Introduction

Kinematics means the study of motion without

considering the forces and moments that
cause the motion.
Kinematics involves position,
acceleration, not force.

velocity,

and

Fluid kinematics is the study of how fluids flow

and how to describe fluid motion without
considering the forces and moments that
cause the motion.

 Topics
Scalar and Vector Fields, Flow Field
Descriptions of fluid flow.
Material Derivative or Substantial
Derivative
Fundamentals of Flow visualization.
Plots of fluid flow data.
Fundamental kinematic properties of fluid
motion and deformation.
Reynolds Transport Theorem

Field Representation
The
representation
of

fluid

parameters

as

functions of the
spatial

and

temporal

Particle locations in
terms of its position
vector

coordinates
termed

is
field

representation

Scalar and Vector Fields

Scalar: Scalar is a quantity which can be expressed by a
single number representing its magnitude.
Example: mass, density and temperature.
Scalar Field :If at every point in a region, a scalar function
has a defined value, the region is called a scalar field.
Example: Temperature distribution in a rod.

Vector: Vector is a quantity which is specified by both

magnitude and direction.
Example: Force, Velocity and Displacement.
Vector Field :If at every point in a region, a vector function
has a defined value, the region is called a vector field.
Example: velocity field of a flowing fluid .

Descriptions of Fluid Flow

There are two general approaches in
analyzing fluid mechanics problems

Lagrang
ian
Descript
ion

Eulerian
Description

Lagrangian Vs Eulerian
VA

VB
XA

P(x, y, z)
V (x, y, z )

VC
(x, y, z )

XB

XC

In the lagrangian
description,
one
must keep track of
the position and
velocity
of
individual particles

In
the
Eulerian
description,
one
defines
field
variables, such as
the pressure field
and the velocity
field at any location

Lagrangian Description
Lagrangian description of fluid flow tracks the position and
velocity of individual particles. (eg. Brilliard ball on a
pooltable.)
Motion is described based upon Newton's laws of motion.
Difficult to use for practical flow analysis.
Fluids are composed of billions of molecules.
Interaction between molecules are hard to describe /model.

However, useful for specialized applications

Sprays, particles, bubble dynamics, rarefied gases.
Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian methods.

Named after Italian mathematician Joseph Louis Lagrange (1736-1813).

Eulerian Description

Eulerian description of fluid flow: a flow domain or control

volume is defined, through which fluid flows in and out.

We define field variables which are functions of space and time.

Pressure field, P=P(x,y,z,t)
r r
V V x, y , z , t
Velocity field,
r

Acceleration field,
a a x, y , z , t

r
r
r
r
V u x, y , z , t i v x, y , z , t j w x , y , z , t k
r
r
r
r
a a x x, y , z , t i a y x, y , z , t j a z x , y , z , t k

These (and other) field variables define the flow field.

Well suited for formulation of initial boundary-value problems

(PDE's).

Named after Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler (1707-1783).

Eulerian and Lagrangian descriptions of

temperature of a flowing fluid.

Eulerian
In
the Eulerian method
Description

one

may attach a temperaturemeasuring device to the top

of the chimney (point 0) and
record

the

temperature

at

that point as a function of

time. At different times there

Lagrangian
In the Lagrangian method,
Description
one

would

attach

the

temperature-measuring
device to a particular fluid
particle

(particle

record

that

A)

and

particles

are different fluid particles

temperature as it moves

passing

by

about.

Thus,

device.

Thus,

obtain

that

the

stationary
one

would

one

would

particles

obtain the temperature, T, for

temperature as a function

that location

of time,

(x = xo, y=yo,

z= zo) as a function of time.

That is, T = T (xo, yo, zo,t)

TA = TA(t)

The

use

of

numerous

The use of many such

temperature-measuring

measuring

devices

with various fluid particles

fixed

at

various

devices

moving

locations would provide the

would

temperature field, T = T (x, y,

temperature

of

these

z, t). The temperature of a

particles

function

particle as a function of time

time. The temperature would

would not be known unless

the location of the particle
were known as a function of
time.

provide
as

the
fluid
of

not be known as a function of

position unless the location
of each particle were known
as a function of time.

