The Navier-Stokes Equations

Adam Powell
April 12, 2010

Below are the Navier-Stokes equations and Newtonian shear stress constitutive equations in vector form,
and fully expanded for cartesian, cylindrical and spherical coordinates. The momentum equation is given
both in terms of shear stress, and in the simplified form valid for incompressible Newtonian fluids with
uniform viscosity.

Vector Form These are the equations written using compact vector notation.

The continuity equation (conservation of mass):

Dρ
+ ρ∇ · ~u = 0 (1)
Dt
The motion equation (conservation of momentum):

D~u
ρ = −∇p − ∇ · τ + ρ~g (2)
Dt
Shear stress constitutive equation:
 
2
τ = −µ ∇~u + ∇~uT − ∇ · ~u (3)
3

The simplified motion equation for an incompressible Newtonian fluid with uniform viscosity:

D~u
ρ = −∇p + µ∇2 ~u + ρ~g (4)
Dt

1
Cartesian Coordinates For a general fluid in cartesian coordinates:
∂ρ ∂(ρux ) ∂(ρuy ) ∂(ρuz )
mass : + + + =0 (5)
∂t ∂x ∂y ∂z
 
∂ux ∂ux ∂ux ∂ux
x−momentum : ρ + ux + uy + uz = (6)
∂t ∂x ∂y ∂z
∂p ∂τxx ∂τyx ∂τzx
− − − − + Fx
∂x ∂x ∂y ∂z
 
∂uy ∂uy ∂uy ∂uy
y−momentum : ρ + ux + uy + uz = (7)
∂t ∂x ∂y ∂z
∂p ∂τxy ∂τyy ∂τzy
− − − − + Fy
∂y ∂x ∂y ∂z
 
∂uz ∂uz ∂uz ∂uz
z−momentum : ρ + ux + uy + uz = (8)
∂t ∂x ∂y ∂z
∂p ∂τxz ∂τyz ∂τzz
− − − − + Fz
∂z ∂z ∂y ∂z
Shear stress constitutive equation:
 
∂ux 2
τxx = −µ 2 − ∇ · ~u (9)
∂x 3
 
∂uy 2
τyy = −µ 2 − ∇ · ~u (10)
∂y 3
 
∂uz 2
τzz = −µ 2 − ∇ · ~u (11)
∂z 3
 
∂ux ∂uy
τxy = τyx = −µ + (12)
∂y ∂x
 
∂ux ∂uz
τxz = τzx = −µ + (13)
∂z ∂x
 
∂uy ∂uz
τyz = τzy = −µ + (14)
∂z ∂y
∂ux ∂uy ∂uz
∇ · ~u = + + (15)
∂x ∂y ∂z
For a Newtonian incompressible fluid in cartesian coordinates:
 
∂ux ∂ux ∂ux ∂ux
x−momentum : ρ + ux + uy + uz = (16)
∂t ∂x ∂y ∂z
 2
∂ 2 ux ∂ 2 ux

∂p ∂ ux
− +µ + + + Fx
∂x ∂x2 ∂y 2 ∂z 2
 
∂uy ∂uy ∂uy ∂uy
y−momentum : ρ + ux + uy + uz = (17)
∂t ∂x ∂y ∂z
 2
∂ 2 uy ∂ 2 uy

∂p ∂ uy
− +µ + + + Fy
∂y ∂x2 ∂y 2 ∂z 2
 
∂uz ∂uz ∂uz ∂uz
z−momentum : ρ + ux + uy + uz = (18)
∂t ∂x ∂y ∂z
 2
∂ 2 uz ∂ 2 uz

∂p ∂ uz
− +µ + + + Fz
∂z ∂x2 ∂y 2 ∂z 2

2
Cylindrical Coordinates For a general fluid in cylindrical coordinates:
∂ρ 1 ∂ 1 ∂ ∂
mass : + (ρrur ) + (ρuθ ) + (ρuz ) = 0 (19)
∂t r ∂r r ∂θ ∂z
u2θ

∂ur ∂ur uθ ∂ur ∂ur
r−momentum : ρ + ur + − + uz = (20)
∂t ∂r r ∂θ r ∂z
 
∂p 1 ∂ 1 ∂τrθ τθθ ∂τrz
− − (rτrr ) + − + + Fr
∂r r ∂r r ∂θ r ∂z
 
∂uθ ∂uθ uθ ∂uθ ur uθ ∂uθ
θ−momentum : ρ + ur + + + uz = (21)
∂t ∂r r ∂θ r ∂z
 
1 ∂p 1 ∂ 2 1 ∂τθθ ∂τθz
− − (r τrθ ) + + + Fθ
r ∂θ r2 ∂r r ∂θ ∂z
 
∂uz ∂uz uθ ∂uz ∂uz
z−momentum : ρ + ur + + uz = (22)
∂t ∂r r ∂θ ∂z
 
∂p 1 ∂ 1 ∂τθz ∂τzz
− − (rτrz ) + + + Fz
∂z r ∂r r ∂θ ∂z
Shear stress constitutive equation:
 
∂ur 2
τrr = −µ 2 − (∇ · ~u) (23)
∂r 3
   
1 ∂uθ ur 2
τθθ = −µ 2 + − (∇ · ~u) (24)
r ∂θ r 3
 
∂uz 2
τzz = −µ 2 − (∇ · ~u) (25)
∂z 3
 
∂  uθ  1 ∂ur
τrθ = τθr = −µ r + (26)
∂r r r ∂θ
 
∂uz ∂ur
τrz = τzr = −µ + (27)
∂r ∂z
 
∂uθ 1 ∂uz
τθz = τzθ = −µ + (28)
∂z r ∂θ
1 ∂ 1 ∂uθ ∂uz
∇ · ~u = (rur ) + + (29)
r ∂r r ∂θ ∂z
For a Newtonian incompressible fluid in cylindrical coordinates:
u2
 
