BOUNDARY LAYER

Learning Objectives:
1. Boundary Layer over a flat plate
2. Prandtl’s boundary layer equation through non-dimensionalization
3. Momentum integral equation for boundary layer
4. Separation of boundary layer
 Outer region
Inviscid region Boundary Layer edge
y Inner region of BL
Highly viscous region
x
Developing region Fully Developed region

Free stream region/ positional flow region

  x u  x, y  BL region
Assumptions:
2D flow, Laminar flow
Steady and incompressible
u u 1 P    2u  2u  flow
u v     2  2     x  momentum
x y  x   x y 
v v 1 P    2 v  2 v 
u v        y  momentum
x y  y   x 2 y 2 
u v
 o
x y
 We will follow following steps to get the Prandtl’s BL equation
Step 1: Non-dimesionalize the equations (Momentum as well as the continuity equations)
Step 2: Write down the scale of the boundary layer variables
Step 3: Carry out the order of magnitude analysis to neglect the insignificant terms
Step 4: Treatment for boundary conditions at solid wall and outer layer
Step 1: Non-dimesionalize the equations u u 1 P    2u  2u 
u v       x  momentum
(Momentum as well as the continuity x y  x   x 2 y 2 
equations) 
U 2 * u * U 2 * u *
u  v
1 U 2 P* U    2u *  2u* 
   
L x* L y*  L x*  L2  x*2 y*2 
The length and velocity scales are chosen as
* u
*
* u
*
P*    2u *  2u * 
L and U u v  *  

x* y* x U  L  x*2 y*2 
u * v P u * * u * P* 1   2u*  2u* 
u*  ;v  ; P*  u v
*
 *   *2   (2)
U U U 2 x *
y *
x 
Re  x *2
y 
x y
x *  ; y* 
L L Equation (1) is called non-dimensional x-
u v momentum equation. Similarly, we will get
 0
x y v* * v* P* 1   2 v*  2 v* 
u *
v  *    (3)
U  u * U  v* x* y* y Re  x*2 y *2 
  0
L x* L y *
u * v*
 *  * 0
x y
Step 2: Write down the scale of the boundary
layer variables u * * u * P* 1   2u*  2 u* 
u*
v  *    (2)
Inside BL: x* y* x Re  x*2 y*2 
u U  , x  L, y  1 1 1 1 1 
1    ?? 
u x y  1  Re 1  2 
 1; 1;   1 1 2
U L L L  should  be  2

Re
u x y 
 u*  1; x *  1; y*    1 1 1
U L L L 1    1   2  1
Step 3: Carry out the order of magnitude
1 
analysis For Y-momentum equation
Apply these scaling to our non-dimensional v* * v* P* 1   2 v*  2 v* 
equations. u *
v  *    *2 
x *
y *
y Re  x *2
y 
u * v*
 * 0     
x y
*
1    ??  2   2 
1  1  
1 P*
?  0 O  
1 y*
v*     
1 1    2   2 
y *
1  1  
So, v*  This shows that pressure across BL is constant
 u * v* 
If epsilon () is a very small quantity  * 0 
x y
*

u * * v* P* 1   2u *  2u *  2 * 
u*
v  *   * u
*
* v
*
P *
1   u 
x* y* x Re  x*2 y *2  u v  *   *2  
 (4)
x *
y *
x Re  y  
1  1 1 1 
1    1  P* 
1  Re 1  2   O   ;  1 
1 y *

 should  be  2 Equation (4) is called the Prandtl’s Boundary
Re
u * * v* P* 1  2u* Layer equation over a flat plate
u*
v  *  Boundary Conditions:
x* y* x Re y*2 Step 4: Treatment for boundary conditions at
Y-momentum equation solid wall and outer layer
Dimensional  form
v* * v* P* 1   2 v*  2 v*  y  0; u  0; v  0
u*
v  *    *2 
x *
y *
y Re  x *2
y  y   ;u  U
     We will try to get non-dimensional boundary
1    ??  2   2  conditions since the equations are already in
1  1  
non-dimensional from.
P* Non  dimensional  form
 O  
y* y *  0; u *  0; v*  0 

  (5)
y *   ( / L ); u *  1

 Blasius flow over a flat plate without 0.332 U 2 0.664
pressure gradient  wall  ; C fx 
Re x Re x
Here, we define a similarity variable
1.328 5.0 x

y Cavg  ;  x  
x Re x Re x
U A FDM Program to solve Eq. (5)
Using this variable, we convert the n=100
Prandtl’s boundary layer equation into a dy=0.1
non-linear ODE. We solve the non-linear //GRID in y-DIRECTION//
ODE by numerical method (i.e. shooting duplicate j=1,n+1
method, finite difference method to get y[j]=(j-1)*dy
velocity field. The details of the derivation End
is out of scope this lecture. //FDM formulation for transport equation//
duplicate j=3, n
2 f '''    f   f ''    0  2*(-f[j-2]+3*f[j-1]-3*f[j]+f[j+1])/dy^3+f[j]*(f[j+1]-
 2*f[j]+f[j-1])/dy^2=0
BC : at    0  End
  (5)
f    0; f '    0 
//Boundary Conditions//
f[1]=0
As    ; f '    0  (4*f[2]-f[3]-3*f[1])/(2*dy)=0

