Elementary Flows

Any complex incompressible flow can be synthesized by superposition of series of

elementary flows. Primarily, four types of elementary flows are classified namely,
Uniform flow, Source flow, Doublet flow and Vortex flow. With the combination of
all these elementary flow, any number of flow conditions can be derived. In this
section stream function and potential function for all these elementary flows are
briefly described.
Uniform Flow
Consider a uniform flow with velocity V

x oriented in the positive

direction, as

shown in the figure. A uniform flow is a physically possible incompressible flow and
is also irrotational []. Hence, a velocity potentialand stream functioncan be obtained.

V x
V y
In terms of the
polar coordinate,
potential function and stream function for uniform flow is given as;

V r cos
V sin

Source Flow
Consider

two

dimensional, O incompressible flow where all the stream

lines are coming out from a central point , as shown in the figure. Moreover, let the
velocity along each of the streamlines vary inversely with distance from point . Such a
flow is called as Source Flow.

similarly,

if

all

the

stream lines of a two

dimensional,
incompressible flow are
coming

towards

central point, as shown

in the Figure, then the such a flow is called as Sink Flow.

Let the velocity component

in

radial

direction

and

tangential

are

and

Vr VV
Qr 02r

respectively. For source/sink

flow tangential component
of the velocity is zero i.e,
and radial component of velocity is given as .The potential function and stream
function for such a flow is given as;

Q
ln r
2

Doublet Flow
This is a special, degenerate case of a lQQ source-sink pair that leads to singularity
called doublet. Consider a source of strength and sink of equal strength (but opposite
sign) separated by distance , as shown in the figure .

At any
point
in

the

flow,
the
stream
function is given as;

Now

let

the

distance

Q
1 2 Q
2
2
lQQl
l

approach zero while the absolute magnitudes of the strengths of the source and sink
increases in such a fashion that the product remains constant. The strength of the
doublet is denoted by . The stream function for doublet is obtained as follows;
Q
lim
d
l 0
2

lQ const
Where in the limit . After d 0
simplification the stream function and potential function for doublet is given as;

sin
2 r

cos
2 r

Vortex Flow
Consider a flow where all the streamlines Vr are concentric circles about a given point,
as shown in the figure. Moreover, let the velocity along any given circular streamline
be constant but it varies from one streamline to another inversely with the distance
from the common center. Such a flow is called as Vortex Flow. So if and are velocity
component in radial and tangential direction respectively, then for a vortex flow;
Vr 0
V

const C

r
r