If enough information in Eulerian form is

available, Lagrangian information can be
derived from the Eulerian dataand vice versa

Acceleration Field

Consider Newton's second law applied to a

r
r
fluid particle F
, particle m particle a particle

r
The acceleration
of
the
particle is the time
dV particle
r
a

derivative of theparticle
particle's
velocity.
dt

V particle ( t ) V[ x particle ( t ), y particle ( t ), z particle ( t ), t ]

However, particle velocity at a point is the
same as the fluid velocity,
r
r of velocity,
r
To take the rtime derivative
chain
dx
dy
dz

V
dt

V
r
particle
particle
particle
a

particle
rule must
be
t dtused.
x dt
y dt
z
dt

 Since

dx particle
dt

r
a particle

u,

dy particle

dz particle

v,
w
dtr
r dt r
r
V
V
V
V

u
v
w
t
x
y
z

In vector form, the acceleration can be written as

First term is called the local acceleration and is nonzero

only for unsteady flows.
Second term is called the advective or convective
acceleration and accounts for the effect of the fluid
particle moving to a new location in the flow, where the
velocity is different.

Material Derivative
t +3 dt
t + 2 dt
t + dt
t

The total derivative operator d/dt

is given a special name material
derivative D/Dt which is formed by
following

fluid

particle

moves through the flow field.

as

it

Material Derivative

the above equation is valid for any particle, we can drop

the reference to particle A and obtain the acceleration
field from the velocity field as

The

above

result

is

often

written

in

shorthand notation as

is

termed

the

material

derivative

or

substantial derivative
An often-used shorthand notation for the material
derivative operator is
the

rate

of

temperature as

change

of

Remarks about Material

Derivative
The total derivative operator d/dt is called the material
derivative and is often given special notation, D/Dt.
Advective acceleration is nonlinear. It is the source of many
phenomenon and primary challenge in solving fluid flow
problems.
Provides transformation between Lagrangian and Eulerian
frames.
Other names for the material derivative include:

total,

particle, Lagrangian, Eulerian, and substantial derivative.

Consider
an you
example
which
willmountains,
help to and you
Imagine that
are hiking
in the
are about to
enter
a cave.meaning of the
reinforce
the
physical
substantial derivative
The temperature inside the cave is cooler than outside.
Thus, as you walk through the mouth of the cave, you
feel a temperature decrease--this is analogous to the
convective derivative . However, imagine that, at the
same time, a friend throws a snowball at you such that
the snowball hits you just at the same instant you pass
through the mouth of the cave. You will feel an
additional, but momentary, temperature drop when the
snowball hits you--this is analogous to the local
derivative. The net temperature drop you feel as you
walk through the mouth of the cave is therefore a
combination of both the act of moving into the cave,
where it is cooler, and being struck by the snowball at

Flow Visualization

Flow visualization is the

visual

examination

of

of fluid dynamics requires

flow-field features.
Important

for

While quantitative study

both

advanced

mathematics,

physical experiments and

much can be learned from

numerical (CFD) solutions.

flow visualization

Numerous methods
Streamlines

and

streamtubes
Pathlines
Streaklines
Timelines
Refractive techniques
Surface

flow

Streamlines

A Streamline is a curve that

is everywhere tangent to the
instantaneous local velocity
vector.

Consider an arc length

r
r
r
r
dr dxi dyj dzk
r
dr

must be parallel to the local

velocity vector

r
r
r r
V ui vj wk

Geometric arguments results

in the equation for a
streamline

dr dx dy dz

V
u
v
w

 A streamtube consists of a

Streamtube

bundle of streamlines (Both

are

instantaneous

quantities).

Fluid within a streamtube

must

remain

there

and

cannot cross the boundary of

the streamtube.
In

an

unsteady

streamline
change

flow,

pattern

significantly

the
may
with

time.

the mass flow rate passing

through any cross-sectional
slice of a given streamtube

Following points about

streamtube are worth noting
Stream tube has finite dimensions
As there is no flow perpendicular to stream
lines, there is no flow across the stream
surface of the tube
Shape of the stream tube changes from one
instant to another because of change in
position of streamlines
Examples :- pipes , nozzle, diffuser

Pathlines
A Pathline is the actual path
traveled by an individual
fluid particle over some
time period.
Same as the fluid particle's
material position vector

particle

t , y particle t , z particle t

Particle location at time t:

r r
x xstart

tstart

r
Vdt

Particle Image Velocimetry

(PIV) is a modern experimental
technique to measure velocity
field over a plane in the flow
field.

Pathlines

A modern experimental technique called particle image

velocimetry (PIV) utilizes (tracer) particle pathlines to
measure the velocity field over an entire plane in a flow
(Adrian, 1991).

