1.

GOVERNING EQUATIONS OF FLUID FLOW

Basic equations of fluid flow include continuity, momentum and energy equation.
Depending on the type of flow compressible/incompressible, laminar/turbulent,
steady/unsteady the governing equations are assumed.

Continuity Equation
Principle of conservation of mass: Within the region, the difference between the rate
of increase of the fluid mass contained within the region must be equal to the
difference between the rate at which the fluid mass enters the region and the rate at
which the fluid leaves the region.

Consider an elementary rectangular parallelepiped with sides of length x, y and z.
u, v, w are the velocity components in x, y, z directions.

ρ=density

z

x
y
Mass contained in parallelepiped = ρ x y z

Assuming that net flux is leaving,


Rate of change of mass within control volume =xyz  ……………(1)
t
Mass of flux entering from left face/unit time = ρx u x y z

Mass of flux leaving from right face/unit time = ρx+x u x+x y z

Net flux in x-direction = ρx+x u x+x y z - ρx u x y z …………..(2)

Similarly Net flux in y-direction= = ρy+y v y+y x z - ρy v y x z

Net flux in z-direction= = ρz+z w z+z x y - ρz w z x y

By Taylor series expansion

u x  x  ux  u  x  1  2u  x 2  1  3u  x3     

2 3

x 2! x 3! x
Neglecting the higher order terms as x, y, z  0

u x  x  u x  u  x
x
  u  
Net flux in x-direction =  u x  x  u x  yz
 x 
 u  xyz
= ………………………………….(3)
x
v 
Similarly Net Flux in y-direction = xyz ………………………(4)
y
 w
Net Flux in z-direction = xyz …………………..….(5)
z
Net Flux = Rate of change of mass with in Control Volume
(3)+(4)+(5) = (1)

 u  v  w 

     xyz   xyz
 x y z  t


 
  u  v  w
 
  0
 
3-D Compressible
Continuity Equation
t x y z
Writing the above equation in vector notation


 

   .V  0
t

   
 
 V . (  )   .V  0
t
Or
D
 

  .V  0
Dt

D          
Where  u v w
Dt t x y z

Case I For Steady state

 

continuity equation is   .V  0

1
Case-II For Steady Incompressible Flow

continuity equation is V  0 This equation is valid for uniform cross sectional
area.
1-D Continuity Equation
Considering a stream tube

AV  AV S
S

ΔS

ρAV
Mass of fluid entering control volume per unit time= ρAV


Mass of fluid leaving control volume per unit time= AV  AV S
S

Net mass leaving control volume = AV S ………………………..(1)
S
Mass of fluid in the control volume = ρAΔS

Rate of decrease with time =  AS …………………………(2)
t
According to law of conservation (1)=(2)


AV S =   AS
S t


A   AV   0 1-D variable area Continuity equation
t S

Case I Steady flow


The continuity equation becomes AV   0
S
Or ρAV=constant
Case II Steady Incompressible
AV=Constant

2
Acceleration of a Fluid Particle

a =Rate of change of velocity

du dv dw
a x  Lim ; a  Lim a
; z  Lim
dt 0 dt y dt 0 dt dt 0 dt
u=f(x,y,z,t)

du u x u y u z u t
ax     
dt x t y t z t t t

u u u u
ax  u v w 
x y z t

u u u u
ax  u v w
t x y z
Similarly
v v v v
ay  u v w
t x y z
w w w w
az  u v w
t x y z
 
DV V  
a   (V .)V
Dt t

Local Convectional
acceleration acceleration


Where V  V ( x, y, z, t )  u ( x, y, z, t )iˆ  v( x, y, z, t ) ˆj  w( x, y, z, t )kˆ

    
DV V V V V
 u v w
Dt t x y z

Du Dv Dw
ax  ; ay  and a z 
Dt Dt Dt

3
Force
A flud in motion is subjected to several forces which results in the variation of the
acceleration and the energies involved in flow phenomenon of the fluid.

Gravity
Body forces
Force α Volume of body Others- CG forces, Magnetic,
electromagnetic etc.
Pressure
Surface forces
Forces Force α Surface area Others- Shear, tangential,
force of compressibility,
force due to turbulence etc.

Line forces Surface Tension

Force α Length

F x  Ma x

Ma  Fg  F p  Fv  Ft  Fs  Fe

F p (pressure) Exists when pressure gradient exists

Fg (gravity) is due to weight of fluid
Fv (Viscous) due to Viscosity of fluid
Ft (Turbulent) due to turbulence of the flow. Causes additional stresses called
“Reynolds Stresses”.
Fs (Surface Tension) due to cohesive property of fluid mass. When depth of fluid is
extremely small, Fs is considerable.
Fe (Compressibility) due to elastic property of fluid.

Most of fluids in motion, surface tension and compressibility forces are not
significant. Neglecting these terms
Ma  Fg  F p  Fv  Ft -------- Reynolds equation of motion.

For laminar of viscous flows, the turbulent forces become less significant. Then
Ma  Fg  F p  Fv --------- Navier-stokes equations.

Further, neglecting viscous forces

Ma  Fg  F p ---------- Euler’s equation of motion.

4
Euler’s Equation of motion
Pressure force and fluid weight are assumed to be acting on the mass of fluid in
motion.

Total pressure force acting on left face= Pyz

 P 
Total pressure force acting on right face=  P  x yz
 x 
Net pressure force in X- dirction:
 p 
F px   xyz
 x 

 P 
Pyz P  x yz
 x 
y

z
x
massacceleration=body force + pressure force
p
 (xyz )ax  X xyz   (xyz )
x
Where X is the body force per unit mass
1 p
ax  X 
 x
u u u u
But ax  u v w
t x y z

u u u u 1 p
u v w X
t x y z  x
v v v v 1 p
u v  w Y  Euler’s Equations
t x y z  y
w w w w 1 p
u v w Z
t x y z  z

5
Bernoulli’s Equation
Consider a stream tube of length

Gravity force= mg

Force balancing in ‘S’ direction

 dp 
-mg sin + pdA-  pdA  As  =m a s
 ds 
dp
-mg sin - As =m a s --------------------------(1)
ds

But m= as ΔS p
pdA  sA
z s
Sin  
s
v v
as  v 
t s
mg
Eq(1) becomes; ΔS
ΔZ
dz dp As mg Sin
-g - = as 
ds ds As
P dA
dz dp 1 v v
-g - = v
ds ds  t s
v
For steady flow =0
t
dp
g dz +  vv =0

Integrating the above equation

p1  p2 v12  v22
g ( Z1  Z 2 )   0
 2