Creeping Flows

Steven A. Jones
BIEN 501
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Start on Slide 53

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Slide 1

Creeping Flows
Major Learning Objectives:
1. Compare viscous flows to nonviscous
flows.
2. Derive the complete solution for creeping
flow around a sphere (Stokes flow).
3. Relate the solution to the force on the
sphere.

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Slide 2

Creeping Flows
Minor Learning Objectives:
1. Examine qualitative inertial and viscous effects.
2. Show how symmetry simplifies the equations.
3. Show how creeping and nonviscous flows
simplify the momentum equations.
4. Give the origin of the Reynolds number.
5. Use the Reynolds number to distinguish
creeping and nonviscous flows.
6. Apply non-slip boundary conditions at a wall
and incident flow boundary conditions at .
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Slide 3

Creeping Flows
Minor Learning Objectives (continued):
7. Use the equations for conservation of mass and
conservation of momentum in spherical coordinates.
8. Use the stream function to satisfy continuity.
9. Eliminate the pressure term the momentum
equations by (a) taking the curl and (b) using a sort of
Gaussian elimination.
10. Rewrite the momentum equations in terms of the
stream function.
11. Rewrite the boundary conditions in terms of the stream
function.
12. Deduce information about the form of the solution from
the boundary conditions.
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Slide 4

Important Concepts

Flow Rate
Cross-sectional average velocity
Shear Stress (wall shear stress)
Force caused by shear stress (drag)
Pressure loss

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Slide 5

Creeping Flows
Minor Learning Objectives (continued):
13. Discuss the relationship between boundary conditions
and the assumption of separability.
14. Reduce the partial differential equation to an ordinary
differential equation, based on the assumed shape of
the solution.
15. Recognize and solve the equidimensional equation.
16. Translate the solution for the stream function into the
solution for the velocity components..
17. Obtain the pressure from the velocity components.
18. Obtain the drag on the sphere from the stress
components (viscous and pressure).
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Slide 6

Creeping vs. Nonviscous Flows

Creeping Flows

Nonviscous Flows

Viscosity goes to (Low

Reynolds Number)

Viscosity goes to zero

(High Reynolds
Number)

Left hand side of the

momentum equation is not
important.
Left hand side of the
momentum equation is
zero.
Friction is more important
than inertia.
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Left hand side of the

momentum equation is
important.
Right hand side of the
momentum equation
includes pressure only.
Inertia is more important
than friction.

Slide 7

Creeping vs. Nonviscous Flows

Creeping Flow Solutions

Nonviscous Flow Solutions

Use the partial differential

equations. Apply
transform, similarity, or
separation of variables
solution.

Use flow potential, complex

numbers.

Use no-slip condition.

Use no normal velocity.

Use stream functions for

conservation of mass.

Use velocity potential for

conservation of mass.

In both cases, we will assume incompressible flow.

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Slide 8

Flow around a Sphere

Creeping Flow

Nonviscous Flow

Velocity

Larger velocity near the sphere is an inertial

effect.
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Slide 9

Flow around a Sphere

A more general case

Incident velocity is
approached far
from the sphere.
Increased velocity
as a result of inertia
terms.

Shear region near the

sphere caused by
viscosity and no-slip.
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Slide 10

Stokes Flow: The Geometry

Use Standard Spherical Coordinates, (r, , and )
r

v v e 3

Far from the sphere (large r) the velocity is

uniform in the rightward direction. e3 is the
Cartesian (rectangular) unit vector. It does not
correspond to the spherical unit vectors.
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Slide 11

The Objective
1. Obtain the velocity field around the sphere.
2. Use this velocity field to determine
pressure and drag at the sphere surface.
3. From the pressure and drag, determine
the force on the sphere as a function of the
spheres velocity, or equivalently the
spheres velocity as a function of the
applied force (e.g. gravity, centrifuge,
electric field).
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Slide 12

Some Applications
1. What electric field is required to move a
charged particle in electrophoresis?
2. What g force is required to centrifuge cells in a
given amount of time.
3. What is the effect of gravity on the movement
of a monocyte in blood?
4. How does sedimentation vary with the size of
the sediment particles?
5. How rapidly do enzyme-coated beads move in
a bioreactor?
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Slide 13

Symmetry of the Geometry

r

The flow will be symmetric with respect to .

