Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2014 / ib / Paper 2 / 7B (Fluid Dynamics)

For the linear planar flow with strain and rotation, ${\partial }_{x}u+{\partial }_{y}v=ϵ-ϵ=0$, proving incompressibility. The Cartesian streamfunction convention gives $u={\psi }_y$, $v=-{\psi }_x$, and direct integration givesup to an irrelevant additive constant. Along a streamline, $\mathbf{u}\cdot \nabla \psi ={\psi }_y{\psi }_x-{\psi }_x{\psi }_y=0$. Sincethe stated quadratic expression is constant along each streamline. The three cases below distinguish strain, rotation and their degenerate shear limit.

Here $u=x$, $v=-y$. The streamlines are $xy=\text{constant}$, rectangular hyperbolas, together with the coordinate axes as separatrices. Particles satisfy $x(t)=x(0)e^t$, $y(t)=y(0)e^{-t}$: the flow stretches along the $x$ axis and compresses along the $y$ axis, with a saddle stagnation point at the origin. The left panel shows the flow directions.

Here $u=-y$, $v=x$. The streamlines are $x^2+y^2=\text{constant}$. This is rigid rotation counterclockwise with angular velocity one; the origin is a stagnation point and all other trajectories are circles. The middle panel shows their orientation.

Here $u=v=x-y$. The streamlines are $x-y=\text{constant}$, straight lines parallel to $(1,1)$. The entire line $x=y$ is stationary. On the $x-y>0$ side the motion is northeast, and on the $x-y<0$ side it is southwest. In orthonormal coordinates $p=(x+y)/\sqrt{2}$, $q=(x-y)/\sqrt{2}$, the velocities are $\dot{p}=2q$, $\dot{q}=0$: this is simple shear flow. The right panel shows both moving families and the stationary line.