NPTEL web course

on
Complex Analysis

A. Swaminathan
I.I.T. Roorkee, India

and

V.K. Katiyar
I.I.T. Roorkee, India

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 Complex Analysis

Module: 9: Applications of Conformal Mapping

Lecture: 3: Two dimensional flow and Stream function

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 Applications of Conformal Mapping

Two-dimensional fluid flow

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 Two-Dimensional Fluid Flow

In this section we see the application of conformal mapping in

Two-Dimensional Fluid Flow.

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 Two-Dimensional Fluid Flow

Let us assume that the motion of the fluid is the same in all planes
parallel to the xy plane and the velocity is parallel to that plane
and independent of time. So it is sufficient to consider the motion
of a sheet of fluid in xy the plane.
Let V = p + iq be the velocity of a particle at any point (x, y ),
where p(x, y ), q(x, y ) are real valued continues functions and its
first order partial derivatives are also continuous at points which
are interior to a region of flow without any sources or sinks of the
fluid.

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 Two-Dimensional Fluid Flow

Let C be a contour. Then the circulation of the fluid along C is

defined as Z
VT (x, y )dσ
C
where σ is the arc length of the tangential component VT (x, y ) of
the velocity vector along C.
Now, the above integral can be written as
Z Z
VT (x, y )dσ = p(x, y )dx + q(x, y )dy
C C

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 Two-Dimensional Fluid Flow

If C is a positively oriented simple closed contour which lies inside

a simply connected domain of flow containing no sources or sinks,
then using Green’s theorem, we have
Z Z Z
p(x, y )dx + q(x, y )dy = [qx (x, y ) − py (x, y )]dA
C R

where R is the closed region consisting of points interior to and on

C.
Hence,
Z Z Z
VT (x, y )dσ = [qx (x, y ) − py (x, y )]dA
C R

for such a contour.

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 Two-Dimensional Fluid Flow

Let us consider a circle counterclockwise at x0 , y0 and denote it by

C. Now if we divide the circumference 2πr , we will get mean
speed along C. To get the corresponding angular speed of the
fluid about the centre of the circle, we have to divide the mean
speed by r : Z Z
1 1
2
[qx (x, y ) − py (x, y )]dA
πr R 2
So, mean value of the function
1
ω(x, y ) = [qx (x, y ) − py (x, y )]dA
2
over the circular region R and can be expressed by the above
integral.

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 Two-Dimensional Fluid Flow

Consequently, ω(x, y ) is called the rotation of the fluid which

represents the limiting angular speed of a circular element of the
fluid as the circle shrinks to its centre (x,y), the point at which ω is
evaluated.
The flow is said to be irrational in a simply connected domain if
ω(x, y ) = 0 in each point of the domain. Here we have considered
only irrational flows of an incompressible fluid which is free from
viscosity. It can be shown that the fluid pressure p(x, y ) satisfies
the following special cases of Bernouli’s equation

p 1 2
+ |V | = c
ρ 2

where c is constant.

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 Two-Dimensional Fluid Flow

It can be observed that the pressure is greatest where the speed

|V | is least.
Now we consider an irrational flow in a simply connected domain
D. From the value of ω(x, y )

py = qx
R
in D. Hence, C p(s, t)ds + q(s, t)dt along a contour C lying
entirely in D and if we join two points x0 , y0 and x, y in D, it will be
independent of the path.
So, for fixed x − 0, y0 ,
Z (x,y )
φ(x, y ) = p(s, t)ds + q(s, t)dt
(x0 ,y0 )

is well defined on D.
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 Two-Dimensional Fluid Flow

Taking partial derivatives on both sides of φ(x, y ), we have

φx (x, y ) = p(x, y ), φy (x, y ) = q(x, y )

According to φx (x, y ), velocity vector V = p + iq is the gradient of

φ and the directional derivative of φ in any direction represents the
component of the velocity flow in that direction. φ(x, y ) is called
velocity potential.
From φ(x, y ), it is clear that when the reference point (x0 , y0 ) is
changed, φ(x, y ) also changes. The curves φ(x, y ) = c1 are called
equipotentials.

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 Two-Dimensional Fluid Flow

y
V

1 x

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 Two-Dimensional Fluid Flow

In the case of the heat flow, the condition that the incompressible
fluid enter or leave an element of volume only by floating through
the boundary of that element requires that φ(x, y ) must satisfy
Laplace equation

φxx (x, y ) + φyy (x, y ) = 0

in a domain when the fluid is free from sources or sinks.

From φ(x, y ) and the continuity of p, q and its first order partial
derivatives it is clear that first and second order partial derivatives
of φ are continuous in such a domain. consequently, the velocity
potential φ is Harmonic function in that domain.

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 Applications of Conformal Mapping

Stream function

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 Stream Function

In this section, we see the application called stream functions.

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 Stream Function

Let φ be the velocity potential and V = p(x, y ) + iq(x, y ) be the

velocity vector for a simply connected domain in which the flow is
irrational.
Then
V = φx (x, y ) + iφy (x, y ) = gradφ(x, y ).
It is normal to an equipotential passing through the point (x, y ) if
the velocity vector is not the zero vector.

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 Stream Function

Let ψ(x, y ) be the harmonic conjugate of φ(x, y ) and the velocity

vector is tangent to a curve ψ(x, y ) = c2 , which are called stream
lines of the flow and ψ is called the stream function. A particular
example can be given as a boundary across which fluid cannot
flow is a streamline.
The complex potential of a flow is given by

F (z) = φ(x, y ) + iψ(x, y )

⇒ F 0 (z) = φx (x, y ) + iψx (x, y )

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 Stream Function
Using Cauchy-Riemann equations, we have

F 0 (z) = φx (x, y ) + iφy (x, y )

From V = φx (x, y ) + iφy (x, y ) = gradφ(x, y ),

V = F 0 (z)

The speed or magnitude is given by

|V | = |F 0 (z)|.

Since φ is harmonic in a simply connected domain D. A harmonic

conjugate of φ is given by
Z (x,y )
ψ(x, y ) = −φt (s, t)ds + φs (s, t)dt
(x0 ,y0 )

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 Stream Function

(x, y )
V

O x

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 Stream Function

So,
Z
ψ(x, y ) = −q(s, t)ds + p(s, t)dt
C

where C is any contour in D from (x0 , y0 ) to (x, y ).

We know that the right-hand side of ψ(x, y ) represents the integral
with respect to the arc length σ along C of normal component
VN (x, y ) of the vector whose x and y components are p(x, y ) and
q(x, y ) respectively.

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 Stream Function

Hence, ψ(x, y ) can be written as

Z
ψ(x, y ) = VN (s, t)dψ.
C

Physically ψ(x, y ) represents the rate of flow by volume across a

surface of unit height which stands perpendicular to the xy plane
on the curve.

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