Where Does Viscous Pressure Enter the Pressure Balance?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the role of viscous pressure in the pressure balance of an incompressible, viscous sessile drop under a time-dependent pressure field. The pressure balance equation is established as $$p - \mu \hat n \cdot (\nabla \otimes u) \cdot \hat n = -\sigma(\Delta_\Gamma \eta + (\kappa_1^2 + \kappa_2^2)\eta)$$, where the left-hand side represents inertial and viscous pressures, while the right-hand side corresponds to capillary pressure. Participants express confusion regarding the absence of the transpose velocity gradient term $$(\nabla \otimes u)^T$$ in the stress tensor equation for a Newtonian fluid, referencing relevant literature from MIT and a specific paper. The conversation delves into the mathematical implications of these terms and their relationships.

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Suppose we have an incompressible, viscous sessile drop subject to a time-dependent pressure field ##p## on a substrate. Let ##\mu## be dynamic viscosity, ##u## be the fluid velocity field, ##\kappa_{1/2}## curvatures of the fluid surface, ##\sigma## surface tension, ##\hat n## normals to the equilibrium surface, and ##\eta## the disturbed interface.

Disturbances to the equilibrium surface generate pressure gradients, and thereby flows. A pressure balance at the interfacial surface yields $$p-\mu \hat n \cdot(\nabla \otimes u) \cdot \hat n = - \sigma( \Delta_\Gamma \eta + (\kappa_1^2+\kappa_2^2)\eta)$$

The RHS is flow from the capillary pressure (Young-Laplace equation). The LHS is inertial pressure (first term) and viscous pressure (second term). I do not understand where the viscous pressure entered the pressure balance.

After googling I found this site: http://web.mit.edu/1.63/www/Lec-notes/Surfacetension/Lecture2.pdf

where equation (3) looks like the LHS, and if we look at their definition of ##T## we see there is a transpose velocity component (not shown in the pressure balance above, and the implication ##\hat n \cdot -p I \cdot \hat n = -p##)? Can someone help me understand this? Thanks!
 
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I agree with the MIT analysis. What happened to the ##(\nabla \otimes u)^T## term in your equation for the stress tensor for a Newtonian fluid? Why is it missing?
 
Chestermiller said:
I agree with the MIT analysis. What happened to the ##(\nabla \otimes u)^T## term in your equation for the stress tensor for a Newtonian fluid? Why is it missing?
It's from this paper, equation (4): https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2016/sm/c6sm01928e

Author does not mention it. Do you have an idea?
 
Chestermiller said:
Sorry. I don't have access to that article...retired and all.
Attached is the Mathematical formulation. Everything before this is introduction, so not useful for my question.
 

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Isn't n dot (a tensor) dot n the same as n dot (the transpose of the tensor) dot n? If so, then all they are missing is a factor of 2.
 
Chestermiller said:
Isn't n dot (a tensor) dot n the same as n dot (the transpose of the tensor) dot n? If so, then all they are missing is a factor of 2.
So you think what they wrote is in fact wrong?
 
Chestermiller said:
Isn't n dot (a tensor) dot n the same as n dot (the transpose of the tensor) dot n? If so, then all they are missing is a factor of 2.
Also, what would be a good way to know if ##\hat n \cdot \nabla u \cdot \hat n = \hat n \cdot (\nabla u)^T \cdot \hat n##? Like, where did your intuition come from?
 
joshmccraney said:
Also, what would be a good way to know if ##\hat n \cdot \nabla u \cdot \hat n = \hat n \cdot (\nabla u)^T \cdot \hat n##? Like, where did your intuition come from?
Just evaluate it in Cartesian Coordinates and see whether it is correct.
 
