SCIENCE CHINA

Mathematics

. ARTICLES .

February 2012 Vol. 55 No. 2: 277283

doi: 10.1007/s11425-011-4358-7

Shallow water equations for power law and

Bingham fluids
Dedicated to the NSFC-CNRS Chinese-French summer institute on fluid mechanics in 2010

FERNANDEZ-NIETO
Enrique D.1 , NOBLE Pascal2, & VILA Jean-Paul3
1Departamento

de Matem
atica Aplicada I, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain;
de Lyon, Universit
e Lyon1 Institut Camille Jordan, UMR CNRS 520843, blvd du 11 novembre
1918, F-69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France;
3Institut de Math
ematiques de Toulouse, UMR CNRS 5219, INSA de Toulouse, 135 avenue de Rangueil,
31077 Toulouse Cedex 4, France

2Universit
e

Email: edofer@us.es, noble@math.univ-lyon1.fr, vila@insa-toulouse.fr

Received March 11, 2011; accepted June 4, 2011

Abstract In this note, we provide a consistant thin layer theory for power law and Bingham incompressible
uids owing down an inclined plane under the eect of gravity. The derivation of such equations is based on
formal asymptotic expansions of solutions of Cauchy momentum equations in the shallow water scaling and in
the neighbourhood of steady solutions so that we can close the average equations on the uid height h and the
total discharge rate q.
Keywords
MSC(2010)

shallow water equations, asymptotic analysis, non-Newtonian uids

76D10, 76D08, 76E20, 35Q35

Citation: Fern
andez-Nieto E D, Noble P, Vila J P. Shallow water equations for power law and Bingham fluids. Sci
China Math, 2012, 55(2): 277283, doi: 10.1007/s11425-011-4358-7

Introduction

Mathematical models and numerical simulations for the ow of a relatively thin layer of non-Newtonian
uids over an inclined surface and under the eect of gravity have important applications in natural
processes such as mud ows in mountainous areas or submarine continental slopes and debris avalanches:
it is of interest to be able to predict the characteristics (velocity, pressure, runout extent) of such mud
ows and their deposits for geophysical and engineering purposes.
In this paper, we are interested in the derivation of shallow water equations for some non-newtonian
uids that are commonly found in the literature, namely power law and Bingham uids. Given the
fact that three-dimensional Cauchy momentum equations are dicult to treat both analytically and
numerically, in particular if the boundary is free, it is important to obtain reduced models that are able
to capture the relevant features, but are mathematically more manageable. Herein, we consider the slow
motion of a thin liquid layer over an inclined plane. It means that the characteristic uid height is
much smaller that the characteristic wavelength of solutions. This introduces some simplications in the
equations and leads to a hierarchy of models. At low Reynolds numbers, one obtains lubrication models:
Corresponding

author

c Science China Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012

math.scichina.com

www.springerlink.com

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the solution is expressed as a function of h and its derivatives. For larger Reynolds number, these models
are not valid anymore (the solutions blow up in time) and shallow water models must be considered.
There are quite a few consistant shallow water models for thin lm ow down an inclined plane. Though
the situation is well understood for Newtonian uids after the works of Ruyer-Quil and Manneville and
Vila (see also a rigorous derivation in ), there is no fully consistant model for non Newtonian uids: in
general these models do not predict the correct Reynolds number above which steady state are unstable.
In this paper, we follow the strategy that was ecient for Newtonian uids. We rst write the Cauchy
momentum equations in the shallow water scaling. Then we write an exact system which governs the
evolution of the uid height and downstream discharge rate. This involves the integral of some quantities
and bottom stress that have to be related with h and q. For that purpose, we expand the uid velocity
and pressure eld. In the case of non Newtonian uids, we have to deal with an asymptotically large
apparent viscosity. This causes no trouble for power law since it is conned to an asymptotically small
zone. However, in the case of Bingham uids, there is a large plug zone where the deformation of the
uid is small and then the apparent viscosity is large (see Balmforth [13]).
We have organized the paper as follows: In the next section, we derive shallow water model for power
law uids. Then we deal with Bingham uids, focusing on the expansion of the uid velocity in the plug
zone. Then we discuss some features of the models, in particular the relation with lubrication models
and the stability of steady states.

Shallow water equations for power law fluids

In order to derive shallow water models, we write the Cauchy momentum equations in a non-dimensional
form. For that purpose, we introduce some dimensionless numbers, respectively the Froude number F , a
generalized Reynolds number Re and the Weber number We as
F2 =

u20
,
gh0

Re =

u2n
hn0
0
,
p

We =

u20 h0
,

(2.1)

where h0 , u0 are the characteristic uid height and velocity. If the average velocity of the uniform ow is
chosen as the reference ow, these parameters are related by
(
)n
2n + 1
Re
= 2 sin .
(2.2)
n
F
and there remains only three independent parameters(e.g. Re , and We ). We scale equations of motion
with respect to the characteristics of a given longitudinal ow h0 , u0 , p0 together with a scaling factor hL0
for the ratio of transverse to longitudinal spatial scales:
x = Lx ,
u = u0 u ,

h0
,
z = h0 z ,
h = h0 h , =
L
h0
L
w=
u0 w , p = p 0 p , t =
t.
L
u0

(2.3)