Stream Line

Path Line

This is an imaginary curve This refers to a path

in a flow field for a fixed followed by a fluid particle
instant of time, tangent over a period of time.
to
which
gives
the
instantaneous velocity at
that point .
Two stream lines can
never
intersect
each
other,
as
the
instantaneous
velocity
vector at any given point
is unique.

Two
path
lines
can
intersect each other or a
single path line can form a
loop as different particles
or even same particle can
arrive at the same point
at different instants of

Streaklines
A streak line is the locus of
the temporary locations of all
particles

that

have

passed

though a fixed point in the

flow fieldat any instant of
time

Easy

t present

x x injection
Vdt
t inject

to

experiments:

generate

in

dye in a water

flow, or smoke in an airflow.

Features of a Streak Line

While a path line refers to the identity of a fluid particle, a
streak line is specified by a fixed point in the flow field.

It is of particular interest in experimental flow visualization.

Example: If dye is injected into a liquid at a fixed point in

the flow field, then at a later time t, the dye will indicate
the end points of the path lines of particles which have
passed through the injection point.

Path taken by smoke coming out of the chimney

Comparisons
For steady flow, streamlines, pathlines, and
streaklines are identical.
For unsteady flow, they can be very different.
Streamlines are instantaneous pictures of the
flow field
Pathlines and Streaklines are flow patterns that
have a time history associated with them.
Streakline: instantaneous snapshot of a timeintegrated flow pattern.
Pathline: time-exposed flow path of an
individual particle.

Refractive Flow Visualization

Techniques
Based on the refractive property of light waves in fluids with
different index of refraction, one can visualize the flow field:
shadowgraph technique and schlieren technique.

Kinematic Description

In fluid mechanics, an element may

undergo four fundamental types of
motion.
Translation
Rotation
Linear strain
Shear strain

Because fluids are in constant

motion, motion and deformation are
described in terms of rates
velocity: rate of translation
angular velocity: rate of rotation
linear strain : rate of linear strain
shear strain : rate of shear strain

Rate of Translation
To be useful, these rates must be expressed
in terms of velocity and derivatives of
velocity
The rate of translation vector is described as
the velocity vector. In Cartesian coordinates:

r
r
r r
V ui vj wk

Rate of Rotation

Rate of rotation or angular velocity at a point in the

xy plane is equal to the time derivative of the
average rotation angle.

The rate of rotation vector in Cartesian coordinates:

r 1 w v r 1 u w r 1 v u r

i
j
k
2 y z
2 z x
2 x y

Linear Strain Rate

Linear Strain Rate is defined as the rate of
increase in length per unit length.
Linear strain rate in Cartesian coordinates

xx

u
v
w
, yy
, zz
x
y
z

Volumetric strain rate in

Cartesian coordinates

1 DV
u v w
xx yy zz

V Dt
x y z
Since the volume of a fluid element is
constant for an incompressible flow, the
volumetric strain rate must be zero.

Shear Strain Rate

Shear Strain Rate at a point

is defined as half of the rate

of decrease of the angle
between

two

perpendicular

initially
lines

that

intersect at a point.
Shear strain rate can be

expressed

in

Cartesian

coordinates as:

1 v w
1 u v
1 w u
xy
, zx
, yz

2 y x
2 x z
2 z y

Strain - rate Tensor

We can combine linear strain rate and shear
strain rate into one symmetric second-order
tensor called the strain-rate tensor.

xx

ij yx
zx

xy xz
1
yy yz
2

zy zz

1
2

u
x

1 u v

2 y x

v u

x y

v
y

w u

x z

1 w v

2 y z

1 u w

2 z x
1 v w
2 z y

Circulation and Vorticity

Circulation :
It is defined mathematically as the line integral of the
tangential velocity about a closed path (contour)

V-cos
velocity
V
.ds in the flow field at the element ds

- angle between V and tangent to the path (in the positive

anticlockwise direction along the path) at the point

Vorticity ( or ) :
It is also defined as circulation per unit of enclosed area.
It is a measure of rotation of a fluid particle equal to twice
the angular velocity of the fluid particle.

Vorticity and Rotationality

r r r
The vorticity vector is defined as the curl of the velocity vector
V
r
Vorticity is equal to twice the angular velocity of a fluid r
2
particle.
v r u w r v u r

i
j
k
z x
y z
x y

Cartesian coordinates
r w

r ur u z r ru ur r

er
e
ez
z
r

r
z
r

Cylindrical coordinates
r 1 u u
z

In regions where z = 0, the flow is called irrotational.

Elsewhere, the flow is called rotational.

