TOPIC 3

• The Balance Equation /

Mass Balances –
Continuity Equation

Mass Balances Chee 223 3.1

 The General Balance Equation

Creation – Destruction + Flow in – Flow out= Accumulation

Rate Equation

Rate of Rate of Rate of Rate of Rate of

Creation – Destruction + Flow in – Flow out= Accumulation

Applicable to any extensive property:

mass, energy, entropy, momentum, electric charge
Mass Balances Chee 223 3.2
 System and Control Volumes
• A system is defined as an arbitrary volume of a substance across
whose boundaries no mass is exchanged. The system may
experience change in its momentum or energy but there is no transfer
of mass between the system and its surroundings. The system is
“closed”.

• A control volume is an arbitrary volume across whose boundaries

mass, momentum and energy are transferred. The control volume
may be stationary or in motion. Mass can be exchanged across its
boundaries. Useful in fluid mechanics

Mass Balances Chee 223 3.3

 Approaches for Analysis of Flow

In analyzing fluid motion we may take two paths:

1. Working with a finite region (=the control volume), making a

balance of flow in versus flow out and determining flow effects
such as forces, or total energy exchange. This is the control
volume method. This approach is also called “macroscopic” or
“integral method of analysis”.

2. Analysing the detailed flow pattern at every point (x,y,z) in the

field. This is the differential analysis, sometimes also called
“microscopic”.

Mass Balances Chee 223 3.4

 Fundamental Physical Laws

 In all cases the flow must satisfy the three basic laws of mechanics,
plus a thermodynamic state relation and the appropriate boundary
conditions:
1. Conservation of mass (continuity equation)
2. First law of thermodynamics (energy equation)
3. Newton’s second law of motion (momentum theorem)
4. A state relation, like  =  (P, T)
5. Appropriate boundary conditions at solid surfaces, interfaces, inlets
and exits.

Mass Balances Chee 223 3.5

 The Mass Balance
Surroundings, S

Control Volume Accumulation

(CV) or depletion Loss
Addition
through inlet through outlet
Boundary, B (Control Surface, CS)

• The law of conservation of mass states that mass may be neither

created nor destroyed. With respect to a control volume (CV):

Rate of Rate of Rate of

= (3.1)
mass flow - mass efflux accumulation of
into CV from CV mass into CV

Mass Balances Chee 223 3.6

Conservation of Mass- Continuity Equation
The mass balance (equation 3.1) can be written:

dm
 in  m
m  out  (3.2)
dt
where:

 in
m Rate of addition of mass into the system
 out
m Rate of removal of mass from the system
dm Rate of accumulation of mass in the system
dt

m denotes mass flow rate [mass/time=kg/s]

Mass Balances Chee 223 3.7

 Steady and Unsteady Flows

If there is no accumulation of mass (dm/dt = 0) then

the system is at steady-state conditions

 The fluid flow in general is a function of location and time

f(x, y, z, t). If the flow at every point in the fluid is
independent of time, the flow is at steady state conditions.
 For a steady-state flow: dX/dt = 0, where X is a physical
quantity (for example mass, temperature or velocity)

Mass Balances Chee 223 3.8

 Mass and Volumetric Flow Rates
• Recall from definition of density: m    volume

• In terms of “rates”: m   Q (3.3)

where

m = The mass flow rate: The mass of fluid flowing past a section per
unit time [=kg/s]

Q = The volumetric flow rate :The volume of fluid flowing past a

section of a pipe or channel per unit time [=m3/s]

Q V A (3.4)

 m  VA (3.5)

Mass Balances Chee 223 3.9

Conservation of Mass- Continuity Equation
• In the general case for flows inside pipes the velocity is not the same
at every point along the cross section of a pipe:

m   m   V A
i
i
i
i i i or

m 
area
 dm  
area
VdA

• By defining an “average” velocity, Vave, we can write:

m  Vave
area
 dA  V ave A

Mass Balances Chee 223 3.10

Conservation of Mass- Continuity Equation
For steady-state conditions equation 3.2 combined with 3.3, 3.5 becomes:

 in  m
m  out

 inQin   out Qout or  in AinVin   out AoutVout

(3.6) (3.7)
Aout, out, Vout

Outlet

Inlet
Ain, in, Vin
Mass Balances Chee 223 3.11
Conservation of Mass- Continuity Equation

For incompressible fluids (=const) from (3.6) and (3.7):

A in Vin  A out Vout

(3.8)
Qin  Q out

Mass Balances Chee 223 3.12

Example: Flow through an expansion
A pipe carrying a liquid at 30 L/s, changes from a 15 cm ID (Internal
Diameter) to a 20 cm ID. Find the velocities in each pipe

Mass Balances Chee 223 3.13

Conservation of Mass- Continuity Equation
For multiple inlets – outlets, starting from (3.2):
dm
 (m i )in   (m i )out 
i i dt
d(Vsystem )
 ( A V )
i
i i i in   (i A i Vi ) out 
i dt
• If there is no accumulation of mass (dm/dt = 0) then the system is
at steady-state conditions

 ( m )
i
i in   (m
 i ) out
i (3.7)
 ( A V )
i
i i i in   (i A i Vi ) out
i

Mass Balances Chee 223 3.14

Conservation of Mass- Continuity Equation

 For incompressible flow:

 (A V )
i
i i in   ( A i Vi ) out
i (3.8)

Q out   Qin

Mass Balances Chee 223 3.15

 Example: Unsteady-State Mass Balance

The tank shown in the figure has a volume V=1 m3 and contains air that
is maintained at a constant temperature by being in thermal equilibrium
with it surroundings. If the initial absolute pressure is Po=1 bar, how long
will it take for the pressure to fall to a final pressure of 0.0001 bar if the air
is evacuated at a constant rate of Q=0.001 m3/s?

V=1 m3
Po=1 bar
To vacuum pump
Q  0.001 m3 / s

Mass Balances Chee 223 3.16

 Summary

• The first of the fundamental laws of fluid flow, the conservation of

mass, has been considered. It is also called the continuity equation.
• The continuity equation has been derived using the “Control Volume”,
or “integral method of analysis”, by applying the general balance
equation to a finite control volume.
• Significant simplification of the continuity equation can be made by
using the steady state and incompressibility assumptions.

Mass Balances Chee 223 3.17