Potential flow

Potential flow is an idealized fluid motion whose velocity is the gradient of a scalar potential. It is irrotational and usually assumes negligible viscosity.

Velocity potential: A scalar field whose gradient gives a fluid's velocity in an irrotational flow. Its gradient directly specifies the velocity field in potential flow.
Inviscid flow: A fluid-flow model that neglects viscous stresses. Neglecting viscosity is a central assumption behind classical potential flow.
Uniform flow: A flow with constant velocity throughout the region considered. It is the simplest potential-flow solution and a building block for superposition.
Navier–Stokes equations: The differential equations governing motion of viscous fluids. They retain viscous effects omitted from classical potential-flow models.
Laplace's equation: A partial differential equation stating that a function's Laplacian is zero. In incompressible potential flow, the velocity potential satisfies this equation.
Irrotational flow: A flow whose vorticity is zero throughout the region considered. Irrotationality permits velocity to be represented by a scalar potential.
Point source: An idealized point from which fluid emerges radially in a mathematical flow. Its radial velocity field has a simple velocity potential.
Boundary layer: A thin region near a surface where viscosity strongly affects fluid motion. Boundary-layer theory repairs potential flow's failure near solid surfaces.
Bernoulli's principle: A relation among pressure, speed, and elevation in steady inviscid flow. It converts the velocity field into pressure differences under suitable conditions.
Incompressible flow: A flow in which fluid density remains constant along the motion. Together with irrotationality, incompressibility makes the potential harmonic.

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