Compressible flow Lecture 1-notes

Readings: [1] page 1-9, [3] chapter 1, [2] page 15

Introduction
Compressible flow implies variation in density throughout the field of flow. Hence, density (x, y, z) must
be treated as a variable rather than a constant as in incompressible flow. It is customary to assume that
the flow is essentially incompressible if the change in density is less than 10% of the mean value.
The change in density of a fluid can be written as (from thermodyanmics)

= (T, P)


 

dP +
dT
d =
P T
T P
 


1
d
1
=
dP +
dT

P T
T P

 
The first term we can define as isothermal compressiblity (T = 1 P ) and second term is coT
 
1
effiecient of volume expansion (P = - T ). Isothermal compressibility is the inverse of bulk modulus(B).
P

The isothermal compressbility for water and air under STP are 5 1010 and 105 m2 /N respectively

Incompressible and compressible flow

The following table compares the variables and equations which come into play in the two cases.

Variables

Incompresible flow
~V , P

Compressible flow
~V , P, and T

Equations

mass, momentum

mass, momentum, energy, equation of state

However, the solution will be realistic only if it satisfy second law of thermodynamics.

Fundamental Assumptions
1. The gas is continous. Mean free math of the molecules is small compared to the all important
dimensions of the solid body throgh or over which the fluid is flowing
Kn = /L
Flow regime based on Knudsen number
Kn
Flow regime
Kn < 0.01
Continuum
0.01 < Kn < 0.1
Slip flow
0.1 < Kn < 3
Transition regime
3 < Kn
Free molecular flow

2. No chemical changes occur in the flow field

3. Gravitational effects on the flow field are negligible
4. Magetic and electric effects are negligible
5. The effects of viscosity are negligible
6. The gas is perfect. The gas obeys perfect gas law,
P
= RT

(1)

For air R =287 J/kg K

7. The gas is calorically perfect. For thermally perfect gas Cp = f (T ) and Cv = f (T ) For calorically
perfect gas Cp and Cv are independent of temperature. hence
du = CvdT
u = CvT
dh = CpdT
h = CpT
The symbol is used for the specific heat ratio It should be recalled that

= Cp/Cv
R = Cp Cv
R
Cp =
1

Cv =
1

References
[1] Patrick H Oosthuizen and William E Carscallen. Compressible fluid flow. McGraw-Hill 1997.
[2] Michel A Saad. Compressible fluid flow. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1985. 570 p., 1985.
[3] Maurice Joseph Zucrow and Joe D Hoffman. Gas dynamics. New York: Wiley, 1976, 1, 1976.