Falkner-Skan Flows For the family of flows, we assume that the edge velocity, u e ( x) is of the following form:

u e ( x) = Kx m K = arbitrary constant

The pressure can be calculated from the Bernoulli in the outer, inviscid flow:
1 2 u e = const. 2 dp du e = u e e dx dx dp 2 2 m 1 e = K m x dx pe +

if m > 0 then

dp e < 0 favorable pressure gradient dx

if m < 0 then

dpe > 0 adverse pressure gradient dx

These edge velocities result from the following inviscid flows:

2m 1+ m

u e ( x)

u e ( x)
x=0

Flow around a corner (diffusion) 2 0

Wedge flow 0 2

Falkner-Skan Flows

Some important cases:

= 0, m = 0 : flat plat (Blasius) = 1, m = 1 : plane stagnant point

The boundary layer independent variable from the Blasius solution generalizes to:

m + 1 u e ( x) and u ( x, y ) = u e ( x ) f 1 ( m) 2 vx

An interesting case in = 1, m = 1 , i.e. stagnation point flow:

u e ( x) ue = K x

inviscid flow velocity increases away from stag. pt. at x = 0

=y

1+1 Kx 2 vx K v

=y

is independent of x
Boundary layer at a stagnation point does not grow with x !

The skin friction can be found from:

w =

u y

= u e ( x)
y =0

d2 f d

y =0

y =0

f 11 (o)

16.100 2002

Falkner-Skan Flows

Since = y

m + 1 u e ( x) = vx 2 y

m + 1 u e ( x) vx 2
tabulated
1 2 u e ( x ) : 2

w = u e ( x)

m + 1 u e ( x) 11 f ( o) vx 2

The skin friction coefficient is normalized by

C f ( x)

w
1 2 u e ( x ) 2

=2

m +1 v f 11 (o) 2 u e ( x) x

Cf = Re x

m + 1 11 f (o) 2 Re x

u e ( x) x v

Note: separation occurs when C f = 0 which means f 11 (o) = 0 . From the table, this occurs for = 0.19884 18
o

This is only an angle of 18o!

16.100 2002