Boundary Layer Flow

Hari Prasad Neopane, PhD

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Kathmandu University
hari@ku.edu.np
 What is Boundary Layer
• When a real fluid past a solid body or a solid wall, the fluid
particles adhere to the boundary and condition of no slip
occurs
• This means that the velocity of fluid close to the boundary
will be same as that of the boundary
• If the boundary is stationary, the velocity of fluid at the
boundary will be zero. Further away from the boundary,
the velocity will be higher and as a result of this variation
of velocity, the velocity gradient will exist.
• The velocity of fluid increases from zero velocity on the
stationary boundary to free-stream velocity (U) of the fluid
in the direction normal to the boundary
 Boundary Layer Contd..
• Variation of velocity from zero to
free-stream velocity in the
direction normal to the boundary
takes place in a narrow region in
the vicinity of solid boundary
• This narrow region of the fluid is
called boundary layer
• The theory dealing with
boundary layer flows is called
boundary layer theory
 Boundary Layer Contd..
• The flow of fluid in the neighborhood of the solid boundary
may be divided into two regions
– A very thin layer of the fluid, called boundary layer, in the immediate
neighborhood of the solid boundary, where the variation of velocity
from zero at the solid boundary to free-stream velocity in the
direction normal to the boundary takes place. In this region, the
velocity gradient exists and hence the fluid exerts a shear stress on
the wall in the direction of motion. Here the flow is rotational and
shear stresses are present
– The remaining fluid, which is outside the boundary layer. The
velocity outside the boundary layer is constant and equal to free-
stream velocity. Here velocity gradient becomes zero and shear
stress is also zero
 Boundary Layer Definitions
• Hydrodynamic
boundary layer
u
• For the zone, y  0
• Beyond the zone
u
 0, u  U 0
y
• Laminar boundary layer- velocity profile is parabolic
• Turbulent boundary layer- does not extend to the solid
Re x  U 0  x
surface
• Laminar sub-layer - flow is laminar character 
Velocity distribution on a Flat plate
• In laminar boundary layer, the
velocity gradient becomes less
steep as one proceeds along
the flow
• In turbulent boundary layer,
there occurs an interchange of
momentum and energy
amongst the individual layers
and has a fuller velocity profile
and a much steeper velocity
gradient
 Shear Stress distribution on a Flat
plate
• Velocity gradient and hence the shear
stress has a higher value at the plate
surface.
• For laminar boundary layer the velocity
gradient becomes smaller along the
flow direction and so does the shear
stress.
• For a turbulent boundary layer the
shear stress at the plate surface again
takes up high value consistent with the
steeper velocity gradient
 Boundary Layer Growth in Pipe
• Development of boundary
layer for pipe flow proceeds in
a fashion similar to that for flow
along a flat plat
• Here thickness of the boundary
layer is limited to pipe radius
• Boundary layers from the pipe walls meet at centre of the
pipe and the entire flow acquires the characteristics of a
boundary layer. Beyond this point, the velocity profile does
not change and it is fully developed flow
• The velocity gradient and the wall shear stresses are greatest
at the pipe entrance and drop to a steady value at and
beyond the region of fully developed flow
 The Entrance Region
Consider a fluid entering a circular pipe at a uniform velocity.

The thickness of the boundary layer is limited to the pipe

radius because of the flow being within a confined passage
 The Entrance Region
• The velocity profile in the fully developed region (a flow
in which the velocity profile does not vary along the pipe
axis) is parabolic in laminar flow and somewhat flatter (or
fuller) in turbulent flow.
• The time-averaged velocity profile remains unchanged
when the flow is fully developed, and thus u = u(r) only.
• The velocity profile remains unchanged in the fully
developed region, so does the wall shear stress.
• The wall shear stress is the highest at the pipe inlet
where the thickness of the boundary layer is smallest,
and decreases gradually to the fully developed value.
Therefore, the pressure drop is higher in the entrance
regions of a pipe.
The Entrance Region
 Entry Lengths
• The hydrodynamic entry length is usually taken to be the
distance from the pipe entrance to where the wall shear
stress (and thus the friction factor) reaches within about 2
percent of the fully developed value.
• In laminar flow, the hydrodynamic entry length is given
approximately as

• In turbulent flow, the hydrodynamic entry length for

turbulent flow can be approximated as

• The entry length is much shorter in turbulent flow, as

expected, and its dependence on the Reynolds number is
weaker.
 Entry Lengths
• In the limiting laminar case of Re 2300, the hydrodynamic
entry length is 115D.
• In many pipe flows of practical engineering interest, the
entrance effects for turbulent flow become insignificant
beyond a pipe length of 10 diameters, and the
hydrodynamic entry length is approximated as

• In turbulent flow, it is reasonable to assume the flow is

fully developed for a pipe whose length is several times
longer than the length of its entrance region.
 Boundary Layer Parameters
• Boundary layer thickness ( ):
distance from the boundary of
the solid body measured in the
y-direction to the point, where
the velocity of the fluid is
approximately equal to 0.99
times the free stream velocity
(U) of the fluid. For laminar and
turbulent zone,

 lam  tur '

 Boundary Layer Definition Contd..

