LEARNING

OUTCOMES
MASS CONSERVATION FOR A FLOW SYSTEM

Derivation of continuity equation in differential form:

𝜕𝜌 Describe the transport of a quantity (mass)

+ ∇ • 𝜌𝒗 = 0
𝜕𝑡

Its derivation from an infinitesimal control volume.

DIFFERENTIAL FORM OF
MASS CONSERVATION
Infinitesimal control volume

General form of law of mass conservation:

𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠

𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑢𝑚𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 + 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑐. 𝑣. − =0
𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑐. 𝑣.
𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛 𝑐. 𝑣.

𝑑𝑦
𝑦 𝑑𝑧
𝜕 𝜕𝜌 𝑦
𝜌𝑑𝑉 = 𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑦𝑑𝑧 𝑑𝑥
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑡
𝑥
𝑥
𝑧
𝑑𝑉 = 𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑦𝑑𝑧
DIFFERENTIAL FORM OF
MASS CONSERVATION
Infinitesimal control volume

𝑑𝑦
𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦×𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦×𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑑𝑧
Mass flowrate:
𝑑𝑥
𝒙 − 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒔
At x: 𝜌 𝑣! / 𝑑𝑦𝑑𝑧 = (𝜌𝑣! )𝒙 𝑑𝑦𝑑𝑧
𝒙

𝑑𝑧
At x + dx: 𝜌 𝑣! / 𝑑𝑦𝑑𝑧 = (𝜌𝑣! )𝒙#𝒅𝒙 𝑑𝑦𝑑𝑧
𝒙#𝒅𝒙
𝑑𝑦

Net outflow of mass from control volume: 𝑣! 𝑣!

x-direction : (𝜌𝑣! )𝒙#𝒅𝒙 𝑑𝑦𝑑𝑧 − (𝜌𝑣! )𝒙 𝑑𝑦𝑑𝑧

𝑑𝑥
𝑥 𝑥 + 𝑑𝑥 𝑦
y-direction : (𝜌𝑣% )𝒚#𝒅𝒚 𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑧 − (𝜌𝑣% )𝒚 𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑧

z-direction : (𝜌𝑣' )𝒛#𝒅𝒛𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑦 − (𝜌𝑣' )𝒛𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑦 𝑥

𝑧
DIFFERENTIAL FORM OF
MASS CONSERVATION
Infinitesimal control volume
𝑑𝑦
The inflow and outflow of mass towards y- 𝑑𝑧
𝑑𝑥
directions through y-surfaces:
𝒛 − 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒔
𝒚 − 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒔
𝑑𝑥
𝜌 𝑣% / 𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑧 = (𝜌𝑣% )𝒚 𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑧
𝒚 𝑣'
𝑣%
𝜌 𝑣% / 𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑧 = (𝜌𝑣% )𝒚#𝒅𝒚 𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑧 𝑑𝑥
𝒚#𝒅𝒚

𝑑𝑧
The inflow and outflow of mass towards z-directions
𝑑𝑦 𝑧
through z-surfaces: 𝑦 + 𝑑𝑦
𝑑𝑧
𝑑𝑦
𝜌 𝑣' / 𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑦 = (𝜌𝑣' )𝒛𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑦
𝒛 𝑦 𝑣' 𝑧 + 𝑑𝑧

𝑣% 𝑦
𝜌 𝑣' / 𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑦 = (𝜌𝑣' )𝒛#𝒅𝒛𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑦 𝑥
𝒛#𝒅𝒛 𝑧
CONTINUITY
EQUATION

The sum of net outflow of mass flowrate within c.v.: 𝑑𝑦

𝑑𝑧
𝑑𝑥
𝜌𝑣! 𝒙#𝒅𝒙 − 𝜌𝑣! 𝒙 𝑑𝑦𝑑𝑧 + 𝜌𝑣% 𝒚#𝒅𝒚
− 𝜌𝑣% 𝒚
𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑧 + 𝜌𝑣' 𝒛#𝒅𝒛 − 𝜌𝑣' 𝒛 𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑦

From the general form, the law of mass conservation in differential form:

