Three-Dimensional Incompressible Flow

Asst. Prof. SungKi Jung, Ph.D.

Universidade Federal do ABC,
Aerospace Engineering, Centro de Engenharia, Modelagem e Ciências Sociais Aplicadas,
Rua Arcturus 03, 09606-070, São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, Brazil.
E-mail: sungki.jung@ufabc.edu.br

1 Introduction
The real world of aerodynamic applications is three-dimensional. However, because of the addition of
one more independent variable, the analyses generally become more complex. The accurate calculation
of three-dimensional flow fields has been, and still is, one of the most active areas of aerodynamic re-
search. The purpose of this chapter is to introduce some very basic considerations of three-dimensional
incompressible flow.
The governing fluid flow equations have already been developed in three dimensions in our previous
chapters. In particular, if the flow is irrotational,

V = ∇φ, (1)

where, if the flow is also incompressible, the velocity potential is given by Laplace’s equation,

∇2 φ = 0. (2)

Solutions of eq. (2) for flow over a body must satisfy the flow-tangency boundary condition on the
body, i.e.,
V · n = 0. (3)

where n is a unit vector normal to the body surface. In all of the above equations, φ is, in general,
a function of three-dimensional space; e.g., in spherical coordinates, φ = φ(r, θ, Φ). Let us use these
equations to treat some elementary three-dimensional incompressible flows.

1.1 Three-Dimensional Flow in Spherical Coordinates

Spherical coordinates for velocity potential φ = φ(r, θ, Φ) is
      
2 1 ∂ 2 ∂φ ∂ ∂φ ∂ 1 ∂φ
∇ φ= 2 r sin θ + sin θ + = 0. (4)
r sin θ ∂r ∂r ∂θ ∂θ ∂Φ sin θ ∂Φ

The velocity components of the spherical coordinates are

 
∂V ∂V ∂V
V = [Vr , Vθ , VΦ ] = ∇φ = , , . (5)
∂r ∂θ ∂Φ

1
2 Three-Dimensional Source
Consider the velocity potential given by
C
φ=− , (6)
r
where C is a constant and r is the radial coordinate from the origin. Equation (6) satisfies eq. (4),
and hence it describes a physically possible incompressible, irrotational three-dimensional flow. Sub-
stituting eq. (6) into eq. (5), we obtain

C
V = ∇φ = er . (7)
r2

In terms of the velocity components, we have

 
C
V = [Vr , Vθ , VΦ ] = , 0, 0 . (8)
r2

In eqs. (6) to (8), the unknown is C. To derive C, we employ the mass flow across the surface S of
this shpere, i.e., Z
Mass flow = ρV · dS. (9)
S

For the incompressible flow, ρ in eq. (9) is constant. Hence, the volume flow, denoted by λ, is
Z
λ= V · dS. (10)
S

On the surface of the sphere, the velocity is a constant value equal to Vr = C/r2 and is normal to the
surface. Hence, eq. (10) becomes
Z
C λ
λ= V · dS = · 4πr2 = 4πC −→ C = . (11)
S r2 4π

Substituting eq. (11) into eqs. (6) and (7) for the velocity and velocity potential, respcetively, we
find
λ λ
Vr = , φ=− . (12)
4πr2 4πr
For the sink, λ is negative.

3 Three-Dimensional Doublet
Consider the velocity potential at point P shown in fig. 1. Employing eq. (12), we have
 
λ 1 1 λ r − r1
φ=− − =− . (13)
4π r1 r 4π rr1

Let the source approach the sink as their strengths become infinite, i.e., l → 0 as λ → ∞. In the
limit, as l → 0, r − r1 → OB = l cos θ, and rr1 → r2 . The details of the limit for r − r1 is mentioned
in the Appendix C-11 .
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Appendix C-1

2
 Thus, in this limit, eq. (13) becomes

λ r − r1 λ l cos θ µ cos θ
φ=− lim =− =− . (14)
l→0,λ→∞ 4π rr1 4π r2 4π r2

where µ = λl.

Figure 1: Source-sink pair. In the limit as l → 0, a three-dimensional doublet is obtained

Substituting eq. (14) into eq. (1), we obtain

µ cos θ µ sin θ
V = ∇φ = 3
er + eθ + 0eΦ . (15)
2π r 4π r3

4 Flow over a Sphere

Consider the freestream in the spherical coordinates shown in fig. 2,

Vr = −V∞ cos θ, Vθ = V∞ sin θ, VΦ = 0. (16)

Figure 2: The superposition of a uniform flow and a threedimensional doublet.

Adding Vr , V∞ , and VΦ for the freestream, eq. (16), to the representative components for the
doublet given in eq. (15), we obtain

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 µ cos θ  µ 
Vr = −V∞ cos θ + = − V ∞ − cos θ,
2π r3 2πr3
µ sin θ  µ 
(17)
Vθ = V∞ sin θ + 3
= V∞ + sin θ,
4π r 4πr3
VΦ = 0.

To find the stagnation points in the flow2 , set Vr = Vθ = 0 in eq. (17). Then we obtain

µ
V∞ − = 0, (18)
2πR3

where r = R is the radial coordinate of the stagnation points. Solving eq. (18) for R, we obtain
 1/3
µ
R= . (19)
2πV∞

Hence, there are two stagnation points with (r, θ) coordinates

" 1/3 # " 1/3 #
µ µ
,0 and ,π . (20)
2πV∞ 2πV∞

To find out the pressure coefficient on the surface (R) of the sphere, we need to derive the velocity
on the section of sphere. Assuming the section of the sphere is located on the middle of sphere
(hemisphere)3 , substitute µ of eq. (18) into Vθ in eq. (17). Then we obtain

1 2πR3 V∞
 
 µ  3
Vθ = V∞ + sin θ = V∞ + sin θ = V∞ sin θ. (21)
4πr3 4π R 3 2

The pressure coefficient on the surface of the sphere is derived using eq. (21), i.e.,
 2  2
V 3 9
Cp = 1 − =1− sin θ =1− sin2 θ. (22)
V∞ 2 4

Figure 3 shows a comparison of pressure distributions between the sphere and cylinder.

2
Appendix C-2
3
Appendix C-3

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Figure 3: The pressure distribution over the surface of a sphere and a cylinder. Illustration of the
threedimensional relieving effect.