9.

3 Laminar Flat-Plate Boundary Layer: Exact Solution w-19

Laminar Flat-Plate 9.3

Boundary Layer: Exact Solution
The solution for the laminar boundary layer on a horizontal flat plate was obtained by
Prandtls student H. Blasius [2] in 1908. For two-dimensional, steady, incompressible flow
with zero pressure gradient, the governing equations of motion (Eqs. 5.27) reduce to [3]

@u @v
1 50 9:3
@x @y
@u @u @2u
u 1v 5 2 9:4
@x @y @y

with boundary conditions

at y 5 0; u 5 0; v50
@u 9:5
at y 5 N; u 5 U; 50
@y

Equations 9.3 and 9.4, with boundary conditions Eq. 9.5 are a set of nonlinear, cou-
pled, partial differential equations for the unknown velocity field u and v. To solve
them, Blasius reasoned that the velocity profile, u/U, should be similar for all values of
x when plotted versus a nondimensional distance from the wall; the boundary-layer
thickness, , was a natural choice for nondimensionalizing the distance from the wall.
Thus the solution is of the form
u y
5 g where ~ 9:6
U
p
Based on the solution of Stokes [4], Blasius reasoned that ~ x=U and set
r
U
5y 9:7
x
We now introduce the stream function, , where
@ @
u5 and v 52 5:4
@y @x
satisfies the continuity equation (Eq. 9.3) identically. Substituting for u and v into
Eq. 9.4 reduces the equation to one in which is the single dependent variable.
Defining a dimensionless stream function as

f 5 p 9:8
xU
makes f() the dependent variable and the independent variable in Eq. 9.4. With
defined by Eq. 9.8 and defined by Eq. 9.7, we can evaluate each of the terms in Eq. 9.4.
The velocity components are given by
r
@ @ @ p df U df
u5 5 5 xU 5U 9:9
@y @ @y d x d

and
" r # "   r #
@ p @f 1 U p df 1 1 1 U
v 52 5 2 xU 1 f 5 2 xU 2 1 f
@x @x 2 x d 2 x 2 x
w-20 Chapter 9 External Incompressible Viscous Flow
or
r 
1 U df
v5 2f 9:10
2 x d
By differentiating the velocity components, it also can be shown that
@u U d2f
52 2
@x 2x d
@u p d2 f
5 U U=x 2
@y d

and
@2u U 2 d3 f
5
@y2 x d3
Substituting these expressions into Eq. 9.4, we obtain
d3 f d2 f
2 1 f 50 9:11
d3 d2
with boundary conditions:
df
at 5 0; f 5 50
d
9:12
df
at -N; 51
d

The second-order partial differential equations governing the growth of the laminar
boundary layer on a flat plate (Eqs. 9.3 and 9.4) have been transformed to a nonlinear,
third-order ordinary differential equation (Eq. 9.11) with boundary conditions given
by Eq. 9.12. It is not possible to solve Eq. 9.11 in closed form; Blasius solved it using a
power series expansion about 5 0 matched to an asymptotic expansion for - N.
The same equation later was solved more preciselyagain using numerical methods
by Howarth [5], who reported results to 5 decimal places. The numerical values of f,
df/d, and d2f/d2 in Table 9.1 were calculated with a personal computer using fourth-
order Runge-Kutta numerical integration.
The velocity profile is obtained in dimensionless form by plotting u/U versus ,
using values from Table 9.1. The resulting profile is sketched in Fig. 9.3b. Velocity
profiles measured experimentally are in excellent agreement with the analytical
solution. Profiles from all locations on a flat plate are similar; they collapse to a single
profile when plotted in nondimensional coordinates.
From Table 9.1, we see that at 5 5.0, u/U 5 0.992. With the boundary-layer
thickness, , defined as the value of y for which u/U 5 0.99, Eq. 9.7 gives

5:0 5:0x
 p 5 p 9:13
U=x Rex

The wall shear stress may be expressed as

# #
@u p d2 f
w 5 5 U U=x 2
@y d
y50 50
 9.3 Laminar Flat-Plate Boundary Layer: Exact Solution w-21

Table 9.1
The Function f () for the Laminar Boundary Layer along a Flat Plate at Zero Incidence
r
U
5y f f u 5 Uu fv
x

0 0 0 0.3321
0.5 0.0415 0.1659 0.3309
1.0 0.1656 0.3298 0.3230
1.5 0.3701 0.4868 0.3026
2.0 0.6500 0.6298 0.2668
2.5 0.9963 0.7513 0.2174
3.0 1.3968 0.8460 0.1614
3.5 1.8377 0.9130 0.1078
4.0 2.3057 0.9555 0.0642
4.5 2.7901 0.9795 0.0340
5.0 3.2833 0.9915 0.0159
5.5 3.7806 0.9969 0.0066
6.0 4.2796 0.9990 0.0024
6.5 4.7793 0.9997 0.0008
7.0 5.2792 0.9999 0.0002
7.5 5.7792 1.0000 0.0001
8.0 6.2792 1.0000 0.0000

Then

p 0:332U 2
w 5 0:332U U=x 5 p 9:14
Rex

and the wall shear stress coefficient, Cf, is given by

w 0:664
Cf 5 5 p 9:15
1
2 U 2 Rex

Each of the results for boundary-layer thickness, , wall shear stress, w, and skin
friction coefficient, Cf, Eqs. 9.13 through 9.15, depends on the length Reynolds
number, Rex, to the one-half power. The boundary-layer thickness increases as x1/2,
and the wall shear stress and skin friction coefficient vary as 1/x1/2. These results
characterize the behavior of the laminar boundary layer on a flat plate.

E
xample 9.2 LAMINAR BOUNDARY LAYER ON A FLAT PLATE: EXACT SOLUTION
Use the numerical results presented in Table 9.1 to evaluate the following quantities for laminar boundary-layer flow
on a flat plate:

(a) */ (for 5 5 and as - N).

(b) v/U at the boundary-layer edge.
(c) Ratio of the slope of a streamline at the boundary-layer edge to the slope of versus x.
w-22 Chapter 9 External Incompressible Viscous Flow

Given: Numerical solution for laminar flat-plate boundary layer, Table 9.1.
Find: (a) */ (for 5 5 and as - N).
(b) v/U at boundary-layer edge.
(c) Ratio of the slope of a streamline at the boundary-layer edge to the slope of versus x.
Solution:
The displacement thickness is defined by Eq. 9.1 as
Z N Z 
u u
* 5 12 dy  12 dy
0 U 0 U
In order to use the Blasius exact solution to evaluate this integral, we need
p
to convert it from one involving
p pu and y to
one involving fu (5 u/U) and variables. From Eq. 9.7, 5 y U=x; so y 5 x=U and dy 5 d x=U
Thus,
Z max r r Z
x x max
* 5 1 2 f u d 5 1 2 f ud 1
0 U U 0

Note: Corresponding to the upper limit on y in Eq. 9.1, max 5 N, or max  5.

From Eq. 9.13,
5
 p
U=x

so if we divide each side of Eq. 1 by each side of Eq. 9.13, we obtain (with fu5df/d)
Z  
* 1 max df
5 12 d
5 0 d
Integrating gives
* 1
5 2 f 0max
5
Evaluating at max 5 5, we obtain

*
5 5
* 1
5 5:0 2 3:2833 5 0:343
5
The quantity 2 f() becomes constant for . 7. Evaluating at max 5 8 gives

*
* -N
1
5 8:0 2 6:2792 5 0:344
5
Thus, -N is 0.24 percent larger than *-5 .
*

From Eq. 9.10,

r  r   
1 U df v 1 df 1 df
v5 2 f ; so 5 2 f 5 p 2f
2 x d U 2 Ux d 2 Rex d

Evaluating at the boundary-layer edge ( 5 5), we obtain

v
5 5
v 1 0:837 0:84 U
5 p 50:9915 2 3:2833 5 p  p
U 2 Rex Rex Rex

Thus v is only 0.84 percent of U at Rex 5 104, and only about 0.12 percent of U at Rex 5 5 3 105.
 9.3 Laminar Flat-Plate Boundary Layer: Exact Solution w-23

The slope of a streamline at the boundary-layer edge is


dy v v 0:84
5 5  p
dx streamline u U Rex

The slope of the boundary-layer edge may be obtained from Eq. 9.13,
r
5 x
 p 5 5
U=x U
so
r r
d 1 21=2 2:5
55 x 5 2:5 5 p
dx U2 Ux Rex
Thus,

 dy
dy 0:84 d d dx
5 5 0:336
streamline
dx streamline 2:5 dx dx

This result indicates that the slope of the streamlines is about 13 of the slope of the boundary layer edgethe
streamlines penetrate the boundary layer, as sketched below:
This prob
lem illus
ical data tra
from the tes use of numer-
obtain oth Bla
er inform sius solution to
U U laminar b ation on
oundary a fla
u re sult that la yer, inclu t plate
the edge ding the
layer is n
ot a stre of the boundary
amline.