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Slide 14

Components of the Incident Flow

Component of incident velocity
in the radial direction, v cos
r

Incident Velocity v v e 3
Component of incident velocity
in the - direction, v sin

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Slide 15

Creeping Momentum Equation

To see how creeping flow simplifies the momentum
equation, begin with the equation in the following form
(Assume a Newtonian fluid):

v v P 2 D
t
For small v, 2nd term on the left is small. It is on the
order of v2. (v appears in the right hand term, but only as
a first power).

P 2 D
t
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Slide 17

Convective Term in Spherical

Coordinates

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Slide 18

Reynolds Number
The Reynolds number describes the relative importance
of the inertial terms to the viscous terms and can be
deduced from a simple dimensional argument.
V 2
v v goes like
, where V is a characteristic velocity
L
V
and L is a characteristic length. D goes like 2 . (It may
L
V 2 V
2v
2 ,
help to think of a typical term 2 ). The ratio is
x
L L
VL
or
. It is this ratio, rather than or velocity alone, that

determines which terms are dominant.

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Slide 19

Reynolds Number
Different notations are used to express the Reynolds
number. The most typical of these are Re or Nr.
Also, viscosity may be expressed as kinematic ( ) or
dynamic () viscosity, so the Reynolds number may be

VL
VL
Re
or Re

In the case of creeping flow around a sphere, we use v

for the characteristic velocity, and we use the sphere
diameter as the characteristic length scale. Thus,
u D
Re

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Slide 20

Boundary Conditions (B.C.s) for

Creeping Flow around a Sphere
v 0 for r R
v v e 3 for r
There is symmetry about the
-axis. Thus (a) nothing depends
on , and (b) there is no velocity.

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v r v r r,

v v r,
v 0

Slide 22

Summary of Equations to be Solved

We must solve conservation of mass and conservation of
momentum, subject to the specified boundary conditions.
Conservation of mass in spherical coordinates is:

v 0
Which takes the following form in spherical coordinates
(Table 3.1):
1
1

v 0

r
v

v
sin

2
r r
r sin
r sin

Or

1
1

r
v

v
sin

0
When
v

0
&
0
r

r 2 r
r sin

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Slide 23

Summary of Equations (Momentum)

Because there is symmetry in , we only worry about the
radial and circumferential components of momentum.

P 0

(Incompressible, Newtonian Fluid)

Which takes the following form in spherical coordinates

(Table 3.4):
Radial
Azimuthal
Where H
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p
2
2 v
2

Hvr 2 vr 2 2 v cot 0
r
r
r r

1 p
v
v

Hv r 2 2 0
r
r sin

1 2
1


r

sin

2
r r
r r sin

Slide 24

Simplified Differential Equations

Yikes! You mean we need to solve these three partial
differential equations!!?
Conservation of Mass
1
1

r
v

v sin 0

r
2
r r
r sin

Conservation of Radial Momentum

p
v
1

vr
2
2 v 2
2 r 2 r
sin

v
cot

0
2 r
2
2
r
r

r
r
sin

r
r

Conservation of Azimuthal Momentum

1 2 v
v
v
1 p
1

vr
2
r

sin

r sin
r 2 sin 2 0
r
r

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Slide 25

Comments
1
1

r
v

v sin 0

r
2
r r
r sin

v
vr
p
1

2
2 v 2
2 r 2 r
sin

v
cot

0
2 r
2
2
r
r
r sin

r
r r
r r

1 2 v
1 p
1

2
r

sin
r
r
r sin
r r

v
v
vr

2
2

r sin

Three equations, one first order, two second order.

