Boundary Layer Theory (Lectures 37 to 40)

Q1. Choose the correct answer

(i) The boundary layer thickness for flow over a flat plate
(a) increases with an increase in the free stream velocity
(b) decreases with an increase in the free stream velocity
(c) increases with an increase in the kinematic viscosity
(d) decreases with an increase in the kinematic viscosity
[Ans. (b) and (c)]
(ii) If x is the distance measured from the leading edge of a flat plate, the wall shear
stress for laminar boundary layer varies as
(a) x
(b) x1 2
(c) x −1 2
(d) x −4 5
[Ans.(b)]

(iii) The growth of the turbulent boundary layer thickness as compared to the laminar
boundary layer takes place
(a) at a slower rate
(b) at a faster rate
(c) at the same rate
(d) unpredictable
[Ans.(b)]
(iv) Separation in flow past a solid object is caused by
(a) a favourable (negative ) pressure gradient
(b) an adverse ( positive ) pressure gradient
(c) the boundary layer thickness reducing to zero
(d) a reduction of pressure to vapour pressure
[Ans.(b)]

Q2.
The velocity profile over a flat plate of length L is expressed in terms of a similarity
u dF ( η) U∞
variable η as = , where η = y . Numerical solution for the variable
U∞ dη υx
d 2F
reveals that = 0.3 . Determine the drag coefficient as a function of Reynolds
d η2 η=0

number, Re L .
Solution
The wall shear stress is found to be
∂u
τw =µ
∂y y =0

1
 ∂u ∂η
= µ
∂η η=0 ∂y
d 2F U∞
= µU ∞
d η2 η=0
υx
U∞
= 0.3µU ∞
υx
The drag force acting on one side of the plate is
FD= ∫0 τw wdx
L
( w is the width of the plate in a direction
perpendicular to the plate)
U∞
= ∫0 0.3µU ∞
L
wdx
υx
= 0.6U ∞ wµ Re L
The drag coefficient is then
FD 0.6U ∞ wµ Re L 1.2
= C fL = =
1 1 Re L
ρU ∞2 wL ρU ∞2 wL
2 2
Q3.
The velocity profile within boundary layer for steady, two-dimensional, constant density,
laminar flow over a flat plate is a polynomial of order 4 and is given as:
2 3 4
u y  y  y  y
=C0 + C1 + C2   + C3   + C4  
U∞ δ δ δ δ
Using suitable boundary conditions, evaluate the constants C0 , C1 , C2 , C3 and C4 .
Solution
The boundary conditions are
(i) at y = 0 , u = 0
(ii) at y = δ , u = U ∞
∂u
(iii) at y = δ , =0
∂y
∂ 2u
(iv)at y = 0 , =0
∂y 2
∂ 2u
(v) at y = δ , =0
∂y 2
Applying u = 0 at y = 0 , one can get
0 = C0
Applying u = U ∞ at y = δ gives
1 = C1 + C2 + C3 + C4 (1)
Differentiating the velocity profile (note that both u and δ are functions of x only) with
respect to y, we obtain

2
 2 3
1 ∂u C1 2C2 y 3C3  y  4C4  y 
=+ +   +  
U ∞ ∂y δ δ δ δ δ δ δ
∂u
Applying (iii) boundary condition i.e., = 0 at y = δ , we get
∂y
0 =C1 + 2C2 + 3C3 + 4C4 (2)
A second differentiation of the velocity profile gives
2
1 ∂ 2u 2C2 6C3 y 12C4  y 
=2 + 2 + 2  
U ∞ ∂y 2 δ δ δ δ δ
∂ 2u
Applying (iv) boundary condition i.e., = 0 at y = 0 , we obtain
∂y 2
0 = C2 (3)
∂u
2
Applying (v) boundary condition i.e., = 0 at y = δ , we obtain
∂y 2
=
0 C3 + 2C4 (4)

Solving Eqs (1), (2), (3) and (4) simultaneously, we obtain

C1 = 2 , C3 = −2 and C4 = 1
Then the velocity profile becomes
3 4
u y  y  y
=
2 − 2  +  
U∞ δ δ δ

