Chapter 5

MATERIAL REPRESENTATION OF SPACE

5-1 Fluid flow Fields: Lagrangian and Eulerian Represtations

5-1-1 What’s “field” ?

The term field refers to a quantity defined as a function of position and time throughout a
given region. There are two different forms of representation for the fields in fluid mechanics-
Lagrange’s form and Euler’s form.

5-1-2 Spatial Representation (Eulerian Representation or Eulerian Coordinates)

x2
x3 (coordination is fixed)

clock
[Examples] x1
Scalar Fields Temperature, Concentration  
   x1 , x 2 , x 3 , t
 
Vector Fields Velocity, Heat flux, Force  
v  v x1 , x 2 , x 3 , t
Tensor Fields Stress Tensor T  Tx , x , x , t
1 2 3

The Eulerian approach gives the value of a fluid variable at a given point at a given time. Where
x1, x2, x3 and t are independent variables.
5-1

5-1-3 Material Representation (Lagrangian representation or Lagrangian Coordinates)

x2
x3
P(x1,x2,x3,t=t)
P(X1,X2,X3,t=0)

x1
At t=0, particle P is at one place relative to coordinate axis. At t=t, particle P is at another
place relative to the coordinate axis.
The Lagrangian approach is seldom used in fluid mechanics, since the type of information
desired is usually the value if a particular fluid variable at a fixed point in the flow rather than
the value of a fluid variable experienced by an element of the fluid along its trajectory.

We denote the coordinates at t=0 as X1, X2, X3 (Material or Lagrangian Coordinates), and the
coordinates at t=t as x1, x2, x3 (Spatial or Eulerian Coordinates)

In transport phenomena, we shall deal with scalar field, vector fields and tensor fields so
that we shall have scalar-valued, vector-valued and tensor-valued functions of position and
time.
5-2
The position of the particle P at time t is a function of t and the initial position.


x i  x i X1 , X 2 , X 3 , t 
The particle with coordinates X1, X2, X3 at t=0 has coordinate x1, x2, x3 at time t=t.
The coordinates X1, X2, X3 serve to identify particles. We assume the above
representation is continuous, single valued, and capable of being inverted to give

X i  X i  x1 , x 2 , x 3 , t 

Spatial Description

Value at a given time t at a given point in space.


   x1 , x 2 , x 3 , t 
Material Description
Value for a given particle (particle which was at X1,X2,X3 at t=0) at a given time t.


   X1 , X 2 , X 3 , t 

5-3

5-2 Steady and Unsteady Flows

Steady-state flow: If the flow at every point in the fluid is independent of time.

Unsteady-state flow: If the flow at a point varies with time.

Does it possible to reduce an unsteady-state flow to a steady-state flow?

==> Yes, if the frame of reference changes.

5-4
Whenever a body moves through a fluid with a constant velocity, the flow field may
be transformed from an unsteady state flow to a steady state flow by selecting a
coordinate system which is fixed w.r.t. the moving body, i.e., wind-tunnel testing of
models.

5-5

5-3 Time Derivation

There are usually three kinds of time derivatives in fluid mechanics:

-Partial Time Derivative:
t
d
-Total Time Derivative:
dt
-Substantial Time Derivative (Material Derivative, Derivatives Following the Motion):
D
Dt

Now, we use the problem of reporting the fish concentration in the river to introduce
the difference of them.

5-3-1 Partial Time Derivative

Suppose the observer stand on the bridge and note how the concentration of the
fish below the bridge changes with time. We are observing then how the concentration
changes with time at a fixed position in space. Hence the partial time derivative means
the partial of concentration w.r.t. time, holding x,y,z constant.

5-6
5-3-2 Total Time Derivative
Suppose that instead of standing on the bridge we get in a motoboat and speed
around on the river, sometimes going upstream, sometimes across the current, and
perhaps sometime downstream. If we report the change of fish concentration w.r.t.
time, the number must also reflect the motion of the boat.
dc c c dx c dy c dz
   
dt t x dt y dt z dt
dx dy dz
in which , , are the components of the velocity of the boat.
dt dt dt

5-3-3 Substantial Time Derivative

Suppose that we get into a canoe, not feeling energetic, we simple float along
counting fish. Now the velocity of the observer is just the same at the velocity of the

stream, v . When we report the change of fish concentration w.r. t. time, the concen-
tration depend on the local stream velocity. This derivative is a special kind of total
time derivative.
Dc c c c c
  vx  vy  vz
Dt t x y z

5-7

D    
  (Material derivation or substantial time derivative)
Dt  t  X j

??
  
 t  i (spatial derivative or partial time derivative)
 x

     
d   i  dx i    k dt (A)
  x  x ,t
j   t x
     
d   l  dX l    b dt (B)
 X  X ,t
m  t X
 x i   x i 
dx   P  dX  
i P
 dt (C)
  X  X ,t
r   t  Xq

