1.3.

1 Analysis of particle paths and streamlines

Let's learn how to analyze particle paths and streamlines theoretically. Figure 1.4 shows a
typical trajectory in space of a uid element moving under the action of a two-dimensional
steady velocity _eld.
Figure 1.4: Particle trajectory in a 2-D steady ow _eld.
The equations that determine the trajectory are:
dx (t)
dt
= U (x (t) ; y (t))
dy (t)
dt
= V (x (t) ; y (t))
(1.17)
where U and V are the ow velocity components in the x and y directions respectively.
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION TO FLUID FLOW 1-9
The velocity _eld is assumed to be a smooth function of position. Formally, these equations
are solved by integrating the velocity _eld forward in time.
x (t) = x0 +
Zt
0
U (x (t) ; y (t))dt
y (t) = y0 +
Zt
0
V (x (t) ; y (t))dt
(1.18)
The result is a set of parametric functions for the particle coordinates x and y in terms of
the time, t , along a particle path.
x (t) = F (x0; y0; t)
y (t) = G(x0; y0; t)
(1.19)
The solution of (1.17) can also be expressed as a family of lines derived by eliminating t
between the functions F and G in (1.19).
= (x; y) (1.20)
Figure 1.5: Streamlines in steady ow. The value of a particular streamline is determined
by the coordinates of any point on the streamline.
This is essentially how the streamlines observed in Figure 1.2(a) and Figure 1.3 are generated.
The value of a particular streamline is determined by the initial conditions.
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION TO FLUID FLOW 1-10
0= (x0; y0) (1.21)
This is the situation depicted schematically in Figure 1.5 .
The streaklines in Figure 1.2(b) were generated by shading a segment of uid elements that
pass through an initial point (x0; y0) during a _xed interval in time. Selecting a vertical
line of initial points well upstream of the airfoil leads to the bands shown in the _gure.
The length of a segment is directly related to the velocity history of the uid particles
that make up the segment. The stream function can also be determined as the solution of
the _rst order ordinary di_erential equation obtained by eliminating dt between the two
particle path equations in (1.17).
dy
dx
=
V (x; y)
U (x; y)
(1.22)
The di_erential of (x; y) is
d =
@
@x
dx +
@
@y
dy: (1.23)
If we use (1.17) to replace the di_erentials dx and dy in (1.23) the result is
d =
_
U (x; y)
@
@x
+ V (x; y)
@
@y
_
dt: (1.24)
On a line of constant = 0 the di_erential d = 0 and so for nonzero dt , the right hand
side of (1.24) can be zero only if the expression in parentheses is zero. Thus the stream
function, (x; y), can be determined in two ways; either as the solution of a linear, _rst
order PDE (1.25)
U _ r = U (x; y)
@
@x
+ V (x; y)
@
@y
= 0 (1.25)
or as the solution of the ODE (1.22) which we can write in the form,
􀀀V (x; y) dx + U (x; y) dy = 0: (1.26)
Equation (1.25) is the mathematical expression of the statement that streamlines are parallel
to the velocity vector _eld.