Visualization of Fluid Flow
Three basic types of lines used to illustrate fluid flow patterns are:
Path line:
A line that represents the actual path traversed by a single fluid
particle.
Stream line:
A line that is everywhere tangent to the local velocity vector at
a given instant.
Streak line:
A line that represents the locus of fluid particles at a given
instant that have earlier passed through a prescribed point.
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Flow Paths
• Streamlines are useful in fluid flow analysis, but are
difficult to observe experimentally for unsteady flows.
• The pathline is a Lagrangian concept that can be
visualized in the laboratory by “marking” a fluid particle
and taking a time exposure photograph of its trajectory.
• The streakline can be visualized in the laboratory by
continuously marking all fluid particles passing through a
fixed point and taking an instantaneous photograph.
• Streamlines, pathlines, and streak-lines are identical for
steady flows.
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Streamlines
• For 2-D flows, the streamline equation can be determined
by integrating the slope equation:
dy v
dx u
Where u = u (x, y, t) and v = v (x, y, t)
• The resulting equation is normally written in terms of the
stream function: (x,y) = constant
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Stream Function
• It is convenient to have a means of describing mathematically any particular
pattern of flow.
• An adequate description should portray the notion of the shape of the
streamlines (including the boundaries) and the scale of the velocity
representative points in the flow.
• A mathematical device that serves this purpose is the stream function.
• The stream function is formulated as a relation between the streamlines and
the statement of conservation of mass.
• The stream function is a single mathematical function ψ(x, y, t), that
replaces the two velocity components, u(x,y,t) and v(x,y,t).
• Steady, incompressible, plane, two-dimensional flow represents one of the
simplest types of flow of practical importance.
• By plane, two-dimensional flow we mean that there are only two velocity
components, such as u and v, when the flow is considered to be in the 4x–y
plane
Stream Function
For a two-dimensional incompressible flow in the xy plane, the Continuity
Equation reduces to
u v
0 V v
x y x
u
y
We still have two variables, u and v, to deal with, but they must be related in a
special way as indicated.
This equation suggests that if we define a function ψ(x, y), called the Stream
Function, which relates the velocities as
Substituting in the above equation
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u
y v xy
y v
5x
Then the continuity equation is identically satisfied Stream Function
Another particular advantage of using the stream function is related to the fact
that lines along which ψ is constant are streamlines.
The change in the value of ψ as we move from one point (x, y) to a nearby point
(x + dx, y + dy) along a line of constant ψ is given by the relationship:
dy v
And, therefore, along a line of constant ψ
dx u
The actual numerical value associated with a particular streamline is not of
particular significance, but the change in the value of ψ is related to the volume
rate of flow.
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Let dq represent the volume rate of flow (per unit width
perpendicular to the x–y plane) passing between the two streamlines
(ψ and ψ+dψ) by referring to triangular fluid element.
Thus, the volume rate of flow, q, between
two streamlines such as ψ1 and ψ2, can be
determined by integrating to yield:
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Potential Function
Another function encountered in the flow of ideal fluids is the Potential Function φ.
The existence of a potential function means that the flow is irrotational.
The velocity components are the negative gradient of the potential function.
u v
x y
The negative sign indicates that ϕ decreases in the direction of velocity increase.
Substituting the velocity components as derivatives of the potential function into
the conservation of mass equation gives
u v 2 2
0
x y x 2
y 2
• This is Laplace’ equation. Solving it for either the stream function or the
potential function yields the irrotational flow field for an Ideal Fluid.
• The streamlines and lines of constant potential are everywhere orthogonal.
• This system of orthogonal streamlines and potential lines is called Flow Net.
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