Basics
of
Fluid Kinematics
79
the planes xl -
X3
- and x
2
-
x
3
•
relations analogous to the defining equation
result:
d(x3)", U
3
--"'-=-
d(XI)",
U
I
d(x3)", U
3
--'-=-
d(x2)", U
2
Thus the defining equations
of
the flow lines
of
a velocity field can be
stated as follows:
d(XI)",
_ d(x2)",
d(XI)",
= d(x3)", d(x2)", = d(x3)",
U
I
U
2
U
I
U
3
U
2
U
3
or rewritten as:
d(XI)",
= d(x2)", = d(x3)",
U
I
U
2
U
3
These differential relations for the flow line
of
a velocity field hold at
each moment in time
t.
Their solution leads to a relation
(x
3
)'I'
=
'I'(xl'
x
2
),
which describes a space curve, the three-dimensional flow line.
Probably the most simple way to solve the law
of
differential equations
is
to seek a parameter soluti9n (xl)", =
Xl
(s), here s
is
a parameter, whose
value at a certain reference point
of
the flow line
is
equal
to
zero and which
takes increasing values along the flow line and in flow direction. When all
values
-00
< S <
00
are passed, through a presentation
of
the entire flow line
is
obtained.
By introducing s one obtains:
d(x.)
~
'"
=
~
(xi' t) for t = const and j = s
a relation which represents for each coordinate (x)", a differential equation
j =
1,
2, 3 describing the flow lines in space for t = const.
If
the flow line
passing through the space point
[xo]j at time t is sought, s =
0,
results from
integrating the three differential equations, when
x/t)
=
Xj,O
From this results
the entire flow-line field as:
(x)", = 'l'j
(xo,j
,
t,
s)
In order to demonstrate the way
of
proceeding in determining
three-dimensional flow-line fields, the following velocity field is to be
considered again:
U
I
= x
l
(1
+ t), U
2
=
-x
2
and U
3
=
-x3t
Thus a law/principle/theorem
of
differential equations for the flow lines
of
this velocity field results: