Mathematical
Basics
23-
FIELD
VARIABLES
AND
MATHEMATICAL
OPERATIONS
In
fluid mechanics it is usual to present thermodynamic state quantities
of
fluids, like density, pressure P, temperature T, internal energy e etc as a
function
of
space and time, a Cartesian coordinate system being applied here
generally.
To
each
pointp(xl>x2,x3)=p(x;)
a
value
p(Xl't),p(x;,t),
T
(x
I ,t
),e
(x;
,t) etc. is assigned, i.e. the entire fluid properties are presented
as field variables and are thus functions
of
space and time. It is assumed that
in
each space the thermodynamics connections between the state quantities
hold,
a~
for
example
the
state
equations
that
can
be
formulated
for
thermodynamically ideal fluids as follows p = const (state equation
of
the
thermodynamically
ideal
liquids)P
/p=RT
(state
equation
of
the
thermodynamically ideal gases) In an analogous way the properties
of
the flows
can be described by introducing the velocity vectors and their components as
functions
of
space and time, i.e. as vector fieldsu j
(x
I ,z ).
X3
X2
p(Xj,t)
P(Xj,t)
T(xI.t)
e(xj,t)
.
--
/~~-u3
:
•.
, .
••••••••••••••••
!-
(x3)p
(x1)p
Fig. Scalar Fields Assign a Scalar to Each Point
in
the Space
Furthermore, the local rotation W
=w
j
(x
i ,I)
of
the flow field as a field
variable can be introduced into considerations
of
a flow field as well as the
mass forces and mass accelerations, reacting locally on the fluid. Entirely
analogous to this, the properties
of
the flows can be described by introducing
the velocity vectors and their components as functions
of
space and time, i.e.
as vector fields.
Furthermore the local rotation
of
the flow field can be included as a field
quantity in considerations taken with respect to a flow, as well as the mass
forces and mass acceleration acting locally on the fluid.
Thus the velocity
OJ
= U
J
(x
I ,I) , the rotation w
J
=w-
j
(x
i ,I) , the force