ME 116 Fluid Mechanics

Boundary Layer Flows

Fall 2014

Deify Law

Pioneer of Boundary Layer Flows ~

Ludwig Prandtl
Large Reynolds number flow fields consist of
viscous region in the boundary layer and
inviscid region elsewhere
No-slip condition at the wall or solid
boundary: the fluid sticks to the surface

Boundary Layer Over a Flat Plate

Reynolds number (Rex) where Laminar Boundary Layer becomes Turbulent

Boundary Layer is about 2 x 105 to 3 x 106.

Boundary Layer Thickness

Definitions

Boundary Layer Thickness,

At

u 0.99U

Boundary Layer Displacement

*
Thickness,
Applicable
For
Incompressible
(Laminar or Turbulent),
constant or
variable pressure,
steady flow

b is the depth

bU U u bdy
*

u
1
U

dy

Based on
Incompressible Continuity

Boundary Layer Momentum Thickness,

Based on momentum flux

u u
1 dy
U U

Boundary Layer Displacement and

Momentum Thicknesses
Used for the Momentum Integral Equation
Used for calculating local wall shear stress
and drag force.

Momentum Integral Equation with

Nonzero Pressure Gradient for Flows
Past a Flat Plate (Von Karman)

d
dU
2
*
w U U
dx
dx

Boundary Layer Equations for a

Laminar Flow past a Flat Plate
Scale:

Continuity:

u
u v

0
x y

u
u
u
u v
2
x
y
y
2

X-Momentum:

y
2D, Laminar, Incompressible
Pressure is constant
so pressure gradient
is negligible, Steady Flows

Order of Magnitude Analysis (Scale Analysis) with

assumptions reduce Navier-Stokes equations to
these boundary layer equations

Prandtl/Blasius Dimensionless
Variable

u
y
g
U

x
~
U

1/2

1/2

U

x

vxU

1/2

 vxU

1/2

'
u
Uf
y
U
v

x 4 x

1/2

'

f
f

Substitute u and v into the

previous boundary layer equations
and take the other derivatives with
chain rule involving

Blasius Equation: Conversion from

PDE to ODE

2 f ff 0
'''

''

Boundary conditions: y=0; u=0, y=0; v=0

y=infinity; u=U

f 0, f 0
'

f 1
'

Blasius Solution Laminar Flow Past a

Flat Plate without Pressure Gradient
u/U = 0.99 when = 5.0

y 5
Displacement
Thickness

x
U

1.721 1.721

x
Ux
Re x

Momentum Thickness

0.664

x
Re x

Nondimensional Height vs.

Nondimensional Streamwise Velocity

Determination of Friction Drag Force

over a Flat Plate with Momentum
Integral Equation

Drag U U dA u dA
2

(1)

(2)

Drag bU
2

Local Wall Shear Stress over a

Flat Plate
1 dDrag
2 d
w
U
dx
b dx
For Laminar Flow Past a Flat Plate:

u
w
y

Uf
''

y 0

U
U
0.332
x 0
x

Local Skin Friction or Local

Friction Drag Coefficient (Cf)

cf

1
2
U
2

For Laminar Flow Past a Flat Plate:

0.664
cf

1
2
Re
x
U
2

Wall Shear Stress and

Friction Drag Coefficient

1 L
w w dx
L 0
CDf

1 L
c f dx
L 0

Blasius Solution
For Laminar Flat Plate:

CDf

1.328

Re L

Momentum Integral Boundary

Layer Equation
Using assumed velocity profiles to predict
boundary layer information.
For example, consider the laminar flow of an
incompressible fluid past a flat plate at y=0.
The boundary layer velocity profile is
approximated as:
u y

U
Determine the shear stress using momentum
integral equation. Compare results with the exact
Blasius results.

Comparison of Approximated Velocity

Profiles used in Momentum Integral
Equation with Exact Blasius Results

Transition from Laminar to

Turbulent Flows over a Flat Plate

Transitional Flow when:

Re x,cr 5 10

Laminar and Turbulent Boundary

Layer Properties (Flat Plate)
Laminar (from
Blasius Exact)
Boundary Layer
Thickness
Wall Shear Stress
Friction Drag
Coefficient

5.0
Re x

U3
w 0.332
x

CDf

1.328
Re L

Turbulent (from
Power Law)

0.370
Re1/5
x

w 0.0288

CDf

U 2
Re1/5
x

0.0720

Re1/5
L

Friction Drag Coefficient for a Flat

Plate Parallel to the Free Stream Flow

Boundary Layer Flows on Curved

Surface
Pressure gradient is not negligible.
Fluid velocity at the edge of boundary layer is
not constant.

Effects of Pressure Gradient

The variation in the free-stream velocity, U,
the fluid velocity at the edge of the boundary
layer, is the cause of the existence of
pressure gradient.

dp
dU
U
dx
dx

Inviscid Flow Past a Circular

Cylinder

Viscous Flow Past a Circular

Cylinder
Favorable Pressure Gradient
Diminishes Boundary Layer
Thickness
Adverse Pressure Gradient
Increases Boundary Layer
Thickness