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Hydrodynamic Stability

This document discusses hydrodynamic stability and methods for analyzing fluid flow stability. It explains that linear stability analysis involves linearizing the governing equations and boundary conditions to determine if a flow is stable or unstable based on an infinitely small disturbance. Bifurcation theory can also be used to study stability by examining changes in a system's structure as parameters are varied, with bifurcations occurring when small parameter changes cause qualitative changes in behavior. Overall, hydrodynamic stability analysis involves solving differential equations that govern fluid flow and determining if the solutions remain similar or diverge based on disturbances.

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Gokul Krish
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20 views

Hydrodynamic Stability

This document discusses hydrodynamic stability and methods for analyzing fluid flow stability. It explains that linear stability analysis involves linearizing the governing equations and boundary conditions to determine if a flow is stable or unstable based on an infinitely small disturbance. Bifurcation theory can also be used to study stability by examining changes in a system's structure as parameters are varied, with bifurcations occurring when small parameter changes cause qualitative changes in behavior. Overall, hydrodynamic stability analysis involves solving differential equations that govern fluid flow and determining if the solutions remain similar or diverge based on disturbances.

Uploaded by

Gokul Krish
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Hydrodynamic stability - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.

org/wiki/Hydrodynamic_stability

where

Once again is being used as an operator on and is calculating the divergence of the velocity.

but if the fluid being considered is incompressible, which means the density is constant, then
and hence:

The assumption that a flow is incompressible is a good one and applies to most fluids travelling at
most speeds. It is assumptions of this form that will help to simplify the Navier–Stokes equation into
differential equations, like Euler's equation, which are easier to work with.

Euler's equation

If one considers a flow which is inviscid, this is where the viscous forces are small and can therefore
be neglected in the calculations, then one arrives at Euler's equations:

Although in this case we have assumed an inviscid fluid this assumption does not hold for flows where
there is a boundary. The presence of a boundary causes some viscosity at the boundary layer which
cannot be neglected and one arrives back at the Navier–Stokes equation. Finding the solutions to
these governing equations under different circumstances and determining their stability is the
fundamental principle in determining the stability of the fluid flow itself.

Linear stability analysis

To determine whether the flow is stable or unstable, one often employs the method of linear stability
analysis. In this type of analysis, the governing equations and boundary conditions are linearized.
This is based on the fact that the concept of 'stable' or 'unstable' is based on an infinitely small
disturbance. For such disturbances, it is reasonable to assume that disturbances of different
wavelengths evolve independently. (A nonlinear governing equation will allow disturbances of
different wavelengths to interact with each other.)

Analysing flow stability

Bifurcation theory

Bifurcation theory is a useful way to study the stability of a given flow, with the changes that occur in
the structure of a given system. Hydrodynamic stability is a series of differential equations and their
solutions. A bifurcation occurs when a small change in the parameters of the system causes a

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