Three unknowns ( vr , v and P ).
Two independent variables ( r and ).
Equations are linear (there is a solution).
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Slide 26

Stream Function Approach

We will use a stream function approach to
solve these equations.
The stream function is a differential form
that automatically solves the conservation of
mass equation and reduces the problem
from one with 3 variables to one with two
variables.
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Slide 27

Stream Function (Cartesian)

Cartesian coordinates, the two-dimensional continuity
equation is:

u v

0
x y

If we define a stream function, , such that:

x, y
y

, v

x, y
x

Then the two-dimensional continuity equation becomes:

u v

2 2

0

x y x y
y
y
xy yx
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Slide 28

Summary of the Procedure

1. Use a stream function to satisfy conservation of mass.
a. Form of is known for spherical coordinates.
b. Gives 2 equations (r and momentum) and 2
unknowns ( and pressure).
c. Need to write B.C.s in terms of the stream function.
2. Obtain the momentum equation in terms of velocity.
3. Rewrite the momentum equation in terms of .
4. Eliminate pressure from the two equations (gives 1
equation (momentum) and 1 unknown, namely ).
5. Use B.C.s to deduce a form for (equivalently, assume
a separable solution).
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Slide 29

Procedure (Continued)
6. Substitute the assumed form for back into the
momentum equation to obtain an ordinary differential
equation.
7. Solve the equation for the radial dependence of .
8. Insert the radial dependence back into the form for to
obtain the complete expression for .
9. Use the definition of the stream function to obtain the
radial and tangential velocity components from .
10. Use the radial and tangential velocity components in
the momentum equation (written in terms of velocities,
not in terms of ) to obtain pressure.
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Slide 30

Procedure (Continued)
11. Integrate the e3 component of both types of forces
(pressure and viscous stresses) over the surface of the
sphere to obtain the drag force on the sphere.

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Slide 31

Stream Function
Recall the following form for conservation of mass:
1
1

v sin 0

r
v

r
2
r r
r sin

Slide 22

If we define a function (r,) as:

vr

1
,
v

r 2 sin
r sin r

then the equation of continuity is automatically satisfied. We

have combined 2 unknowns into 1 and eliminated 1 equation.
Note that other forms work for rectangular and cylindrical
coordinates.
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Slide 32

Exercise
With:
1
1

v sin 0

r
v

r
2
r r
r sin
1

1
vr 2
, v
r sin
r sin r

Rewrite the first term in terms of .

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Slide 33

Exercise
With:
1
1

v sin 0

r
v

r
2
r r
r sin
1

1
vr 2
, v
r sin
r sin r

Rewrite the second term in terms of .

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Slide 34

Momentum Eq. in Terms of

1

1
, v
Use v r 2
r sin
r sin r

and conservation of mass is satisfied (procedure step 1).

Substitute these expressions into the steady flow
momentum equation (Slide 23) to obtain a partial
differential equation for from the momentum equation
(procedure step 2):
2

sin 1
r 2 r 2 sin 0

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Slide 35

Elimination of Pressure
The final equation on the last slide required several
steps. The first was the elimination of pressure in the
momentum equations. The second was substitution of
the form for the stream function into the result. The
details will not be shown here, but we will show how
pressure can be eliminated from the momentum
equations. We have:

p v 0

We take the curl of this equation to obtain:

p v
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Slide 36

Elimination of Pressure
But it is known that the curl of the gradient of any scalar
field is zero (Exercise A.9.1-1). In rectangular coordinates:

e1

p
x1
p
x1

e2

x2
p
x2

e3

x3
p
x3

2 p
2 p
2 p
2 p
2 p
2 p
e1
e 2
e 3 0

x1x2 x2 x1
x2 x3 x3x2
x1x3 x3x1

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Slide 37

Elimination of Pressure
Alternatively: v ijk

v k
ei
x j

p
p
p
e k , p k
xk
x k

ijk

x j

x k

e i

So, for example, the e1 component is:

1 jk

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x j

x k

e1 123

x 2

p
p

132

x3 x 2
x3

x 2

x 2

x3 x3

e1

e1 0

Slide 38

Exercise: Elimination of Pressure

One can think of the elimination of pressure as being
equivalent to doing a Gaussian elimination type of operation
on the pressure term.
This view can be easily illustrated in rectangular coordinates:
2 vx 2 vx
p
0
2 x momentum
2
x
y
x
2 v y 2 v y
p
0
2 y momentum
2

Take

of the first equation and

of the second and subtract.
y
x

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Slide 39

Elimination of Pressure
This view can be easily illustrated in rectangular coordinates:
3v x
3v x
2 p
0

2
3
yx

x momentum

3v y
3v y
2 p

3
2
x

xy

y momentum

3 v y 3v y
3 v x 3v x

0
3

2
3
2

y
xy
yx
x

3v x 3v x
3v y 3 v y
0 E2
i.e.,

y 3 yx 2 xy 2 x 3

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Slide 40

Exercise: 4 order equation

th

With:

vx

x, y
y

, vy

x, y
x

What is the momentum equation:

3v x 3v x
3v y 3v y

3 0

3
2
2
yx xy
x
y

in terms of ?

