FMC610S

MECHANICAL AND MARINE EINGINEERING

NUST

FLUID KINEMATICS

OKORIE ME
FLUID KINEMATICS
Fluid kinematics is a division of engineering science that describes the geometry of fluid motion in terms
of displacement, velocity and acceleration or any other quantity that can be derived from displacement
and time without considering any force or energy involved.
Fluid Kinematics
• Studies translation, rotation and deformation of fluid elements
• Pressure force and energy causing such motion are not considered

DISCRIPTION OF FLUID FLOW:

Fluid flow may be classified in several ways as indicated below:
STEADY AND UNSTEADY FLOW:
STEADY FLOW: Flow is said to be steady when various characteristics of the flowing fluid such as
velocity, pressure, density, temperature etc at a point do not change with time. We can say that various
characteristics of such flow are independent of time. The parameters may, however, be different at
different cross-sections of the flow passage.
Mathematically it can be expressed as:
(1)
Typical steady flow:
• Flow of water in a pipeline due to a centrifugal pump that operates at a uniform speed
• Liquid efflux from a vessel in which constant level is maintained.

UNSTEADY FLOW:
This is the flow, in which various characteristics of flowing fluid such as a velocity, pressure, density etc.
at a point changes with respect to time. Unsteadiness means changing flow pattern with the passage of
time at a position in the flow. Mathematically,
(2)
Example
• Liquid flow in the suction and pressure pipes of a reciprocating pump.
• Wave movement in the sea.
Fig.1-1 Development of steady flow in a pipe

Figure 1-2 : Different types of time-dependent flows; (a) transient followed by steady state, (b) unsteady,
but stationary, (c) unsteady.
Example-uniform flow
• Flow between parallel plates
• Open channel flow
• Flow through uniform diameter
pipes

Example-non-uniform flow
• Flow in a tapering pipe
Dimensionality of Flow
• The dimensionality of a flow field corresponds to the number of spatial coordinates needed to describe
all properties of the flow.

ONE-DIMENSIONAL FLOW
• One-dimensional flow is the type of flow in which the flow characteristics such as velocity, pressure,
density, temperature etc. are function of time and one space co-ordinate only.
Mathematically,
For steady flow (5)

For unsteady flow (6)

where are velocity components in directions respectively
TWO DIMENSIONAL FLOWS
• Two-dimensional flow is the type of flow in which the flow characteristics are the function of time and two
rectangular space co-ordinates.
Mathematically,
For steady flow (7)
For unsteady flow (8)

THREE DIMENSIONAL FLOWS

• Three-dimensional flow is a type of flow in which the flow characteristics are the function of time and three
mutually perpendicular directions.
Mathematically
For steady flow: (9)
Unsteady flow: (11)
 IRROTATIONAL FLOW
E.g. Flow in a
river, flow within • A flow is irrotational when the fluid particles do not
fluid machines, rotate about their mass centres whilst moving along a
flow at the inlet stream line.
to a nozzle E.g. Vortex or whirlpool which develops above a drain in the
bottom of a stationary tank and Flow above a drain hole of a
washbasin.
ROTATIONAL FLOW
 A rotational flow exists when the fluid
particles rotate about the their own mass
centres whilst moving along a stream line.
 The fluid particle AB rotates about its own axis
when moving along a circular streamline, and
constitutes the rotational flow
E.g. Liquid in a rotating tank where the velocity
varies directly with distance from the centre
constitutes a rotational flow. Also flow near a
solid boundary is a rotational flow.
Compressible and incompressible flow
Compressible Flow: Flow is termed compressible if the density change of the flow due to temperature
and pressure variation is appreciable. The gases are readily compressible fluids. They expand infinitely in
the absence of pressure and contracts easily under pressure.
Mathematically,
Incompressible Flow: Flow is incompressible if the density change due to pressure and temperature
variations are insignificant in the flow field. Liquids can be regarded as incompressible. This means that
pressure and temperature changes have little effect on their volume.

