Solid Mechanics-15

Navier Equation
15.1 Standard form of the Navier equation
The equation of elastodynamics is written as

2u
2 f T
t
For isotropic bodies the constitutive equation is written as

E

u I
T
D

1
1 2

Substitution into the equation of elastodynamics, we get

2u
E

2 f

u I

t
1
1 2

1 T 1

Now
D u u 2u u
2
2

and
u I u

Hence the equation of elastodynamics reduces to

2u
E 2
1
2 f

u
t
21
1 2

This equation is known as Navier equation.

Under static condition, Navier equation reduces to

E 2
1

f
0 (1)

21
1 2

The steady state Navier equation is a useful form of the equation of elastostatics.
15.2 An alternative form of the equation of elastostatics:
We can cast the steady state Navier equation in an alternative form by noting that


u 2 u u
This allows us to rewrite the steady state Navier equation as

E
1

f
0

21
1 2

E 21

f
0 (2)

21 1 2

This is another form of the steady state Navier equation.

15.3 Example: Determine the deformation of a hollow sphere with internal radius R1 and
external radius R2 . Pressure is P1 inside and P2 outside. Neglect the effect of gravity.
Solution: We start with the steady state Navier equation in the form below

E 21

f
0

21 1 2

Since the effect of gravity is negligible, we simplify the equation as

21
u u 0
1 2

We have spherical symmetry here. Hence displacement and displacement gradient are functions
of r alone and they are both directed radially. Since both displacement and displacement gradient

have the same direction, u 0 . Hence the Navier equation reduces to

u 0
For spherical system of coordinates, and under spherical symmetry, we have
1 d 2
u 2
r ur
r dr

Hence the r -component of the Navier equation gives

d 1 d 2
r ur 0

dr r 2 dr

This, on integration yields

1 d 2
r ur c
r 2 dr

Further integration gives

ur

cr d

3 r2

where c and d are constants. The other components of the displacement vector are zero, due to
the spherical symmetry.
We can now obtain various stress components as follows.
Tij

Now

E
1

Dij 1 2 u ij

1 2
u 2
r ur c
r r

Tij

Hence
Now
Hence

Similarly

Drr
Trr

E
1

Dij 1 2 ij

dur c 2d
u
c d
3 , D D r 3 , Dr Dr 0, D D 0
r 3 r
dr 3 r
E
1

c
E c 2d
c
E 1 c 2d

Drr 1 2 1 3 r 3 1 2 1 31 2 r 3

T T

c
E 1 c d
c d
3 r 3 1 2 1 31 2 r 3

E
1

The constants c and d are obtained from the boundary conditions that

T er
P2 er
P1er and T er
r R21

r R1

Note that er is the outward normal to the inner surface of the sphere and er is the outward
normal to the outer surface of the sphere.

Trr P1 at r R1 and Trr P2 at r R2

This yields

and

P1

E
1

1 c 2d
3

31 2 R1

P2

E
1

1 c 2d
3

31 2 R2

Solving for c and d we obtain

and

31 2 P1 R13 P2 R23

3
3
E
R2 R1

1 R13 R23 P1 P2

2E

R23 R13

The components of the stress tensor are

P1 R13 P2 R23 1 R13 R23 P1 P2
Trr
3
R23 R13
r
R23 R13
T T

P1 R13 P2 R23
1 R13 R23 P1 P2

R23 R13
2r 3
R23 R13

For P1 P and P2 0 , these equations reduce to

3

Trr

PR13
R23 R13

R23
PR 3
1 3 and T T 3 1 3
R2 R1
r

R3
1 23
2r

For thin spherical shell with thickness h R2 R1 R , we have

3h
R23 R13 1
R1
This yields

PR R 3
PR
R3
PR 2 1

, Trr
1 3 , T T
1
ur
3h
3h 2r 3
2 Eh
r
Here we replace R1 by R . Note that for thin shells Trr is small but T T are large. They are
called hoop stresses. We can approximate them as
T T

PR
2h

15.4 Example: Determine the deformation of a solid sphere of radius R, in its own gravitational
field (Example of such a solid body is earth).
Solution: The force of gravity on unit mass in a spherical body is given by

gr
f
R
where g is the gravitational acceleration at the surface of the body. We substitute this expression
in the steady state Navier equation

E 21
u u f 0

21 1 2

Since the forces are directed in the radial direction and the displacement is also in the radial
direction

u 0

The Navier equation then reduces to

gr gr
E 1

u f

er
1 1 2
R
R

Now,

1 d 2
u 2
r ur
r dr

d 1 d 2
u 2
r ur
dr r dr

and

Hence we get,

E 1 d 1 d 2 gr
r u
1 1 2 dr r 2 dr r R

Integration once yields,

E 1 d 2
gr 4
r ur
cr 2
1 1 2 dr
2R

The second integration gives:

E 1
gr 3 cr d
ur

1 1 2
10 R 3 r 2

Since u r 0 at r 0 ,we obtain d 0

Hence
E 1
gr 3 cr
ur

1 1 2
10 R 3

The components of the strain tensor can be computed as follows

dur 1 1 2 3gr 2 c
Drr

dr
E 1 10 R 3

All other components can be shown to be zero.

Also
1 d 2
1 1 2 gr 2 c
u 2
r ur

r dr
E 1 2 R

Hence we get the stress tensor as

Trr

E
1

1 2 3gr 2 c

rr 1 2 u 1 10 R 3 1 2

1 2 gr 2 3

1 2 R 5 1 2

1 2

1
c
3 1 2

gr 2 3 1

2 R 51 2 1 2

gr 2

c
2R

1 gr 2 3 c1

3
1 10 R

Trr 0 at r R , hence
5

3 3gr 2
1 10R

From this we get

1 1 2 gr 3 3 gr 2
ur

E 1 10 R 1 10 R

1 1 2 gr 3 3 1 2 gr 2
E 1 10 R
E 1 10 R

gR1 2 1 r 3 r 2

2
10 E 1
1 R

We see that for

1

r 1 2

R 1

urr 0

compressed

urr 0

stretched

and for

Also

We find

r 1 2

R 1
Trr

1 g R 2 r 2 3 3 g 2 2
R r

1
10 R
101 R

Trr

r 0

3 gR
101