Fluid Mechanics for Mechanical Engineers/Boundary Layer Approximation

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Boundary Layer

Boundary layer is a region where viscous force is relatively high compared to inertia, force due to pressure gradient, gravitational or electromagnetic force. Viscous force appears when there is a velocity gradient in the flow. Velocity gradients occurs usually next to the walls, where the fluid takes the velocity of the wall (no-slip condition) and in the mixing regions where flow has high velocity gradients, such as (jet flows).

When we look to the flow around an airfoil in a wind tunnel, we can clearly see the how the velocity gradient occurs on the airfoil.

Velocity and pressure field around an airfoil. Effect of wall on the velocity can be seen in the vicinity of the surface.
Velocity and pressure field around an airfoil. Effect of wall on the velocity can be seen in the vicinity of the surface.

Boundary Layer Approximation

Prandtl (1905) had the following hypotheses:

  • For small values of viscosity, viscous forces are only important close to the solid boundaries (within boundary layer) where no-slip condition has to be satisfied. And everywhere else they can be neglected.
  • Thickness of boundary layer approaches to zero as the viscosity becomes smaller.

Now consider the figure shown below:

Schematic representation of flow over an airfoil

As it is shown in the figure we are using a body-fitted coordinate system which means x direction is always tangent to the surface of the body and y direction is always normal to the surface of the body. Note that edge velocity is shown by u(x) and the boundary layer thickness is represented by δ(x) which means they are varying along x direction. Also let δ be the average boundary layer thickness along the surface of length L.

A measure for δ can be obtained by an order of magnitude analysis using momentum equation in x direction.

uux+vuy=1ρpx+ν(2ux2+2uy2)

Note that Cartesian form of the equation is only valid when δ<<R, where R is the local radius of curvature of the body. Let u be the characteristic magnitude of u. In other words uc=u. L is the distance along which u changes appreciably, and it can be the length of the body. An order of magnitude analysis shows that uxuL. Hence the first advection term in the momentum equation can be written as:

uuxu2L
The second advection term is then:
vuyvcuδ

where vc is the characteristic velocity normal to the wall in the boundary layer, which occurs due to fluid displacement caused by the walls. Doing the same analysis for the viscous terms in momentum equation would give us:

ν2uy2νuδ2 and ν2ux2νuL2

for which νuL2<<νuδ2.

Within the boundary layer inertia (advection terms) and the viscous forces should be in the same order. In other words

u2Lνuδ2
δνLu
δLνuL=1Re

As the final equation shows, the higher the Re the thinner would be the boundary layer. Now, we can simplify the conservation equations within the boundary layer. The basic idea is to assume that the gradients across the boundary layer is much larger than the gradients along layer in the main flow direction.

x<<y,2x2<<2y2

Looking at continuity equation one can find out an estimate for vc by order magnitude analysis.

ux+vy=0

Since uxuL , so vyvcδ

We know that u>>v but at the same time we know that x<<y. Hence we can say that both terms can have the same order of magnitude.In addition to that the continuity equation dictates also that both partial derivative terms should have the same value with opposite sign. Hence,

uLvcδ
vcδuL since δL1Re
vcu1Re
Finally, we should find an estimation for the pressure gradient. Experimental data at high Re numbers show that force due to pressure gradient is in the order of inertia.
Pxρuuxρu2L
Moreover, it is also true that in the boundary layer pressure difference w.r.t. to ambient pressure scales with the dynamic pressure
PxPPLρu2LPPρu2

Hence the order of magnitude for each term in the governing equations are as follows:

uxU/L+vyU/L=0

uuxU2/L+vuyU2/L=1ρpxU2/L+ν2ux2νU/L2+ν2uy2νU/δ2

Both equations can be non-dimensionalized by U/L and U2/L, respectively. Denoting the non-dimensional parameters with a *, the non-dimensional form of governing equations becomes:

u*x*1+v*y*1=0

u*u*x*1+v*u*y*1=1ρ*p*x*1+ν*2u*x*2ν/UL=1/ReL+ν*2u*y*2νL/Uδ2=(L/δ)2/ReL=1

Note that, since δL1ReL, the second viscous term (Lδ)2ReL and therefore its order of magnitude becomes 1.

