5.8 Special Forms of the Basic Equations 143
5.8.1 Transport Equation for Vorticity
The vorticity ω
i
is a local property of the flow field which can be employed ad-
vantageously in considerations of rotating fluid motions. It can be computed
from the velocity field as follows:
2ω
k
= ∇×U = −
ijk
∂U
j
∂x
i
=
∂U
j
∂x
i
−
∂U
i
∂x
j
. (5.140)
For a fluid with the properties ρ = constant and µ = constant, the Navier–
Stokes equation can be written in the following way:
ρ
∂U
j
∂t
+ U
i
∂U
j
∂x
i
= −
∂P
∂x
j
+ µ
∂
2
U
j
∂x
2
i
+ ρg
j
, (5.141)
or in vector form:
∂U
∂t
+(U ·∇) U
= −
1
ρ
∇P + ν∇
2
U + g. (5.142)
This vector form of the Navier–Stokes equation can also be written as:
∂U
∂t
+ ∇
1
2
U · U
− U × (∇×U )=−
1
ρ
∇P + ν∇
2
U + g. (5.143)
When one applies the operator ∇×(...) to each of the terms appearing
in the above equation, one obtains:
∂ω
∂t
−∇×(U × ω)=ν∇
2
ω. (5.144)
Making use of the following relationship, valid for vectors:
∇×(U × ω)=U(∇·ω) − ω(∇·U) − (U ·∇)ω +(ω ·∇)U,
where ∇·ω = 0 as the divergence of the rotation of each vector is equal to
zero, and where at the same time ρ = constant and also ∇·U =0holds
due to the continuity equation. When one introduces all this into the above
equations, the transport equation for vorticity results:
∂ω
∂t
+(U ∇)ω =(ω∇)U + ν∇
2
ω, (5.145)
or written in tensor notation:
Dω
j
Dt
=
∂ω
j
∂t
+ U
i
∂ω
j
∂x
i
= ω
j
∂U
i
∂x
j
+ ν
∂
2
ω
j
∂x
2
i
. (5.146)
Equation (5.146) does not contain the pressure term, hence it is apparent
that the vorticity field can be determined without knowledge of the pressure