Chapter 10

Potential Flows

10.1 Potential and Stream Functions

In order to make the integration of the partial differential equation of fluid

mechanics possible by simple mathematical means, the introduction of irro-
tationality of the flow field is necessary. The introduction of irrotationality is
necessary to yield a replacement for the momentum equations and it is this
fact that permits simpler mathematical methods to be applied. In Sect. 5.8.1,
a transport equation equivalent to the momentum equation was derived for
the vorticity which for viscosity-free flows is reduced to the simple form
Dω/Dt = 0. From this equation, two things follow. On the one hand, it
becomes evident that irrotational fluids obey automatically a simplified form
of the momentum equation. On the other hand, Kelvin’s theorem results im-
mediately, according to which all flows of viscosity-free fluids are irrotational,
when at any point in time the irrationality of the flow field was detected. This
can be understood graphically by considering that all surface forces acting on
a non-viscous fluid element act normal to the surface and as a resultant go
through the center of mass of the fluid element. At the same time, the inertia
forces also act on the center of mass, so that no resultant momentum comes
about which can lead to a rotation. Hence the conclusion is possible that
rotating fluid elements cannot receive an additional rotation due to pressure
and inertia forces acting on ideal fluids. This is indicated in Fig. 10.1.
In addition to the above requirement for irrotationality, a further restric-
tion will now be introduced regarding the properties of the flows that are dealt
with in this chapter, namely the exclusive consideration of two-dimensional
flows. This restriction imposed on the allowable properties of flows is not a
condition resulting from irrotationality; one can, on the contrary, well imagine
three-dimensional flows of viscosity-free fluids that are irrotational. For two-
dimensional, irrotational flows there exists, however, a very elegant solution
method which is based on the employment of complex analytical functions
and which is used exclusively in the following.

275
276 10 Potential Flows

Fig. 10.1 Graphical representation of the physical cause of irrotationality of ideal

flows (Kelvin’s theorem)

When considering two-dimensional flow fields with flow property de-

pendences on x1 and x2 , the only remaining component of the rotational
vector is:  
1 ∂U2 ∂U1
ω3 = − . (10.1)
2 ∂x1 ∂x2
When one assumes the considered two-dimensional flow fields to be
irrotational, it holds that ω3 = 0 or:
∂U1 ∂U2
= . (10.2)
∂x2 ∂x1
This condition has to be fulfilled in addition to the continuity equation when
irrotational two-dimensional flow problems are to be solved.
Disregarding singularities, for irrotational flow fields the above relation-
ship has to be fulfilled in all points of the flow field. This is tantamount to
the statement that, for two-dimensional irrotational flows, a velocity poten-
tial Φ(x1 , x2 ) driving the flow exists, to such an extent that the following
relationships hold:
∂Φ ∂Φ
U1 = and U2 = . (10.3)
∂x1 ∂x2
Equation (10.3) inserted in (10.2) leads to the following relations:

∂U1 ∂2Φ ∂U2 ∂2Φ

= and = , (10.4)
∂x2 ∂x1 ∂x2 ∂x1 ∂x1 ∂x2
which for irrotational flow fields, i.e. for ω3 = 0 [see (10.1)], confirm the
reasonable introduction of a potential driving the velocity field. When one