Mach number is generally taken as a measure of the relative importance of compressibility. Mach
number (M) is the ratio of local flow velocity to the sonic velocity of the fluid (Sonic velocity is the
velocity of sound in the liquid). Generally for Mach number less than 0.3, the compressibility effects are
ignored. Mach number prescribes the following flow regimes
For sonic flow M=1
Subsonic flow M<1
Supersonic flow M>1
Hypersonic flow M>5
Laminar and Turbulent Flow
Laminar Flow: Laminar flow is one in which the fluid particles move in layers (or laminar) with one layer of
fluid sliding smoothly over an adjacent layer. It is also called streamline flow or viscous flow. For
development of laminar, the viscosity plays a very important role. This type of flow occurs generally in
smooth pipes when the velocity of flow is low and also in liquids of having high viscosity.
Definition: Laminar flow is defined as a highly ordered fluid motion characterized by a smooth layer of
fluid. It can as well be defined as a flow regime that is characterized by smooth streamlines and highly
ordered fluid motion. On the other hand, the highly disordered fluid motion that typically occurs at high
velocities and characterized by velocity fluctuations is called turbulent flow.
Turbulent Flow: Turbulent flow is one in which the fluid particles move in an entirely haphazard or erratic
manner. Fluid particles move in an unpredicted path that results in a rapid and continuous mixing of the
fluid leading to momentum transfer as flow occurs.

The most important single point to observe from the flow regimes is that as flow speed increases, details
of the flow become more complicated and ultimately there is a “transition” from laminar to turbulent
flow as shown in figure 9.
 Fig.9b Fig.9c
Fig.9a

Fig.10
FLOW VISUALIZATION
Flow visualization is the technique which is used to obtain a visual representation of flow field at a given
instant of time. Such representation is provided by
• stream lines
• Timeline
• Path lines
• Streak lines and
• Stream tube.

STREAM LINES
A streamline is an imaginary line drawn through the flow field in a manner such that the velocity vector of
the fluid at each and every point on the streamline is tangent to the streamline at that instant. Again, the
tangent to the curve at any point gives the direction of velocity vector at the point and at that instant. Fig
1-11 (a, b) shows the streamlines for a flow pattern in the plane.
Consider a streamline passing through a point . The velocity vector is represented by a tangential line
which is drawn to stream.
 For time interval , a fluid particle travels a
distance along a streamline. Let be the
components of the displacement into the
coordinate axes respectively. During the
same time interval the velocity components
are given by:

(12)

Since is the same, the general equation of

streamline is given by
(13)

For two dimensional flow in the plane,

(14)

From equation (14) the slope of the streamline equals the ratio of the velocity 𝒅𝒙 𝒅𝒚 𝒅𝒚 𝒗
component. Similarly, draw a similar triangle from fig.(1-11), as shown in fig.(1-
= ; =
𝒖 𝒗 𝒅𝒙 𝒖
CHARACTERISTICS OF STREAMLINES
• Streamlines do not cross, since there can be no component of velocity at right angles to the
streamline. However, it may intersect at isolated points of zero velocity or infinite velocity.

• There cannot be any movement of fluid mass across the streamline i.e. the flow is only along a
streamline.

• For steady flow the streamline pattern remains the same at different times, but or an unsteady flow,
the streamline pattern may change from time to time.

• Streamline spacing varies inversely as the velocity. Converging of streamline in any direction shows
accelerated flow in that direction.

• The series of streamline represent the flow pattern at an instant.

STREAM TUBE
Note:
A stream-tube is a tube imagined to be formed by
• Stream tube is bounded on all sides by
a group of neighbouring streamlines passing
streamlines; therefore, there can be no flow
through a small close curve, which may or may
across the bounding surface of a stream tube.
not be circular as shown in fig.(1-13).
• Since there is no flow across the streamlines,
there is no flow across the surface of the
stream-tube
• The shape of the stream-tube changes from
one instant to another because of change in
position of streamlines
PATH LINE
• A Path line shows the direction of
• A path line represents the trace or trajectory of a fluid
velocity of the same fluid particle at
particle over a period of time.
successive instant of time. A path line
can intersect itself at different times.

