Variational principle for a viscous heat-conducting fluid with relaxation (Q1819615)

In continuum mechanics a large number of variational principles are known, but only some of them can be used for continua with energy dissipation and heat conduction. It is well known that there is no holonomic variational principle from which the Navier-Stokes equations follow. The local potential method which represents a certain variational approach to obtaining these equations, has been developed. An alternative approach is considered. The variational principle is holonomic; therefore its extremals are not solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations. However, it is possible to construct the unknown solutions by imposing simple constraints on the extremals obtained. This approach requires an extension of the space on which the varied variables are defined.