Chapter 13 Viscous Flow

(FMP Ch 9)

13.0 Introduction and objective

At high Re (=UL/), the viscous effect is weak except for a thin layer near the
object surface. This layer is called momentum boundary layer, in which the fluid
flow is governed by the Navier-Stokes eqn instead of Eulers eqn, i.e., both the
inertial and viscous effects become equally important. We will learn how to solve for
the velocity field, determine the boundary layer thickness and calculate the drag
force.

13.1 Drag coefficient

Similar to the friction factor for a flow in a pipe, it is a dimensionless parameter,
defined by F
CD = A (13.1)
1 2
v
2
F: drag force on the object
A: surface area of object projection onto a plane perpendicular to the
flow in most cases.
1
(viscous effect)

2
If the flow is totally
inviscid, the net force
on the cylinder is zero
because of the fore-
after symmetry of the
pressure.
There exists a thin
layer next to the
surface, where
the viscous effect
is important.

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13.2 Momentum equation in boundary layer

Since the thickness of a boundary layer () is very small compared to the objects
dimensions (L), a local analysis based on the Cartesian coordinate system can be
used:

x: coordinate tangent to the object surface (characteristic length=L)

y: coordinate perpendicular to the object surface (characteristic length=)

vx: main fluid velocity component (characteristic velocity= U)

Continuity eqn for incompressible flow

v x v y
+ =0
x y

U ?
O O v y ~ O(?) ~ O U
L L

(Note: O means order of magnitude, a rough estimate of how large a quantity is)
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Navier-Stokes eqn at steady state neglecting the gravity effect

v x v x 1 P 2vx 2vx
x component: vx + vy = + 2 + 2
x y x x y

U 2 U U U
O O U O 2 O 2
L L L

U2 U L
Balancing the inertial and viscous effect: ~ 2 ~
L U
Balancing pressure term with the above two: U2 P P ~ U 2
~
L L

v y 1v y
P 2 v y 2 v y P
y component: vx + vy = + 2 + 0
x y y x y 2 y

U 2
O 2 U 2 U 2 U U 2
L O 2 O O = O 2
L L L
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Differential equations for laminar boundary layer at steady state

v x v y
+ =0 (13.2)
x y
v x v x 1 dP 2vx
vx + vy = + (13.3)
x y dx y 2

13.3 Blasius solution for the laminar boundary layer on a flat plate

Blasius solution is an exact solution obtained by using a stream function and a numerical
method via conversion of (13.3) into an ordinary differential eqn.

For a uniform flow past a flat plate, P is constant, so (13.3) becomes

v x v x 2vx
vx + vy = (13.4)
x y y 2
Boundary conditions:
At y=0, vx = v y = 0
At large enough y, v x v 8

Introducing stream function to ensure (13.2) fulfilled, so vx = vy =
y x
To convert (13.4) to an ODE, we need to combine x and y in some way:

y
= (13.5)
g (x)
where g(x) is an unknown function proportional to the boundary layer thickness.

The stream function can be expressed as = v g ( x) f ( )

df df
v x = v g = v = v f '
d y d
df dg
= v g ' (f ' f )
g' y
v y = v g + f
= v
gf ' + fg '
d x
2
dx g

v x f ' df ' f" 2vx f '''

= v = v = v = v 2
y y d y g y 2
g

v x f ' df ' g' y g'

= v = v = v f " 2 = vf "
x x d x g g
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Substituting the above to (13.4) yields

v
f ' ' '+ g ' gff " = 0

To eliminate x from above equation, one may set

v
gg ' =
1 d
(g 2 ) = (13.6)
2 dx v
leading to 2 f ' ' '+ ff " = 0 (13.7)

Solving (13.6) yields x (13.8)

g=
v

Converting the boundary conditions:

At y=0, vx = 0 At =0, f '= 0 (13.9a)

At y=0, vy = 0 At =0, f =0 (13.9b)

At large enough y, v x v As , f '= 1 (13.9c)

The function f can be determined by numerically solving (13.7) subject to (13.9).

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Determination of the boundary layer thickness

From the tabulated data, one can find that when = 5, v x = v f ' = 0.99v .

Therefore the border of the boundary layer can be approximated by = 5.

x 5
Using (13.5) and (13.8) =5 =5 = (13.10)
v x xv Re x
Calculation of the shear stress on the plate surface

v
0 = abs x = f " (0) v = 0.332 v v
y g x
y =0

Local drag coefficient

F/A 0 0.664
C Dx = = = 0 . 664 = (13.11)
v2 / 2 v2 / 2 xv Re x
Overall (mean) drag coefficient
1
L
1.328
C DL = C Dx dx = 1.328 = (13.12)
L0 Lv Re L
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Example: Consider a uniform flow (v=0.3 m/s) of water past a flat plate. Determine vx
and vy as a function of y when x is 0.2 m.

Solution:
For water, the kinematic viscosity =10-6 m2/s. The boundary layer thickness is
estimated to be
x 10 6 0.2
=5 = 5 = 4.08 10 3 m
v 0.3

Using Table 13.4.1 (p11), we can calculate

v x = v f '

v v
v y = v g ' (f ' f ) = yf ' f

2 v x x

The results are tabulated on the following page:

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 y (m) vx (m/s) vy (m/s)
0 0 0 0
0.4 3.2710-4 3.9810-2 1.6310-5
1.2 9.8010-4 1.1810-1 1.4410-4
1.8 1.4710-3 1.7210-1 3.0910-4
2.4 1.9610-3 2.1910-1 5.0710-4
3.0 2.4510-3 2.5410-1 6.9910-4
3.6 2.9410-3 2.7710-1 8.5410-4
4.2 3.4310-3 2.9010-1 9.5710-4
4.8 3.9210-3 2.9610-1 1.0110-3
5.0 4.0810-3 2.9710-1 1.0310-3
6.0 4.9010-3 2.9910-1 1.0510-3

Note: vx is much larger than vy , which is positive.