• Fig. (1-14) represent the path line of a

fluid particle as it advances from the
initial time to final time . The path
traced by a single particle of smoke
issuing from cigarette is a path line.

Fig.(1-14) Path line of a fluid particle

• A path line is a line that is traced by single fluid

particles as it moves over a period of time.
STREAK LINE • A line formed by the smoke particles ejected
into the atmosphere from a fixed nozzle
• A streak line is a line that is traced by a fluid particle
constitutes the streak line. In steady flow, the
passing through a fixed point in a flow field.
streak line is the same as streamline and path
line of a particle since there is no change in the
flow pattern i.e. they are identical. For an
unsteady flow, the streamline, streak line and
path lines are all different.

Fig (1-15) Streak line of a smoke issuing from a nozzle

• It gives an instantaneous picture of the

position of the fluid particles that have passed
through a fixed point in a fluid.
Example 1:
Determine the equation of stream line for a two dimensional flow field for which the velocity components are given by:
(1.1). where is a non-zero constant. The streamline passes through the point (1 ,3).
(1.2) , the streamline passes through the point (a, 0).
Example 2:
Determine the equation of a streamline at and passing through the point for the velocity field given by:

where A is some numerical constant. How would the equation change for a steady flow?
Example 3:
The velocity distribution for a three-dimensional flow is given by:

Find the equation of the streamline passing through the position vector.
CONTINUITY EQUATION
The quantity of fluid passing through (15)
The continuity equation is governed
The quantity of fluid passing through (16)
from the principle of conservation of
mass. It states that the mass of fluid From the law of conservation of mass (17)
flowing through the pipe at all cross- Eq. 17 is the continuity equation and it is applicable to both compressible
section remains constant if there is no and incompressible fluid flow. For incompressible fluid , therefore the
fluid added or removed from the pipe. above equation becomes
Consider two cross-sections of a pipe
(18)
as shown in fig.(1-15).

N.B. The product is the quantity of fluid which passes a reference point
per unit time and is called the . Mass flow rate is the quantity of fluid (,
which passes per unit time. It is expressed .
Example 4: The diameters of a pipe at the sections 1 and 2 are 10
cm and 15 cm respectively. Find the discharge through the pipe if
the velocity of water flowing through the pipe at section 1 is 5 m/s.
Determine also the velocity at section 2.
Example 5: A 30 cm diameter pipe, conveying water, branches into two pipes of dimeters 20 cm and 15
cm respectively. If the average velocity in the 30 cm diameter pipe is 2.5 m/s. Find the discharge in this
pipe. Also determine the velocity in 15 cm pipe if the average velocity in 20 cm diameter pipe is 2 m/s.
Continuity Equation in Differential Form:
Consider a fluid element of lengths in the direction . Let be the inlet velocity components in directions
respectively.
Rate of fluid entering the face (1)
Rate of mass of fluid leaving the face (2)
Gain in mass in the

(3)
N.B. is constant.
Similarly, the gain in fluid mass per unit time due to flow in the directions are
Y-direction (4)
Z-direction (5)
(6)
According to the principle of conservation of mass, there is no accumulation of
mass and hence the above quantity must be equal to zero.
This is the general equation of continuity in 3-D
Example 3:
and is applicable to compressible and
Determine which of the following pairs of velocity
incompressible flow.
components satisfy the continuity equation for two
For incompressible fluids, then the above dimensional flow of an incompressible fluid.
equation becomes (3.1).
6 (3.2).

For two dimensional flow, the z-component of

the velocity and hence the continuity equation
becomes
7
Example 4:
Calculate the unknown velocity component so that they satisfy the continuity equation.
(4.1).
(4.2).
Example 5:
Are the motions having the following velocity components kinematically possible for steady flow of an
incompressible flow?
(5.1).
(5.2).
Example 6:
Consider a steady velocity field given by , where are constants. Under what condition is this flow
incompressible?
Velocity Field and Acceleration Fluid Particles:
Velocity:
 Consider a fluid flowing with a velocity at any point of the fluid flow.
 are components of velocity in directions.
 The velocity components are functions of space and time.
 The velocities can be written as
Acceleration:
 At a given instant, individual fluid particles has its own velocity and acceleration
 Velocity and acceleration changes with respect to time and position
 Complete description of the fluid flow requires careful observation of the motion of the fluid
particles at various positions and at successive instance of time.

