Boundary layer Definition and 55 Threads

I was reading an article and it mentioned that surface roughness can affect boundary layer transition? How? I am just a casual reader of aerodynamics but have a background in engineering can anyone explain the physics behind surface roughness affecting boundary layers and flow separation? and...

Hello everyone 😊, I know that shear stress in turbulent flow is a lot larger from shear stress in laminar flow. My question is about the shear stress at the walls of the pipe. So i was watching a video about shear stress in turbulent flow and the narrator pointed out that the shear stress in...

In aerodynamics, how does flow separation reduces the lift and drag of a wing at the same time?

I have tried to approach in the following way I am stuck. How should I approach this next.please help

Hey all, I recently took an aerodynamics exam that included the question "Please Explain how the Bernoulli Equation can be Applied Inside a Boundary Layer". Now, it is my belief that the Bernoulli equation, defined by my textbook as P+0.5ρV2=ℂ, requires inviscid flow to be properly applied...

I've been searching the net but can not find any freely available literature. Can someone give me a quick lesson on boundary layer instability and its frequencies? I have an equation that claims to scale the instability frequency by: F = U/2*delta U is leading edge velocity delta is layer...

Hi, I was recently reading about convergent-divergent nozzles and was wondering about how boundary layers grow in them. Question: How does a boundary layer grow in a convergent duct in subsonic flow? How does this compare to the growth of a boundary layer in a divergent duct in subsonic flow...

Does the definition of fully developed flow is different for laminar and turbulent? I understand the fact that the entrance length are different in laminar and turbulent flows, but I believe the definition of fully hydrodynamically developed flow means that the velocity profile (hence momentum)...

Homework Statement hello, i have been given a piece of homework which is determining the characteristics on an aerofoils boundary layer. In the brief the following statement is made with no context “Aerofoil is flying in chord Reynolds number 0.2x10^6” am i correct in saying that is the point...

According to wikipedia "The onset of turbulence can be predicted by the Reynolds number, which is the ratio of inertial forces to viscous forces within a fluid which is subject to relative internal movement due to different fluid velocities, in what is known as a boundary layer in the case of a...

Could someone please go here... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_separation And explain to me the difference between Flow and Boundary Separation discussed in the opening. Because this explanation makes no sense to me. I have the problem. I just don't understand the difference.

Hi PF, I'm trying to derive the Prandlt condition (not sure if it is Prandlt's work tough) for a fluid to separate from a surface in the boundary layer. The equation should be: ##\frac {\partial^2 v_x} {\partial y^2} = 0## which is quite "intuitive" to me. To derive it let's start from the...

How does low ambient pressure effect on the thickness of the boundary layer for given flow conditions of gas? In absolute vacuum the thickness of the boundary layer is 0 of course, but it seems that all the boundary layer thickness correlations use the Reynolds number, which doesn’t change much...

Hi PF! So after scaling Navier-Stokes for a flow over a flat plate we ultimately arrive at ##f f'' + f''' = 0## subject to ##f(0)=0##, ##f'(0)=0##, and ##f'(\infty) = 1## where independent variable is ##\eta##. The source I was reading is trying to reduce this BVP to an IVP. Thus they suggest...

I was wondering how a boundary layer would be dissipative of momentum if it was under the influence of a positive heat gradient. I understand that the reason that we don't see the boundary pressure equal the stagnation pressure is that the boundary is dissipative (so excess pressure above...

When compared to laminar flows, the fluid "sticks" with the solid surface longer in case of turbulent flows. For example, the angle of separation for flow over a circular cylinder is 80 degrees for laminar flows, and 140 degrees for turbulent flows. What is the reason?

I have a question about the following scenario involving a flow separation issue in a pipe expansion The angle of the expansion is 30* - doubling the diameter from 1D to 2D We can consider this flow fully developed with a Reynolds of 5000+ Associated with this expansion is a head loss...

what does the relation between the temperature gradient inside the thermal boundary and thermal boundary layer thickness i mean what will be the temperature gradient ( high or low) when the thermal boundary layer is thick relative to the thin one? Kindly explain mathematically and physically as...