  • #10
Chestermiller said:
Just evaluate it in Cartesian Coordinates and see whether it is correct.
Thinking about it and reviewing notes, perhaps we don't need to show it's true for cartesian. We know $$ \nabla u = D + \Omega : \\
D \equiv \frac{1}{2} (\nabla u + \nabla u ^T),
\Omega \equiv \frac{1}{2} (\nabla u - \nabla u ^T)$$
and we know ##D=D^T## and ##\Omega = -\Omega^T##. Then

$$n \cdot \nabla u \cdot n = n \cdot (D + \Omega) \cdot n$$

where we note $$n\cdot\Omega\cdot n = n_i \Omega_{ij} n_j = -n_i \Omega_{ji} n_j$$ so then ##-\Omega = \Omega \implies \Omega = 0.## Also we can show since ##D = D^T## that ##\nabla u ^T = \nabla u##. I think this proves what we seek to show, right?
 
  • #11
The transpose of the velocity gradient tensor is not equal to the velocity gradient tensor itself.
 
  • #12
Chestermiller said:
The transpose of the velocity gradient tensor is not equal to the velocity gradient tensor itself.
Can you elaborate please? I thought ##n \cdot \nabla u \cdot n = n \cdot ( \nabla u)^T \cdot n##.
 
  • #13
joshmccraney said:
Can you elaborate please? I thought ##n \cdot \nabla u \cdot n = n \cdot ( \nabla u)^T \cdot n##.
That is correct, but it doesn’t guarantee that the gradient of the velocity and its transpose are equal.
 
  • #14
Chestermiller said:
That is correct, but it doesn’t guarantee that the gradient of the velocity and its transpose are equal.
I must be missing something. Isn't it enough to show that ##(n \cdot \nabla u \cdot n + n \cdot (\nabla u)^T \cdot n)/2 = n \cdot \nabla u \cdot n ##?
 
  • #15
You seem to be trying to prove that ##\nabla u=(\nabla u)^T##. Just because ##(n \cdot \nabla u \cdot n + n \cdot (\nabla u)^T \cdot n)/2 = n \cdot \nabla u \cdot n ## is true doesn't necessarily mean that ##\nabla u=(\nabla u)^T##. As a matter of fact, the latter is not generally correct.
 
  • #16
Chestermiller said:
You seem to be trying to prove that ##\nabla u=(\nabla u)^T##. Just because ##(n \cdot \nabla u \cdot n + n \cdot (\nabla u)^T \cdot n)/2 = n \cdot \nabla u \cdot n ## is true doesn't necessarily mean that ##\nabla u=(\nabla u)^T##. As a matter of fact, the latter is not generally correct.
Gotcha. But it is true that ##(n \cdot \nabla u \cdot n + n \cdot (\nabla u)^T \cdot n)/2 = n \cdot \nabla u \cdot n ##, right?

Also, when I take the inner product $$M_{ij} = \int (n \cdot \nabla \nabla \phi_i \cdot n) \phi_j : u = \nabla \phi$$ it turns out ##M_{ij} \neq M_{ji}##. I have reason to think ##M## should be symmetric. What do you think?
 
  • #17
joshmccraney said:
Gotcha. But it is true that ##(n \cdot \nabla u \cdot n + n \cdot (\nabla u)^T \cdot n)/2 = n \cdot \nabla u \cdot n ##, right?
Yes. You can show this using Cartesian coordinates.
Also, when I take the inner product $$M_{ij} = \int (n \cdot \nabla \nabla \phi_i \cdot n) \phi_j : u = \nabla \phi$$ it turns out ##M_{ij} \neq M_{ji}##. I have reason to think ##M## should be symmetric. What do you think?
I think I don't understand this notation.
 
  • #18
Chestermiller said:
Yes. You can show this using Cartesian coordinates.
Yes, I did this for the problem I'm working on and it's true.

Chestermiller said:
I think I don't understand this notation.
Sorry, let me ask the question in a better way: is it true that the notation here are always equivalent ##\nabla \otimes \vec u = \nabla \vec u##?
 
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  • #19
joshmccraney said:
Yes, I did this for the problem I'm working on and it's true.Sorry, let me ask the question in a better way: is it true that the notation here are always equivalent ##\nabla \otimes \vec u = \nabla \vec u##?
That's my understanding
 
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  • #20
Thanks!
 

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