Basics of Inviscid Incompressible Flows

1 Bernoullis equation
An incompressible ow is a ow where the density is constant. Lets assume were dealing with an incompressible ow. From the momentum equation and the streamline condition, we can derive that dp = V dV. (1.1)

This equation is called Eulers equation. Since the streamline condition was used in the derivation, it is only valid along a streamline. Integrating the Euler equation between point 1 and point 2 gives 1 1 p1 + V12 = p2 + V22 . 2 2
1 In other words, p + 2 V 2 is constant along a streamline.

(1.2)

An inviscid ow is a ow without friction, thermal conduction or diusion. It can be shown that inviscid 1 V 2 is constant, even for dierent streamlines. ows are irrotational ows. For irrotational ows p + 2

Continuity equation

In a low-speed wind tunnel the ow eld variables can be assumed to be a function of x only, so A = A(x), V = V (x), p = p(x), etcetera. Such a ow is called a quasi-one-dimensional ow. From the continuity equation can be derived that 1 A1 V1 = 2 A2 V2 , (2.1) for two points in the tunnel. This applies to both compressible and incompressible ows. If the ow becomes incompressible, then 1 = 2 . The equation then reduces to A1 V1 = A2 V2 . If we combine this with Bernoullis equation, we nd 2(p1 p2 ) V1 = . (2.2) 1 A 1 A2

Dynamic pressure
q=

The dynamic pressure is dened as 1 2 V . (3.1) 2 Lets suppose that the velocity at some point 0 is zero (V0 = 0). If the ow is incompressible, it follows that 1 p1 + V12 = p0 q 1 = p0 p1 . (3.2) 2 Note that this follows from Bernoullis equation. If the ow is compressible, Bernoullis equation is not valid and thus p0 p1 = q1 .

Pressure coecient
p p , q 1

The pressure coecient Cp is dened as Cp = (4.1)

2 where q = 1 2 V . The subscript denotes that the values are measured in the free stream, as if being innitely far away from the examined object. For incompressible ows, Cp can also be written as

Cp = 1

V V

(4.2)

Laplaces equation
V = 0. (5.1)

If the ow is incompressible, it follows from the continuity equation that

If the ow is also inviscid, and thus irrotational, it follows that V = 0. It also implicates that there is a velocity potential such that V = . Combining this with equation 5.1 gives () = 2 = 0. (5.2)

This simple but important relation is called Laplaces equation. It seems that the velocity potential satises Laplaces equation. But what about the stream function? We can recall from the previous chapter that , v= . (5.3) u= y x
v We can also remember the irrotationality condition, stating that x u y = 0. Inserting 5.3 in this condition gives 2 2 + =0 2 = 0. (5.4) x2 y 2 So the stream function also satises Laplaces equation, just like the velocity potential function .

Applying Laplaces equation

Note that the Laplace equation is a linear partial dierential equation. So if we nd multiple solutions 1 , . . ., n for it, then any linear combination = c1 1 + . . . + cn n is also a solution. So if we nd a couple of basic solutions to Laplaces equation, and if we add them up in just the right way, we can display any inviscid incompressible ow. But how do we know how to put the independent solutions together? We have to make use of boundary conditions. First, there are the boundary conditions on velocity at innity, stating that, at innity, u= = = V , v= = = 0. (6.1) x y y x There are also the wall boundary conditions. The ow can not penetrate an airfoil. So the velocity at the airfoil edge is directed tangentially. This can be expressed in many ways. If n is the normal vector at the airfoil surface, then V n = () n = 0. This is called the ow tangency condition. But since the airfoil edge is a streamline itself, also surf ace = constant. If we are dealing with neither or , but rather with u and v themselves, things are dierent. If the shape of the airfoil is given by yb (x), then dyb v = dx u .
surf ace

(6.2)

With those boundary conditions, we can put the elementary solutions to Laplaces equation together to represent, for example, the ow over a cylinder or over an airfoil. All that is left now, is to nd those elementary solutions. That is the subject of the next chapter. 2