Appendix D

Simplified Form of the

Navier–Stokes Equations

To derive the Navier–Stokes equations in their non-conservative form, we start with the
conservative form.
Conservation of mass:
∂ρ ∂(ρui ) ∂ρ ∂ui ∂ρ
+ = +ρ + ui =0 (D.1)
∂t ∂xi ∂t ∂xi ∂xi
Conservation of momentum:
∂(ρui ) ∂(uj ρui ) ∂τij ∂p
+ − + =0 (D.2)
∂t ∂xj ∂xj ∂xi
Conservation of energy:


∂(ρE) ∂(uj ρE) ∂ ∂T ∂(uj p) ∂(τij uj )
+ − k + − =0 (D.3)
∂t ∂xj ∂xi ∂xi ∂xj ∂xj
Rewriting the momentum equation with terms differentiated as


∂ui ∂ρ ∂uj ∂ρ ∂ui ∂τij ∂p
ρ + ui +ρ + uj + ρuj − + =0 (D.4)
∂t ∂t ∂xj ∂xj ∂xj ∂xj ∂xi
and substituting the equation of mass conservation (Equation D.1) into the above equation
gives the reduced momentum equation, that is,
∂ui ∂ui 1 ∂τij 1 ∂p
+ uj − + =0 (D.5)
∂t ∂xj ρ ∂xj ρ ∂xi
The above momentum equation can be further simplified if the fluid is incompressible.
For an incompressible fluid, the conservation of mass equation becomes
∂ui
=0 (D.6)
∂xi
Fundamentals of the Finite Element Method for Heat and Fluid Flow R. W. Lewis, P. Nithiarasu and K. N. Seetharamu
 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd ISBNs: 0-470-84788-3 (HB); 0-470-84789-1 (PB)
SIMPLIFIED FORM OF THE NAVIER–STOKES EQUATIONS 327
The deviatoric stresses in Equation D.5 are written as


∂ui ∂uj 2 ∂uk
τij = µ + − δij (D.7)
∂xj ∂xi 3 ∂xk

Note that the last term in the above equation is zero from the continuity equation for
incompressible flows. The deviatoric stresses become


∂ui ∂uj
τij = µ + (D.8)
∂xj ∂xi

Substituting the above equation into Equation D.5, we have (assuming µ is a constant)


∂ui ∂ui µ ∂ ∂ui ∂uj 1 ∂p
+ uj − + + =0 (D.9)
∂t ∂xj ρ ∂xj ∂xj ∂xi ρ ∂xi

If we substitute i = 1 and j = 1, 2, we get the x1 component of the momentum equation

as (in two dimensions)


∂u1 ∂u1 ∂u1 1 ∂p ∂ 2 u1 ∂ 2 u1 ∂ ∂u2
+ u1 + u2 =− + 2ν 2 + ν 2 + ν (D.10)
∂t ∂x1 ∂x2 ρ ∂x1 ∂x1 ∂x2 ∂x2 ∂x1

Rewriting the above equation as


∂u1 ∂u1 ∂u1 1 ∂p ∂ 2 u1 ∂ 2 u1 ∂ ∂u1 ∂u2
+ u1 + u2 =− +ν 2 +ν 2 +ν + (D.11)
∂t ∂x1 ∂x2 ρ ∂x1 ∂x1 ∂x2 ∂x1 ∂x1 ∂x2

Applying the conservation of mass, we get

∂u1 ∂u1 ∂u1 1 ∂p ∂ 2 u1 ∂ 2 u1

+ u1 + u2 =− +ν 2 +ν 2 (D.12)
∂t ∂x1 ∂x2 ρ ∂x1 ∂x1 ∂x2

In a similar fashion, the other components of the momentum and energy equations can
be simplified.