Conservation Equations of Fluid Dynamics

A. Salih
Department of Aerospace Engineering
Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram
February 2011

This is a summary of conservation equations (continuity, NavierStokes, and energy) that govern
the flow of a Newtonian fluid. Equations in various forms, including vector, indicial, Cartesian
coordinates, and cylindrical coordinates are provided. The nomenclature is listed at the end.

I Equations in vector form

Compressible flow:

+ (V ) = 0
t
h 



T i
DV
2

= g p V + V + V
Dt
3
DT
Dp
c p
= qg + (kT ) + T
+
Dt
Dt
where the viscous dissipation rate is


h

T i
2
= : V = V I + V + V
: V
3

(1)
(2)
(3)

The foregoing equations (1), (2), and (3) represent the continuity, NavierStokes, and energy
respectively.
Incompressible flow with constant fluid properties:
V = 0
DV
= g p + 2V
Dt
DT
c p
= qg + k2 T +
Dt
where the viscous dissipation rate is
h

T i
= V + V
: V

(4)
(5)
(6)

The foregoing equations (4), (5), and (6) represent the continuity, NavierStokes, and energy
respectively.
1

II Equations in indicial form

Compressible flow:

(vi )
+
=0
t
xi




 

vj
vj
vi
vi
2
vi
p

+vj

+
= gi

t
xj
xi
3 xi
xj
xj
xj
xi






T
T

T
p
p
c p
+ vi
+ vi
= qg +
k
+ T
+
t
xi
xi
xi
t
xi

(7)
(8)
(9)

where the viscous dissipation rate is




vj
vi
vi
vi
2 vk
i j +
=
+
= i j
xj
3 xk
xj
xi
xj
The foregoing equations (7), (8), and (9) represent the continuity, NavierStokes, and energy
respectively.
Incompressible flow with constant fluid properties:
vi
=0
xi


vi
p
2 vi
vi
+vj
= gi
+ 2

t
xj
xi
xj


T
T
2T
c p
+ vi
= qg + k 2 +
t
xi
xi

(10)
(11)
(12)

where the viscous dissipation rate is


=

vj
vi
+
xj
xi

vi
xj

The foregoing equations (10), (11), and (12) represent the continuity, NavierStokes, and energy
respectively.

III Equations in Cartesian coordinates

Compressible flow:

(u) (v) (w)

+
+
+
=0
t
x
y
z

(13)

 

p

2
u

= gx
+
V + 2
x
x
3
x
 

 

u v

u w

+
+

+
y
y
x
z
z
x


 

v
v
v
v
p

2
v

+u
+v
+w
= gy
+
V + 2
t
x
y
z
y
y
3
y
 

 


v w

v u
+

+
+

+
z
z
y
x
x
y

 


w
w
w
p

2
w
w
+u
+v
+w
= gz
+
V + 2

t
x
y
z
z
z
3
z
 

 


w u

w v
+
+
+

x
x
z
y
y
z

c p

u
u
u
u
+u
+v
+w
t
x
y
z

T
T
T
T
+u
+v
+w
t
x
y
z

(14)








T
= qg +
k
+
k
+
k
x
x
y
y
z
z


p
p
p
p
+u
+v
+w
+
(15)
+ T
t
x
y
z

where the viscous dissipation rate is

" 
 2  2 #
v
w
u 2
+
+
= 2
x
y
z
"




 #


u v 2
v w 2
w u 2
2
u v w 2
+
+
+
+
+
+

+
+
y x
z y
x z
3
x y z
The foregoing equations (13), (14), and (15) represent the continuity, NavierStokes, and energy
respectively.
Incompressible flow with constant fluid properties:
u v w
+
+
=0
x
y
z


 2

u
u
u
u
p
u 2u 2u

+u
+v
+w
= gx
+
+ 2 + 2
t
x
y
z
x
x2
y
z


 2

2
v
v
v
v
p
v v 2v

+u
+v
+w
= gy
+
+ 2+ 2
t
x
y
z
y
x2
y
z


 2

w
w
w
w
p
w 2w 2w

+u
+v
+w
= gz
+
+
+ 2
t
x
y
z
z
x2
y2
z


 2

T
T
T
T
T
2T
2T
c p
+u
+v
+w
= qg + k
+
+
+
t
x
y
z
x2
y2
z2

(16)

(17)

(18)

where the viscous dissipation rate is

" 
 2  2 #
u 2
v
w
= 2
+
+
x
y
z
"
2 


 #
v w 2
w u 2
u v
+
+
+
+
+
+
y
x
z
y
x
z
The foregoing equations (16), (17), and (18) represent the continuity, NavierStokes, and energy
respectively.

