30 4.

3 Elementary potential flows

Three-dimensional flow
Consider a point sink of strength −m at the origin and a point source of strength m at the
position (0, 0, δ).

Sink Source
O z

δ
The velocity potential of the flow is formed by adding the potentials of the source and sink,
m m
φ= p −p ,
2
x +y +z2 2 x + y + (z − δ)2
2 2
m m
= −√ ,
r r − 2zδ + δ 2
2

where m > 0 is constant and r = (x2 + y 2 + z 2 )1/2 . Expanding the potential to first order
in δ,
m m z 
φ= − 1 + 2 δ + O(δ 2 ) ,
r r r
and taking the limit δ → 0, leads to the potential of a dipole
z
φ = −mδ 3 ,
r
where m → ∞ as δ → 0 so that the strength of the dipole µ = mδ remains finite. Thus,
 
µ·r 1
φ=− 3 =µ·∇ ,
r r
where µ = µêz and r ≡ x is the vector position. The three components of the fluid velocity,
u = ∇φ, are for a dipole of strength µ,

xz
ux = 3µ ,
r5
yz
uy = 3µ 5 ,
r
z2

µ
uz = − 3 1 − 3 2 .
r r

Planar flow
Similarly, combining a line sink at the origin with a line source of equal but opposite strength
at (δ, 0) gives
(x − δ)2 + y 2
 
m 2 2 2 2

 m
φ=− ln(x + y ) − ln (x − δ) + y = ln , m > 0.
2 2 x2 + y 2
As in the three-dimensional case, we consider the limit δ → 0, with µ = mδ fixed. The
expression of the potential for a two-dimensional dipole of strength µ then becomes
µ·r
φ = − 2 = −µ · ∇ ln r,
r
where µ = µêx and r ≡ x is the vector position.