Laminar Boundary Layer Order of Magnitude Analysis u

( x)
y
x

Assumptions (in addition to incompressible, steady & 2-D) Changes in x direction occur over a distance c 1 1 ~ or, we write = O( ) x C x C Changes in y direction occur over a distance 1 1 ~ or, = O( ) y y << C (boundary layer is thin) u c Re = >> 1 (Reynolds number is large)

Changes in x velocity are proportional to u u = O(u ) 2 Changes in pressure are proportional to u 2 p = O( u ) Now, lets do the order of magnitude analysis: Conservation of Mass u v + =0 x y Now, we introduce our assumed orders. For example:
u u = O( ) x c

Laminar Boundary Layer Order of Magnitude Analysis

Since we have not assumed an order for v variations, just leave this as simply v and say, v v = ( ) y u v + = 0 , they obviously have equal (though opposite) magnitudes and x y therefore orders. Thus, the changes in v scale as: Since v = (u

Since v = 0 at a wall, v = (v) itself and we can say

v = ( ) u c
x momentum

u u p 2u 2u + v = + 2 + 2 x x y x y
2 u u u u2 u2 ) ( ) ( ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) c c c c

If we compare the last two terms, clearly

u
c
2

<<

u 2
2u is small. y 2

Since we have assumed << C . Thus, we can assume that

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Laminar Boundary Layer Order of Magnitude Analysis

In order for any viscous terms to remain, this requires that order to the remaining inviscid terms. That is, e.g
( u ( 2u u ) = ( 2 ) x y ) = (

2u be equal in x 2

2 u

( ) 2 = ( ) c u c

u ) 2

In other words,

= (

1 Re

Major result!

y momentum
v v p 2v 2v u + v = + 2 + 2 x y y x y
2 u 1 ( u 2 ) ( u 2 ) ( ) ( u 3 ) ( u ) c c c c 2

Normalizing all of these orders by and

u C 1 and substituting in for Re = 2 u / C

= (
1

1 Re

) gives:
1 Re 1 Re
3 2

Re

) (

) ( Re ) (

) (

1 Re

Clearly, except for conclude that:

p , all other terms are small as Re increases. Thus, we must y

p is small y p 0= is the y momentum equation for a boundary layer y

16.100 2002