5-8
Put (C) into (A)

     x   x i     
i
d    i    P  dX   P
 dt     k dt
 x  x j ,t   X  X r ,t   t X q
   t x
(D)
    x 
i      x  i
   
 i  P  dX    i  j 
P
   k  dt
 x  x j ,t   X  X ,t
r    x  x ,t   t X q   t  
x 

Compare dt term in (B) and above equation, we have

       x    
i

  t  b  x i  j  t    
 X   x ,t   X q  t  x k
(E)
D         x 
i
   i  
Dt  t  x k  x  x j ,t  t  X q
  

5-9

The velocity vector can be defined as the time rate of change of this positionof
the particle. The position of a particle is given in terms of its position vector, P
x3  
P  P  t1 

 
P  P t2 

x2

  
In RCC system, P  P i
i i  x i
ii
x1
 
  P    Pi ii    Pi   
v      j ii  v i ii (in RCC)

  X j 
t  t  X j   t X
 P 
 vi   i 
 t  X j

5-10
 In RCC system, the components of the position vector from the origin of the
coordinate system to the point are the coordinates of the point, i.e.

Pi  x i  x i

 P   x 
 v i   i    i  sub. into (E)
 t  X j  t  X j

D          
  v   v  
Dt  t  x k  x i  x j ,t  t  k
i
 x

     
* v    v i  i  v   v
x j x j x i
i i j i ij i

In above equation,  can be scalar, vector or a tensor.

5-11

5-4 Reynold Transport Theorem

We need to consider volume integrals of regions of spatial which contain the same
particles of matter:

x3

V1(t=t1) V2(t=t2)
x2
V3(t=t3)

x1

In above figure, we denote the volumes (material volume, the volume contain same
identities at all times) occupied by the same particles at 3 different times by V1, V2,
and V3. We need to consider the following type of integrands:

I(t)    dV (5-4-1)

V t 

where  and I are either a scalar or a vector, and that

5-12
 
   x1 , x 2 , x 3 , t  (5-4-2)
We would like to find an expression for DI/Dt which is the substantial time derivative
with particles hold constant. There are difficulties here because of variable limits of
integration (i.e., V=V(t)). For example, the Leibnitz’s rule states that

b( t )
f  x, t 
b( t )
db  t  da  t 
dx  f  b  t  , t   f a  t  , t 
d
 f  x, t  dx   (5-4-3)
dt a ( t ) a(t)
t dt dt

The result of a similar differentiation performed on a volume integral is called

Reynolds’ Transport Theorem.

We now define the dilatation J as follows:

dV  t 
J t  (5-4-4)
dV0

which is the ratio of the volume of particles at present time to its initial value. It is
obvious that
dV  t   J  t  dV0 (5-4-5)

5-13

Therefore, the operation can be written as

D D D   J  t 
 
Dt V t  Dt V0 V Dt dV0
 dV   J t dV0  (V0 is independent of time)
0

 D  DJ  t    D  DJ  t  
 V  Dt J  t  Dt 
+ J  t  dV    +  dV
0  
0

V t  
Dt J  t  Dt 
(5-4-6)
1 DJ
We now try to evaluate the quantity in the following. After putting =1 into
J Dt
the above equation, we obtain:
DV  t  1 DJ  t 
Dt
 
V t 
J  t  Dt
dV (5-4-7)

Which gives the expression for the time rate of change of the volume associated with
the material body.

5-14
 Intuitively, we can say that the rate at which the volume of the body increases can
be related to the net rate at which the bounding surfaces of the body moves in an
outward direction:

DV  t     1 DJ  t 
Dt
  n v dS  
S t  V t 
  v dV   Jt Dt
dV (5-4-8)

V t

Therefore, we have

 1 DJ  t  
 
  
   v  dV  0 (5-4-9)
V t  
J t Dt 

Since the above equation is valid for an arbitrary volume, we have

1 DJ  t  
  v (5-4-10)
J  t  Dt

The above derivation given an important physical meaning for the divergence of the
velocity field. It is the relative rate of change of the dilatation following a particle path.

5-15

It is clearly that for an incompressible fluid motion,


 v  0 (5-4-11)
The more thorough discussion on this subject will be given later. The substantial time
derivative of the integration I(t) is then

D  D 

Dt V t 
 dV   
V t  
Dt
+ v  dV

Reynolds’ Transport Theorem
Type I
(5-4-12)
Since
D    
  v  (5-4-13)
Dt  t  x k

We have alternatively,

D            
    dV
Dt V t   
 dV    t  k +v  +   v  dV    t  k +   v
V t    x  V t    x 

Reynolds’ Transport Theorem

Type II
(5-4-14)
5-16
5-5 Pathlines, Streaklines and Streamlines

Fluid flow is described in general by a vector field in three (for steady flows) or four
(for non-steady flows including time) dimensions. Pathlines, streamlines, and
streaklines are field lines of different vector field descriptions of the flow. For steady flow
the three are the same.

