[Physics] Difference between inviscid and viscous flow

classical-mechanicsfluid dynamics

In my lecture notes, I have a load of examples and I want to sort out which egs are viscous flow and which are inviscid flow. It is not always said if the flow is viscous or inviscid. Please can someone tell me what other things determines the difference rather than just the words.

I do know that a gas bubble inviscid flow since there is no viscosity but gas isn't even a fluid which confuses me.

Best Answer

Quite simply, a viscous flow is a flow where viscosity is important, while an inviscid flow is a flow where viscosity is not important.

Gases and liquids alike are considered fluids and any fluid has a viscosity. So a gas bubble surely has a viscosity, albeit relatively low compared to some liquids; liquids are generally more viscous by a factor of 1000. Especially if the gas bubble is moving in a more viscous liquid, generally we must consider the viscosity of the liquid, but may neglect the viscosity of the bubble. The result of this is that no velocity gradients are present inside the bubble.

Determining if a flow is (in)viscid in my opinion is best characterized through the Reynolds number, $\mathrm{Re}$. If $\mathrm{Re}\ll1$, the flow may be considered viscous, i.e. Stokes flow. If $\mathrm{Re}\gg1$, the viscous forces may be negligble compared to inertial forces, much like in turbulence. Note that for $\mathrm{Re}\gg1$, if there are any boundaries in the flow, near any of those boundaries a viscous boundary layer may be formed, which is considered a viscous flow. So in reality, inviscid flow doesn't exist but is a useful model for certain applications.