Field Equations for Flows

of Newtonian Fluids
 3.1 Description of Flow Fields
Assumptions :
Fluid is Newtonian.
Fluid will be considered to be a continuum. In a continuum the smallest
volume element considered dV is still homogeneous, i.e. the dimensions
of dV are still very large compared to the average distance between the
molecules in the fluid.
In gases the assumption of a continuum is valid if the Knudsen number
Kn = l0/l is very small, where l0 is the mean free path and l a characteristic
length of the flow field.

In three–dimensional motion the flow field is given by the velocity vector

with the three components u, v, w in a Cartesian coordinate system with

unit vectors ex, ey, ez, and also by the pressure p and the temperature T.
 To determine these five quantities, there are five equations available:

These generally valid balance laws are joined by the transport equations. For
the isotropic Newtonian fluids considered here, there is a linear relation
between the stress tensor and the rate of deformation, and the Fourier heat
conduction law holds too. The completed five balance laws therefore contain
physical properties for which the dependencies on temperature and pressure
must be given: the density (T, p), the isobaric specific heat capacity cp(T, p), as
well as the transport properties viscosity μ(T, p) and thermal conductivity λ(T,
p). In what follows the conservation laws for mass, momentum and energy will
be set up.
3.2 Continuity Equation
per unit volume, the sum of all
mass flowing in and out per unit
time must be equal to the
change in mass due to change
in density per unit time

local part convective part

Momentum Equation

The momentum equation is the basic law

of mechanics which states that mass times
acceleration is equal to the sum of the
forces.
Body force per Surface force
unit volume per unit volume

substantial local convective

acceleration acceleration acceleration
All the surface forces on a volume element determine the state of stress. Surface forces
depend on the state of deformation (state of motion) of the fluid. We now have to
determine the relation between the state of stress and the state of deformation
(transport equation). If this relation is linear, we are dealing with a Newtonian fluid.

3.4 General Stress State of Deformable Bodies

total surface force

 The stress tensor and its
matrix are symmetric

In general fluid motion can be decomposed into a translation and a

rotation. Denoting the instantaneous angular acceleration of the fluid
element by ˙ω ( ˙ ωx, ˙ωy, ˙ωz), we can write down the following for
the rotation about the y axis
 In the hydrostatic stress state (v = 0), all tangential forces vanish. Only
the normal stresses remain, and these are all equal to each other and
to the negative pressure.

Here the stresses have been decomposed additively into a part with the
normal stress −p that is the same in all directions, and a part which
deviates from this (deviator stresses)

or in vector notation
3.5 General State of Deformation of Flowing Fluids
If the velocity vector is known as a function of place and time, v = v(x, y, z, t), there exist
kinematic relations between the rate of deformation and this function.

Velocity components at point B

The motion of the point B relative to that of point A is therefore described by the
following matrix of the nine partial derivatives of the local velocity:
 It is useful to arrange the expressions for the relative velocity components
du, dv, dw

rate of deformation
tensor or strain–rate
tensor

angular velocity vector (𝜔)

Volume dilatation
Shear deformation

The original right angle at point A

changes by

shear angular
velocity
Shear deformation

the right angle at point A is changed

by twice the absolute value of
Rigid body rotation

This rotation takes place without deformation

and can be described as the rotation of a rigid
body. The instantaneous angular velocity is

In the general case when

the fluid element rotates and is

simultaneously deformed
It can be concluded that the general case can be obtained by superposition of the two
simple cases mentioned. Therefore, for two neighbouring points A and B in a fluid with
velocity field we can decompose their motion uniquely into four
components as follows:
(a) a pure translation, described by the velocity components

(b) a rigid body rotation, described by the components

(c) a volume dilatation, described by , with linear dilatations

in the directions of the three axes;

(d) a deformation, given by the three components with mixed indices.

Only the final two motions lead to a deformation of the fluid element about the
reference point A; the first two merely lead to a change in position.
3.6 Relation Between Stresses and Rate of Deformation
3.7 Stokes Hypothesis
3.9 Navier–Stokes Equations
If the transport equations (constitutive relations) are inserted into the
momentum equation and the Stokes hypothesis taken into account,
we find the following equations of motion in Cartesian coordinates
3.12 Equations of Motion for Cartesian Coordinates in
Index Notation
3.13 Equations of Motion in Different Coordinate Systems
5. Exact Solutions of the Navier–Stokes Equations
Couette-Poiseulle Flow