For ReL and ρ*=ρρ=1 and ν*=νν=1 our non-dimensional conservation equations would simplify to

u*u*x*+v*u*y*=P*x*+2u*y*2
P*y*=0
u*x*+v*y*=0

Those are non-dimensional boundary layer equations. Going back to the dimensional variables

uux+vuy=1ρPx+ν2uy2
Py=0
ux+vy=0

These equations are parabolic although the original Navier-Stokes equation is elliptic. Note that the second equation only says that the pressure is not dependent to y direction and it is only a function of x. Therefore we have 3 unknowns and 2 equations. Moreover, pressure at boundary layer is equal to the pressure at the edge which can be found from solving Euler equations for the outer portion of the fluid. In other words, pressure gradient along x direction can be found by using Euler equations along the edge of the boundary layer.

dPdx=ueduedxP+ρue22=const.

The boundary conditions of the problem are as follows

u(x,0)=0
v(x,0)=0
u(x,)=u(x)edgevelocity
u(x0,y)=uin(y)initialprofile

Solution of this problem would be in an iterative manner in which one should guess the thickness of the boundary layer and then solve the Euler equation to find the pressure distribution over length L, then by finding the pressure distribution one can find the velocity distribution within boundary layer and by having velocity distribution one can find the thickness of the boundary layer to compare it with the guessed one. If they match we have reached to the final solution if not the new thickness should be taken as next guess and the procedure would repeat the same way as before.


Different Measures of Boundary Layer Thickness

There are 3 different definitions for boundary layer listed below:

1. δ99 where u=0.99ue. Based on this definition the boundary layer is going to be defined where the velocity of the fluid is 0.99 times of the edge velocity (upstream velocity).
2. Displacement thickness (δ*):The name of this definition comes from the displacement of the streamlines at the presence of walls contacting with the fluid.
uh=0h+δ*udy
uh=0hudy+uδ*
u(hδ*)=0hudy

Solving for δ*

δ*=0huuudy=0h(1uu)dy

As h:δ*=0(1uu)dy

There are some practical usages of using δ*

  • Design of ducts and wind tunnels
    1. Assume frictionless flow and dimension the tunnel
    2. Estimate dpdx along the tunnel
    3. Calculate δ*
    4. Enlarge the duct by δ* to obtain the same mass flow rate
  • Finding dpdx at the edge of the boundary layer
    1. Neglect boundary layer (frictionless flow assumption) and calculate dpdx over the body surface
    2. Solve boundary layer by dpdx
    3. Calculate δ*
    4. Displace the body by δ*
    5. Calculate dpdx again by frictionless flow assumption
    6. Repeat steps from 2 to 5 until a convergence criterion is satisfied
3. Momentum thickness (θ):

It is defined such that ρu2θ is the momentum loss due to presence of boundary layer. Hence,

ρu2θ=ρu2h0h+δ*ρu2dy
where
0h+δ*ρu2dy=0hρu2dy+ρδ*u2
ρu2θ=ρu2h0hρu2dyρδ*u2
u2θ=0h(u2u2)dyu20h(1uu)dy

From which

θ=0huu(1uu)dy

For h

θ=0uu(1uu)dy

Flat Plate Boundary Layer

Flat plate is a special case where the edge velocity is constant (ue(x)=u=const.). Hence, as a consequence of Euler equation dpdx=0 along the flat plate. The boundary layer equations reduces to

uux+vuy=ν2uy2
ux+vy=0

Boundary conditions are as follows:

u(x>0,y=0)=0
v(x>0,y=0)=0
u(x>0,y=δ(x))=u
u(x=x0,y)=u(y)givenasinitialcondition

Now we have two equations and two unknowns which means that our system of equations is closed and can be solved. One way to solve it is through using the similarity solution. We consider the non-dimensional velocity profile as a function of one variable (η).