The parameter is the scaling, zoom or long wave parameter assumed to be small. In order to perform
eciently the asymptotic expansions, we introduce two set of parameters (, , ) and (, ) :
=

F 2
,
Re

= Re ,

Re
,
F2

2 F 2
,
We

Re
sin .
F2

We also note c = cos and s = sin . The Cauchy momentum equations are
t u + x u2 + z uw +

1(
x p =
+ z ((S2 )z u))

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+
t w + x uw + z w2 +
=

February 2012

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(
)
(
)

(2x (S2 )x u + z (S2 )x w ),

279

(2.4)

1
pz

)
c
1
+ (x ((S2 )(z u + x w) + 2z ((S2 )z w)),

x u + z w = 0.

(2.5)
(2.6)

Here the coecient (S2 ) is dened as

2

(S2 ) = (2 (x u) + 2 (z w) + (z u + x w) )

n1
2

(2.7)

The boundary conditions at the bottom are given by u(0) = w(0) = 0, whereas the continuity of the uid
velocity and uid stress at the free surface reads
t h + u(h)x h = w(h),
(
)
(1 (x h)2 ) z u(h) + x w(h) 4x hx u(h) = 0,
p(h) =

x2 h
(1 + (x h)2 )

3
2

2(S2 )x u(h)

1 + (x h)2
.
1 (x h)2

(2.8)

In that setting, the uniform ow solution of the above system is dened as

h = h,

p(z) = c(h z),

u(z) = n

n+1
n+1
n
(h n (h z) n ),
n+1

w(z) = 0.

We search for a shallow water system which governs the evolution of the uid height h and the discharge
h
rate q = 0 u dz = hu. Integrating the incompressibility condition (2.6) and the momentum equation
(2.4) over the uid layer and using both boundary conditions (2.8) and no slip conditions, one nds the
evolution system for (h, q = hu):
( )
t h + x hu = 0,
( h
)
( h
)

x2 h
2
t (hu) + x
u dz + x
x h
pdz +

(1 + (x h)2 ) 32
0
0
( h
)

1
=
x
2(S2 )x udz + (h (S2 (x, 0))z u(x, 0)).
(2.9)

0
In order to write this system in a closed form, we compute an expansion of u, w, p so as to change
h 2
h
u dz, 0 pdz, . . . and (S2 (x, 0))z u(x, 0) to h, q and their spatial or time derivatives in the shallow
0
water scaling 1. Keeping only the zeroth order terms in (2.4)(2.6), we get formally
(
)
z |z u(0) |n1 z u(0) = ,
z p(0) + c = 0,

z u(0) (x, t, h) = 0,

p(0) (x, t, h) = xx h,

x u(0) + z w(0) = 0,

u(0) (x, t, 0) = 0,
(2.10)

w(0) = 0.

If (u, w, p) and its derivatives remain bounded, we can show that

(u, w, p) = (u(0) , w(0) , p(0) ) + O(n1 + + + ).
h
h
Then, up to O(n1 + + + ) terms, we can relate 0 u2 and 0 p with h, q so that, dropping small
order terms in (2.9), we nd
)
(
)
1(
2(1 + 2n) 2 c h2

hu +
hx3 h =
h (S2 )z u(0) .
(2.11)
t (hu) + x
2n + 3
2

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Next, we deal with the sti term in front of 1 . In order to obtain a closed shallow water model, we
need an expansion of (u, w, p) up to order 1. One has to deal with a singularity of the apparent viscosity
(S2 ) at the free surface. However, this singularity appears in an asymptotically thin region and its
contribution of q and (S2 )z u(0) and one can compute an expansion just like in the Newtonian case:
this yields
(
)n
2
2
1
1
1 + 2n
n n h n +2 x h
(S2 )(x, 0)uz (x, 0)
.
v (1)
=

hn
(2n + 1) (3n + 2)
Substituting that equation into the momentum equation and dropping small-order terms, one nds that
hu satises
(
)
2
2
n2 n h n +3
2(1 + 2n) 2 c h2
hu +

t (hu) + x
2 + 3n
2
(2n + 1)(3n + 2)2
(
(
)n )
1
1 + 2n

=
h u
+ hxxx h.
(2.12)

hn

Shallow water eqs for Bingham fluids

In the case of Bingham uids, we use the non-dimensional numbers (set n = 1 in the denition of the
Reynolds number). For the sake of simplicity, we do not take into account capillary terms. The Cauchy
momentum equations are written as

2
t u + x u + z uw + x p = +
x xx + z xz ,
(3.1)

c
1
1
t w + x uw + z w2 +
z p =
+ x xz +
z
zz .
(3.2)

The uid tensor is dened by

= (1 + B (42 x u2 + (z u + 2 x w)2 ) 2 )D(v)
1

(3.3)

whenever > B and D(v) = 0 when 6 B. The non-dimensional number B is related to the
Oldroyd by B = Od (see Piau [15]). Here, the deformation tensor D(v) reads
(
)
2 x u
z u + 2 x w
D(v) =
.
z u + 2 x w
2z w
The boundary conditions are given by
x h(xx )|z=h
(xz )|z=h = 2
,
1 x h2

p|z=h =

(zz x h2 xx )|z=h
.