Two approaches to study the motion of fluid particles

(1). LAGRANGIAN METHOD:
 Describes the behaviour of individual fluid particles during the course of their motion
through space
 The observer travels with the particle being studied
 Velocity and acceleration of the fluid are determined as functions of space and time
NOTE:
 Let the original space co-ordinate of the fluid particle be .
 Co-ordinates change to at a time interval
 The kinematic flow pattern will be fully described if the following equations of motion are known

The initial space co-ordinate is called the Lagrangian variables. To obtain the velocity and acceleration
components, we take derivatives with respect to time
Experiments show that motion of one individual particle is not enough to describe the entire
flow field, rather motion of all the fluid particles has to be considered simultaneously.
EULERIAN METHOD
 Motion and properties of different fluid particles are considered as they pass a fixed
points in space
 The observer remains stationary and observes what happen at a particular point
 Let be the space co-ordinates at a
time
 The component of velocity vector is
given by
 The three component scalar equations for the velocity component are

𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑣 𝜕𝑤
𝑢= ; 𝑣= ; 𝑣=
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑡
The velocity of the fluid element or particle is a function of both position and
time, therefore the acceleration is given by the total rate of change of velocity and
it can be worked out by chain rule of partial differentiation as follows
𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑢
𝑑𝑢 = . 𝑑𝑥 + . 𝑑𝑦 + . 𝑑𝑧 + . 𝑑𝑡
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑡
𝑑𝑢 𝜕𝑢 𝑑𝑥 𝜕𝑢 𝑑𝑦 𝜕𝑢 𝑑𝑧 𝜕𝑢 𝑑𝑡
𝑎𝑥 = =൬ . + . + . ൰+ .
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥 𝑑𝑡 𝜕𝑦 𝑑𝑡 𝜕𝑧 𝑑𝑡 𝜕𝑡 𝑑𝑡
 𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑢
𝑎𝑥 = ൬
𝑢 +𝑣 +𝑤 ൰+
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑡
𝜕𝑣 𝜕𝑣 𝜕𝑣 𝜕𝑣
𝑎𝑦 = ൬
𝑢 +𝑣 +𝑤 ൰+
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑡
𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑤
𝑎𝑧 = ൬
𝑢 +𝑣 +𝑤 ൰+
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑡
For steady flow,
𝜕𝑉
= 0
𝜕𝑡
𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑣 𝜕𝑤
∴ = 0, = 0 𝑎𝑛𝑑 = 0
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑡
Therefore, the acceleration in the
𝑥, 𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑧 𝑑𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑒 𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛 𝑎𝑠
𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑢
𝑎𝑥 = ቀ𝑢 +𝑣 +𝑤 ቁ
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧

𝜕𝑣 𝜕𝑣 𝜕𝑣
𝑎𝑦 = ൬
𝑢 +𝑣 +𝑤 ൰
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧
steadiness

erms represent the local acceleration; the fluid particles are accelerated
because of a change in flow with time at each point. It occurs as a result
eadiness of flow
 (2). Non-uniformity of flow

These terms represent the convective acceleration; the fluid particles are
accelerated by convective act of moving from one position to another where
velocity is different. It occurs as a result of non uniformity of flow.

(3). The total acceleration of the fluid particle is called the material or substantial
acceleration.
Exercise 1:
For the velocity field given by:

Find the (1.1). the resultant velocity, (1.2). the resultant acceleration of a fluid particle at position

Exercise 2:
The velocity components of a three dimensional, incompressible fluid flow are prescribed as:

(2.1). Calculate the velocity in the third direction

(2.2). Show whether the flow is rotational or irrotational
Exercise 3
An idealized flow is given by

(3.1). State if the flow is steady or unsteady

(3.2). calculate the velocity
(3.3). calculate the local and convective acceleration of the fluid particle in the
flow field at point