Hi, PF! Recently, while reading chapter 6 of Incropera's Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer I got into a confusion regarding the velocity boundary layer. The book first states that, as the flow becomes more turbulent, the boundary layer gets thicker, as indicated by both figures attached at...

Is the Blasius solution valid for internal flow in an underdeveloped pipe? Can the function for the boundary layer thickness be used to calculate when the boundary layers will meet in the center of the pipe? I don't see how it could be valid since the assumption in its derivation is that...

I was reading this: http://www.creatis.insa-lyon.fr/~dsarrut/bib/Archive/others/phys/www.mas.ncl.ac.uk/%257Esbrooks/book/nish.mit.edu/2006/Textbook/Nodes/chap06/node29.html Under the first figure it states "Figure 6.20: The boundary layer at a stagnation point on an airfoil has a constant...

Hello, I am simulating an experiment I did in the lab where we had air flow over a tray of water to determine the mass transfer coefficient scaling with velocity, as well as boundary layer thickness scaling with velocity. Now I am using COMSOL to simulate the experiment, and here is the...

Hello, I'm doing an experiment where I will be blowing warm air parallel to a stagnant water surface, and I will investigate the scaling of air velocity with mass transfer coefficient. I am trying to find some kind of scaling of the concentration boundary layer thickness with air velocity, and...

Hello Guys, Could someone explain to me the meaning of greater thermal boundary layer over hydrodynamic boundary layer over a flat plate surface? I know how to calculate both streams, but I don't understand the meaning of smaller thermal boundary vs. hydrodynamic boundary and vice-versa. What...

Hi All! as you can see I'm new here! i signed up in order to ask for a wee bit of help with my thesis! (now don't get me wrong I am not exactly asking anyone to write it for me!) I've found myself at a small bit of a loose end here, as a mechanical engineering student i am perfectly capable of...

Hi, could you tell the physical meaning of the displacement and momentum thickness of a boundary layer.And why the stream line diverges away from the body in the boundary layer to conserve mass?

Hi all. I am new to boundary layers. Do the stability region of viscous Laminar and inviscid flow overlap? Why? Thanks :)

So I know individually how these form. Unfortunately I haven't found any sources that describe more detailed questions that pop up in my mind. Could someone help me answer a couple of questions? 1. So if a thermal boundary layer forms in a 'plug flow' model i.e. when there is no momentum...

Can anyone explain me why the thermal boundary layer develops faster for viscous fluids? I would just say it would develop more slowly because due to high viscosities there are low reynoldsnumbers and thus less turbulence or mixing. This causes a slow homogenization of temperature (assume a...

Homework Statement A flat plate moves in water (20°C) in the direction of the plate at a speed of 1 m/s. What is the boundary layer thickness 0.1 meter downstream of the plate?Homework Equations Reynolds number: ##Re_x=\frac{xU_∞}{\nu}## Boundary layer thickness for laminar flow...

Can someone please explain to me the nature of the boundary layer and its effects on fluid flow over an aerofoil? Thanks,

I have started studying fluid mechanics recently and seems to be a very basic conceptual question that is bugging me and unfortunately I am unable to find a reasonable explanation for it. Your help would be more than appreciated. The mathematical definition for incompressiblility in fluid...

I'm having a little difficulty in the topic 'Boundary layer Equations' in Fluid Mechanics due to my weak math skills. With reference to the figure in attachment, if we say that "we neglect \frac{∂^{2}u}{∂x^{2}}", does it mean that we will only consider the portion where \delta(x) is almost...

Hi I cannot find an equation for a boundary layer in a pipe flow (laminar). I am looking for an equivalent of the equation δ(x)=4.91x/(√Re) that works for a flow between plates (x is the distance downstream). The thing is- I am looking for BL thickness for still undeveloped flow. I would be...

Hi all, Am reading a few papers for a Uni case study about structures in Turbulent Boundary Layers over a Flat Plate (water), particularly low-speed streaks. I'm confused over what mechanism causes the span wise variations in velocity that seems to cause low speed streaks. Would...

