BOUNDARY LAYER THEORY (Re>1000)

Unit # 1 Sec 8.6.1 Potter

Why study Boundary layer

It would help you understand how aircrafts fly It would help you calculate drag on surfaces skin friction on surfaces boundary layer thickness

Free-stream vs Boundary Layer

A high Reynolds number fluid stream over a solid surface may be divided into two parts: a) A thin layer adjacent to the surface, where only viscosity dominates called BOUNDARY LAYER (It is a viscous flow. It is very thin. The pressure within the boundary layer may be taken as that at the wall) b) An inviscid flow outside this boundary layer throughout called FREE-STREAM (It is a potential flow)

Boundary layer on flat plate

Boundary layer begins as a laminar flow with zero thickness at the leading edge. After some distance downstream the laminar flow undergoes transition to turbulent flow. Pressure in the boundary layer does not vary with y. It is same as that outside of it

DEFINITIONS
BOUNDARY LAYER () thickness is the = y( u =0.99U ) distance from the wall up to a height where the fluid velocity is 99% of the free-stream velocity u * ) thickness is the DISPLACEMENT ( = 1 U dy distance by which the boundary layer would 0 have to be displaced if the entire flow were frictionless and the same mass flow is maintained

MOMENTUM thickness ( ) is a measure of the deficit of momentum flux in the boundary layer as compared to potential flow. It is also a measure of total plate drag

u = U 0

u 1 U dy

Drag or Shear stress

Fluid drag on a body is governed by shear stress on the wall It is known from the velocity gradient on the wall

du dy

Transition of Laminar to Turbulent BL

Boundary layer is initially laminar, goes through a transition region when large-scale eddies are formed and then develops into turbulent flow. Transition from laminar to turbulent occurs at Rex > 500,000. where Rex is local Reynolds number, U x/= U x/

Turbulent boundary layer

Turbulent BL has a steeper velocity gradient at the surface

Problem (Fox-415)
A laboratory wind tunnel has a test section, 305 mm square. Boundary-layer velocity profiles are measured at two cross sections and displacement thicknesses are evaluated from the measured profiles. At section(1), where the free-stream speed is U1=26 m/s, the displacement thickness is 1.5 mm. At section (2), located downstream from section (1) displacement thickness is 2.1 mm. Calculate the change in static pressure between sections (1) and (2). Express the result as a fraction of the free-stream dynamic pressure at section (1).

Home work (Douglas 11.2)

Determine the ratio of momentum and displacement thickness to the boundary layer thickness, when the layer velocity profile is 0.5 given by u y where u is the velocity at a height y above the surface and the flow free stream velocity is U. [ Ans: 0.166 m, 0.33m]
= U

Summary
Boundary layer applies to the region close to the surface where viscosity is dominant. Boundary layer thickness = y(u =0.99U Displacement thickness Momentum thickness
u = 1 U dy 0
*

u = U 0

u 1 U dy

Wind Tunnel

Boundary layer

Figure 8.24 Boundary layer in air with Recrit = 3 x 105.