Chapter 9

Diffusion processes in a fluid in

motion

9.1

Structure of a diffusion equation

The continuity equation (8.1) is a particular case of law of conservation of

a certain physical quantity or property. The extension of this law to a generic
physical quantity that can be transported only by the velocity field, as it occurs
for mass, is given by

+ (u) = 0.
(9.1)
t
The quantity u is nothing other than the flux of the quantity transported
by the velocity field u. For this reason, this term is also called the advective
transport.
As an example, we can consider the salt contained in sea water or the water vapor
contained in air. These quantities are conserved, if no processes introduce or eliminate
them from the considered region of ocean or atmosphere, respectively.

Indeed, there are many processes able to modify the distribution and the
overall amount of a quantity. Thus, for any quantity different from mass there
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Franco Mattioli (University of Bologna)

are in general other terms to be added in order to obtain the equation governing
its evolution in space and time. If these terms are negligible, then (9.1) might be
a good approximation for the distribution of the quantity.
Among the various possible factors, the diffusion processes play a particular
role, because they are always present, even if they can be negligible. As already
seen in [4.5] for a fluid at rest, they can be represented by a term to be
added to (9.1)

+ (u) + = 0,
(9.2)
t
where is the diffusive transport term, similar to the advective transport term,
but with the important difference that it does not vanish when the fluid is at
rest.
Moreover, we can also take into account the fact that a given quantity can be
added or removed by external factors able to operate directly in the considered
domain. The effects of such factors can be represented by a term , so that (9.2)
becomes

+ (u) + = .
(9.3)
t
This is the diffusion equation for a quantity in a fluid in motion.
For example, evaporation and various kinds of precipitation can drastically and
rapidly increase or decrease the quantity of water vapor present in the atmosphere.

9.2

The transport theorem

Suppose now that the property can be expressed as the product of the
density and the quantity . Here, is clearly a quantity expressed per unit
mass, namely, a specific quantity.
Continuing on the previous example, we can mention the salinity of sea water, which
is measured as the ratio between the mass of the salts and the mass of the pure water
that contains them. Another example is given by the mixing ratio, which is the ratio
between the mass of the water vapor contained in a given volume of air and the mass of
the air.

The equation for the conservation of the properties written in terms of the
specific quantity becomes
()

+ (u) =
+
+ (u) + u =
t
t
t

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Principles of Fluid Dynamics (www.fluiddynamics.it)

+ u +
t

+ (u) ,
t

or
()
d
+ (u) = .
t
dt

(9.4)

To obtain the last equation, use has been made of the continuity equation. This
relationship is known as the transport theorem for a specific quantity. Equation
(9.3) then becomes
d

+ = .
(9.5)
dt
In the particular case in which both = 0 and = 0, the equation simplifies to
d
= 0,
dt
which coincides with the law of conservation of the property following the motion
of a parcel.

9.3

The diffusion equation for a specific quantity

Let us consider the conservation equation for a specific quantity when there
are no sources or sinks. From (9.5) we have

d
+ = 0.
dt

(9.6)

It is seen experimentally that in a diffusion process the flux is proportional

to the opposite of the gradient of the considered quantity
= k,
where k is a suitable constant of proportionality, depending, in general, on the
temperature. This means that the flux of the property acts in opposition to the
spatial distribution of the property.
Then (9.6) becomes
d
(k) = 0.
(9.7)

dt

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Franco Mattioli (University of Bologna)

If the variation of k in space is negligible, (9.7) simplifies to

d
= 2 ,
dt

(9.8)

where
=

k
.

Equations (9.7) and (9.8) are different forms of the diffusion equation, and k and
are called coefficients of dynamic and kinematic molecular diffusion, respectively.
In the absence of motion the diffusive processes become responsible for the
distribution of the property in the fluid. In such cases the diffusion equation
is written with the local derivatives in place of the total derivatives and (9.8)
simplifies to

= 2 + .
(9.9)
t

This equation is a simple extension for specific quantities of (4.7) in the presence
of an external source.

9.4

Extension to a vector quantity

Clearly, the diffusion equations can be extended to a vector quantity or .

In this case, however, the transport terms become tensors. Thus, (9.7) extends
to

+ (u) + = ,
t
where the u is the advective transport tensor and the is the diffusive transport tensor. Analogously, (9.6) becomes

d
+ X = 0,
dt

where
X = k.

Principles of Fluid Dynamics (www.fluiddynamics.it)

9.5

51

Slowness of the diffusion processes

Generally, the diffusion processes take place over time scales much longer
than the scales of most of the considered motions. Thus, the transport term is
usually greater than the diffusive term.
The slowness of the diffusion processes can be used to highlight other, more rapid
dynamical processes. The structure of a velocity field can be made visible by marking
the fluid parcels passing through certain points with particular colored substances. It
is thus possible to follow the motion of these parcels in so far advection prevails over
diffusivity.

However, when the gradient of the quantity is very strong, it can be of the
same or a greater order of magnitude.