
Basics 
of 
Fluid Kinematics 
79 
the planes xl -
X3 
- and x
2 
-
x
3
• 
relations analogous to the defining equation 
result: 
d(x3)",  U
3 
--"'-=-
d(XI)", 
U
I 
d(x3)",  U
3 
--'-=-
d(x2)",  U
2 
Thus the defining equations 
of 
the flow lines 
of 
a velocity field can be 
stated as follows: 
d(XI)", 
_ d(x2)", 
d(XI)", 
= d(x3)",  d(x2)", = d(x3)", 
U
I 
U
2 
U
I 
U
3 
U
2 
U
3 
or rewritten as: 
d(XI)", 
= d(x2)",  = d(x3)", 
U
I 
U
2 
U
3 
These differential relations for the flow line 
of 
a velocity field hold at 
each moment in time 
t. 
Their solution leads to  a relation 
(x
3
)'I' 
= 
'I'(xl' 
x
2
), 
which describes a space curve, the three-dimensional flow line. 
Probably the most simple way to solve the law 
of 
differential equations 
is 
to seek a parameter soluti9n (xl)", = 
Xl 
(s),  here s 
is 
a parameter, whose 
value at a certain reference point 
of 
the flow line 
is 
equal 
to 
zero and which 
takes increasing values along the flow  line and in flow direction. When all 
values 
-00 
< S  < 
00 
are passed, through a presentation 
of 
the entire flow line 
is 
obtained. 
By introducing s one obtains: 
d(x.) 
~ 
'" 
= 
~ 
(xi' t)  for t = const and j  = s 
a relation which represents for each coordinate (x)", a differential equation 
j  = 
1, 
2, 3 describing the flow  lines  in space for  t = const. 
If 
the flow line 
passing through the space point 
[xo]j at time t is  sought, s = 
0, 
results from 
integrating the three differential equations, when 
x/t) 
= 
Xj,O 
From this results 
the entire flow-line field as: 
(x)", = 'l'j 
(xo,j 
, 
t, 
s) 
In  order  to  demonstrate  the  way 
of 
proceeding  in  determining 
three-dimensional flow-line  fields,  the following  velocity field  is  to  be 
considered again: 
U
I 
= x
l
(1 
+ t),  U
2 
= 
-x
2 
and U
3 
= 
-x3t 
Thus a law/principle/theorem 
of 
differential equations for the flow lines 
of 
this velocity field results: