Fluid Flows Described by Vector Calculus

P M V Subbarao
Professor
Mechanical Engineering Department
I I T Delhi

ABC Type of Flows……

Flow through an Arbitrary Volume
Flow through an Arbitrary Volume
Local Net Mass Flow rate
Accounting for Mass Flux Thru a Differential
Volume
 Divergence Theorem

  
Divergence (Gauss’s)
theorem: s v
 
 V .ds   . V dv
• The divergence theorem says is that the expansion or
contraction (divergence or convergence) of material inside
a volume is equal to what goes out or comes in across the
boundary.
• The divergence theorem is primarily used
– to convert a surface integral into a volume integral.
– to convert a volume integral to a surface integral.
 The Divergence Effect in A Fluid flow
  
   
. V   .V   .V

• A velocity field is the major vector field essential for description of a

moving fluid.
• The divergence measures the expansion or contraction of the fluid.
• A vector field with constant positive or negative value of divergence.

A vector field whose divergence vanishes identically is called as

solenoidal Field.
 Non-Solenoid Steady Flows
• Incompressible – A vector dominated…..

• Compressible – Both vector and

scalar ….
 Divergence of Velocity in Various Coordinate
Systems

In different coordinate systems:

 u v w
• Cartesian :  V   
x y z
 ur 1 u u z
• Cylindrical: .V   
r r  z

• Spherical:   V  2

 1  r 2u r

1 u

1  u sin  
r r r sin   r sin  
 Divergence Rules

  
Some “divergence rules”:    
. V   .V   .V

   
 
. A  B  . A  .B

 
 
. cA  c. A
Measurement of Flow Rate for Human Welfare
 Simple Methods for Measurement of Flow Rate

• Insertion of small paddle wheels in a flowing river.

• A wheel close to the center (of a river) was not not rotating or
rotating slowly.
•Wheels close to the edges were rotating fast.
•A mystery of mere engineering……
Disclosure of Mystery
Scientific Flow Measurement in a River
 Curl of a vector field:

Curl of a vector field:


curl V  lim

 V .nˆ ds 
   V
dA0 dA
•Circulation is the amount of force that pushes along a closed
boundary or path. It's the total "push" received while going
along a path, such as a circle.
•Curl is simply circulation per unit area, circulation density, or
rate of rotation (amount of twisting at a single point)
•Curl is a vector field with magnitude equal to the maximum
"circulation" at each point and oriented perpendicularly to this
plane of circulation for each point.
• More precisely, the magnitude of curl is the limiting value of
circulation per unit area.
 The Curl of Velocity Field
Define the vorticity vector as being the curl of the velocity
 
    V   x iˆ   y ˆj   z kˆ
i j k
     w v  ˆ  u w  ˆ  v u  ˆ
 V     i     j    k
x y z  y z   z x   x y 
u v w
vorticity vector in cylindrical co-ordinates:
  1 u z u 
ˆ  u r u z  ˆ  1  ru  1 u r  ˆ
  V    ir    i    iz
 r  z   z r   r r r  
vorticity vector in spherical co-ordinates:

 V
 1  sin u  u   ˆ  1  ru  u r   ˆ  1  1 u r ru   ˆ
     ir      i      i
 r sin       r  r     r  sin   r  
The Atmospheric Flow : a mild to Dangerous
Rotational Flow