I'm currently having a bit of an intuitive problem understanding the Prandtl number effect on boundary layers and I'm hoping that someone can explain it better than what I've read in some heat transfer books. According to various HT books, a low Prandtl number means that heat diffuses quickly...

Hi all, I am looking to learn more about boundary layer control devices that can delay boundary layer transition (Laminar to Turbulent) and also BL devices that can delay flow separation. I have already found loads of info on Vortex Generators but i am having trouble finding info on things...

I am working on a hypersonic vehicle project and would like to calculate the boundary layer. The vehicle that I am studying is the Apollo re-entry capsule. I'm assuming a 2-D flow. Here's what I have done so far. Calculate the local surface inclination angle at any point on the blunt body...

Lets go straight to the point. I need to find a way to calculate the displacement thickness of a turbulent boyndary layer. The laminar part has been simulated with Thwaite's method but I need to go from there. I'v heard of "Head's-model" but can't find the solution for it. Anyone that can...

I understand application of Snell's law for transition from one medium to another but I have a question regarding this model. When an electromagnetic wave transitions from air into a conductive medium does the wavelength change instantaneously as the theory seems to imply or is there a boundary...

Homework Statement The problem is write this d\Psi/dy(d^2\Psi/dxdy)-d\Psi/dx(d^2\Psi/dy^2=-\nu(d^3\Psi/dy^3) in the form of -ff''=f''' where \Psi(x,y)=-sqrt(V*\nu*x)f(\eta) f(\eta)=integral(from 0 to \eta)(\Pi')*(\overline{\eta})*d(\overline{\eta}) where \overline{\eta} is a dummy...

Hello, I am looking for a reference which has solutions for the laminar flow boundary layer for the following scenario: circular cylinder, L>>d, length in direction of flow, with flat circular cap uniform laminar flow inviscid, incompressible fluid In other words, I would like the...

I am trying to calculate the thickness of the boundary layer for a NACA 2412 airfoil. I am working on constructing some wind tunnel tests that simulate a Cessna 172 (NACA 2412 airfoil). I am trying to determine the thickness of the boundary layer (distance from surface to 99% of free-stream...

Hello, You've all probably seen the classic Blasius solution concerning the thickness of a boundary over a flat plate. This problem though assumes that the free stream velocity is constant. http://www.see.ed.ac.uk/~johnc/teaching/fluidmechanics4/2003-04/fluids9/2-dboundary.html I am...

Hi, i am mech undergrad student, currently i am doing my thesis for CFD simulation of wind flow in urban area by using FLUENT. I am trying to apply logarithmic velocity profiles for my inlet boundary condition. My question is that from the formula of logarithmic wind profile, the velocity will...

Tripping the boundary layer...why?? I don't understand why we have these "vortex generators" to trip the boundary layer into becoming turbulent...i've seen this a lot on F1 cars. On a regular car you can trip the boundary layer in front of your windshield...does the boundary layer somehow...

Hey guys, The streamlines just outside a boundary layer are pushed away from the wall by the displacement thickness \delta* and I understand that; \delta*=\int^{\infty}_{0}(1-\frac{u}{U})dy Now this is for flow over a plate with length x=4m. At x=0 is the leading edge and at x=4...

I am really confused. Would you please tell me what the turbulent boundary layer thickness is on a flat plate? There is a well-known Schlichting formula in the previous editions of his book “boundary layer theory”, which is: \delta = 0.37 X Re^{-0.2} But actually I could not find this...

3 pages double spaced. Can someone please comment on it before Sunday? That would be nice. Thanks! the file located at http://students.washington.edu/achen89/3_boundarylayer.doc . Please feel free to e-mail corrections to hemaalpha@gmail.com Human civilization (and biological phenomena) has...

Hi Sailing 30 yrs ago we used to wax and polish hulls to maintain a protective and as gloss a surface as possible. However some say that anything that beads water such as wax causes more drag than a smooth surface that water will sheet over. Note Racing rule 53 " SKIN FRICTION A boat...