𝜕𝜌
𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑦𝑑𝑧 + 𝜌𝑣! 𝒙#𝒅𝒙 − 𝜌𝑣! 𝒙 𝑑𝑦𝑑𝑧 + 𝜌𝑣% − 𝜌𝑣% 𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑧 + 𝜌𝑣' 𝒛#𝒅𝒛 − 𝜌𝑣' 𝒛 𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑦 = 0
𝜕𝑡 𝒚#𝒅𝒚 𝒚

Dividing by 𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑦𝑑𝑧 and taking the limit of 𝑑𝑥 → 0, 𝑑𝑦 → 0 and 𝑑𝑧 → 0 :

𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

𝜕𝜌 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕𝜌
+ (𝜌𝑣! ) + (𝜌𝑣% ) + (𝜌𝑣' ) = 0 + ∇ • (𝜌𝒗) = 0
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑡
CONTINUITY EQUATION Infinitesimal control volume for
CYLINDRICAL COORDINATE cylindrical polar coordinate.

SYSTEM

𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒏

𝑦

𝑦 𝑦
𝑣"
𝑣#
𝑣"
𝑟 𝑣# Coordinate transformation
𝑦
𝜃 𝑥 𝑟
𝑥
𝑣$
𝑥
𝑟= 𝑥! + 𝑦!
𝜃
𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎
𝑥 = 𝑟 cos 𝜃
𝒙 − 𝒂𝒙𝒊𝒔 𝑧

𝑦 = 𝑟 sin 𝜃

2-DIMENSIONAL 3-DIMENSIONAL 𝑦
𝜃 = tan"#
𝑥
CONTINUITY EQUATION
CYLINDRICAL COORDINATE
SYSTEM Infinitesimal control volume for
cylindrical polar coordinate.
Rate of mass accumulation:

𝜕𝜌
𝜕𝑡

Net outflow of mass flowrate:

1 𝜕 1 𝜕 𝜕
∇ • 𝜌𝒗 = (𝑟𝜌𝑣) ) + (𝜌𝑣* ) + (𝜌𝑣' )
𝑟 𝜕𝑟 𝑟 𝜕𝜃 𝜕𝑧

Continuity equation for cylindrical polar coordinate:

𝜕𝜌 1 𝜕 1 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕𝜌
+ 𝑟𝜌𝑣) + 𝜌𝑣* + 𝜌𝑣' = 0 + ∇ • (𝜌𝒗) = 0
𝜕𝑡 𝑟 𝜕𝑟 𝑟 𝜕𝜃 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑡

𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎
CONTINUITY EQUATION
COMMON FLOW
CASES

1. Steady flow: No change of properties with time.

0
𝜕𝜌 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕
+ (𝜌𝑣! ) + (𝜌𝑣% ) + (𝜌𝑣' ) = 0 (𝜌𝑣! ) + (𝜌𝑣% ) + (𝜌𝑣' ) = 0
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧

2. Steady and incompressible flow: Steady with constant density. common form

𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕
(𝜌𝑣! ) + (𝜌𝑣% ) + (𝜌𝑣' ) = 0 (𝑣! ) + (𝑣% ) + (𝑣' ) = 0
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧
Cylindrical polar
coordinate form

1 𝜕 1 𝜕 𝜕
𝑟𝑣) + 𝑣* + 𝑣 =0
𝑟 𝜕𝑟 𝑟 𝜕𝜃 𝜕𝑧 '
CONTINUITY EQUATION
SUMMARY

In analyzing fluid problems, mathematical equations are derived from the laws of physics:

Law of mass conservation: Continuity equation.

𝜕𝜌
+ ∇ • (𝜌𝒗) = 0
𝜕𝑡

Newton’s second law of motion: Equations of motion.

𝜕𝒗
𝜌 + 𝒗 • ∇𝒗 = 𝜌𝒈 − ∇𝑃 + ∇ • τ Cauchy’s equation
𝜕𝑡

𝑑𝒗
𝜌 = 𝜌𝒈 − ∇𝑃 + 𝜇∇+𝒗 Navier-Stokes equation
𝑑𝑡