Pathlines: are the trajectories that individual fluid particles follow.

Streaklines: are the locus of points of all the fluid particles that have passed
continuously through a particular spatial point in the past. Dye
steadily injected into the fluid at a fixed point extends along a
streakline.

Streamlines: are a family of curves that are instantaneously tangent to the velocity
vector of the flow.

5-17

5-5-1 Pathline

The trajectory of a fluid particle when it moves in the flow field is called particle
path. We have defined the velocity of the flow field as

 dP  x i  
v   ii (5-5-1)
dt  t  X j

Where P is the position of the fluid particle at time t. Recall that the position of

the particle at time t=0 is at X .

So, we have
dx1 dx 2 dx 3
   dt (5-5-2)
v1 v2 v3
 
with the initial condition P  t  0   X

5-18
[Example 1]: Pathline
x1 x
If v1  , v 2  2 , v3  0
1 t 1  2t

and P  t  0    x K , x K , x K  . Please find the pathline.
1 2 3

[Solution] dx1 dx 2 dx 3 dx1 dx 2 dx

   dt    3  dt
v1 v2 v3 x1 x2 0
1  t 1  2t
we have
x1 t
dx1 dt
   x1  x K1 1  t 
x K1
x1 0 1  t
x2 t
dx 2 dt
   x 2  x K 2 1  2t 
12

x K2
x2 0
1  2t
v 3  0  dx 3  0  x 3  x K3

Eliminating t from the above expression, we have

12
x 2  2x1 
  1
x K 2  x K1 
5-19

5-5-2 Streakline

The streakline at given time t is a line that connects the loci of all fluid points that
had previously passed through some fixed  point in the flow field. A particle is on the
streamline if it passed the fixed point X at some time between 0 and t. If this time is
, then the coordinate at time t is given by

dx1 dx 2 dx 3
   dt (5-5-3)
v1 v2 v3

with the boundary condition

 
X  x K at t   where 0    t (5-5-4)

5-20
[Example 2]: streakline
x1 x
If v1  , v 2  2 , v3  0
1 t 1  2t

and P  t      x K , x K , x K  . Please find the streakline.
1 2 3

[Solution]
dx1 dx 2 dx 3 dx1 dx 2 dx
   dt    3  dt
v1 v2 v3 x1 x2 0
1  t 1  2t
we have
1 t
x1 t
dx1 dt

x K1
x1


1 t
 x1  x K1
1 
x2
dx 2
t
dt  1  2t 
12 0t

x K2
x2


1  2t
 x 2  x K2  
 1  2 
v 3  0  dx 3  0  x 3  x K3

Note that the solution given in the above equations is the parametric representation
of the streakline at time t with the parameter .

5-21

5-5-3 Streamlines

The curve draw in a flow field at a given time t on which the velocity is tangent
everywhere is called a streamline. Thus, the equation of a streamline x  at a
given time t can be obtained by
x3

v
 t=t
x

x2


 dx
x1 v 0 (5-5-5)
d

where  is a parameter along the streamline. Alternatively, the streamline can also
be found by solving 
 dx
v (5-5-6)
d
5-22
A streamline is defined as a line which is everywhere parallel to the local velocity
vector,    
V  x, y, z, t   u  x, y, z, t  i  v  x, y, z, t  j  w  x, y, z, t  k (5-6-7)
as an infinitesimal arc length vector along the streamline. Since this is parallel to
  
V , we must have the relation between dr and V
    
dr  V  0   wdy  vdz  i   udz  wdx  j   vdx  udy  k  0 (5-6-8)
dx dy dz
   d (5-6-9)
u v w
In 2-D case,
dx dy dx u
   where u  u  x, y, t  ; v  v  x, y, t  (5-6-10)
u v dy v
5-23

[Example 3] streamline

Find the equation of stream line passing the point x K1 , x K 2 , x K3  of the above
example.
x1 x
and v1  , v 2  2 , v3  0
1 t 1  2t
[Solution]

Since the velocity vector is tangent everywhere to the streamline, we have


 dx
v
d
Where  is a parameter along the streamline. Thus,


d 
1 x
x1 dx1 dx
v1     1   x1  x K1 exp
1  t d xK
x1 0 1  t 1 t 1 t
x 
1
1 2t
x dx   x 2  x K2  1 
v 2  2  2  x 2  x K 2 exp
1  2t d 1  2t  x K1 
dx
v3  0  3  x 3  x K 3
d
5-24