Appendix A Basic Field Equations in Cartesian,

Cylindrical, and Spherical

Coordinates

For convenience, the basic three-dimensional field equations of elasticity are listed here for
Cartesian, cylindrical, and spherical coordinate systems. This will eliminate searching for these
results in various chapters of the text. Cylindrical and spherical coordinates are related to the
basic Cartesian system, as shown in Figure A-1.

z z

f
R
z

q r y y
q

x x
(Cylindrical Coordinates) (Spherical Coordinates)

FIGURE A-1 Cylindrical and spherical coordinate systems.

497
Strain-Displacement Relations

Cartesian Coordinates

@u @v @w
ex ¼ , ey ¼ , ez ¼
@x @y @z
 
1 @u @v
exy ¼ þ
2 @y @x
  (A:1)
1 @v @w
eyz ¼ þ
2 @z @y
 
1 @w @u
ezx ¼ þ
2 @x @z

Cylindrical Coordinates
 
@ur 1 @uy @uz
er ¼ , ey ¼ ur þ , ez ¼
@r r @y @z
 
1 1 @ur @uy uy
ery ¼ þ 
2 r @y @r r
  (A:2)
1 @uy 1 @uz
eyz ¼ þ
2 @z r @y
 
1 @ur @uz
ezr ¼ þ
2 @z @r

Spherical Coordinates
 
@uR 1 @uf
eR ¼ , ef ¼ uR þ
@R R @f
 
1 @uy
ey ¼ þ sin fuR þ cos fuf
R sin f @y
 
1 1 @uR @uf uf
eRf ¼ þ  (A:3)
2 R @f @R R
 
1 1 @uf @uy
efy ¼ þ  cot fuy
2R sin f @y @f
 
1 1 @uR @uy uy
eyR ¼ þ 
2 R sin f @y @R R

498 APPENDIX A
Equilibrium Equations

Cartesian Coordinates
@sx @tyx @tzx
þ þ þ Fx ¼ 0
@x @y @z
@txy @sy @tzy
þ þ þ Fy ¼ 0 (A:4)
@x @y @z
@txz @tyz @sz
þ þ þ Fz ¼ 0
@x @y @z
Cylindrical Coordinates

@sr 1 @try @trz 1

þ þ þ (sr  sy ) þ Fr ¼ 0
@r r @y @z r
@try 1 @sy @tyz 2
þ þ þ try þ Fy ¼ 0 (A:5)
@r r @y @z r
@trz 1 @tyz @sz 1
þ þ þ trz þ Fz ¼ 0
@r r @y @z r

Spherical Coordinates

@sR 1 @tRf 1 @tRy 1

þ þ þ (2sR  sf  sy þ tRf cot f) þ FR ¼ 0
@R R @f R sin f @y R
@tRf 1 @sf 1 @tfy 1
þ þ þ [(sf  sy ) cot f þ 3tRf ] þ Ff ¼ 0 (A:6)
@R R @f R sin f @y R
@tRy 1 @tfy 1 @sy 1
þ þ þ (2tfy cot f þ 3tRy ) þ Fy ¼ 0
@R R @f R sin f @y R

Hooke’s Law

Cartesian Coordinates
1 
ex ¼ sx  (sy þ sz )
E
sx ¼ l(ex þ ey þ ez ) þ 2mex 1 
ey ¼ sy  (sz þ sx )
E
sy ¼ l(ex þ ey þ ez ) þ 2mey 1 
sz ¼ l(ex þ ey þ ez ) þ 2mez ez ¼ sz  (sx þ sy )
E (A:7)
txy ¼ 2mexy 1þ
exy ¼ txy
tyz ¼ 2meyz E
1þ
tzx ¼ 2mezx eyz ¼ tyz
E
1þ
ezx ¼ tzx
E

Basic Field Equations in Cartesian, Cylindrical, and Spherical Coordinates 499

 Cylindrical Coordinates

1
er ¼ ½sr  (sy þ sz )
E
sr ¼ l(er þ ey þ ez ) þ 2mer 1
ey ¼ ½sy  (sz þ sr )
E
sy ¼ l(er þ ey þ ez ) þ 2mey 1
sz ¼ l(er þ ey þ ez ) þ 2mez ez ¼ ½sz  (sr þ sy )
E (A:8)
try ¼ 2mery 1þ
ery ¼ try
tyz ¼ 2meyz E
1þ
tzr ¼ 2mezr eyz ¼ tyz
E
1þ
ezr ¼ tzr
E

Spherical Coordinates

1 
eR ¼ sR  (sf þ sy )
E
sR ¼ l(eR þ ef þ ey ) þ 2meR 1 
ef ¼ sf  (sy þ sR )
E
sf ¼ l(eR þ ef þ ey ) þ 2mef 1 
sy ¼ l(eR þ ef þ ey ) þ 2mey ey ¼ sy  (sR þ sf )
E (A:9)
tRf ¼ 2meRf 1þ
eRf ¼ tRf
tfy ¼ 2mefy E
1þ
tyR ¼ 2meyR efy ¼ tfy
E
1þ
eyR ¼ tyR
E

Equilibrium Equations in Terms of Displacements

(Navier’s Equations)

Cartesian Coordinates
 
@ @u @v @w
mr2 u þ (l þ m) þ þ þ Fx ¼ 0
@x @x @y @z
 
@ @u @v @w
mr2 v þ (l þ m) þ þ þ Fy ¼ 0 (A:10)
@y @x @y @z
 
@ @u @v @w
mr2 w þ (l þ m) þ þ þ Fz ¼ 0
@z @x @y @z

500 APPENDIX A
Cylindrical Coordinates
   
ur 2 @uy @ 1@ 1 @uy @uz
m r2 ur  2  2 þ (l þ m) (rur ) þ þ þ Fr ¼ 0
r r @y @r r @r r @y @z
   
uy 2 @ur 1 @ 1@ 1 @uy @uz
m r2 uy  2 þ 2 þ (l þ m) (rur ) þ þ þ Fy ¼ 0 (A:11)
r r @y r @y r @r r @y @z
 
@ 1@ 1 @uy @uz
mr2 uz þ (l þ m) (rur ) þ þ þ Fz ¼ 0
@z r @r r @y @z

Spherical Coordinates
 
2uR 2 @uf 2uf cot f 2 @uy
m r2 uR  2  2  
R R @f R2 R2 sin f @y

@ 1 @ 2 1 @
þ (l þ m) (R uR ) þ (uf sin f)
@R R2 @R R sin f @f

1 @uy
þ þ FR ¼ 0
R sin f @y
 
2 @uR uf 2 cos f @uy
m r2 uf þ 2  2 2  2 2
R @f R sin f R sin f @y

1 @ 1 @ 2 1 @
þ (l þ m) (R uR ) þ (uf sin f) (A:12)
R @f R2 @R R sin f @f

1 @uy
þ þ Ff ¼ 0
R sin f @y
 
uy 2 @uR 2 cos f @uf
m r uy  2 2 þ 2 2
2
þ
R sin f R sin f @y R2 sin2 f @y

1 @ 1 @ 2 1 @
þ (l þ m) (R uR ) þ (uf sin f)
R sin f @y R2 @R R sin f @f

1 @uy
þ þ Fy ¼ 0
R sin f @y

Basic Field Equations in Cartesian, Cylindrical, and Spherical Coordinates 501