• Displacement thickness ( *): The

distance, measured perpendicular
to the boundary of the solid body,
by which the boundary should be
displaced to compensate for the
reduction in flow rate on account of
boundary layer formation.
• Also the distance perpendicular to
the boundary, by which the free-
stream is displaced due to the
formation of the boundary layer
 
 u 
 U 0  w   U 0  u   w  dy, Or    1    dy
* *

0
0
U0 
 Boundary Layer Definition Contd..
• Imagine that if we displace the uniform flow away from the solid
surface by an amount d*, such that the flow rate with the uniform
velocity will be the same as the flow rate being displaced by the
presence of the boundary layer.

 
 u 
 U 0  w   U 0  u   w  dy, Or    1    dy
* *

0 0  U0 
 Boundary Layer Definition Contd..
• Momentum thickness (  ): defined as the distance,
measured perpendicular to the boundary of the solid body,
by which the boundary should be displaced to compensate
for the reduction in momentum of the flowing fluid on
account of boundary layer formation

u u
  1   dy
0
U U
• Energy thickness ( ** ): defined as the distance measured
perpendicular to the boundary of the solid body, by which
the boundary should be displaced to compensate for the
reduction in kinetic energy of the flowing fluid on account of
boundary layer formation 
u  u2 
 **   1  2  dy
0
U  U 
 Boundary Layer Definition Contd..
• Shape Factor (H): represent the ratio of
displacement thickness to momentum
thickness *
H


• Skin friction coefficient (Cf): refer to the

ratio of the local wall shear stress  0 to the
dynamic pressure of the uniform flow
stream 
C 
f
0
1
U 02
2
 Problems
• Find the displacement thickness, the momentum thickness
and energy thickness for the velocity distribution in the
boundary layer given by u y

U 
where ‘u’ is the velocity at a distance y from the plate and u
= U at y =  , which is boundary layer thickness. Also
calculate the value of  * /  [Ans:  / 2,  / 6,  / 4, 3 ]
• Find the displacement thickness, the momentum thickness
and energy thickness for the velocity distribution in the
boundary layer given by u  y  y
2

 2    
U    
• [Ans:  / 3, 2 / 15, 22 / 105 ]
Von Karman Momentum Integral
 
Eq. U x
 0
2

• Derived from the integration of the Navier-stokes eq.

to a large control volume
• Conservation of momentum in its integral form
• Fundamental eq. in boundary layer theory and it is
valid for any boundary layer developing along a flat
plate
• Applied to: Laminar boundary layers, Transition
boundary layer, and Turbulent boundary layer flows
• Local coefficient of Drag CD*  1  0
U 2
2

• Average coefficient of Drag CD 

FD
1
AU 2
2
 Boundary conditions for the
velocity profiles
• The followings are the boundary conditions
which must be satisfied by any velocity profile,
whether it is in laminar boundary layer zone,
or in turbulent boundary layer zone:
du
At y  0, u  0 and has some finite value
dy
At y , u U
du
At y , 0
dy
 Separation of Boundary Layer
• When a solid body is immerged in a flowing
fluid, a thin layer of fluid is called the boundary
layer is formed adjacent to the solid body
• In this thin layer of fluid, the velocity varies from
zero to free-stream velocity in the direction
normal to the solid body
• Along the length of the solid body, the thickness
of the boundary layer increase
Separation of Boundary Layer contd..

• The fluid layer adjacent to the solid surface

has to do work against surface friction at the
expense of its kinetic energy
• This loss of the kinetic energy is recovered
from the immediate fluid layer in contact with
the layer adjacent to the solid surface through
momentum exchange process
• Thus the velocity of the layer goes on
decreasing
 Separation of Boundary Layer contd..
• Along the length of the solid body, at a certain
point a stage may come when the boundary layer
may not be able to keep sticking to the solid body
if it cannot provide kinetic energy to overcome the
resistance offered by the solid body
• In other words, the boundary layer will be
separated from the surface. This phenomenon is
called the boundary layer separation
• The point on which the boundary layer is on the
verge of separation from the surface is called
point of separation
Effect of Pressure Gradient on
Boundary Layer Separation
 Location of Separation Point
• Depends on the roughness of surface, the Reynolds
number, the geometry of the curved surface and the nature
of the boundary layer
• Separation occurs with both laminar and turbulent
boundary layers. However, turbulent boundary layers resist
separation better than do the laminar boundary layers
• Turbulent boundary layers possess more energy (due to
velocity fluctuations in a direction normal to mean flow)
than the corresponding laminar ones and as such are
capable of moving against a greater pressure gradient
without separation
 Location of Separation Point
• The separation point ‘S’ is determined from the condition,
 u 
   0
 y  y 0

• For a given velocity profile, it can be determined whether

the boundary layer has separated, or on the verge of
separation or will not separate from the following
conditions:
• If  u  is negative…..the flow has separated
 y  y 0

• If  u 
   0 …..the flow is on verge of separation
 y  y 0

 u 
• if   is positive…the flow will not separated or
 y  y 0
flow will remain attached with the surface
 Boundary Layer and separation

Flow accelerates Flow decelerates

Constant flow

P
P  0, adverse
 0, favorable x
x P pressure gradient
 0, no gradient
pressure gradient x

Separation point Flow reversal

free shear layer
highly unstable
 Boundary Layer Separation
• Unstable, inefficient process and entails large losses
due to appreciable eddying region
• Separation occurs in the following cases:
– Diffusers
– Open channel transitions
– Pumps
– Fans
– Aerofoil,
– Turbine Blades etc
 Methods of preventing the
Boundary Layer Separation
• Streamlining the body shape
• Tripping the boundary layer from laminar to turbulent by
provision of surface roughness
• Sucking the retarded flow
• Injecting high velocity fluid in the boundary layer
• Providing slots near the leading edge
• Guidance of flow in a confined passage
• Providing a rotating cylinder near the leading edge
• Energizing the flow by introducing optimum amount of
swirl in the incoming flow
Methods of preventing the Boundary
Layer Separation Contd..
 Problems
• For the following velocity profiles, determine
whether the flow has separated or on the verge
of separation or will attach with the surface:
3
u 3 y 1 y
1.      will not separate
U 2   2  
2 3
2. u  y  y on verge of separation
 2    
U    
2
3. u  y  y has separated
 2    
U    