Self-similar solutions to the second-order incompressible boundary-layer equations

1970 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 343-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Werle ◽  
R. T. Davis

Solutions are obtained for the self-similar form of the incompressible boundary-layer equations for all four second-order contributors, i.e. vorticity interaction, displacement speed, longitudinal and transverse curvature. These results are found to contain all previous self-similar solutions as members of the much larger family of solutions presented here. Numerical solutions are presented for a large number of cases, and several closed form solutions, which may have special significance for the separation problem, are also discussed.

1999 ◽  
Vol 387 ◽  
pp. 227-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
VALOD NOSHADI ◽  
WILHELM SCHNEIDER

Plane and axisymmetric (radial), horizontal laminar jet flows, produced by natural convection on a horizontal finite plate acting as a heat dipole, are considered at large distances from the plate. It is shown that physically acceptable self-similar solutions of the boundary-layer equations, which include buoyancy effects, exist in certain Prandtl-number regimes, i.e. 0.5<Pr[les ]1.470588 for plane, and Pr>1 for axisymmetric flow. In the plane flow case, the eigenvalues of the self-similar solutions are independent of the Prandtl number and can be determined from a momentum balance, whereas in the axisymmetric case the eigenvalues depend on the Prandtl number and are to be determined as part of the solution of the eigenvalue problem. For Prandtl numbers equal to, or smaller than, the lower limiting values of 0.5 and 1 for plane and axisymmetric flow, respectively, the far flow field is a non-buoyant jet, for which self-similar solutions of the boundary-layer equations are also provided. Furthermore it is shown that self-similar solutions of the full Navier–Stokes equations for axisymmetric flow, with the velocity varying as 1/r, exist for arbitrary values of the Prandtl number.Comparisons with finite-element solutions of the full Navier–Stokes equations show that the self-similar boundary-layer solutions are asymptotically approached as the plate Grashof number tends to infinity, whereas the self-similar solution to the full Navier–Stokes equations is applicable, for a given value of the Prandtl number, only to one particular, finite value of the Grashof number.In the Appendices second-order boundary-layer solutions are given, and uniformly valid composite expansions are constructed; asymptotic expansions for large values of the lateral coordinate are performed to study the decay of the self-similar boundary-layer flows; and the stability of the jets is investigated using transient numerical solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations.


The boundary-layer equations for a compressible fluid are transformed into those for an incompressible fluid, assuming that the boundary is thermally insulating, that the viscosity is proportional to the absolute temperature, and that the Prandtl number is unity. Various results in the theory of incompressible boundary layers are then taken over into the compressible theory. In particular, the existence of ‘similar’ solutions is proved, and Howarth’s method for retarded flows is applied to determine the point of separation for a uniformly retarded main stream velocity. A comparison with an exact solution is used to show that this method gives a closer approximation than does Pohlhausen’s.


1992 ◽  
Vol 114 (4) ◽  
pp. 504-511 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Schetz ◽  
E. Hytopoulos ◽  
M. Gunzburger

A new approach to the solution of the two-dimensional, incompressible, boundary-layer equations based on the Finite Element Method in both directions is investigated. Earlier Finite Element Method treatments of parabolic boundary-layer problems used finite differences in the streamwise direction, thus sacrificing some of the possible advantages of the Finite Element Method. The accuracy and computational efficiency of different interpolation functions for the velocity field are evaluated. A new element especially designed for boundary layer flows is introduced. The effect that the treatment of the continuity equation has on the stability and accuracy of the numerical results is also discussed. The parabolic nature of the equations is exploited in order to reduce the memory requirements. The solution is obtained for one line at a time, thus only two levels are required to be stored at any time. Efficient solvers for tridiagonal and pentadiagonal forms are used for solving the resulting matrix problem. Numerical predictions are compared to analytical and experimental results for laminar and turbulent flows, with and without pressure gradients. The comparisons show very good agreement. Although most of the cases were tested on a mainframe, the low requirements in CPU time and memory storage allows the implementation of the method on a conventional PC.


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