Q4.
The most general sinusoidal velocity profile for laminar boundary-layer flow on a flat
=
plate is u A sin( By ) + C . State three boundary conditions applicable to the laminar
boundary-layer velocity profile. Evaluate constants A, B and C.
For the above velocity profile find expressions for:
(a) the rate of growth of δ as a function of x.
(b) the local skin friction coefficient in terms of distance and flow properties.
(c) the total drag force on a plate of length L and width w.
Solution
The velocity profile is given as
= u A sin( By ) + C
The boundary conditions are
(i) at y = 0 , u = 0 ( no-slip condition at the plate)
(ii) at y = δ , u = U ∞ (free stream velocity at the edge of the boundary layer)
∂u
(iii) at y = δ , = 0 ( zero shear stress at the edge of the boundary layer)
∂y
Applying u = 0 at y = 0 , one can get
0=C
Applying u = U ∞ at y = δ gives

3
 U ∞ = A sin( Bδ ) (1)
∂u
Applying (iii) boundary condition i.e., = 0 at y = δ , we get
∂y
0 = AB cos( Bδ )
π
or Bδ =
2
π
or B=
2δ
π
Substituting B = in Eq. (1), we obtain
2δ
π π
= U ∞ A sin(= δ ) A=
sin( ) A
2δ 2
or A = U∞
The velocity profile is then
π y
u = U ∞ sin  
2 δ
u π y
Substituting = sin   into von Karman integral equation
U∞ 2 δ
τ d δ u  u 
=
( w2 ∫ 1 − dy ), we obtain
ρU ∞ dx 0 U ∞  U ∞ 
τw d δ u   u
= ∫ 1 −
dy
ρU ∞ dx 0 U ∞  U ∞
2

d δ
 π y   π y 
= ∫ sin   1 − sin   dy
dx 0  2 δ    2 δ 
d δ π y 2  π y 
= ∫ sin   − sin   dy
dx 0   2 δ   2 δ 
d δ π y 1  y    1 − cos 2θ 
= ∫ sin   − 1 − cos  π  dy  sin θ =
2

dx 0   2 δ  2   δ   2 

d δ π y 1 1  y 
= ∫ sin   − + cos  π  dy
dx 0   2 δ  2 2  δ 
δ
 π y  y 
 − cos   sin  π  
=
d
 2 δ−1 y+1  δ 
dx  π 2 2 π 
 2δ δ 
0

4
  π δ π 0  δ  0 
 − cos   cos  ×  sin  π  sin  π×  
=
d
 2 δ +  2 δ  − 1 δ − 1 ×0+  δ −  δ

dx  π π 2 2 2π 2π 
 2δ 2δ δ δ 
 
d  1 1 
= 0 + π − δ + 0 − 0 
dx  2 
 2δ 
d  2δ δ 
= −
dx  π 2 
dδ  2 1  dδ
=  − =  0.137
dx  π 2  dx
dδ
or τ=w 0.137ρU ∞2 (2)
dx
π y
The velocity at a location y measured from the plate is u = U ∞ sin  
2 δ
Differentiating with respect to y, we have
∂u π π y
= U∞ cos  
∂y 2δ 2 δ
∂u π  π 0  πU ∞
At y = 0 , = U∞ cos=  × 
∂y y =0 2δ  2 δ 2δ
Therefore, the wall shear stress becomes
∂u πU ∞ µπU ∞
τw =µ =µ = (3)
∂y y =0 2δ 2δ
Equating the values of τw from Eqs (2) and (3), we obtain
d δ πµU ∞
τ= 0.137ρU ∞2 =
2δ
w
dx
dδ πµ
or, δ =
dx 0.274ρU ∞
µ
or, δd δ =11.466 dx
ρU ∞
Integrating the above equation, we get
δ2 µ
= 11.466 x+C
2 ρU ∞
At x = 0 , δ =0 , so C = 0 .
Then
δ2 µ
= 11.466 x
2 ρU ∞

5
 22.932µ
or, δ2 = x
ρU ∞
22.932µ µ
or, =δ = x 4.79 x
ρU ∞ ρU ∞
δ µ 4.79
or, = 4.79
=
x ρU ∞ x Re x

The local skin friction coefficient C fx is given by

τw
C fx =
1
ρU ∞2
2
µπU ∞
2δ µπ µπ
= = =
ρU ∞2 ρδU ∞ ρU ∞ × 4.79 µ x
1
2 ρU ∞
0.656
=
Re x
The total shear force FD on one side of the plate is given by
FD= ∫0 τw wdx
L

L πµU ∞
= ∫0 wdx
2δ
πµU ∞
= ∫0
L
wdx
µ
2 × 4.79 x
ρU ∞
µ L 1
= 0.327ρU ∞2 w ∫ dx
ρU ∞ 0 x
L
µ  12 
= 0.327ρU w 2
∞ 2 x 
ρU ∞  0
µ 12
= 0.655ρU ∞2 w L
ρU ∞