∂ur ∂ur uθ ∂ur ∂ur
r−momentum : ρ + ur + − θ + uz = (30)
∂t ∂r r ∂θ r ∂z
1 ∂ 2 ur ∂ 2 ur
   
∂p ∂ 1 ∂ 2 ∂uθ
− +µ (rur ) + 2 − 2 + + Fr
∂r ∂r r ∂r r ∂θ2 r ∂θ ∂z 2
 
∂uθ ∂uθ uθ ∂uθ ur uθ ∂uθ
θ−momentum : ρ + ur + + + uz = (31)
∂t ∂r r ∂θ r ∂z
1 ∂ 2 uθ ∂ 2 uθ
   
1 ∂p ∂ 1 ∂ 2 ∂ur
− +µ (ruθ ) + 2 + 2 + + Fθ
r ∂θ ∂r r ∂r r ∂θ2 r ∂θ ∂z 2
 
∂uz ∂uz uθ ∂uz ∂uz
z−momentum : ρ + ur + + uz = (32)
∂t ∂r r ∂θ ∂z
1 ∂ 2 uz ∂ 2 uz
   
∂p 1 ∂ ∂uz
− +µ r + 2 + + Fz
∂z r ∂r ∂r r ∂θ2 ∂z 2

3
Spherical Coordinates For a general fluid in spherical coordinates:
∂ρ 1 ∂ 1 ∂ 1 ∂
ρr2 ur +


mass : + 2 (ρuθ sin θ) + (ρuφ ) = 0 (33)
∂t r ∂r r sin θ ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ
!
∂ur ∂ur uθ ∂ur uφ ∂ur u2θ + u2φ ∂p
r−momentum : ρ + ur + + − =− (34)
∂t ∂r r ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ r ∂r
 
1 ∂ 2

1 ∂ 1 ∂τrφ τθθ + τphiφ
− r τrr + (τrθ sin θ) + − + Fr
r2 ∂r r sin θ ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ r
 
∂uθ ∂uθ uθ ∂uθ uφ ∂uθ uθ uφ uφ cot θ 1 ∂p
θ−momentum : ρ + ur + + + − =− (35)
∂t ∂r r ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ r r r ∂θ
 
1 ∂ 1 ∂ 1 ∂τθφ τrθ τφφ cot θ
r2 τrθ +


− 2
(τθθ sin θ) + + − + Fθ
r ∂r r sin θ ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ r r
 
∂uφ ∂uφ uθ ∂uφ uφ ∂uφ uφ ur uθ uφ cot θ 1 ∂p
φ−momentum : ρ + ur + + + + =− (36)
∂t ∂r r ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ r r r sin θ ∂φ
 
1 ∂
1 ∂τθφ 1 ∂τφφ τrφ 2τθφ cot θ
− 2
r2 τrφ + + + + + Fφ
r ∂r r ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ r r

Shear stress constitutive equation:

 
∂ur 2
τrr = −µ 2 − (∇ · ~u) (37)
∂r 3
   
1 ∂uθ ur 2
τθθ = −µ 2 + − (∇ · ~u) (38)
r ∂θ r 3
   
1 ∂uφ ur uθ cot θ 2
τφφ = −µ 2 + + − (∇ · ~u) (39)
r sin θ ∂φ r r 3
 
∂ uθ
  1 ∂ur
τrθ = τθr = −µ r + (40)
∂r r r ∂θ
 
1 ∂ur ∂  uφ 
τrφ = τφr = −µ +r (41)
r sin θ ∂φ ∂r r
 
sin θ ∂  uφ  1 ∂uθ
τθφ = τφθ = −µ + (42)
r ∂θ sin θ r sin θ ∂φ
1 ∂ 2 1 ∂ 1 ∂uφ
∇ · ~u = 2
(r ur ) + (uθ sin θ) + (43)
r ∂r r sin θ ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ

4
For a Newtonian incompressible fluid in spherical coordinates:
!
∂ur ∂ur uθ ∂ur uφ ∂ur u2θ + u2φ ∂p
r−momentum : ρ + ur + + − =− (44)
∂t ∂r r ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ r ∂r
1 ∂2 ∂ 2 ur
   
2

1 ∂ ∂ur 1
+µ r u r + sin θ + + Fr
r2 ∂r2 r2 sin θ ∂θ ∂θ r2 sin2 θ ∂φ2
 
∂uθ ∂uθ uθ ∂uθ uφ ∂uθ uθ uφ uφ cot θ 1 ∂p
θ−momentum : ρ + ur + + + − =− (45)
∂t ∂r r ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ r r r ∂θ
∂ 2 uθ
    
1 ∂ 2 ∂uθ 1 ∂ 1 ∂ 1
+µ 2
r + 2
(uθ sin θ) + 2 2
r ∂r ∂r r ∂θ sin θ ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ2

2 ∂ur 2 cos θ ∂uφ
+ 2 − 2 2 + Fθ
r ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ
 
∂uφ ∂uφ uθ ∂uφ uφ ∂uφ uφ ur uθ uφ cot θ 1 ∂p
φ−momentum : ρ + ur + + + + =− (46)
∂t ∂r r ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ r r r sin θ ∂φ
∂ 2 uφ
    
1 ∂ 2 ∂uφ 1 ∂ 1 ∂ 1
+µ 2
r + 2
(u φ sin θ) + 2 2
r ∂r ∂r r ∂θ sin θ ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ2

2 ∂ur 2 cos θ ∂uθ
+ 2 − 2 2 + Fφ
r sin θ ∂φ r sin θ ∂φ