TUTORIAL

BOUNDARY LAYER

1. Describe the definition of displacement thickness, δ* and momentum thickness, 

that occur in boundary layer.

2. In two dimensional boundary layer, shear stress was changed linearly from the
solid surface toward y-axis until it reach the value of zero at y = δ. The velocity
profile obtained from this relation of shear stress can be written as;
u 2y y2
= −
U  2
Determine the displacement thickness, δ* and the momentum thickness,  for the
given velocity profile as a function of boundary layer thickness.

3. Consider a flat plate at zero angle of attack in airflow at standard sea level
conditions. The length of the plate is 2 m. The area of the plate is 40 m2. At
standard sea level conditions, μ = 1.7894 x 10-3 kg/ms and ρ = 1.33 kg/m3.
Determine the friction drag on the plate when the free stream velocity is 100 m/s.

4. Define what is flow separation? With aided of appropriate illustrations, explain

the phenomena of separation for the flow over the cylinder and also differentiate
between the separation in laminar and turbulent flow.

5. Water with a kinematic viscosity of 1.12 x10-6 m2/s flows past a flat plate with an
upstream velocity of U = 0.03 m/s. If the boundary layer has a linear velocity
profile, determine the water velocity at a distance of 10 mm from the plate surface
at distances of x = 1.2 m and x = 12 m from the leading edge.

6. A light aircraft with a weight of 10 kN has a span of 12 m long and chord of 1.8
m. If the lift and drag coefficient of this aircraft are 0.45 and 0.05 respectively,
determine the power required to maintain level flight. Take air density, ρ = 1.208
kg/m3.

7. With a help of a sketch, describe on flow separation and wake region in a flow
over a cylindrical body.

8. With a help of a sketch, discuss on flow over an airfoil and how it helps to fly an
aeroplane.

9. A thin flat plate is installed in a water tunnel as a splitter. The plate is 0.3 m long
and 1 m wide. The free stream speed is 1.6 m/s. Laminar boundary layer form on
both sides of the plate. The boundary layer velocity profile is approximated as
parabolic. If water density is 999.1 kg/m3 and dynamic viscousity is 1.138 x 10-3
kg/m.s,
a. determine the boundary layer thickness at the point of transition from
laminar to turbulent flow,
 b. determine the total viscous drag force on the plate assuming the pressure
drag is negligible,
c. compare answer in (i) to the exact Blasius solution, and
d. compare answer in (ii) to the exact Blasius solution

10. Discuss on the advantages of having a vehicle which is streamlined compared to

non-streamlined body.

11. Discuss the different between friction drag and pressure drag.

12. Discuss on the possibility to drive a Formula One car in an upside down position.

13. The velocity component of a steady, incompressible flow, laminar, flat plate
boundary layer thickness, δ is approximated by the simple linear expression of
Uy
u= ; y < 𝛿
𝛿
u=U ; y > 𝛿

Based on this linear expression, determine:

a. the expression for displacement thickness, δ* as function of δ; and
b. the momentum thickness, θ as function of δ.
c. compare the approximate value of δ*/δ and θ/δ of question 3(d) with the
value of Blasius solution.

14. Explain the different on amount of lift force need to be produce by an aircraft
wing during,
a. take-off,
b. cruising, and
c. descending.

15. A small aircraft has a wing area of 40 m2, with a total mass of 3000 kg. The
aircraft is set to take-off (lifting from the ground) at 180 km/h. If the air density is
1.03 kg/m3, determine
a. the lift coefficient of the aircraft during the take-off,
b. the drag coefficient of the aircraft just before the take-off if the aircraft
needs to leave the air strip within 30 second from it rest position,
c. the required power to maintain a constant cruising speed of 315 km/h if
the cruising drag force is 0.035, and
d. the drag coefficient that needs to be produced by the aircraft’s wing to
stop the aircraft within 90 second after the touch-down at the velocity of
126 km/h.

16. With a help of a sketch, explain briefly the following terms

a. Boundary layer thickness, 
b. Displacement thickness, δ*
c. Momentum thickness, θ
17. The velocity profile of a turbulent flow over a flat plate can be expressed by
1
u y 5
=( )
U δ

a. Determine the equation for displacement thickness, δ* = f()

b. Determine the equation for momentum thickness, θ = f()

18 The drag coefficient of a racing cyclist is to be determined experimentally in a full

scale test in a wind tunnel. The speed, air density and frontal area of the racing
cyclist are 30 km/h, 1.2 kg/m3 and 0.36 m2 respectively.
a. If the drag force acting on the racing cyclist is 13.5N, determine the drag
coefficient of the racing cyclist.
b. If the drafting drag coefficient for racing cyclist is 0.5, determine the drag
force experience by the racingcyclistif he approaching his friend from
behind at the same speed.

19. Why we always refer to an equation based on Prandtl Momentum Equation and
Blasius Solution to solve problems related to laminar boundary layer.

20. Water with a viscosity of µ = 1.545 x 10-3kg.s/m and density  = 998 kg/m3flows
at U = 10 m/s past a flat plate with L = 3 m in the flow direction and Table 1 show
the value of n for a different Rex value. Derive an equation of ;
a. boundary layer thickness, 
b. displacement thickness, *
c. momentum thickness, 

Table 1 : n for a different Rex value

N Rex
7  107
8 107 Rex108
9 108 Rex109