Flow fluid about a line source
Problem Statement
Consider the symmetric radial flow of an incompressible, inviscid fluid outward from
an infinitely long uniform source, coincident with the z-axis of a cylindrical
coordinate system. Fluid is being generated at a volumetric rate per unit length of
source.
a. Show that the Laplace equation for the velocity potential for this system is:
1
r
=0
r r r
( )
b. From the equation find the velocity potential, velocity and pressure as
functions of position:
ln ( r )
2
Where
V r=
2 r
2
8 2 r2
is the value of the modified pressure far away from the source.
c. Discuss the applicability of the results in (b) to the flow about a well drilled
into a large body of porous rock.
d. Sketch the flow net of streamlines and equipped liners
Analytical Analysis
Parameters given:
=0
t
Steady state
Incompressible fluid i.e. constant density
Inviscid fluid (viscosity, =0)
Volumetric rate per unit length is
Flow of fluid is only in the radial direction, thus
v r =vr (r ) ;
v =0
v z=0
From equation 4.2-1C, Axisymmetric Cylindrical coordinates with no dependence on
, velocity components for stream function () defined as:
vr =
+1
r z
v z=
1
r r
Any vector that has zero curl can be written in gradient of a scalar function such as
v = =i
=v r i . Therefore,
r
vr =
Stream function (r) is defined as:
vr =
+1
r z
Equating equations (nnnnnnn)
1
=
r r z
Laplacian function of velocity potential is defined as:
2
2
r
Rearranging the above term followed by differentiating with respect to r:
=
r
z
r
=
r r r z
( ) (
Recall is only a function of r ,hence
=0
z
Therefore by substituting this relationship into the above equation the Laplace
equation is:
r
=0 .
r r
( )
Alternatively, we can derive this equation from continuity equation as follows.
The equation for continuity in cylindrical coordinate is given by equation B.4-2:
1 ( r v r ) 1 ( v ) ( v z )
+
+
+
=0
t r r
r
z
v r =vr (r ) and steady state, incompressible fluid.
Recall that
v z=0
i.e. no fluid flows along the z-direction since the length of the
cylinder is infinite in this direction. Also
Thus, the continuity equation reduces to
as
. v=0 . Also
v =0 since there is no circular rotation.
1 ( r v r)
r r
which in vector form is written
v = , therefore, we have;
. v = -( . =
2 =0 .
For purely radial flow, this laplace equation can be expressed as
2 1
+
=0 .
2
r r r
This can be written as total differential since it is a 1D equation. Thus
1 d d
r
=0 .
r dr dr
( )
Deriving velocity potential, velocity and pressure distribution
1 d
d
r
=0
r dr dr
( )
d
d
r
=0
dr d r
( )
Integrating the above term with respect to r you will have:
d
=C1
dr
Further integration with respect to r results into:
=C 1 ln ( r )+C 2
Recall from velocity potential definition in eqn (YYY) above
Therefore
vr =
vr =
d
dr
d C 1
=
dr
r
r v r=C 1
Volumetric rate per unit length
( QL )
is given by
Q=vA=v r A
Q= v r r z
2
Therefore
Q
= v r = C1
L 0 r
0
Q
=2 C 1
L
C 1=
Q
=
2 L 2
Substituting C1 into eqn (PPPP), the velocity equation derived will be:
vr =
2 r
Velocity potential
vr =
C 1
=
r
r
Recall from eqn(ppp)
=C 1 ln ( r )+C 2
Since flow is radially symmetric at r=0, maximum velocity acts at this point, thus
vr
=0
r
v r
=
=0
r 2 r2
Hence
=0, v r=0
Therefore C1 at r=0 can be computed as:
C1 =
0
= =0
2 2
Boundary Conditions:
BC1: r=0
=0
Substituting boundary condition to equation(pppp)
0=0 ln ( r ) +C2
C2 =0
=
ln ( r )
2
Pressure as function of distribution
Equation of motion (Equation B.6-4)
1
Reduced Equation:
vr
d v r d P
=
dr
dr
vr =
2 r
v r
=
r 2 r2
Substituting these terms to the reduced equation above results in:
d P 2
= 2 3
dr
4 r
Integrating above equation
Boundary conditions (BC)
BC1.
r=r,
BC2.
r= ,
2
2
2
vr
v v v
v v 2 p
1
1 vr vr 2 v
+ vr r + r + vz r =
+
r
v
+
+
+ gr
( r) 2 2
t
r r
z
r
r
r r r
r
z2 r2
P=P
2
P= 4 2 r 3 r
P
r
2
PP=
8 2 r2
PP=
2
8 2 r2
P=