IV Equations in cylindrical coordinates

Compressible flow:

u
t

ur
t

uz
t


c p

1 (rur ) 1 (u ) (uz )
+
+
+
=0
t
r r
r
z

u2
ur
u ur
ur
p
+ ur
+
+ uz

= gr
r
r
z
r
r
 

 


2
ur
1
1 ur
u
+
V + 2
+

+
r
3
r
r
r
r
 



ur
uz
2 ur
1 u
ur

+
+

+
z
z
r
r
r
r
r

u
u u
u
ur u
1p
+ ur
+
+ uz
+
= g
r
r
z
r
r
 

 

1
2 u
2
2ur

u
1 uz
+
V +
+
+

+
r
3
r
r
z
z
r
 



u
u
1 ur
2 1 ur
u
u

+
+
+

r
r
r
r
r
r
r
r

uz
u uz
uz
p
+ ur
+
+ uz
= gz
r
r
z
z
 

 

2

uz
uz

uz
V + 2
+

+
+
z
3
z
r
r
z
 



1
1 uz
u
ur
uz
+

+
+
+
r
r
z
r z
r

(19)

(20)






T
T
u T
T
1
T
1 k T
+ ur
+
+ uz
= qg +
kr
+
t
r
r
z
r r
r
r r





T
p
p u p
p
+
+ ur
+
+ uz
k
+ T
+
(21)
z
z
t
r
r
z

where the viscous dissipation rate is

"


 #


ur 2
ur 2
1 u
uz 2
= 2
+
+
+
r
r
r
z
"
2 


 #
u
u
u
1 uz 2
uz
ur 2
1 ur
+

+
+
+
+
+
r
r
r
z
r
r
z

2
2
1 (rur ) 1 u
uz

+
+
3
r r
r
z
The foregoing equations (19), (20), and (21) represent the continuity, NavierStokes, and energy
respectively.
Incompressible flow with constant fluid properties:

u
u
+ ur
t
r

ur
ur
+ ur
t
r

uz
uz
+ ur
t
r

1 (rur ) 1 u
uz
+
+
=0
r r
r
z

u2
u ur
ur
p
+
+ uz

= gr
r
z
r
r




2
2
ur
1 ur
ur
1
ur
2 u
r
+ 2
2
+
+
2
r r
r
r 2
z2
r
r

u u
u
ur u
1p
+
+ uz
+
= g
r
z
r
r




2
2
1
u
1 u
u
2 ur
u
+
r
+ 2
+
+ 2
2
r r
r
r 2
z2
r
r

u uz
uz
p
+
+ uz
= gz
r
z
z




1
uz
1 2 uz
2 uz
+
r
+ 2
+
r r
r
r 2
z2





qg
2T

T
T
u T
T
1
T
1 2T
+ ur
+
+ uz
=
+
r
+ 2
+
+
2
2
t
r
r
z
cp
r r
r
r
z
c p

(22)

(23)

(24)

where the viscous dissipation rate is

"




 #
ur 2
1 u
ur 2
uz 2
= 2
+
+
+
r
r
r
z
"




 #
1 ur
u
u 2
u
1 uz 2
uz
ur 2
+
+

+
+
+
+
r
r
r
z
r
r
z
The foregoing equations (22), (23), and (24) represent the continuity, NavierStokes, and energy
respectively.
5

V NavierStokes equations in stress form

It is sometimes convenient to write the NavierStokes equations in terms of stresses. Below we
give the stress form of the NavierStokes equations in both Cartesian and cylindrical coordinates.
Cartesian coordinates:
yx
Du
p xx
zx
= gx
+
+
+
Dt
x
x
y
z
yy
zy
Dv
p xy

= gy
+
+
+
Dt
y
x
y
z
yz
p xz
zz
Dw
= gz
+
+
+

Dt
z
x
y
z

(25)

where the deviatoric stress components are given by Stokes law of viscosity
2
u
xx = V + 2
3
x
2
v
yy = V + 2
3
y
2
w
zz = V + 2
3
z 

u v
+
xy = yx =
y
x


v w
yz = zy =
+
z
y


w u
zx = xz =
+
x
z
Cylindrical coordinates:


u2
Dur
p 1 (rrr ) 1 r
zr

= gr
+
+
+

Dt
r
r
r r
r
z
r


2
Du
ur u
1p
1 (r r ) 1
z

+
= g
+ 2
+
+
Dt
r
r
r
r
r
z
Duz
p 1 (rrz ) 1 z
zz

= gz
+
+
+
Dt
z
r r
r
z
where the deviatoric stress components are given by Stokes law of viscosity
2
ur
rr = V + 2
3
r

2
1 u
ur
= V + 2
+
3
r
r
2
uz
zz = V + 2
3
z
6

(26)

1 ur
u
u
r = r =
+

r
r
r


1 uz
u
+
z = z =
z
r


uz
ur
zr = rz =
+
r
z

Nomenclature

thermal diffusivity

thermal expansion coefficient

dynamic viscosity

kinematic viscosity

density

viscous dissipation rate

cp

specific heat at constant pressure

thermal conductivity

pressure

qg
r, , z
t
T
u, v, w
ur , u , uz
x, y, z

rate of heat generation per unit volume

cylindrical coordinate variables
time
temperature
cartesian velocity components
cylindrical velocity components
cartesian coordinate variables

i j

Kronecker delta

i j

(i j)th component of stress tensor

gi

ith component of gravitational acceleration

vi

ith component of velocity vector

xi

ith cartesian coordinate variable

gravitational acceleration

velocity vector

deviatoric stress tensor

unit tensor
7

References
1. Aris, R., Vectors, Tensors, and the Basic Equations of Fluid Mechanics, Prentice Hall,
Englewood Cliffs, NJ (1962).
2. Bird, R. B., W. E. Stewart, and E. N. Lightfoot, Transport Phenomena, 2nd ed., John
Wiley, New York (2002).
3. White, F. M., Viscous Fluid Flow, 3rd ed., McGraw-Hill, New York (2006).