diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/Tensor/Tensor.H b/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/Tensor/Tensor.H
index 4a82e7ba2f..985ca6b081 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/Tensor/Tensor.H
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/Tensor/Tensor.H
@@ -152,11 +152,11 @@ public:
             inline Cmpt& zz();
 
             // Access vector components.
-            // Note: returning const only to find out lhs usage
 
-            inline const Vector<Cmpt> x() const;
-            inline const Vector<Cmpt> y() const;
-            inline const Vector<Cmpt> z() const;
+            inline Vector<Cmpt> x() const;
+            inline Vector<Cmpt> y() const;
+            inline Vector<Cmpt> z() const;
+            inline Vector<Cmpt> vectorComponent(const direction) const;
 
         //- Transpose
         inline Tensor<Cmpt> T() const;
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/Tensor/TensorI.H b/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/Tensor/TensorI.H
index 06c52b75c3..8ba9d24a12 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/Tensor/TensorI.H
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/Tensor/TensorI.H
@@ -118,24 +118,42 @@ inline Tensor<Cmpt>::Tensor(Istream& is)
 // * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Member Functions  * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
 
 template<class Cmpt>
-inline const Vector<Cmpt> Tensor<Cmpt>::x() const
+inline Vector<Cmpt> Tensor<Cmpt>::x() const
 {
     return Vector<Cmpt>(this->v_[XX], this->v_[XY], this->v_[XZ]);
 }
 
 template<class Cmpt>
-inline const Vector<Cmpt> Tensor<Cmpt>::y() const
+inline Vector<Cmpt> Tensor<Cmpt>::y() const
 {
     return Vector<Cmpt>(this->v_[YX], this->v_[YY], this->v_[YZ]);
 }
 
 template<class Cmpt>
-inline const Vector<Cmpt>  Tensor<Cmpt>::z() const
+inline Vector<Cmpt>  Tensor<Cmpt>::z() const
 {
     return Vector<Cmpt>(this->v_[ZX], this->v_[ZY], this->v_[ZZ]);
 }
 
 
+template<class Cmpt>
+inline Vector<Cmpt>  Tensor<Cmpt>::vectorComponent(const direction cmpt) const
+{
+    switch (cmpt)
+    {
+        case 0:
+            return x();
+        break;
+        case 1:
+            return y();
+        break;
+        case 2:
+            return z();
+        break;
+    }
+}
+
+
 template<class Cmpt>
 inline const Cmpt&  Tensor<Cmpt>::xx() const
 {