An Internet Book on Fluid Dynamics

VORTEX FLOW

Some useful exact solutions to the Navier-Stokes equations also emerge from flows in cylindrical coordinates
in which the only non-zero component of velocity is the circumferential velocity, uθ . These are vortex flows
whic, as depicted in Figure 1 could either have an exterior cylindrical boundary, an interior cylindrical
boundary or both. In planar flow and polar coordinates, the continuity equation (Bce7) simply yields

Figure 1: Three types of vortical flow.

∂uθ /∂θ = 0 which could be regarded as obvious since otherwise uθ would be double-valued. The Navier-
Stokes equations in section (Bhg) with ur = uz = 0, derivatives in the z direction set equal to zero and
derivatives in the θ direction set equal to zero since otherwise quantities would be double-valued, simply
reduce to two consequential equations
u2θ ∂p
ρ = (Bie1)
r ∂r
and  2 
∂uθ ∂ uθ 1 ∂uθ uθ
= ν + − 2 (Bie2)
∂t ∂r2 r ∂r r

We will focus on the steady flows that emerge from these equations though there are unsteady flows that
involve the viscosity. The second equation (Bie2) can be simply solved to yield
C2
u θ = C1 r + (Bie3)
r
where C1 and C2 are constants to be determined by the boundary conditions. The equation (Bie1) can be
integrated to yield
p C 2 r2 C2
= 1 + 2C1 C2 ln r − 22 + C3 (Bie4)
ρ 2 2r
where C3 is another integration constant. Now we apply the boundary conditions to each of the three
types of flow sketched in Figure 1:
[A] Type [A] flow requires uθ = U on r = R and non-infinite velocity as r → ∞ therefore
C1 = 0 and C2 = RU (Bie5)
This is simply a potential or “free” vortex. The pressure distribution associated with it is
(p − p∞ ) R2 U 2
= − (Bie6)
ρ 2r2
where p∞ is the pressure at infinity.
 [B] Type [B] flow requires uθ = U on r = R and non-infinite velocity as r → 0 therefore
U
C1 = and C2 = 0 (Bie7)
R
This is simply solid body rotation or a “forced” vortex. The pressure distribution associated with it
is
(p − p0 ) U 2 r2
= (Bie8)
ρ 2R2
where p0 is the pressure at the center.
[C] Type [C] flow requires uθ = U1 on r = R1 and uθ = U2 on r = R2 therefore
(R2 U2 − R1U1 ) R1R2 (R2 U1 − R1 U2 )
C1 = and C2 = (Bie9)
(R22 − R21 ) (R22 − R21 )
This is mix of free and forced vortex in the gap between the cylinders.
None of these steady, exact solutions involve the viscosity.