uu=g(η) where η=yδ(x)

Hence,

uu=g(yδ(x))

Also based on our earlier findings (δνxu) we conclude that δ(x)=δ(u,ν,x)

Since the problem is two dimensional, it is easier to work with stream function (ψ). It is a function whose isolines represents the streamlines and they are perpendicular to the velocity potential (ϕ). So

u=ψy,v=ψx

Note that, inserting those equalities into the continuity equation will result in a zero sum. In other words, stream function satisfies the continuity equation per definition.

At x=const. location ψ=0yudy represents the flow rate. Using the similarity variable η would give us

ψ=δ(x)u0ηg(η)dη

Non-dimensional form or the similarity form of ψ function is

ψuδ(x)=f(η)=0ηg(η)dηg(η)=dfdη

After inserting the velocities written in terms of stream function into the momentum equation, momentum equations would become

ψy2ψxyψx2ψy2=ν3ψy3

Each term can be written as a function of η. From here onwards, for simplicity δ=δ(x),g=g(η) and f=f(η) are used


Since ψ=uδf

ψx=ux(δf)=u(δfx+fδx)

Note that to find fx we should use chain rule in differentiation.

fx=fηηx where η=yδ
using the quotient rule of differentiation:
ηx=yxδyδxδ2=yδxδ2=yδ2dδdx

Combining derived relations for fx and ηx we would obtain

ψx=udδdx(fηf')

Similarly

ψy=uy(δf)=u(fδy+δfy)

where δy=0 and

fy=fηηy

since ηy=1δ

fy=1δfη=1δf'

Combining derived relations for ψy and we would obtain

ψy=uδ1δfη=uf'

Using this relation, the relationships for 2ψy2 and 3ψy3 can be written as:

2ψy2=uδf' ,
3ψy3=uδ2f'

2ψxy should be derived also:

2ψxy=yψx

2ψxy=y(udδdx(fηf'))

2ψxy=udδdx(fyηf'y)=udδdx(fyηf'yf'ηy)

Using the equalities found already fy=1δf' and ηy=1δ and the relation ηf'y=ηf'ηηy=ηδf'

2ψxy=udδdxηδf'


Finally substituting partial derivatives of ψ into the momentum equation would give us

(uδνdδdx)ff'=f'

It shows that if we are looking for a x-independent solution for the similarity variable f then

uδνdδdx=const.

Note that if we choose that constant as 12 then δ=νxu

That way our equation would become

f'+12ff'=0

Noting that g(η)=uu, f(η)=0ηg(η)dη and η=yδ

Then the boundary conditions are as follows

f(0)=0sinceψ(0)=0
f'(0)=g(0)=0sinceψ(0)=0 (since u(0)=v(0)=0 at the wall)

In order to solve the above differential equation, one need to know f'(0), which is not known. However, instead

f'()=g()=uu=1 is known.

Therefore, it is possible to solve this equation by shooting method. Briefly, with an initial guess for f'(0) the equation will be solved and the condition f'()=1 can be be checked. Depending on the result f'(0)

will be modified iteratively in the further steps till solution satisfies f'()=1.

The exact solution delivers:

δ99=5δ=5νxu=5xRex

There are approximate solutions for the laminar velocity profile, such as:

u(x,y)u=2yδ(x)y2δ(x)2=2ηη2

Utilizing this relation and the integral form of mass and momentum equations, one can show:

δ99=30νxu=5.48δ=5.48xRex

For turbulent flow, the following power law can be used for the non-dimensional velocity profile:

u(x,y)u=(yδ(x))1/7=η1/7

δ99=0.382xRex1/5