Advanced Fluid Mechanics

Department of Mechanical Engineering

United Arab Emirates University

September 7, 2022
 Streamlines, Path line and streak lines
 Examples

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 Flow visualization is the visual While quantitative study of
examination of flow-field fluid dynamics requires
features. advanced mathematics,
 Important for both physical much can be learned from
experiments and numerical flow visualization
(CFD) solutions.
 Numerous methods
▪ Streamlines and streamtubes
▪ Pathlines
▪ Streaklines
▪ Timelines
▪ Refractive techniques
▪ Surface flow techniques
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 A Streakline is the locus
of fluid particles that have
passed sequentially
through a prescribed
point in the flow.
 Easy to generate in
experiments: dye in a
water flow, or smoke in an
airflow. ( continuous
injection)
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 A Pathline is the actual
path traveled by an
individual fluid particle
over some time period.
 Same as the fluid
particle's material
position vector
(x particle (t ) , y particle (t ) , z particle (t ))
 Particle location at time t:
t
x = xstart +  Vdt
tstart
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Focus on the Green Particle path with time only

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5s 6s 7s 8sec
 A Streamline is a curve that is every where
tangent to the instantaneous local velocity vector
 is a line that, at any instant, is tangent to the local velocity
vector.
 Consider an arc length dr dr = dxi + dyj + dzk
V = ui + vj + wk
 must be parallel to the local velocity vector
dr dx dy dz
= = =
V u v w
 Geometric arguments results in the equation for a
streamline

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At fixed time t* at different
spatial locations
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 At fixed time t* at different
spatial locations
The cross product of two parallel vectors is null
vector , and the magnitude of a null vector is zero. 13
𝑎Ԧ = 𝑎1 𝑖 + 𝑎2 𝑗 + 𝑎3 𝑘
𝑏 = 𝑏1 𝑖 + 𝑏2 𝑗 + 𝑏3 𝑘
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 Streamline Defined instantaneously

▪ has the direction of the velocity vector at each point

▪ no flow across the streamline
▪ steady flow streamlines are fixed in space
▪ unsteady flow streamlines move
 Pathline Defined as particle moves (over time)
▪ path of a particle
▪ same as streamline for steady flow
 Streakline Defined as particle moves over specific point in space
▪ tracer injected continuously into a flow
▪ same as pathline and streamline for steady flow
▪ Easy to generate in experiments: dye in a water flow, or smoke in an
airflow.

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 For steady flow, streamlines, pathlines, and streaklines are identical.
 For unsteady flow, they can be very different.
▪ Streamlines are an instantaneous picture of the flow field
▪ Pathlines and Streaklines are flow patterns that have a time history associated
with them.
▪ Streakline: instantaneous snapshot of a time-integrated flow pattern.
▪ Pathline: time-exposed flow path of an individual particle.

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◼Streamtube : The surface formed instantaneously by all
streamlines that pass through a given closed curve in the
flow.

◼ Fluid within a streamtube must remain there and cannot

cross the boundary of the streamtube.

◼In an unsteady flow, the streamline pattern may change

significantly with time. the mass flow rate passing through
any cross-sectional slice of a given streamtube must remain
the same.
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 A Timeline is a set of adjacent fluid particles
that were marked at the same (earlier)
instant in time.

 Timelines can be generated using a

hydrogen bubble wire.

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Timelines produced by a hydrogen bubble wire are used to
visualize the boundary layer velocity profile shape.

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 Flow data are the presentation of the flow properties varying in time
and/or space.
 A Profile plot indicates how the value of a scalar property varies along
some desired direction in the flow field.
 A Vector plot is an array of arrows indicating the magnitude and
direction of a vector property at an instant in time.
 A Contour plot shows curves of constant values of a scalar property for
the magnitude of a vector property at an instant in time.

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Profile plots of the horizontal component of velocity as a
function of vertical distance; flow in the boundary layer
growing along a horizontal flat plate.

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Contour plots of the pressure field due to flow impinging
on a block. Movie 24
 STREAM LINE & FUNCTION
It is tangential to instantaneous velocity vectors.
1. There is no flow across it.
2. The curves of constant Stream function are streamlines of the
flow.
3. Difference of stream functions ψ (PSI) between two stream
lines is the volume of fluid flowing between them per unit
depth; from the left to right if streamline of higher stream
function is above streamline of lower stream function .

CARTESIAN COORDINATE  
u= v=−
y x
POLAR COORDINATE 1  
vr = v = −
r  r
 
d ( x, y) = dx + dy d ( x, y) = −vdx + udy
x y 25
Properties of Exponents and Logarithms

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  
V = (2 + 5x)i + (−3 − 5 y) ˆj

For the following velocity field, find:

 
a) Is the flow steady state? d ( x, y) = dx + dy
x y
b) If there is any stagnation point in the flow field?  
u= v=−
c) Draw the velocity field y x
d) Streamline equation, draw stream lines
e) Streamline Function

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https://www.geogebra.org/m/QPE4PaDZ
https://www.geogebra.org/m/QPE4PaDZ
 ( x, y) = 2 y + 5xy + 3x
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4.5
Y=3
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Y=4

C = 2 y + 5 xy + 3x Y=5
3.5

3 Y=6
2.5 Y=7

y
C − 3x 2 Y=8
y= 1.5 Y=9
2 + 5x 1
0.5

0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
x

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For the following velocity field, find:
 
a) Streamline Function d ( x, y) = dx + dy
x y
b) Acceleration vector (Is the flow accelerating?)  
u= v=−
c) Is the flow steady state? y x

  d dC1
V = (2 + 5x)i + (−3 − 5 y) ˆj = 5y + = −v = 3 + 5 y
dx dx
Solution:
dC1

=3 C1 = 3x
u = 2 + 5x = dx
y
 ( x, y) = 2 y + 5xy + 3x
 ( x, y) = 2 y + 5xy + C1 ( x)
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Is the flow accelerating? Is it steady state flow?
V
=0
u = 2 + 5x t
v = −3 − 5 y

u u u
ax = +u +v = ( 2 + 5 x) * 5
t x y

v v v
a y = + u + v = (−3 − 5 y) * (−5)
t x y

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