Stream function.

The stream function is defined for two-dimensional flows of various kinds. The stream function can be used to plot streamlines, which represent the trajectories of particles in a steady flow. Streamlines are perpendicular to equipotential lines. In most cases, the stream function is the imaginary part of the complex potential, while the potential function is the real part. Considering the particular case of fluid dynamics, the difference between the stream function values at any two points gives the volumetric flow rate (or volumetric flux) through a line connecting the two points. Since streamlines are tangent to the velocity vector of the flow, the value of the stream function must be constant along a streamline. If there were a flux across a line, it would necessarily not be tangent to the flow, hence would not be a streamline. The usefulness of the stream function lies in the fact that the velocity components in the x- and ydirections at a given point are given by the partial derivatives of the stream function at that point. A stream function may be defined for any flow of dimensions greater than or equal to two, however the two dimensional case is generally the easiest to visualize and derive. Taken together with the velocity potential, the stream function may be used to derive a complex potential for a potential flow. In other words, the stream function accounts for the solenoidal part of a two-dimensional Helmholtz decomposition, while the velocity potential accounts for the irrotational part.

Two dimensional stream function

Definitions
The sign of the stream function depends on the definition used. One way is to define the stream function velocity can be expressed as: for a two dimensional flow such that the flow

Where

if the velocity vector

In Cartesian coordinate system this is equivalent to

Where u and v are the velocities in the x and y coordinate directions, respectively. Alternative definition (opposite sign) Another definition (used more widely in meteorology and oceanography than the above) is , where is a unit vector in the + z direction and the subscripts indicate partial derivatives. ), so we have

Note that this definition has the opposite sign to that given above ( ' =

in Cartesian coordinates. Both formulations of the stream function constrain the velocity to satisfy the two dimensional continuity equation exactly:

Derivation of the two dimensional stream function

Consider two points A and B in two dimensional plane flow. If the distance between these two points is very small: n, and a stream of flow passes between these points with an average velocity, q perpendicular to the line AB, the volume flow rate per unit thickness, is given by:

As n

0, rearranging this expression, we get:

Now consider two dimensional plane flow with reference to a coordinate system. Suppose an observer looks along an arbitrary axis in the direction of increase and sees flow crossing the axis from left to right. A sign convention is adopted such that the velocity of the flow is positive. Flow in Cartesian coordinates By observing the flow into an elemental square in an x-y Cartesian coordinate system, we have:

where u is the velocity parallel to and in the direction of the x-axis, and v is the velocity parallel to and in the direction of the y-axis. Thus, as n 0 and by rearranging, we have:

Flow in Polar coordinates By observing the flow into an elemental square in an r- Polar coordinate system, we have:

where vr is the radial velocity component (parallel to the r-axis), and v is the tangential velocity component (parallel to the -axis). Thus, as n 0 and by rearranging, we have:

Continuity: The Derivation

Consider two dimensional plane flow within a Cartesian coordinate system. Continuity states that if we consider incompressible flow into an elemental square, the flow into that small element must equal the flow out of that element. The total flow into the element is given by:

The total flow out of the element is given by:

Thus we have:

and simplifying to:

Substituting the expressions of the stream function into this equation, we have:

Vorticity
In Cartesian coordinates, the stream function can be found from vorticity using the following Poisson's equation:

or

where

and

what is stream line?

Steamlines are imaginary curves drawn through a fluid to indicate the direction of motion in various sections of the flow of the fluid system . A tangent at any point on the curves represents the instantaneous direction of the velocity of the fluid particles at that point . The average direction of velocity may likewise be represented by tangents to streamlines . Since the velocity vector has no zero component normal to the streamlin , it should be apparent that there can be no flow across a streamline at any point .

Streamlines and Streamtubes

A streamline is a line that is tangential to the instantaneous velocity direction (velocity is a vector, and it has a magnitude and a direction). To visualize this in a flow, we could imagine the motion of a small marked element of fluid. For example, we could mark a drop of water with fluorescent dye and illuminate it

using a laser so that it fluoresces. If we took a short exposure photograph as the drop moves according to the local velocity field (where the exposure needs to be short compared to the time it takes for the velocity to change appreciably), we would see a short streak, with a length V \Delta t, and with a direction tangential to the instantaneous velocity direction. If we mark many drops of water in this way, the streamlines in the flow will become visible. Since the velocity at any point in the flow has a single value (the flow cannot go in more than one direction at the same time), streamlines cannot cross. except at points where the velocity magnitude is zero, such as at a stagnation point.

stream tube
In fluid flow, an imaginary tube whose wall is generated by streamlines passing through a closed curve.

Streamlines and streamtubes

In problems involving electric or magnetic fields we visualize the fields by introducing field lines (often called lines of force), which have the properties that (1) they are everywhere tangent to the field vectors, and (2) the density of the field lines is proportional to the magnitude (strength) of the field. We can use the same method to visualize the velocity field by introducing streamlines, which have the following properties:
y y y

a tangent to a streamline at a point is in the direction of the fluid velocity at that point; the density of streamlines in the vicinity of a point is proportional to the magnitude of the velocity at that point; the streamlines cannot intersect except at a point of zero velocity, otherwise the velocity would not be uniquely determined at that point.

A streamtube is a tubular region of fluid surrounded by streamlines. Since streamlines don't intersect, the same streamlines pass through a streamtube at all points along its length. Let's take two cross-sections of a streamtube, with cross-sectional areas and (see Fig. 2.4).

Figure 2.4: A streamtube in a fluid.

If these areas are made small enough then the fluid velocities across the cross-sections will be constant; let's call the speeds and (the directions of the velocities being perpendicular to the cross-sections). The rate at which mass is entering the streamtube is ; the rate at which it is leaving is . If the mass inside the streamtube is not changing with time, so that the fluid is either incompressible or in steady-state, we have

If, in addition, the fluid is incompressible, then

, and we have

so that the fluid speed increases when the cross-sectional area of the streamtube decreases. If this seems counter-intuitive, the following analogy might help. You drive down a four lane highway, and due to construction one lane on your side has been closed. The traffic crawls toward the point where the lane has been closed, with cars haphazardly merging into your lane. You finally hit the single lane, and whiz through the construction area. The cross-sectional area has decreased, and your speed has increased.