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13.4 von Karman momentum integral analysis

For objects other than a flat plate, the pressure generally is not constant. Therefore, the
Blasius solution cannot be applied. On the object surface, the momentum eqn (13.3)
becomes
2vx 1 dP
= (13.13)
y 2 y =0
dx
Depending on the pressure gradient, the fluid velocity profile changes as compared to that
for a flat plate (see the demonstrative figures on the following pages).

When dP/dx >0, the pressure gradient counteracts the main flow, thereby leading to a
reverse flow somewhere downstream. This phenomenon is called boundary layer
separation. The onset point of the reverse flow is called separation point, where the shear
stress on the object surface vanishes.

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 How to deal with a case involving a complex geometry or nonzero pressure gradient?
Instead of solving (13.3), one can look at the mass and momentum conservation for a thin
slab across the boundary layer (see p21). At steady state, the mass conservation requires

m top = v x dy v x dy
C.S .
( v n )dA = 0
0 x + x 0 x
(13.14)

The x component of momentum conservation is

C.S .
v x ( v n )dA = FSx

P |x + x + P |x
v dy v x2dy v m top = P |x P |x + x + ( |x + x |x ) 0 x
2
x
0 x + x 0 x
2
(13.15)
(note 0 is the magnitude of shear stress exerted by the object on the fluid)

The pressure contributions on RHS of (13.15) can be simplified as

P |x + x P |x
( |x + x + |x ) ( P |x + x P |x ) |x
2

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Using (13.14) and dividing (13.15) by x (0) yields

d d dP
= 0 (13.16)
2
v x dy v v x dy
dx 0 dx 0 dx
The pressure gradient can be related to the fluid velocity outside the boundary layer,
because of an inviscid flow, via differentiating Bernoullis eqn:

dP dv
+ v = 0
dx dx

Therefore, dP dv

dx
= v
dx
0
dy

Substituting the above to (13.16) yields

d dv d
0 = v v x dy + v dy v x2 dy
dx 0 dx 0
dx 0

d dv dv d
0 = v v x dy v x dy + v dy v x2 dy
dx 0 dx 0
dx 0
dx 0
22

d dv
0 = v x (v v x )dy + (v v x )dy (constant )
dx 0 dx 0

0 d dv
= v x (v v x )dy +
(v v x )dy (13.17)
dx 0 dx 0

(13.17) is the von Karman momentum integral equation, which can be

applied to an object of any shape.

Example: Application of von Karman momentum integral equation to a uniform flow

past a flat plate, and comparison with Blasius solution:

Solution:
Because P and v are both constant for this case, (13.17) can be simplified to
0 d
= v x (v v x )dy (13.18)
dx 0
To proceed, one must assume an expression for vx as a function of y, e.g., a
polynomial, a trigonometric function, etc.
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 v x = a + by + cy 2 + dy 3 (13.19)

To determine the unknown functions a(x), b(x), c(x) and d(x), one must look for
sufficient boundary conditions

At y=0, vx = 0
At y=, v x = v or v x = 0.99v
v x
At y=, =0
y
2vx
At y=0, =0 [from (13.13)]
y 2
3v v
Applying the above to (13.19) a=c=0 b= d =
2 2 3
3 y 1 y 3
v x = v (13.20)
2 2

v x 3v (13.21)
0 = =
y y =0
2

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(13.18) becomes

d 2 3 y 1 y 3 3 y 1 y 3

3
v = v 1
3
+ dy
3
2 dx 0 2 2 2 2

3 39v2 d 140
v = d = dx
2 280 dx 13 v

1 2 140 x x
= = 4.641 (13.22)
2 13 v v

Using (13.21) and (13.22)

0 0.646
C Dx = = 0.646 =
v2 / 2 xv Re x
(13.23)

1
L
1.292
C DL = C Dx dx = 1.292 = (13.24)
L0 Lv Re L

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Comparison of results between the von Karman method and Blasius method

Coeff in CDx Coeff in CDL

Blasius 0.664 1.328
von Karman 0.646 1.292
von Karman (0.99) 0.653 1.306

Procedure of using the von Karman method:

1.Assume vx and identify sufficient BCs.
2.Simplify (13.17) and then solve for .
3.Calculate the shear stress and drag coefficient.

According to the velocity field obtained for a laminar boundary layer, the behavior
depends on local Reynolds number (Rex), which may become too large
downstream so that the flow becomes turbulent. For a uniform flow past a flat
plate,

Rex<2105, laminar boundary layer

2105<Rex<3106 , boundary layer undergoing transition
Rex>3106, turbulent boundary layer

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13.5 Summary

1. For high Re, the flow is inviscid in most of flow domain, except for a thin boundary
layer, in which the viscous and inertial effects are equally important.

2. Based on the small thickness of a boundary layer, NS eqn can be simplified

considerably.

3. For a uniform flow past a flat plate, Blasius method, which transforms the PDE into
an ODE, leads to an exact solution, despite the use of numerical solution.

4. For any geometry and flow, the von Karman method provides an approximate
solution, as one has to assume a velocity profile to proceed.

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