KATHMANDU UNIVERSITY & INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY MADRAS

JOINT MUTUAL PROGRAMME

ID6106 (Materials for energy storage and conversion)

Wave Equation: d'Alembert's

Formula and Its Applications
Presented To, Presented By,

Professor Tiju Thomas, PhD Dhiraj Bohora ID24M804

Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Udit Malla ID24M807

Indian Institute of Technology Madras Saksham Ghimire ID24M809

Date: 06 / 02 / 2025
 CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 01
04 EQUATIONS
MOTIVATION 02
05 CONCLUSION
ENERGY CONNECT 03

2
 INTRODUCTION
Describe wave propagation in solids, liquids, gases, and electromagnetic
Wave equations
fields.
Mathematical
Nature A second-order partial differential equation (PDE).

Applications Model sound, light, heat, and mechanical vibrations.

Energy Systems Shock absorbers and damping mechanisms designed using wave models.

Heat wave propagation in high-temperature reactors and thermal cracking

units.
Pressure waves in pipelines and heat exchangers to prevent resonance-
induced failures.

3
Oliveira, Agamenon R. E. “D’Alembert and the Wave Equation.” In Mechanisms and Machine Science, 29–36, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55807-9_4.
 D’ALEMBERTS’ S
Principle & applications

General solution: Wave equation expressed as two traveling waves moving in opposite directions.

Superposition principle: total displacement = sum of individual wave displacements.

d’Alembert’s contribution:
Ø Solved the vibrating string problem.
Ø Developed the general wave equation, foundational for wave analysis.

Applications in chemical & energy engineering

q Chemical waves in reaction-diffusion systems.
q Heat & mass transfer in reactors for improved efficiency.
q Renewable energy optimization, including wave energy & thermal management.

Impact
Ø Enhances wave behavior analysis, energy transmission and process efficiency.
4
 MOTIVATION

• Impact on energy systems

• Optimizing energy efficiency

• Impact of energy & mass transfer / reactor behavior

• Innovations in clean energy

• Wave-based monitoring in energy systems

5
 • General solution restatement: u(x,t) = p(x-ct)+q(x+ct)
• Applying initial conditions:
• Initial position u(x,0) = f(x): p(x)+q(x)=f(x)
• Initial velocity ut(x,0)=g(x): -cp’(x)+cq’(x)=g(x)
• Integrating: Introduce G(x) such that G’(x) = g(x)
Details and • Solution:
1 1 1 1

equation • p(x) = � � -
2 2�
� � , q(x) =
2
� � +
2�
� �

provided by •
•
If we know p and q we know u
1
2
1
u(x,t) = [� � + �� + � � − �� ]+ [� � + �� −
2�

Commutant � � − �� ]

• Final Form:
1 1 �+��
• u(x,t) = [� � + �� + � � − �� ]+ � � � �
2 2� �−��

6
d’Alembert’s where:

formula f(x) represents

binti Jamil, F. d’Alembert Formula For Wave Equation. Enhancing the in
Cloud Computing initial displacement
Institutions of theCollaborative
of Higher Learning: wave, Writing and Publishing, 1.

g(x) represents the initial velocity,

c is the wave speed.

Binti Jamil, F. d’Alembert Formula For Wave Equation. Enhancing Cloud Computing in Institutions of Higher Learning: Collaborative Writing 7
and Publishing, 1.
Step function as initial condition, f(x)=
box(x)= { , g(x) = 0

1 1
ü U(x, t) = ��� � + � + ��� � − �
2 2

ü Two half height boxes moving to left & right with speed c

Fig: Height boxes moving to left & right

8
Binti Jamil, F. d’Alembert Formula For Wave Equation. Enhancing Cloud Computing in Institutions of Higher Learning: Collaborative Writing and Publishing, 1.
Cosine function as initial condition, f(x) = cos(x), g(x) = 0

1 1
§ U(x, t) = ��� � + � + ��� � − � = cos(t) . cos(x)
2 2

§ Two cosine waves oscillate back & forth.

§ Standing wave sum of two travelling waves moving up Fig: Cosine waves moving up & downs

& down

Binti Jamil, F. d’Alembert Formula For Wave Equation. Enhancing Cloud Computing in Institutions of Higher Learning: Collaborative Writing and Publishing, 1. 9
Box function as initial velocity, f(x)=0, g(x) = box(x) ={

1. U(x, t) =

2. U(x, t) = 1/2ramp(x+t) − 1/2ramp(x−t)

3. One half height ramp function moving in opposite

directions Fig: Ramp functions moving to left & right.

