Scribd
Upload
10 views3 pages

Stream Line Path Line

The document defines three key concepts in fluid dynamics: streamlines, pathlines, and streaklines. A streamline is a curve tangent to the velocity vector at a specific time, a pathline is the actual path of a fluid particle over time, and a streakline is the locus of all particles that have passed through a fixed point. The document also includes a worked example to illustrate how to find the equations for each type of line in a given velocity field.

Uploaded by

balusujathabalu
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
10 views3 pages

Stream Line Path Line

The document defines three key concepts in fluid dynamics: streamlines, pathlines, and streaklines. A streamline is a curve tangent to the velocity vector at a specific time, a pathline is the actual path of a fluid particle over time, and a streakline is the locus of all particles that have passed through a fixed point. The document also includes a worked example to illustrate how to find the equations for each type of line in a given velocity field.

Uploaded by

balusujathabalu
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Fluid Dynamics: Streamlines, Pathlines, and

Streaklines

1 Definitions
1.1 Streamline
A Streamline is a curve which is everywhere tangent to the instantaneous velocity vector
of the fluid at a specific instant in time.
For a velocity field u = (u, v, w), the differential equation of a streamline is:

dx dy dz
= = (at fixed t)
u v w

1.2 Pathline
A Pathline is the actual path traced by a single, specific fluid particle over a period of
time.
If r(t) = (x(t), y(t), z(t)) is the position of a particle, the pathline is found by inte-
grating:
dr
= u(r, t)
dt
Subject to initial conditions r(t0 ) = r0 .

1.3 Streakline
A Streakline is the locus of all fluid particles that have passed sequentially through a
specific fixed point (injection point) in space.
If a particle is released from r0 at time τ , its position at current time t is r(t, τ ). The
streakline is the curve formed by varying the release time τ (where τ ≤ t).

1
II MSc Mathematics

y
Pathline
Streamline (Velocity
Particle P vector at tnow )
Tangent to flowPath of
at this exact instant
Particle P over time

Streakline
x
Injection Point (0, 0) (Smoke pattern)

In Steady Flow: All 3 lines coincide.


In Unsteady Flow: They are distinct (as shown).

2
II MSc Mathematics

2 Worked Example
Consider the 2D velocity field:
u = x, v=t

2.1 1. Find the Streamline (at time t)


dx dy
Use the definition u
= v
holding t constant:

dx dy
=
x t
Integrate (remember t is constant here):
y
ln x = + C =⇒ y = t ln x − Ct
t
This is the equation of the streamline curve at instant t.

2.2 2. Find the Pathline (Particle released at t = 0 from x0 , y0 )


dr
Use dt
= u:
dx
= x =⇒ x = C1 et
dt
At t = 0, x = x0 =⇒ x = x0 et .

dy t2
= t =⇒ y = + C2
dt 2
2
At t = 0, y = y0 =⇒ y = t2 + y0 . Eliminate t to find the shape: From first eq,
t = ln(x/x0 ). Substitute into second:
1
y = [ln(x/x0 )]2 + y0
2
This is the pathline curve.

2.3 3. Find the Streakline (Passing through (x0 , y0 ))


We track particles released at different times τ (where τ < t). A particle released at time
τ has initial conditions x(τ ) = x0 , y(τ ) = y0 . Solving the integrals from τ to t:
∫ x ∫ t
dx
= dt =⇒ ln(x/x0 ) = t − τ =⇒ τ = t − ln(x/x0 )
x0 x τ
∫ y ∫ t
1
dy = t dt =⇒ y − y0 = (t2 − τ 2 )
y0 τ 2
Substitute τ into the y equation:
1( 2 )
y − y0 = t − [t − ln(x/x0 )]2
2
This is the instantaneous shape of the streakline at time t.

You might also like