1

Fluid Dynamics: Formulae Sheet

Navier-Stokes Equation
_
u
t
+u u
_
=
2
u p +f
Euler Equation
Du
Dt
= p +f
Momentum Integral
_
D
(uu n + pn + n) dS = 0
Bernoulli Theorem H =
1
2
|u|
2
+ p + = constant on streamlines
Vorticity Equation
D
Dt
= u +
2

Laplacian in Polars
2
=
1
r

r
_
r

r
_
+
1
r
2

2
,

2
=
1
r
2

r
_
r
2

r
_
+
1
r
2
sin

_
sin

_
+
1
r
2
sin
2

2
Axi-symmetric solution in sphericial polars/polars
3D =

n=0
_
a
n
r
n
+ b
n
r
(n+1)
_
P
n
(cos )
2D =

n=
(a
n
cos n + b
n
sin n) r
n
+
q
2
log r +
K
2

Circulation =
_
C
u d =
_
ndS
2
Water Waves

2
= 0

n
= 0 at rigid boundaries
E.g.

x

x=0,a
= 0,

z

z=H
= 0,

z

z
= 0, etc
At free surface
Dh
Dt
=
h
t
+ u
h
x
+ v
h
y
=

z
at z = h
Linearising (h H,
h
x
i
1)
h
t
=

z
at z = 0
Bernoulli

t
+
1
2
|u|
2
. .
ignore
+p
0
+ gh = f (t)

t
+ gh = F (t)
Separation for waves: = (z) e
i(kxt)
, h = h
0
e
i(kxt)
(c = /k). Get

2
= gk tanh kH
Long waves (Shallow water): H k 1, c

gH (non-dispersive)
Short waves (Deep water): H k 1, c
_
g/k (dispersive).
Bound waves:
2
= gk, k = (n
2
+ m
2
)
2
/a
2
.
Rayleigh-Taylor instability:
2
= gk, h Ae

gkt
+ Be

gkt
.
Rotating Frames
From Dynamics & Relativity:
Acceleration =
Du
Dt
+ 2u + (x)
. .
small compared to g, so ignore
3
Under assumption || ||
1
, ignore u u (as |u u| |u|).

_
u
t
+ 2u
_
= p + g
Horizontal ow: u = (u, v, 0), 2 = (0, 0, f). Have

u
t
fv =
p
x

v
t
+ fu =
p
y
0 =
p
z
g p = p
0
+ g (h(x, y) z)
Horizontal Momentum Equations:
u
t
fv = g
h
x
v
t
+ fu = g
h
y
Steady state: Have streamfunction = gh/f = p/f. Pressure/height
contours are streamlines.
Mass Conservation:
h
t
+

x
(hu) +

y
(hv) = 0, or
h
t
+ (hu
H
) = 0.
Linearise h(x, y) = h
0
+ (x, y). Have
u
t
+f u = g,

t
+ h
0
u
H
= 0.
Take of rst equation (or eliminate explicitly):

t
+ ( u) f = 0
(relative vorticity = u =
v
x

u
y
).
Eliminate u using second equation, to get potential vorticity (PV)
Q =

h
0
f = independent of t.
Take of 1
st
equation, eliminate u by 2
nd
equation. Know from PV.

t
2
gh
0

2
+ f
2
= h
0
f Q
0
= constant
Rossby radius of deformation: R =

gh
0
/f.
1
More precisely, Rossby number Ro = U/fL 1.