LOCAL ACCELERATION AND CONVECTIVE ACCELERATION

We were discussing the basic concept of Lagrangian and Eulerian method, Types of fluid flow, Discharge or flow rate, Continuity equation in three dimensions and continuity equation in cylindrical polar coordinates, in the subject of fluid mechanics, in our recent posts.

Now we will go ahead to understand the basic concept of local acceleration and convective acceleration, in the field of fluid mechanics, with the help of this post.

Before going ahead, we need to find out the term total acceleration of a fluid particle in a flow field.

Let us consider that V is the resultant velocity of a fluid particle at a point in a flow filed. Let us assume that u, v and w are the components of the resultant velocity V in x, y and z direction respectively.

We can define the components of resultant velocity V as a function of space and time as mentioned here.

Total acceleration is basically divided in two components i.e. local acceleration and convective acceleration.

We will first see here the basic concept of local acceleration and later we will find out the convective acceleration.

Local acceleration

Local acceleration is basically defined as the rate of increase of velocity with respect to time at a given point in the flow filed.

Local acceleration is basically due to the change in local velocity of the fluid particle as function of time.

Convective acceleration

Convective acceleration is basically defined as the rate of change of velocity due to change of position of fluid particle in fluid flow field.

Convective acceleration is basically due to the fluid particle being convected from one given location to another location in fluid flow field and second location being of higher or lower velocity.

Convective acceleration is also termed as advective acceleration.

We will discuss another term i.e. "Velocity potential function and streamline function", in our next post, in the field of fluid mechanics. 

Do you have any suggestions? Please write in comment box.

Reference:

Fluid mechanics, By R. K. Bansal

Image Courtesy: Google

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