LAMINAR PLANE COUETTE AND OPEN CHANNEL FLOW

The basic equations of incompressible Newtonian fluid mechanics are

the incompressible forms of the Navier-Stokes equations and the
continuity equation:

ui
ui
1 p
2ui
uj

gi
t
x j
x i
x jx j
ui
0
x i
These equations specify four equations (continuity is a scalar equation,
Navier-Stokes is a vector equation) in four unknowns ui (i = 1..3) and p.
1

LAMINAR PLANE COUETTE AND OPEN CHANNEL FLOW

The physical meaning of the terms in the Navier-Stokes equations can
be interpreted as follows. Multiplying by and using continuity, the
equations can be rewritten as

ui
p

ui
uiuj gi

t
x i x j
x j x j
A

Term A ~ time rate of change of momentum

Term B ~ pressure force
Term C ~ net convective inflow rate of momentum ~ inertial force
Term D ~ viscous force ~ net diffusive inflow rate of momentum
Term E ~ gravitational force

LAMINAR PLANE COUETTE AND OPEN CHANNEL FLOW

We make the transformations (u1, u2, u3) = (u, v, w) and (g1, g2, g3) =
(gx, gy, gz). Expanding out the equations we then obtain the following
forms for the Navier-Stokes equations:

2u 2u 2u
u
u
u
u
1 p
u v
w

2 2 gx
2
t
x
y
z
x
y
z
x
2v 2v 2v
v
v
v
v
1 p
u v
w

2 2 gy
2
t
x
y
z
y
y
z
x
2w 2w 2w
w
w
w
w
1 p
u
v
w

2 2 gz
2
t
x
y
z
z
y
z
x
and the following form for continuity:

u v w

0
x y z

LAMINAR PLANE COUETTE AND OPEN CHANNEL FLOW

The simplest flow we can consider is constant rectilinear flow. For
example, consider a flow with constant velocity U in the x direction and
vanishing velocity in the other directions, i.e. (u, v, w) = (U, 0, 0). This
flow is an exact solution of the Navier-Stokes equations and continuity.
u v w

0
x y z

2u 2u 2u
u
u
u
u
1 p
u v
w

2 2 gx
2
t
x
y
z
x

x
y
z

2v 2v 2v
v
v
v
v
1 p
u v
w

2 2 gy
2
t
x
y
z
y
y
z
x

2w 2w 2w
w
w
w
w
1 p
u
v
w

2 2 gz
2
t
x
y
z
z
y
z
x
1 p
gx

x
Thus for any constant rectilinear
flow, all that needs to be satisfied is 0 1 p gy
y
the hydrostatic pressure distribution
1 p
(even though there is flow):
0
gz
z
0

or

p
gi
x i
4

LAMINAR PLANE COUETTE AND OPEN CHANNEL FLOW

For plane Couette flow we make the following assumptions:
the flow is steady (/t = 0) and directed in the x direction, so that the
only velocity component that is nonzero is u (v = w = 0);
the flow is uniform in the x direction and the z direction (out of the
page), so that /x = /z = 0;
the z direction is upward vertical;
the plate at y = 0 is fixed; and
the plate at y = H is moving with constant speed U
For such a flow the only component of the viscous stress tensor is

12 21 xy

moving with velocity U

u
fluid

y
x

fixed

LAMINAR PLANE COUETTE AND OPEN CHANNEL FLOW

That is, the components of the viscous stress tensor are

ijv

u
2

x
u v

y x
u w

z x

u v

y x
v
2

y
v w

z y

u w

z x
v w

z y
w
2

du

dy
0

du

0
dy

du
xy

dy

Here we abbreviate

moving with velocity U

u
fluid

y
x

fixed

LAMINAR PLANE COUETTE AND OPEN CHANNEL FLOW

Thus u = u(y) only, and v = w = 0. This result automatically satisfies
continuity:

u v w

0
x y z
Momentum balance in the x, y and z directions (z is upward vertical)

2u 2u 2u
u
u
u
u
1 p
u v
w

2 2 gx
2
t
x
y
z
x
y
z
x
2v 2v 2v
v
v
v
v
1 p
u v
w

2 2 gy
2
t
x
y
z
y
y
z
x

w w w
w
w
w
w
1 p
u
v
w

2 2 gz
2
t
x
y
z
z
y
z
x
2

LAMINAR PLANE COUETTE AND OPEN CHANNEL FLOW

Momentum balance in the z direction (out of the page):

1 dp
dp
g
g
dz
dz

That is, the pressure distribution is hydrostatic. Recall that the general
relation for a pressure distribution ph obeying the hydrostatic relation is:

p
gi
x i

moving with velocity U

u
fluid

y
x

fixed

LAMINAR PLANE COUETTE AND OPEN CHANNEL FLOW

Momentum balance in the x (streamwise) direction:

d2u
0 2
dy

or

d
0
dy

where

du
dy

The no-slip boundary conditions of a viscous fluid apply:

the tangential component of fluid velocity at a boundary = the velocity
of the boundary (fluid sticks to boundary)

u y 0 0 , u y H U

moving with velocity U

u
fluid

y
x

fixed

LAMINAR PLANE COUETTE AND OPEN CHANNEL FLOW

Integrate once:

du
C1
dy

C1

or

where

du
dy

Thus the shear stress must be constant on the domain.

