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Some Applications of the Navier-Stokes’ Equation

- Flow over a flat plate – viscous boundary layer

Fig. 2.6 Velocity profile and momentum boundary layer of flow parallel to a flat plate.

- Bulk fluid moving with a uniform constant velocity parallel to a flat plate


- Boundary layer is defined as the loci of positions  where V  0.99
x

Navier-Stokes’ equation, constant  and  (laminar flow):


D 2
   P     g (2.69)
Dt
mass per unit pressure viscous gravitational
volume times force * force * force *
acceleration

The objective of this analysis is to determine:


- the boundary layer thickness,
- the velocity profile inside the boundary layer (i.e.,    ( x , y ) ), and
x x

- the drag force exerted by the fluid on the plate’s surface.


The continuity equation:

1
 
 x
0 y
(2.70)
x y
The momentum equation:

       2 2

  x
   x x x
(2.71)
x y  x y 
x y 2 2

     
2 2

  y
   y y y

 g (2.72)
x y  x y
x y y

2 2

The solution of these equations can be obtained:


 Numerically
 Semi-analytically (as in the text)
- define dimensionless parameters in the region y  
- order of magnitude analysis to compare relative values
- determine relevant terms in the equations

   2

  x
 x x
(2.87)
x y y
x y 2

with the boundary conditions:

B.C. 1   0,   0
at y = 0, x y (2.88)
B.C. 2 at y = , x = V (2.89)

- introduce the definition of stream functions:

 
  and   - (2.90)
y x
x y

- transform from partial to ordinary differential equations

- obtain a graphical solution of the form:

2

Boundary layer thickness (i.e., positions where  0.99 ):
x

V 

1/ 2
 vx 
  5.0   (2.100)
V  

or in dimensionless form
1/ 2
  v  5.0
 5.0   = (2.101)
x  xV  
Re x

where,
xV
Re  
(local value with the characteristic dimension x)
v
x

Finally, the drag force, which is exerted by the fluid on the plate’s surface, is:

  
W L

F =     dxdz
x
(2.102)
 y 
K
0 0
y0

which can be evaluated from the plot as:

3
F = 0.664
K
LW V2 3
 (2.104)

(drag force on one surface only ! )

0.2
  
C f  0.072 
 VL 

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