Lecture Series on CFD - I

Based on: Sponsored by: Presented by:

Milovan Perić
 Lecture 3

Governing Equations and Their

Properties

milovan@cfd-peric.de
www.cfd-peric.de
 Contents 3

• Conservation laws (for mass, momentum, and scalar quantities…)

• Differential, vector, and integral form of equations

• Conservative and non-conservative form of equations

• Dimensionless form of equations

• Implications of the choices on numerical solution method

 Conservation Principles – I 4

• Control mass approach uses extensive properties (Lagrangian).

• Control volume approach uses intensive properties (Eulerian).
• Conservation laws for control mass (extensive properties: mass and momentum;
intensive properties: density and velocity):
- Mass:

m – mass of fluid in a control mass

v – fluid velocity
- Momentum: f – forces acting on control mass
 Conservation Principles – II 5

• Relation between extensive (Φ) and intensive properties ( ):

• The link between Control Mass (CM) and Control Volume (CV) is given by the Reynolds
transport theorem (for a CV moving in an arbitrary way):

v – fluid velocity
vs – velocity of CV-surface

• If the CV moves so that it at all times coincides with CM (i.e., the same matter is in CV),
then the surface integral on the r.h.s. becomes zero and CM=CV.
 Conservation Principles – III 6

• If the CV does not move, then vs = 0 and the first term on r.h.s. becomes a local time
derivative (rate of change in time at a fixed location in space):

In the rest of this lecture

series, we shall assume
that the CV is fixed.
Moving CVs will be
considered in the second
lecture series.
 Mass Conservation (Continuity Equation)
• The integral form:
• The vector (coordinate-free) form:
• The differential form (Cartesian coordinates):
7
The integral equation is valid for any CV – no matter
how small or large.
When we sum-up equations for all control volumes,
all inner surface integrals cancel out – there remain
only integrals over solution domain boundaries…
 Momentum Equation – I 8

• Momentum is changed by the action of external forces:

• Surface forces, for a Newtonian fluid, are defined by the following stress tensor:

where

• Momentum equation in integral form (for velocity vector):

b – body forces
 Momentum Equation – II 9

• Momentum equation, vector (coordinate-free) form:

• Conservation of a vector does not imply conservation of its components: vector compo-
nents depend on base vectors:
 Momentum Equation – III 10

• A simple example – uniform flow and a polar-cylindrical coordinate system: velocity

vector is everywhere the same but its components are not – they are even singular at
the coordinate origin!
 Momentum Equations for Cartesian Velocity Components 11

• Integral form:

• Vector form:

where

• Differential form:
 Conservative and Non-Conservative Form of Equations – I 12

• The “strong conservation form” of convection term can be written as:

• By using the continuity equation, momentum equations can be transformed into a non-
conservative form:

• The pressure term in ti can also be converted into a non-conservative form (surface
force  body force):
 Conservative and Non-Conservative Form of Equations – II 13

• For 2D axi-symmetric problems, continuity and momentum equations (Navier-Stokes

equations) in a polar-cylindrical coordinate system read:

• The non-conservative terms appear due to coordinate transformation and non-

constant base vectors in radial and circumferential direction.
 Conservative and Non-Conservative Form of Equations – III 14

• For 2D axi-symmetric problems, expressions for viscous stresses in polar-cylindrical

coordinate system read:

• The non-differentiated terms act as source or sink terms – they are responsible for
changing velocity components even when the velocity vector is not changing…
 Conservation of a Generic Scalar 15

• Generic scalar transport equation, integral form:

• Vector (coordinate-free) form:

• Differential form, Cartesian coordinates:

 Dimensionless Form of Equations – I 16

• Choose reference quantities to make variables dimensionless:

• Dimensionless equations (for constant fluid properties):

Strouhal number:

Reynolds number:

Froude number:
 Dimensionless Form of Equations – II 17

• For natural-convection flows, momentum equations are often written in the following
form:

• Here Ra is the Raileigh number, Pr is the Prandtl number, and Gr is the Grashof
number:

• Dimensionless equations are useful to analyze the order of magnitude of various

terms…
• Otherwise, it is best to work with dimensional equations and SI-units, and present the
results in dimensionless form, where desired…
 Summary 18

• There are over 70 forms of the Navier-Stokes equations, depending on various choices
(base vectors, coordinates…).
• They are all mathematically equivalent, but some are more suitable for CFD than
others.
• The simplest form is based on Cartesian coordinates and base vectors. It is best suited
for both FD and FV methods.
• Other forms of equations may be better suited for special problems (e.g. when one
dimension can be reduced, 2D instead of 3D). Axisymmetric problems are often
computed using polar-cylindrical coordinates and base vectors.
• Non-conservative form of equations is used in FD methods – OK for fine enough grids…
• Dimensionless forms of equations show the relative importance of various terms and
the dominant dimensionless numbers, like Re, Fr, St, Ra…
The PowerPoint presentation file is available at the following link within Siemens Community environment:

https://community.sw.siemens.com/s/topic/0TOVb0000000GETOA2/the-peri%C4%87-lectures-on-cfd