(f[n-1]-4*f[n]+3*f[n+1])/(2*dy)=1
 Displacement thickness (δ*)
// getting back for f'(eta) and f’’(eta)//
Due to the development of the
duplicate j=2,n
boundary layer, both the mass and
fd[j]=(f[j+1]-f[j-1])/(2*dy)
momentum fluxes are reduced.
fdd[j]=(f[j+1]-2*f[j]+f[j-1])/dy^2
Therefore, the displacement thickness
end
is distance the plate would be moved so
1.6
that the loss of the mass flux is equal to
1.4 f(h) the loss that would be caused by
1.2 boundary layer.
f'(h) The mass
flux if there is no boundary
1
layer= U dyw
 
f( h )

0.8 0

0.6
The mass flux if there is no boundary

layer=  udyw
0.4 
0 
f''(h)
0.2 The loss of mass flux due BL=   (U   u )dyw
 0

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
U  * w    (U   u )dyw
0
h 
u
Here, f’(eta) represents the dimensionless velocity
   (1 
*
)dy
0
U
f’’(eta) is the dimensionless wall shear stress
 
U w    u U   u  wdy
2
Momentum thickness (ϴ) 
0

Consider a flow of fluid having uniform 

u  u 
velocity over a thin, smooth and stationary    1   dy
0
U   U  
plate.
The mass flow rate=  uwdy
Rate of momentum in thin strip=  u 2 wdy Example:
Rate Momentum of the same strip in The velocity profile for laminar BL
absence of the plate=mass flow rate* free flow over a flat plate is:
3
stream velocity u 3 y 1 y
   
=  uU  wdy U 2  2   
Reduction in the rate of momentum in BL is Find the displacement and
= Rate of Momentum without BL-Rate of momentum thickness.
Momentum with BL   
 3 y 1  y 3 
u
=  u U   u  wdy    (1  )dy   1      dy
*

U 0 
  2  2    
Total rate of reduction in momentum is 0 

  3 / 8
=   u U   u  wdy 
u  u 
0   1   dy
0
U  U 
Let ϴ be the distance be displaced normal
 3 y 1  y 3    3 y 1  y 3   

to the solid boundary so that its velocity        1         dy
 2  2   
     2  2      
would be the free stream velocity. 0 
 
Then, the loss of rate of momentum flowing 39
 U  w U   U 2 w  
through the distance ϴ=  280
 Separation of Boundary Layer BL separation is undesirable in many
BL separation will start if there is engineering applications. Therefore, BL
adverse pressure gradient in the flow separation has to be controlled.
dP
(i.e. dx  0 ) There different methods to control the BL
separation.
1. Constructing a streamlined body over
which the fluid flows. By doing this the
adverse pressure gradient is reduced.
Examples of streamlined bodies are: Aerofoil,
Cars, Frontal area of aero- planes etc.
Nozzle
2. External fluid injection through porous
A
u dP wall. By injecting external fluid into BL,
 0& 0
x y 0 dx additional energy is imparted into BL fluid
Accleration whose energy already has been reduced
due to development of BL.
Thus, there is no BL separation in Ex: Fluid injection in gas turbine blade
nozzles cooling
3. Suction of the BL fluid though pores
Diffuser
u dP
 0& 0
x dx
u dP y 0
 0& 0 u dP Adverse
x y 0 dx  0& 0
x y 0 dx
Favorable
Sepration
A flat plate of 7.5 m length and 1 m wide is kept parallel to uniform air stream of air
velocity 20 m/s. The boundary layer flow changes from laminar to turbulent at Reynolds
number of 500000. Find the extent of the laminar BL . Find boundary layer thickness at
edge of the laminar BL. Find also boundary layer thickness at trailing edge. The kinematic
viscosity of air is 1.5* 10-5 m^2/s and density is 1.23 kg/m^3.
Re x ,cr  5 105 ( we  know)
U x
  5 105  x  0.375m

4.64
 lam   2.46mm
Re x ,cr
Trailing  edge : x  L
U L 20  7.5
Re x  L     8 106  Re x ,cr  5 105
 1.5 10 5

Hence, Turbulent  flow

0.37 x 0.37  7.5
 trail   
 Re x  8 10 
1/5 6 1/5

End of Boundary Layer Chapter!