AE 225: Boundary Layer Theory

Final Exam (Total marks 35)

Date 6/12/2021, 2:00pm-5:00pm

Instructions:

1. Submit a single scanned document with YourName_EnrolID.pdf

1) Consider the laminar and turbulent velocity profiles shown in figure 1.

𝑦 Laminar
𝛿99 Figure 1

Turbulent

𝑢
𝑈∞

Table 1 lists the ratios 𝛿99 /𝛿 ∗ and 𝛿99 /𝜃 for the two profiles, where 𝛿99 , 𝛿 ∗ and 𝜃 are 99% boundary layer thickness,
displacement thickness and momentum thickness respectively.

Flow type 𝛿99 /𝛿 ∗ 𝛿99 /𝜃

Laminar 2.85 7.38 Table 1

Turbulent 7 10

Explain, qualitatively, why 𝛿 ∗ and 𝜃 for the turbulent boundary layer are smaller than those for the laminar boundary
layer, for a given 𝛿99 .

[Note that instead of a turbulent boundary layer, one cloud have also chosen a laminar boundary layer under a favorable
pressure gradient as the mean velocity profiles for these flows have similar shapes.]

--4 Marks
2) For the Blasius boundary layer, we obtained the following expressions

for 𝛿 ∗ /𝑥 and [𝑣/𝑈∞ ]𝜂→∞ , where 𝑣 is the wall-normal velocity and 𝜂 is the similarity variable.

𝛿∗ 1
= 1.72
𝑥 √𝑅𝑒𝑥
𝑣 0.86
[ ] =
𝑈∞ 𝜂→∞ √𝑅𝑒𝑥

Is it a coincidence that the numerical factor in the expression for 𝛿 ∗ /𝑥 is exactly twice the numerical factor in the
expression for [𝑣/𝑈∞ ]𝜂→∞ ? Justify your answer.

--3 Marks

3) Write down the boundary layer equations and boundary conditions for a two-dimensional, steady, incompressible
flow past a body of general shape.

What transformation can be used to represent the boundary layer solution in a “Reynolds-number invariant” form?
Obtain the transformed boundary layer equations.

Further, if you want to achieve a similarity of solution in the streamwise direction, what kind of transformation will
you try for?

--4 Marks

4) Consider flow over the blunt nose of a body shown in figure 2.

𝑥
Figure 2

Suppose that the boundary layer edge-velocity over a certain range starting 𝑥 = 0 is specified as 𝑈(𝑥) = 𝑘𝑥 2 , where
𝑘 is a constant.

(a) Using Thwaites’ method, obtain an expression for the momentum thickness, 𝜃(𝑥), for this edge velocity.
Express 𝜃(𝑥) in terms of 𝜈 and 𝑑𝑈/𝑑𝑥 .
(b) Is this expression valid near the vicinity of 𝑥 = 0 ? If not, what modification in 𝑈(𝑥) would be necessary on
physical grounds, to get a correct expression for 𝜃 near 𝑥 = 0?

Given:

𝑑 𝜃2
𝑈 ( ) = 𝐹(𝜆),
𝑑𝑥 𝜈
𝜃 2 𝑑𝑈
where, 𝜆 ≡ = 0.45 − 6𝜆.
𝜈 𝑑𝑥

--4 Marks
5)

(a) Consider the algebraic equation

𝑥 2 − (3 + 2𝜖)𝑥 + 2 + 𝜖 = 0 ; 𝜖≪1

Introduce a perturbation power series into this equation and obtain the solution(s) up to 𝑂(𝜖).

--2 Marks

(b) Write True or False. Give a brief justification.

(b1): The “physical” order of magnitude and the “mathematical” order of magnitude are identical to each other.
1
(b2): The leading order inner solution for the boundary layer problem is 𝑂 ( ) in 𝜓(𝑥, 𝑦) and 𝑂(1) in 𝑢(𝑥, 𝑦), where
√𝑅𝑒
𝜓 is the streamfunction and 𝑢 is the streamwise velocity.

(b3): The displacement effect of the outer flow by the presence of boundary layer is contained in the second order
inner solution.

(b4): The composite solution constructed from inner and outer solutions, for a singular perturbation problem, is valid
throughout the domain except for the overlap region.

--4 Marks

6) Consider a plane mixing layer originating from a splitter plate as shown in figure 3.
𝑈1 𝑈1
Splitter
Plate

Figure 3
𝑈2
𝑈2

Assume that this flow is governed by Blasius boundary layer equations, although with different boundary conditions.

(a) Formulate the problem for the plane mixing layer in figure 3, including the similarity equation and
appropriate boundary conditions. Choose 𝑈1 as the velocity scale.
(b) Next, consider the special case of small velocity difference, i.e. (𝑈2 − 𝑈1 ) ≪ 𝑈1 . Carry out a perturbation
analysis on the problem formulated above for this case. Obtain the leading (first) order solution and the
second order correction to it. Comment on the result.
(c) What difference would it make do the analysis if 𝑈2 was chosen as the velocity scale?
--7 Marks
7) Consider the equation for forced convection in an incompressible flow on a flat plate
𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑣
+ =0
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦
𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑢 𝜕2𝑢
𝑢 +𝑣 =𝜈 2
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑦
𝜕𝑇 𝜕𝑇 𝜕2𝑇
𝑢 +𝑣 =𝛼 2
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑦
𝑦 𝑦
Construct similarity variables with 𝜂 = and ξ = and introduce them in the thermal energy equation.
𝛿𝑠 (𝑥) 𝛿𝑇 (𝑥)
Here 𝛿𝑠 (𝑥) and 𝛿𝑇 (𝑥) are velocity and thermal boundary-layer thicknesses respectively. Other symbols carry
their usual meaning.

(a) Find out the condition that needs to be satisfied to obtain a similarity equation for temperature. From the
𝜈𝑥
momentum equation we know 𝛿𝑠 = √ . What is the form for 𝛿𝑇 that you can deduce from the analysis? In what
𝑈 ∞

way does Prandtl number enter the analysis?

(b) Find out the form of 𝛿𝑇 such that the resulting similarity equation for the thermal boundary layer does not
contain Prandtl number explicitly.

(c) Do you expect to obtain similarity solution for the thermal boundary layer when the velocity boundary layer
admits a Falkner-Skan solution, with the boundary layer edge velocity varying like 𝑈(𝑥) = 𝐶𝑥 𝑚 .

-- 7 marks