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Slide 41

Exercise: 4 order equation

th

Answer:

4
4
4
4
2 2 2 2 4 0

4
y x x y
x
y
or
2

2 0

2
y x
2

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Slide 42

Elimination of Pressure
Fortunately, the book has already done all of this work for us,
and has provided the momentum equation in terms of the
stream function in spherical coordinates (Table 2.4.2-1). For
v=0:
2
1
, E 2 2 E 2
1

E 2
2
cos

sin

E
t
r sin r,
r sin r
r

Admittedly this still looks nasty. However, when we

remember that we have already eliminated all of the
left-hand terms, the result for the stream function is
relatively simple.

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Slide 43

Momentum in terms of
If:
2
1
, E 2 2 E 2
1

E 2
2
cos

sin

E
t
r sin r,
r sin r
r

How does this simplify for our problem?

Recall:
Steady state
Low Reynolds number

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Slide 44

Stream Function, Creeping Flow

When the unsteady (left-hand side) terms are eliminated:
sin 1
E 0, where E 2 2

.
r sin
r
4

sin 1
Thus
2

0.
2
r sin
r

This equation was given on slide 35.

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Slide 45

Boundary Conditions in Terms of

From

v 0 at r R,

vr 0 at r R

and

1
v
r sin r

1
vr 2
r sin

Exercise: Write these boundary conditions in terms of .

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Slide 46

Boundary Conditions in Terms of

From
1

1
v

0 at r R
v
0 at r R, r
2
r sin
r sin r

and
must be zero for all at r=R. Thus,
r

must be constant along the curve r=R. But since its

constant of integration is arbitrary, we can take it to be
zero at that boundary. I.e.

0 at r R
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Slide 47

Question
Consider the following curves. Along which of these curves
must velocity change with position?

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Slide 48

Comment
A key to understanding the previous result is that we are
talking about the surface of the sphere, where r is fixed.
1

0
.
And
so
because
0
2
r sin

for all , must be constant along that curve.

Because v r 0,

does not
change as
changes.

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As r changes,
however, we
move off of
the curve r=R,
so can
change.
Slide 49

Boundary Conditions in Terms of

1

,
v r r 2 sin
From v r 2
r sin
At r , v r v cos e 3

(See Slide 14)

Thus, as r ,
v cos r 2 sin e 3 v r 2 cos sin e 3

Thus, in contrast to the surface of the sphere, will

change with far from the sphere.

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Slide 50

Boundary Conditions in Terms of

1

,
v r r 2 sin
From v r 2
r sin

2
2
d v r r sin d r v cos sin d
0
0

1 2
r v sin 2 g r
2
which suggests the -dependence of the solution.

f r v sin
2

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Slide 51

Comment on Separability
For a separable solution we assume that the functional
form of is the product of one factor that depends only
on r and another that depends only on .

r, R r
Whenever the boundary conditions can be written in
this form, it will be possible to find a solution that can
be written in this form. Since the equations are
linear, the solution will be unique. Therefore, the final
solution must be written in this form.

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Slide 52

Comment on Separability
In our case, the boundary condition at r=R is:
R, R R 0

and the boundary condition at r is:

1
, v r 2 sin 2
2

Both of these forms can be written as a function of r

multiplied by a function of . (For r=R we take R(r)=0). The
conclusion that the dependence like sin2 is reached
because these two boundary conditions must hold
for all . A similar statement about the rdependence cannot be reached. I.e. we only know
about two distinct r locations.
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Slide 53

Separability
Again, at r=R:

R, R R 0

and at r :

1
, v r 2 sin 2
2

For a separable solution, we look for a form:

R, R R

Because the -dependence holds for all , but the rdependence does not, we must write:
r ,

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1
f r v r 2 sin 2
2

Slide 54

Momentum Equation
The momentum equation:

0 P 2 D
is 2 equations with 3 unknowns (P, vr and v). We have
used the stream function to get 2 equations and 2
unknowns (P and ). We then used these two equations
to eliminate P.

