + 2
+ 2 2
r sin r sin
r sin

c
University
of Bristol 2015. This material is the copyright of the University unless explicitly stated otherwise. It is provided
exclusively for educational purposes at the University and is to be downloaded or copied for your private study only.