[Difficulty: 3]

Problem 2.12

Given: Flow field

Find: Plot of velocity magnitude along axes, and y = x; Equation of streamlines

Solution:
K⋅ y K⋅ x K
On the x axis, y = 0, so u=− =0 v= =
(2
2 ⋅ π⋅ x + y )
2 (2
2 ⋅ π⋅ x + y )
2 2 ⋅ π⋅ x

Plotting
160

80
v( m/s)

−1 − 0.5 0 0.5 1

− 80

− 160

x (km)

The velocity is perpendicular to the axis, is very high close to the origin, and falls off to zero.

This can also be plotted in Excel.

Plotting 160

80
v( m/s)

−1 − 0.5 0 0.5 1

− 80

− 160

y (km)
The velocity is perpendicular to the axis, is very high close to the origin, and falls off to zero.
This can also be plotted in Excel.

K⋅ x K K⋅ x K
On the y = x axis u=− =− v= =
(2
2 ⋅ π⋅ x + x
2 ) 4 ⋅ π⋅ x (2
2 ⋅ π⋅ x + x
2 ) 4 ⋅ π⋅ x

The flow is perpendicular to line y = x: Slope of line y = x: 1

u
Slope of trajectory of motion: = −1
v

2 2 2 2
If we define the radial position: r= x +y then along y = x r= x +x = 2⋅ x

2 2 K 1 1 K K
Then the magnitude of the velocity along y = x is V= u +v = ⋅ + = =
4⋅ π 2 2 2 ⋅ π⋅ 2 ⋅ x 2 ⋅ π⋅ r
x x

Plotting 160

80
v( m/s)

−1 − 0.5 0 0.5 1

− 80

− 160

x (km)

This can also be plotted in Excel.

K⋅ x

v dy (
2⋅ π⋅ x + y
2 2 ) x
For streamlines = = =−
u dx K⋅ y y
−
(2
2 ⋅ π⋅ x + y )
2

So, separating variables y ⋅ dy = −x ⋅ dx

2 2
y x
Integrating =− +c
2 2

2 2
The solution is x +y =C which is the equation of a
circle.
Streamlines form a set of concentric circles.

This flow models a vortex flow. See Example 5.6 for streamline plots. Streamlines are circular, and the velocity approaches infinity
as we approach the center. In Problem 2.11, we see that the streamlines are also circular. In a real tornado, at large distances from
the center, the velocities behave as in this problem; close to the center, they behave as in Problem 2.11.