
86 
Basics 
of 
Fluid Kinematics 
of 
a vel(lcity field. In accordance the divergence 
of 
a velocity field states how 
big the volume change 
of 
a fluid element is that occurs per time and volume 
unit at a certain position 
in 
a flow field. At such locations 
of 
the flow field 
where the divergence 
of 
a velocity vector 
is 
equal to zero, there is 
no 
temporal 
volume change locally for a fluid element moving in the velocity field. When 
the divergence in sub-domains 
of 
the velocity field is computed negatively, a 
fluid element experiences volume decreases in these domains. 
When one carries out considerations concerning the physical significance 
ofthe 
divergence 
of 
a velocity field at a stationary volume element 
of 
a fluid, 
inflows and outflows occur through the surfaces 
of 
the considered volume 
because 
of 
the existing velocity field, to an extent that the volume flowing in 
per time unit can be 
stated: 
V
inflow 
= 
U;llX
j
l:1
xk 
i = 
j, 
k 
For the volume flowing out it can be computed: 
.  [au"] 
VOutflow 
= U
j 
+ 
ax;' 
llXjllXk  i = 
j, 
k 
The relation makes clear that the sumation for i = 1 to 3 is stated in a 
sufficient6ly comprehensible way by the double index in 
au; 
/ 
ax; 
The difference 
of 
inflows and outflows, considering DV = Dx
1
, 
DX2 
' 
DX3 
can be computed as: 
.. 
." 
au. 
I:1V=V
Inflow 
-VOutflow 
=---'I:1V 
ax; 
This relation makes clear that the presence 
of 
a positive divergence 
of 
the velocity field in volume 
is 
equal to a source, as more "'fluid volume'"  is 
flow!ng out than flowing in. When, however, the divergence 
of 
a velocity field 
is negative, a sink occurs, as then the inflow in 
'"volume''' has to be larger 
than the outflow. 
TRANSLATION, 
DEFORMATION 
AND 
ROTATION 
OF 
FLUID 
ELEMENTS 
Analogous to considerations in solid-state mechanics, the deformations 
of 
fluid elements that occur due to existing velocity gradients are 
of 
interest 
in some flow-mechanics considerations. 
When one includes the translatory motion and the rotation 
of 
a fluid 
element in the fluid  deformations, the entire  local state 
of 
motion 
and 
deformation can 
be 
stated by 
four'" 
geometrically easily separable'"  sub-states. 
The pure translatory motion leads to a change 
of 
position 
of 
the fluid element 
marked  to an extent that it holds: 
d(-).) 
= 
(~)9t 
dt = 
~dt