Chapter 3

FLUID KINEMATICS
 Objectives
• Understand the role of the material derivative in
transforming between Lagrangian and Eulerian
descriptions
• Distinguish between various types of flow
visualizations and methods of plotting the
characteristics of a fluid flow
• Appreciate the many ways that fluids move and
deform
• Distinguish between rotational and irrotational
regions of flow based on the flow property vorticity
• Understand the usefulness of the Reynolds
transport theorem
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■ LAGRANGIAN AND EULERIAN DESCRIPTIONS
Kinematics: The study of motion.
Fluid kinematics: The study of how fluids flow and how to describe fluid motion.
There are two distinct ways to describe motion: Lagrangian and Eulerian
Lagrangian description: To follow the path of individual objects.
This method requires us to track the position and velocity of each individual
fluid parcel (fluid particle) and take to be a parcel of fixed identity.

With a small number of objects, such In the Lagrangian description, one

as billiard balls on a pool table, must keep track of the position and
individual objects can be tracked. velocity of individual particles. 3
• A more common method is Eulerian description of fluid motion.
• In the Eulerian description of fluid flow, a finite volume called a flow domain
or control volume is defined, through which fluid flows in and out.
• Instead of tracking individual fluid particles, we define field variables,
functions of space and time, within the control volume.
• The field variable at a particular location at a particular time is the value of
the variable for whichever fluid particle happens to occupy that location at
that time.
• For example, the pressure field is a scalar field variable. We define the
velocity field as a vector field variable.

Collectively, these (and other) field variables define the flow field. The
velocity field can be expanded in Cartesian coordinates as

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 • In the Eulerian description we
don’t really care what happens to
individual fluid particles; rather we
are concerned with the pressure,
velocity, acceleration, etc., of
whichever fluid particle happens
to be at the location of interest at
the time of interest.
• While there are many occasions in
which the Lagrangian description
is useful, the Eulerian description
In the Eulerian description, one is often more convenient for fluid
defines field variables, such as mechanics applications.
the pressure field and the
velocity field, at any location
and instant in time.

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A Steady Two-Dimensional Velocity Field

Velocity vectors for the velocity field of Example 4–1. The scale is shown by
the top arrow, and the solid black curves represent the approximate shapes
of some streamlines, based on the calculated velocity vectors. The
stagnation point is indicated by the circle. The shaded region represents a
portion of the flow field that can approximate flow into an inlet. 8
Acceleration Field
The equations of motion for fluid flow
(such as Newton’s second law) are
written for a fluid particle, which we
also call a material particle.
If we were to follow a particular fluid
particle as it moves around in the
flow, we would be employing the
Lagrangian description, and the
equations of motion would be directly
applicable.
For example, we would define the Newton’s second law applied to a fluid
particle’s location in space in terms particle; the acceleration vector (gray arrow)
of a material position vector is in the same direction as the force vector
(xparticle(t), yparticle(t), zparticle(t)). (black arrow), but the velocity vector (red
arrow) may act in a different direction.
e.g:

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 Velocity field

Given:

Therefore,
HOW?

Local acceleration Advective (convective)

(nonzero for unsteady state, acceleration (nonzero for
zero for steady state) steady and unsteady state
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The components of the acceleration vector in cartesian coordinates:

Local Advective
acceleration acceleration

Flow of water through the nozzle of a

garden hose illustrates that fluid
particles may accelerate, even in a
steady flow. In this example, the exit
speed of the water is much higher than
the water speed in the hose, implying
Figure 4.8 that fluid particles have accelerated
even though the flow is steady. 11
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Material Derivative
The total derivative operator d/dt in this equation is given a special name, the
material derivative; it is assigned a special notation, D/Dt, in order to
emphasize that it is formed by following a fluid particle as it moves through
the flow field.
Other names for the material derivative include total, particle, Lagrangian,
Eulerian, and substantial derivative.

The material derivative D/Dt is defined by following

a fluid particle as it moves throughout the flow field.
In this illustration, the fluid particle is accelerating to
the right as it moves up and to the right. 15
The material derivative D/Dt is
composed of a local or unsteady
part and a convective or advective
part. 16
Note: From Example 4.1

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x 18
■ VORTICITY AND ROTATIONALITY
Another kinematic property of great importance to the analysis of fluid flows is
the vorticity vector, defined mathematically as the curl of the velocity vector

Vorticity is equal to twice

the angular velocity of a fluid
particle

The direction
of a vector
cross product
is determined
by the right- The vorticity vector is equal to
hand rule. twice the angular velocity vector
of a rotating fluid particle. 19
• If the vorticity at a point in a flow field is nonzero, the
fluid particle that happens to occupy that point in
space is rotating; the flow in that region is called
rotational (ζ ≠ 0 ; rotational).
• Likewise, if the vorticity in a region of the flow is zero
The difference between
(or negligibly small), fluid particles there are not
rotational and irrotational
rotating; the flow in that region is called irrotational.
flow: fluid elements in a
(ζ = 0 ; irrotational).
rotational region of the
• Physically, fluid particles in a rotational region of flow flow rotate, but those in
rotate end over end as they move along in the flow. an irrotational region of
the flow do not.

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■ THE REYNOLDS TRANSPORT THEOREM
Two methods of analyzing the spraying of
deodorant from a spray can:
(a) We follow the fluid as it moves and
deforms. This is the system approach—no
mass crosses the boundary, and the total
mass of the system remains fixed.
(b) We consider a fixed interior volume of the
can. This is the control volume approach—
mass crosses the boundary.

The relationship
between the time rates
of change of an
extensive property for a
system and for a control
The Reynolds transport theorem
volume is expressed by
(RTT) provides a link between
the Reynolds transport
the system approach and the
theorem (RTT). 21
control volume approach.
 The time rate of change of the
property B of the system is equal to
the time rate of change of B of the
control volume plus the net flux of B
out of the control volume by mass
crossing the control surface.
This equation applies at any instant
in time, where it is assumed that
the system and the control volume
occupy the same space at that
particular instant in time.

A moving system (hatched region) and a

fixed control volume (shaded region) in
a diverging portion of a flow field at
times t and t+t. The upper and lower
bounds are streamlines of the flow. 22
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 Reynolds transport
theorem applied to a
control volume moving
at constant velocity.

Relative velocity crossing a control

surface is found by vector addition of
the absolute velocity of the fluid and
the negative of the local velocity of
the control surface. 25
An example control volume in which
there is one well-defined inlet (1) and two
well-defined outlets (2 and 3). In such
cases, the control surface integral in the
RTT can be more conveniently written in
terms of the average values of fluid
properties crossing each inlet
and outlet. 26
Relationship between Material Derivative and RTT
While the Reynolds transport
theorem deals with finite-size
control volumes and the
material derivative deals with
infinitesimal fluid particles, the
same fundamental physical
interpretation applies to both.
Just as the material derivative
can be applied to any fluid
property, scalar or vector, the
Reynolds transport theorem can
be applied to any scalar or
The Reynolds transport theorem for finite vector property as well.
volumes (integral analysis) is analogous to the
material derivative for infinitesimal volumes
(differential analysis). In both cases, we
transform from a Lagrangian or system
viewpoint to an Eulerian or control volume
viewpoint.
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