Flow of Real Fluids;

(An introduction to) Navier-Stokes Equations

Reference: Fluid Mechanics, Fundamentals and Applications; (2006);
Y.A.Cengel and J.M.Cimbala, McGraw-Hill International Edition
g
Forces acting on an infinitesimal control volume;

+ =
surface body
F F F

Body Force:
Gravity force (weight) is the only body force we take into account.
Gravity vector is given by,
k g j g i g g
z y x

+ + =
Surface forces acting in x-direction:
Newtons second law for the motion of the fluid element is expressed as,

dxdydz
z y x
dxdydzg
Dt
Du
dxdydz
F
Dt
V D
m F a m
zx yx xx x
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\
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c
c
+
c
c
+
c
c
+ =
= =

o o o
as, written be can equation this of component x
ie,

dxdz
dy
y
yx
yx
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.
|

\
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c
c
+
2
o
o
dydz
dx
x
xx
xx
|
.
|

\
|
c
c
+
2
o
o
dxdy
dz
z
zx
zx
|
.
|

\
|
c
c
+
2
o
o
dxdz
dy
y
yx
yx
|
|
.
|

\
|
c
c

2
o
o
dydz
dx
x
xx
xx
|
.
|

\
|
c
c

2
o
o
dxdy
dz
z
zx
zx
|
.
|

\
|
c
c

2
o
o
z y x
g
Dt
Dw
z y x
g
Dt
Dv
z y x
g
Dt
Du
zz
yz
xz
z
zy yy xy
y
zx
yx
xx
x
c
c
+
c
c
+
c
c
+ =
c
c
+
c
c
+
c
c
+ =
c
c
+
c
c
+
c
c
+ =
o
o
o

o o o

o
o
o

, components z and y the Similarly
These are called Cauchys equations. To solve these equations, the stress
tensor (o
ij
) needs to be expressed in terms of the primary unknowns in the
problem; density, pressure and velocity.

o
ij
is due to pressure stress P (which is always acting inward and normal to any
surface of the fluid element) and the viscous stresses for an incompressible and
isothermal flow.
Viscous stress for a fluid with constant density and viscosity is given by,
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\
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+
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\
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=
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\
|
=
zz zy zx
yz yy yx
xz xy xx
zz zy zx
yz yy yx
xz xy xx
ij
P
P
P
t t t
t t t
t t t
o o o
o o o
o o o
o
0 0
0 0
0 0
Shear stress
on z plane in
x direction
Pressure
consists of a
normal stress
only
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\
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c
c
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|

\
|
c
c
+
c
c
|
.
|

\
|
c
c
+
c
c
|
|
.
|

\
|
c
c
+
c
c
c
c
|
|
.
|

\
|
c
c
+
c
c
|
.
|

\
|
c
c
+
c
c
|
|
.
|

\
|
c
c
+
c
c
c
c
=
|
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.
|

\
|

z
w
z
v
y
w
z
u
x
w
y
w
z
v
y
v
y
u
x
v
x
w
z
u
x
v
y
u
x
u
zz zy zx
yz yy yx
xz xy xx



t t t
t t t
t t t
2
2
2
ij ij
c t 2 =
Viscous stress
tensor
Cauchys equations can now be written as follows,
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\
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c
c
+
c
c
c
c
+
|
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|

\
|
c
c
+
c
c
c
c
+
c
c
+ +
c
c
=
c
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
c
c
+
c
c
+ c
+
c
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
c
c
+
c
c
+ c
+
c
|
.
|

\
|
c
c
+ c
+ =
z
u
x
w
z y
u
x
v
y x
u
g
x
P
Dt
Du
z
z
u
x
w
y
y
u
x
v
x
x
u
P
g
Dt
Du
x
x

2
2
2
0
0
2
Note that since pressure consists of normal stress only, it constitutes only one term
in the above equation. However, since the viscous stress tensor consists of both
normal and shear stresses, it contributes three terms.

