DERIVATION OF THE NAVIER STOKES EQUATION

1. CAUCHYS EQUATION

First we derive Cauchys equation using Newtons second law.

We take a differential fluid element. We consider the element as a material element ( instead of a
control volume) and apply Newtons second law

( )
or since ( ) =

= ( 1)

We express the total force as the sum of body forces and surface forces

= + . Thus ( 1) can be written as

= + ( 2)

Body forces: Surface forces:

Gravity force Pressure forces
Electromagnetic forse Viscous forces
Centrifugal force
Coriolis force

We cosider the x-component of (Eq 2).

Since = and = ( , , ) we have

= , + , ( 3)

We denote the stress tensor ( pressure forces+ viscous forces)

= ,
 the viscous stress tensor =

and strain ( deformation) rate tensor where

u 1 u v 1 u w
+ +
x 2 y x 2 z x
1 v u v 1 v w
= = + +
2 x y y 2 z y

1 w + u 1 w v w
2 x z +
2 y z z

Let =( , , ) , = ( , , ), =( , , ) be stress vectors on the planes

perpendicular to the coordinate axes.

x
z
yz- plane xz-plane xy-plane

Then the stress vector at any point associated with a plane of unit normal vector =( , , )

can be expressed as

= + + =( , , ) .
We consider the x-component of the net surface force , using the figure below.

Using Taylors formula we get

1= ( ) 2 =( + )

3= ( ) 4= ( + )
2 2

5 = ( ) 6= ( + )
2 2

Thus

, = 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 =( + + )

If we assume that the only body force is the gravity force, we have

, = g = g

Now from ( 3)

= , + , ( 3)

we have

= g + ( + + )

We divide by and get the equation for the x-component:

= g + + +
or

( + + + ) = g + + + eq x

In the similar way we derive the following equations for

y component:

( + + + ) = g + + + eq y

z component:

( + + + ) = g + + + eq z

Equations eq x,y,z, are called Cauchys equations.

THE NAVIER STOKES EQUATION

When considering , we can separate x components of pressure forces

and viscous forces:

= + , = , =

In the similar way we can change y-component and z-component

Thus Cauchys equations become

( + + + ) = g + + + eq A

In the similar way we derive the following equations for

y component:

( + + + ) = g + + + eq B

z component:

( + + + ) = g + + + eq C

According o the NEWTONS LOW OF VISCOSITY the viscous stress components are related ( throw a
linear combination) to the ( first) dynamic viscosity and the second viscosity .

=2 + , = ( + ), = ( + ) (*)

= ( + ) , =2 + , = ( + ) (**)
 = ( + ) , = ( + ) =2 + (***)

We substitute this values in to Cauchys equations eq A, B, C and get

THE NAVIER STOKES EQUATIONS for the compressible flow:

x-component:

( + + + )

= g + 2 + + ( + ) + ( + )

y-component:

( + + + )

= g + ( + ) + 2 + + ( + )

z-component:

( + + + )

= g + ( + ) + ( + ) + 2 +

Remark: For an incompressible flow we have = 0 and hence from (*), (**) and (***)

=2
 r
where is the strain rate tensor for the velocity field V = (u, v, w) in Cartesian coordinates:
u 1 u v 1 u w
+ +
x 2 y x 2 z x
1 v u v 1 v w
ij = 2 ij = 2 + +
2 x y y 2 z y

1 w + u 1 w v w
2 x z +
2 y z z

u u v u w
2 + +
x y x z x
v u v v w
= + 2 + .
x y y z y

w + u w + v 2
w
x z y z z

In the case when we consider an incompressible , isothermal Newtonian flow (density =const,
r
viscosity =const), with a velocity field V = (u ( x,y,z) , v( x,y,z) , w ( x,y,z))

we can simplify the Navier-Stokes equations to his form:

x component:
u u u u P 2u 2u 2u
+u +v + w = + g x + ( 2 + 2 + 2 )
t x y z x x y z
y- component:
v v v v P 2v 2v 2v
+ u + v + w = + g y + ( 2 + 2 + 2 )
t x y z y x y z
z component:
w w w w P 2w 2w 2w
+u +v + w = + g z + ( 2 + 2 + 2 )
t x y z z x y z
r
DV r r
[ The vector form for these equations: = P + g + 2 V ]
Dt