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Slide 55

Substitute Back into Momentum

With

f r v sin
2

sin 1
r 2 r 2 sin 0

(slide 45) becomes:

d f
4 d f
8 df 8 f
2
3
4 0
4
2
dr
r dr
r dr r
Note the use of total derivatives.

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Slide 56

Exercise: Substitute
f r v sin
2

into
2 sin 1
2 2

r
r

sin

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2 sin
2
2
r
r

sin

Slide 57

Exercise: Substitute
2 sin 1
2 2

r
r

sin

f r
2
v sin
f r
2
r

f r
2
v sin
f r
2
r

2 f r

f r v sin 2

sin 1 sin 2

r 2 sin
sin 2sin cos

2
r
sin

sin cos
2 f r 2

v sin
2

f r
sin 2
2
v sin
2 2 f r
2
r
r

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Slide 58

Exercise: So we now need

2 sin 1
v 2 2

r
r

sin

sin

2 f r
r 2

sin 2
2 2 f r

4 f r

2
2
2

f
r

f r 2sin

2sin

sin

2
2
sin

f r

sin
4
2
2
2
4

r
r
r
r sin
r
r

4
2
2

f
r

f
r

f r 2 cos

sin

2sin

cos

2
sin
2sin
2

f r

4
2
2

r
r
r
sin
r
sin

4 f r
2 f r sin
2 f r

cos 2
2
sin
2sin
2 2sin
2 f r 1
4
2
2
2

r
r
r
r
sin

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Slide 59

Substitute Back into Momentum

The student should recognize the differential equation as an
equidimensional equation for which:
4

d f
df
2 d f
r
4r
8r
8f 0
4
2
dr
dr
dr
4

f r ar n
Substitution of this form back into the equation yields:

A
f r Br Cr 2 Dr 4 with
r
1
3
1
A v R 3 , B
v R, C v , D 0
4
4
2
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Slide 60

Equidimensional Equation
The details are like this:
2
n
d 4 ar n
dar n
2 d ar
n
r

4
r

8
r

8
ar
0
4
2
dr
dr
dr
r 4 n n 1 n 2 n 3 ar n 4 4r 2 n n 1 ar n 2 8r n ar n 1 8ar n
4

divide by ar n

n n 1 n 2 n 3 4 n n 1 8n 8 0
This is a 4th order polynomial, i.e. there are 4 possible
values for n which happen to turn out to be -1, 1, 2
and 4.

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Slide 61

Solution for Velocity Components

Once the boundary conditions are evaluated, the solution is:

vr
3 R 1 R
1
cos
v
2 r 2 r

v
3 R 1 R
1
sin
v
4 r 4 r

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Slide 62

Pressure
To obtain pressure, we return to the momentum equation:

P 2 D
This form was 2 equations with 3 unknowns, but now vr
and v have been determined. Once the forms for these
two velocity components are substituted into this
equation, one obtains:

P
cos
3v R 3
r
r

P 3
sin
v R 2
2
r

Integrate to get P.
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Slide 63

Pressure
The result of this exercise is:

3
cos
P P0 gr cos v R 2
2
r

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Slide 64

Force
To obtain force on the sphere, we must remember
that force is caused by both the pressure and
the viscous stress.
F3 R

T
0

rr

cos Tr sin r R sin d d

Used to get the z3 component.

z3 is the direction the sphere
is moving relative to the fluid.
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Slide 65

Potential Flow
Potential flow derives from the viscous part of the
momentum equation.

v 0
If we write:

v
Then the viscous part of the momentum equation will
automatically be zero.

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Slide 66

Potential Flow
The continuity equation:

v 0
Becomes:

2 0
Therefore potential flow reduces to finding solutions to
Laplaces equation.

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Slide 67