86
Basics
of
Fluid Kinematics
of
a vel(lcity field. In accordance the divergence
of
a velocity field states how
big the volume change
of
a fluid element is that occurs per time and volume
unit at a certain position
in
a flow field. At such locations
of
the flow field
where the divergence
of
a velocity vector
is
equal to zero, there is
no
temporal
volume change locally for a fluid element moving in the velocity field. When
the divergence in sub-domains
of
the velocity field is computed negatively, a
fluid element experiences volume decreases in these domains.
When one carries out considerations concerning the physical significance
ofthe
divergence
of
a velocity field at a stationary volume element
of
a fluid,
inflows and outflows occur through the surfaces
of
the considered volume
because
of
the existing velocity field, to an extent that the volume flowing in
per time unit can be
stated:
V
inflow
=
U;llX
j
l:1
xk
i =
j,
k
For the volume flowing out it can be computed:
. [au"]
VOutflow
= U
j
+
ax;'
llXjllXk i =
j,
k
The relation makes clear that the sumation for i = 1 to 3 is stated in a
sufficient6ly comprehensible way by the double index in
au;
/
ax;
The difference
of
inflows and outflows, considering DV = Dx
1
,
DX2
'
DX3
can be computed as:
..
."
au.
I:1V=V
Inflow
-VOutflow
=---'I:1V
ax;
This relation makes clear that the presence
of
a positive divergence
of
the velocity field in volume
is
equal to a source, as more "'fluid volume'" is
flow!ng out than flowing in. When, however, the divergence
of
a velocity field
is negative, a sink occurs, as then the inflow in
'"volume''' has to be larger
than the outflow.
TRANSLATION,
DEFORMATION
AND
ROTATION
OF
FLUID
ELEMENTS
Analogous to considerations in solid-state mechanics, the deformations
of
fluid elements that occur due to existing velocity gradients are
of
interest
in some flow-mechanics considerations.
When one includes the translatory motion and the rotation
of
a fluid
element in the fluid deformations, the entire local state
of
motion
and
deformation can
be
stated by
four'"
geometrically easily separable'" sub-states.
The pure translatory motion leads to a change
of
position
of
the fluid element
marked to an extent that it holds:
d(-).)
=
(~)9t
dt =
~dt