When the velocity components are smooth functions of x, y and z, the order of
differentiation is irrelevant. Therefore the above equation can be now written as,
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|

\
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c
c
+
c
c
+
c
c
+ +
c
c
=
|
|
.
|

\
|
c
c
+
c
c
+
c
c
+
|
|
.
|

\
|
c
c
+
c
c
+
c
c
c
c
+ +
c
c
=
|
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.
|

\
|
c
c
+
c
c
c
c
+
c
c
+
c
c
c
c
+
c
c
c
c
+
c
c
+ +
c
c
=
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
z
u
y
u
x
u
g
x
P
Dt
Du
z
u
y
u
x
u
z
w
y
v
x
u
x
g
x
P
Dt
Du
z
u
z
w
x y
u
y
v
x x
u
x x
u
g
x
P
Dt
Du
x
x
x



= 0 continuity equation
Similarly the y and z components can be written as,
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\
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c
c
+
c
c
+
c
c
+ +
c
c
=
|
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.
|

\
|
c
c
+
c
c
+
c
c
+ +
c
c
=
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
z
w
y
w
x
w
g
z
P
Dt
Dw
z
v
y
v
x
v
g
y
P
Dt
Dv
z
y


Navier-Stokes
equation
(for incompressible
flow with constant
viscosity)
Above equations can be combined as one vector equation;
V g P
Dt
V D

2
V + + V =
In three-dimensional incompressible fluid flow problems, there are four variables or
unknowns;

Pressure P
Three components of velocity V

Four equations of motion,

V g P
Dt
V D

2
equation, Stokes - Navier of components Three
0 V .
, Continuity
V + + V =
= V

Applications of Navier-Stokes equations:
Four equations for 4 unknowns. Solution is possible.

Types of problems which can be solved using Navier-Stokes equations:

Calculating the pressure field for a known velocity field.
Calculating both the velocity and pressure fields for a flow of known
geometry and known boundary conditions
Example: (copied from Fluid Mechanics, Fundamentals and Applications; (2006); Y.A.Cengel and
J.M.Cimbala, McGraw-Hill International Edition)

Calculate the pressure field (as a function of x and y) for a steady, two-dimensional

and incompressible velocity field,

Take x-y as the horizontal plane.
( ) ( ) ( ) j cx ay i b ax v u V

+ + + = = ,
Solution:

Flow is steady no t terms
2-D flow no z and w terms
Since x-y is the horizontal plane g
x
= g
y
= 0 and g
z
= g
Apply the continuity equation,
0 0 = =
c
c
+
c
c
+
c
c
a a
z
w
y
v
x
u
Continuity equation is satisfied. Given flow field
is physically possible. Calculations can be
continued.
Consider the y component of Navier-Stokes equation,
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\
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c
c
+
c
c
+
c
c
+ +
c
c
=
|
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.
|

\
|
c
c
+
c
c
+
c
c
+
c
c
|
|
.
|

\
|
c
c
+
c
c
+
c
c
+ +
c
c
=
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
z
v
y
v
x
v
g
y
P
z
v
w
y
v
v
x
v
u
t
v
z
v
y
v
x
v
g
y
P
Dt
Dv
y
y


0 (2-D) 0 0 0 0 (2-D)
0 (steady)
(ax+b)c
(-ay+cx)(-a)
( ) ( )
( ) ab x a
x
P
y a bc acx y a bc acx
y
P
=
c
c
= + =
c
c

2
2 2
equation, Stokes - Navier of component - x the Similarly

Partially integrate y-component with respect to y,
( ) ( )
( )
( ) ( )
( )
( )
1
2 2 2 2
1 1
2 2
2
2 2
2 2
,
constant arbitrary an is where
2
Integrate,
x
P
But,
x
P
, respect to with ate Differenti
2
,
C bcy abx
y a x a
y x P
C C abx
x a
x g
x g ab x a
x g
x
x g
y a
bcy y x P
+
|
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.
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\
|
=
+
|
|
.
|

\
|

=
'
= =
c
c
'
=
c
c
+
|
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.
|

\
|
=

More complicated applications of Navier-Stokes equations:

Theoretically any physical flow pattern can be simulated by solving the
Navier-Stokes equations with correct boundary and initial conditions.

Limitations of Navier-Stokes equations:

Navier-Stokes equations are not analytically solvable unless for very
simple flow patterns. Therefore numerical methods have to be used to solve them
for known boundary and initial conditions. However, fluid flow consist of infinite
number of extremely small turbulences. Therefore the grid spacings used in the
numerical methods have to be small enough to reasonably represent the tiny
turbulences. When the grid size is small, number of grid points should be more to
cover the flow domain. Maximum number of grid points is still determined by the
capacity of computers. That limits harnessing the real potential of Navier-Stokes
equations.

Spatial and time averaged versions of Navier-Stokes equations can be
used to remove the effect of small turbulences. However, empirical and
approximate methods have to be used to model the additional terms which add to
the equations due to the averaging process.