Binti Jamil, F. d’Alembert Formula For Wave Equation. Enhancing Cloud Computing in Institutions of Higher Learning: Collaborative Writing and Publishing, 1. 10
 Characteristics for the
PROBLEM
STATEMENT wave equation
 EQUATIONS
The initial value problem

The one-dimensional wave equation

Characteristic lines

Initial condition

12
Binti Jamil, F. d’Alembert Formula For Wave Equation. Enhancing Cloud Computing in Institutions of Higher Learning: Collaborative Writing and Publishing, 1
First part of the equation Second part of the equation
average of f at A & B t0 time average of g between A + B

commutant. “PDE 12 | Wave Equation: Characteristics,” July 14, 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWOeOi6q62s. 13

 Example

Region 1 u=1
Region 2, 4 & 6 u=0 t

Region 3 & 5 u = 1/2

Fig: Characteristics plot. x

Fig: Density plot. 14
Commutant. “PDE 12 | Wave Equation: Characteristics,” July 14, 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWOeOi6q62s.
 Example

Region 1 u=t
Region 2 & 6 u=0 t

Region 3 & 5 u = (1-x+ct)/2c

Region 4 u=1

Fig: Characteristics plot. x

Commutant. “PDE 12 | Wave Equation: Characteristics,” July 14, 2012.
Fig: Density plot. 15
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWOeOi6q62s.
Finite speed of propagation of a disturbance

Red region: Disturbance only affect

the region shaded by the red color.

Region where the disturbance is felt.

Commutant. “PDE 12 | Wave Equation: Characteristics,” July 14, 2012.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWOeOi6q62s.
16
 Acoustic waves:
Waves in heat transfer:
• Ultrasonic energy systems
01 02 • Enhanced heat transfer
• Applications in renewable energy
• Energy efficiency

Electromagnetic waves:
ENERGY Propagation in smart grids:
• Wireless energy
06 03 • Energy distribution and
Transmission
• Energy harvesting CONNECT optimization

Seismic waves: Waves in energy systems:

05 04
• Energy exploration • Non-destructive testing and monitoring
• Geophysical surveys • Leak detection and structural integrity

Benhamou, Jaouad, Salaheddine Channouf, Mohammed Jami, and Ahmed Mezrhab. “Application of Acoustic Waves to Heat Transfer Enhancement.” AIP 17
Conference Proceedings, January 1, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0122441.
 Wave equations play a vital role in chemical engineering, optimizing
processes such as mass and heat transfer in reactors, improving the
efficiency of industrial reactions.

Wave equations optimize engineering processes like heat and

mass transfer in reactors.
CONCLUSION
d’Alembert's formula provides valuable insights into wave
propagation and the behavior of physical systems.

The application of d’Alembert’s solution in energy systems helps model

the propagation of waves in processes like fluid flow, acoustic waves for
enhanced chemical reactions, and in energy-efficient designs.

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 THANKS!Do you have any questions?

officialsaksham17@gmail.com

M.Tech In Energy Systems

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KATHMANDU UNIVERSITY & INDIAN INSTITUTE OF

TECHNOLOGY MADRAS
JOINT MUTUAL PROGRAMME 19
 • Benhamou, Jaouad, Salaheddine Channouf, Mohammed Jami, and Ahmed Mezrhab.
“Application of Acoustic Waves to Heat Transfer Enhancement.” AIP Conference
Proceedings, January 1, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0122441.

• Binti Jamil, F. d’Alembert Formula For Wave Equation. Enhancing Cloud

Computing in Institutions of Higher Learning: Collaborative Writing
and Publishing, 1.

• Commutant. “PDE 10 | Wave Equation: D’Alembert’s Formula,” July 6, 2012.

REFERENCE •
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2G91naZ8bo.
Commutant. “PDE 11 | Wave Equation: D’Alembert Examples,” July 11, 2012.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fr0gTnHtECk.

• Commutant. “PDE 12 | Wave Equation: Characteristics,” July 14, 2012.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWOeOi6q62s.

• Oliveira, Agamenon R. E. “D’Alembert and the Wave Equation.” In Mechanisms

and Machine Science, 29–36, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55807-9_4.

• Selvadurai, A. P. S. “The Wave Equation.” In Springer eBooks, 369–555, 2000.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-04006-5_7.

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 Q&A
• How does D'Alembert’s solution help in modeling wave behavior in energy systems?
D'Alembert’s solution expresses wave motion as two traveling waves moving in opposite directions, making it useful for analyzing
energy transport in mechanical, acoustic, and electromagnetic systems. It helps engineers predict wave propagation, reflections, and energy
losses in structures like reactors, pipelines, and transmission lines.

• What role do acoustic waves play in enhancing chemical engineering processes like sonochemistry and heat transfer?
Acoustic waves, particularly ultrasonic waves, improve chemical reactions by inducing cavitation, which accelerates mixing, mass
transfer, and heat transfer. This technique is used in energy-efficient chemical processing, such as enhanced distillation, emulsification, and
biofuel production.

• How can electromagnetic waves contribute to energy efficiency in industrial processes?

Electromagnetic waves enable non-contact energy transfer methods like microwave heating and induction heating, leading to faster,
more uniform heating with minimal energy loss. They are also used in wireless power transmission and energy harvesting systems, optimizing
industrial energy consumption.

• Why are boundary and initial conditions important when applying the wave equation to real-world energy applications?
Boundary and initial conditions define how waves behave in a system, ensuring accurate predictions of energy transfer, vibrations, and
wave reflections. In chemical engineering, they help model fluid dynamics in pipelines, heat transfer in reactors, and wave behavior in smart
grids.

• What are some emerging technologies that utilize wave equations for sustainable energy solutions?
Technologies include ocean wave energy converters for renewable power generation, seismic wave analysis for efficient oil and gas
exploration, ultrasonic-assisted biofuel production, and electromagnetic wave-based wireless energy transmission systems. These innovations
help improve energy efficiency and sustainability.
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