1
x i y j zk
2

1
V
2

1
curl V
2
2
1 w v
x

2 y z

1 v u

; z

2 x y

1 u w
; y

2 z x

1
2x x i y j z k
2

r w v r u w r v u r

i
j
k
z x
y z
x y

Vorticity and Rotationality

Fluid particles within viscous boundary layer near the

solid wall are
rotational.

Fluid particles outside the boundary layer are

irrotational.

Rotation of fluid elements is associated with wakes,

boundary layers,
flow through turbomachinery and
flow with heat transfer.

If a flow originates from the irrotational region it

remains irrotational until some non uniform process alters
it ( vorticity
changes only because of viscosity or non
uniform heating or other
non uniform phenomena)

When torque is applied to the fluid particle it will

give rise to rotation; the torque is due to shear
stress.

The shear stress in turn dependent upon the

viscosity, rotational flow occurs where the viscosity
effect are predominant.

In case were viscosity effects are small it can be

assume as irrotational flow

Potential function()

If the curl of a vector is zero, the vector can be

expressed as the gradient of a scalar function ,
called the potential
function.

Vector identity :

X 0

thus if X V 0, then V

In fluid mechanics, vector

is the velocity vector, the

curl of which is the vorticity vector and thus we call

the velocity potential.

Mathematically = f(x,y,z,t)
u ---; vunsteady

; w flow
x
y
z
= f(x,y,z) ---- steady flow
(OR )
u

; v
; w
x
y
z

For an incompressible steady flow the continuity

equation is

u v w

0
x y z

Substituting the value of u,v,w in terms of in

above equation, we obtain the Laplace equation

x x y y z z
2 2 2
2 2 0
2
x
y
z

If the velocity potential satisfies the Laplace

equation it represents the possible steady,
incompressible, irrotational flow. Often an

Two dimensional Irrotational

of flow
If the flow is 2D,Regions
we are able to make
use of the stream
function as well.

The 2D approximation is not limited to flow in the xy plane, nor

is it limited to Cartesian coordinates.
In fact, we can assume two dimensionality in any region of the
flow where only two directions of motion are important and
where there is no significant variation in the third direction.
The two most common examples are
Planar flow ( flow in a plane with negligible variation in the
direction normal to the plane)
Axisymmetric flow (flow in which there is rotational
symmetry about some axis)

The
Stream
Function
Why do this?

Single variable replaces (u,v).

Once is known,

(u,v) can be computed.

Physical significance

Curves of constant are streamlines of the flow

Difference in between streamlines is equal to

volume flow rate between streamlines

It can also be defined as the flux or flow rate

between two streamlines. The unit of is m3/s
(discharge per unit thickness of flow).

Existence of means a possible case of fluid flow

The Stream Function

Consider the continuity equation for

an

incompressible 2D flow
Substituting the clever transformation
Gives
This is true for any smooth
function (x,y)

In an irrotational region
of flow

v u
0
z

x y


2 2
2 2 0


x x y y
x
x

2 2
2 2 0
x
x
2

Important Remarks about

is defined by
The stream and
function
continuity; the Laplace equations for
results from irrotationality

The velocity potential is defined by

irrotationality; the Laplace equations
for results from continuity

Streamline & Equipotential Line

relationship

Curves of constant values of define streamlines of the

flow .

Curves of constant values of define equipotential lines of

the flow.
In Planar irrotational flow the streamlines and
equipotential lines are intersect each other at right angles.
Solutions of and are called harmonic functions.
For equipotent ial line, cons tan t , d 0

but f ( x, y ) for steady flow

d

dx dy udx vdy (udx vdy )

x
y

for equipotent ial line d 0 (udx vdy )

slope of the equipotent ial line

dy
u

dx
v

The Stream Function

Physical Significance
Recall
along
streamline

Change in along
streamline is zero

The Stream Function

Physical Significance
Difference

in

between streamlines
is equal to volume
flow

rate

streamlines

between

Cauchy Riemann Equation

From

the

above

discussions

the

following

conclusions are arrived:

Potential function exist only for irrotational flow

Stream function applies to both rotational and

irrotational flows

In irrotational flow both

& satisfy the laplace

u interchangeable.

equation as they are

x

y
x

CR Equation

Relation between Stream

Function and Velocity
Let two curves = C & = C intersect each other at
any point . At the point
of intersection the slopes are
Potential
:

y
v
v
x

x
u
u
For = C : slope =
y

y x u u

x
v v
For = C : slope =
y
y u
v
x 1
x v
u

It shows that these two sets of curves

intersect each other orthogonally at
points of intersection.