FLUID KINEMATICS

Introduction

Kinematics of fluid flow deals with the motion of fluid particles without considering the
agency producing the motion. This deals with the geometry of motion of fluid particles. This
also deals with the velocity and acceleration of fluid particles in motion. The motion of a
fluid can be analyzed on the same principles as those applied in the motion of a solid. There,
however exists a basic difference between the motion of a solid and the motion of a fluid. A
solid body is compact and moves as one mass. There is no relative motion between the
particles of a solid body. Hence, we study the motion of the entire body and there is no
necessity to study the motion of any particle of a solid body.

TYPES OF FLUID FLOW

Fluid flow may be classified under the following headings:

Steady and unsteady flow:

• Steady flow: The flow in which characteristics of fluid like velocity, pressure, density
etc., at a point, do not change with time: ∂V/∂ t = 0; ∂P/∂t = 0; ∂d/∂t = 0
• Unsteady flow: In this flow, velocity, pressure and density changes with time:

∂V/∂ t ≠ 0; ∂P/∂t ≠ 0; ∂d/∂t ≠ 0.

Uniform and Non-Uniform flow:

• Uniform flow: The flow in which velocity at any given time does not change with
respect to distance: (∂V/∂s)t=c = 0
• Non-uniform flow: In this flow, velocity any given time changes with respect to
distance: (∂V/∂s)t=c ≠ 0

Laminar and Turbulent flow

• Laminar flow: The flow in which the adjacent layers do not cross each other and
move along well-defined path.
• Turbulent flow: The flow in which adjacent layers cross each other and do not move
along well-defined path.

Rotational and Irrotational Flow:

 • Rotational flow: If the fluid particles flowing alone stream lines, also rotate about
their own axes, then flow is rotational.
• Irrotational flow: If fluid particles do not rotate about their own axes, then flow is
irrotational.

Combining these, the most commons flow types are:

• Steady uniform flow: conditions do not change with position in the stream or with
time. E.g., a flow of water in a pipe of constant diameter with constant velocity.
• Steady non-uniform flow: conditions change from point to point in the stream but do
not change with time. E.g., flow in a tapering pipe with constant velocity at the inlet.
• Unsteady uniform flow: at a given instant in time, the conditions are the same but
will change with time. E.g., a pipe of constant diameter connecting to a pump
pumping at constant rate which is then switched off.
• Unsteady non-uniform flow: every condition of the flow may change from point to
point and with the time at every point. E.g., water in channel.

One, Two and Three-Dimensional Flows

This is another way of describing fluid motion. The velocity of a fluid element in the
most general case is dependent upon its position. If any point in space be defined in terms of
the space coordinates (x, y, z), then at any given instant the velocity at the point is given by V
= ƒ (x, y, z). The flow in such a case is called a three-dimensional flow.

Sometimes, the flow condition may be such that the velocity at any point depends only on
two space coordinates say (x, y) at a given instant, i.e., in this case, at the given instant V = ƒ
(x, y). In this case the flow conditions are potential in planes normal to the Z-axis. This type
of flow is called a two-dimensional flow.

If there is no component of the velocity perpendicular to the plane of the figure, it is usual to
consider the motion as one-dimensional. This is no doubt a simplification over the two-
dimensional and three-dimensional fluid motions. In this type of flow the velocity V at a
given instant is a function of one space coordinate say x only i.e., at a given instant, V = ƒ
(x).

A one-dimensional or two-dimensional or three-dimensional flow may be a steady

flow or an unsteady flow.
Flow Pattern

Three types of fluid element trajectories are defined:

• Stream Line: A stream line is a continuous line that is everywhere tangent to the
instantaneous local velocity vector. Fluid particles lying on a stream line at an instant
move along the stream line.
• Path Line: A path line is the actual path traveled by an individual fluid particle over
some time period. The path line indicates the direction of the velocity of the same
fluid particle at successive instants of time.
• Streak Line: The streak line is the locus of the positions of fluid particles which have
passed through a given point in succession.
• Stream Tube: A stream tube is an imaginary tubular space formed by a number of
stream lines. It is an assembly or collection of stream lines forming a tabular space.
The surface of a stream tube is made up of stream lines.

VARIOUS TYPES OF FLUID MOVEMENTS

A fluid element may undergo four types of movements, namely,

• A pure translation: during this displacement the dimensions of the fluid element do
not change and they continue to retain their original orientations.
• A linear deformation: In this case the fluid element changes its shape. But the
directions of the principal axes of the fluid element do not change.
• A pure rotation: The fluid element rotates by an angle θ without any deformation.
• An angular (shearing) deformation: Here the fluid element undergoes an angular
deformation but the diagonals of the element will not rotate.

Velocity of Fluid Particle

Velocity of a fluid along any direction can be defined as the rate of change of displacement of
the fluid along that direction

Let V be the resultant velocity of a fluid along any direction and u, v and w be the velocity
components in x, y and z directions respectively.

Mathematically the velocity components can be written as

u = f (x, y, z, t)
 w = f (x, y, z, t)

v = f (x, y, z, t)

Let VR is resultant velocity at any point in a fluid flow.

Resultant velocity VR = ui + vj + wk

Where u=dx/dt, v=dy/dt and w=dz/dt are the resultant vectors in X, Y and Z directions,
respectively.

Acceleration of Fluid Particle

Acceleration of a fluid element along any direction can be defined as the rate of change of
velocity of the fluid along that direction.

If ax, ay and az are the components of acceleration along x, y and z directions respectively,
they can be mathematically written as ax = du/ dt.

METHODS OF DESCRIBING FLUID MOTIONS

We know that each particle of a fluid in motion has at any instant a certain definite value of
its properties like density, velocity, acceleration etc. As the fluid moves on, the values of
these properties will change from one position to other positions, from time to time.

Thus, it may be realized that two methods are possible to describe fluid motion. In the first
method called the Lagrangian method, we study the velocity, acceleration etc. of an
individual fluid particle at every instant of time as the particle moves to different positions.

This method of studying the properties of a single fluid particle is a very tedious process and
therefore this method is not generally adopted. In the second method called the Eulerian
method, we describe the flow by studying the velocity, acceleration, pressure, density etc. at
a fixed point in space. Due to its easy application, this method is most commonly adopted.

REYNOLDS TRANSPORT THEOREM

A tool to relate system concepts to control volume concepts.

• Let B be a fluid parameter (e.g., mass, temperature, momentum).

• Let b represent the amount of that parameter per unit mass
• E.g., Momentum B=mV => b=V & Energy B=1/2mV2 => b=1/2 V2