1 x h2

(3.4)

Setting hc = B/, the steady solutions to this system are given by

h < hc ,
h > hc ,

u = w = 0,
(
)
z2
u(z) = (h hc )z
, z (0, h hc ),
2
(h hc )2
u(z) =
, z (h hc , h).
2

Note that if we choose the uniform ow with an average velocity u0 as the reference ow, we obtain an
extra relation between Re , F , B and sin :
(
3
2 )1
B(1 B
(1 B
Re sin
)
)
==
+
.
(3.5)
F2
3
2

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281

h
We write the exact system which governs the evolution of h and q = hu = 0 u dz: integrating the
incompressibility condition and momentum equation (3.1) over the uid height and using both boundary
conditions (3.4) and no slip conditions, one nds
t h + x (hu) = 0,

( h
)
( h
)

2
u + p = ( xz (0)) +
t (hu) + x
x
xx .

0
0

(3.6)

We only have to discuss the closure of the momentum equation. First, the closure of integral term is
similar to the previous case. Indeed, setting hv = h hc , one has

xx ,
p p(0) = c(h z)

and u u(0) with

(
)
z2
h2
u(0) (z) = hv z
1(0, h ) (z) + v 1(h , h) (z).
v
v
2
2

That is, up to this order, there is a strained zone where the uid behaves like a Newtonian uid and a
plug zone where there is no deformation. Then, neglecting small order terms, the momentum equation
reads
(
)
c h2
1
t (hu) + x 1 hu2 +
= (h xz (0))
2

with

h
1 (h) =
B 2
(h + 2
)

6
h+
5

) )
9 6 B

.
4 5

Next, we write a closure for the sti term. For that purpose, we need an expansion of u up to order O().
First, let us suppose that z > hv and denote u+ the expression for u in this pseudo plug zone. Then
|xz | < B and z u+ = O(). We search u+ in the form u+ = u0 (x, t) + u1 (x, z, t) where u0 is obviously
h2
chosen so that u0 = 2v . We clearly obtain that in the pseudo plug zone z > hv ,
xz =

Bz u1
(z u21

+ 4x u20 ) 2

+ O() = (h z) + O().

(3.7)

Then, it is a simple calculation to prove that up to order one, we obtain

2|x u0 |(h z)
z u1 =
.
B 2 2 (h z)2
As a consequence, for all z > hv , the velocity correction u1 reads

2
2
2
u1 = u +
1 (x) + 2 hv |x h| B (h z) + O().

(3.8)

Then the velocity prole for all z > hv has the asymptotic expansion
u+ (z) =

h2v
2
2
2
2
+ (u+
1 + 2 hv |x h| B (h z) ) + O( ).
2

(3.9)

There remains to determine the correction term u+

1 in the uid velocity. For that purpose we need an

expansion of the uid velocity, which we note u , in the yielded part of the uid z < hv . The computations
are similar to those carried out in the Newtonian case (see Ruyer-Quil and Manneville [17, 18], Vila [20],
Noble and Bresch [9] for more details) and are not given here. This yields an expansion for xz (0) and u
up to order O(). Dropping small order terms, we can write the sti source term as
(
)
)
1(
hu
1
h B h2
,
h xz (0) =
B hv
v

Re
3 + 2

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where is a correction term that is written in the form

=

(
B 2 |x h|
+ x 2 (h)),
hv
B
2 Re ( 3 + 2 )

(3.10)

with 2 dened as
2 (h) =

(
(
))
( h5
c
3 hc
hv
hc
hc h4v
3h2 h3 )
hc h +
log
+
2 v +
+ c v
2
2
3
2
75
10
10
( 2 3
(
))
4
5
3h
h
9h
h
27h
h
h
v c
c
v
v c
c
2

+
log
+
.
40
40
80
3
2

(3.11)

Then, inserting the expansion of the source term into the momentum equation yields
)
(
)
(
c h2
1
hu
2
t (hu) + x 1 (h)hu +
+ 2 (h) =
h B h2
v
2F2
Re
+ B hv
3

B 2 |x h|
.
+
B
2 Re ( h3v + 2
)
which completes the derivation of a consistent shallow water model for Bingham uids.

Discussion

This system has the same structure as the one predicted by Piau [15] in particular the correction term in
front of |x h| due to the pseudo plug zone but with an opposite sign. This term does not appear in the
model obtained by Balmforth and Liu [3]: indeed they followed the strategy introduced by Ruyer-Quil
and Manneville and computed correction terms only in the viscous zone and thus neglected terms in the
pseudo plug zone that have the same order. This has an important eect on the linear stability analysis
of constant states.
Acknowledgements The first author was partially supported by the Spanish Government Research projects
(Grant Nos. MTM2006-01275 and MTM2009-07719). The second author was partially supported by French ANR
project (Grant No. ANR-09-JCJC-0103-01). The third author was partially supported by French ANR project
(Grant No. ANR-09-JCJC-0103-01).

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