Integrate again:

u C1y C2
u y0 0 , u y H U

Apply the boundary conditions

C2 = 0, C1 = U/H and thus

uU

y
H

to obtain

U
U

H
H

moving with velocity U

u
fluid

y
x

fixed

10

LAMINAR PLANE COUETTE AND OPEN CHANNEL FLOW

For open-channel flow in a wide channel we make the following
assumptions:
the channel has streamwise slope angle ;
x denotes a streamwise (not horizontal) coordinate, z denotes an
upward normal (not vertical) coordinate and y denotes a crossstream horizontal coordinate;
the flow is steady (/t = 0) and directed in the x direction, so that the
only velocity component that is nonzero is u (v = w = 0);
the flow is uniform in the x direction and the y direction (out of the
page), so that /x = /y = 0;
the bottom of the channel at z = 0 is fixed;
there is no applied stress at the free surface where z = H.

11

LAMINAR PLANE COUETTE AND OPEN CHANNEL FLOW

The channel width is denoted as B. It is assumed that the channel is
sufficiently wide (B/H << 1) so that sidewall effects can be ignored.
Thus streamwise velocity u is a function of upward normal distance z
alone, i.e. u = u(z).
H
B

The vector of gravitational acceleration is (gx, gy, gz) = (gsin, 0, -gcos)

12

LAMINAR PLANE COUETTE AND OPEN CHANNEL FLOW

Continuity is satisfied if u = u(z) and v = w = 0.
u v w

0
x y z

The equations of conservation of streamwise and upward normal

momentum reduce to:

2u 2u 2u
u
u
u
u
1 p
u v
w

2 2 g sin
2
t
x
y
z
x
y
z
x
2w 2w 2w
w
w
w
w
1 p
u
v
w

2 2 g cos
2
t
x
y
z
z
y
z
x

13

LAMINAR PLANE COUETTE AND OPEN CHANNEL FLOW

The equations thus reduce to:

d2u
0 2 g sin
dz
1 dp
0
g cos
dz
Since

du
u w

x
dz

13 31

The first equation can thus be rewritten as

d
g sin
dz

where is an abbreviation for 13 = 31.

14

LAMINAR PLANE COUETTE AND OPEN CHANNEL FLOW

Assuming that a) pressure is given in gage pressure (i.e. relative to
atmospheric pressure) and there is no wind blowing at the liquid
surface, the boundary conditions on

d
d2u
2 g sin ,
dz
dz

dp
g cos
dz

are

u z 0 0

viscous fluid sticks to immobile bed

zH 0

no applied shear stress as free surface

p zH 0

gage pressure at free surface = 0

(surface pressure = atmospheric)

15

LAMINAR PLANE COUETTE AND OPEN CHANNEL FLOW

Now the condition

dp
g cos
dz
states that the hydrostatic relation prevails perpendicular to the
streamlines (which are in the x direction). Integrating the relation with
the aid of the boundary condition

p zH 0
yields a pressure distribution that varys linearly in z:

p gH cos (1 ) ,

z
H

16

LAMINAR PLANE COUETTE AND OPEN CHANNEL FLOW

The equation

d
g sin
dz

subject to

zH 0
similarly yields a linear distribution for shear stress in the z direction:

gH sin (1 ) ,

z
H

Note that the bed shear stress

b at z = 0 is given as

b gH sin

17

LAMINAR PLANE COUETTE AND OPEN CHANNEL FLOW

Thus

du
z

gH sin 1
dz
H

subject to

u z 0 0
Integrates to give the following parabolic profile for u in z:

g 2
1

H sin 2

z
H

18

LAMINAR PLANE COUETTE AND OPEN CHANNEL FLOW

The maximum velocity Us is reached at the free surface, where z = H
and = 1);

Us

1g 2
H sin
2

Thus

u
1

2 2
Us
2

Depth-averaged flow velocity U is given as

Thus

1g 2
H sin ,
3

z
H
1
1 H
U udz ud
0
H 0

Us 3

U 2

19

LAMINAR PLANE COUETTE AND OPEN CHANNEL FLOW

A dimensionless bed friction coefficient Cf can be defined as

b
Cf
U2
Here Cf = f/8 where f denotes the Darcy-Weisbach friction coefficient.
Between the above relation and the relations below

1g 2
H sin ,
3

b gH sin

it can be shown that

3
Cf
Re

UH
, Re

Here Re denotes the

dimensionless Reynolds No. of
the flow, which scales the ratio of
inertial forces to viscous forces.

20

LAMINAR PLANE COUETTE AND OPEN CHANNEL FLOW

Now suppose that there is a wind blowing upstream at the free surface,
exerting shear stress w in the x direction. The governing equations
of the free surface flow remain the same as in Slide 15, but one of the
boundary conditions changes to

zH w
The corresponding solution to the problem is

gH sin (1 r ) ,

g 2
1

H sin (1 r ) 2

z
H

where r is the dimensionless ratio of the wind shear stress pushing the
flow upstream to the force of gravity per unit bed area pulling the flow
downstream:

w
g sin H

21

LAMINAR PLANE COUETTE AND OPEN CHANNEL FLOW

The solution for velocity with the case of wind can be rewritten as

1 2
und 2 (1 r )
2

z
,
H

w
r
g sin H

where und is a dimensionless velocity equal to 2u/(gsinH2).

A plot is given below of und versus for the cases r = 0. 0.25, 0.5, 1 and
1.5.
r = 1.5

r=1

r = 0.5

r=0
r = 0.25 (no wind)

22