From 6ce0bb9a8f9fd7d169cbb414a9537d68c5290aae Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Prefetch Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2022 23:25:28 +0200 Subject: Initial commit after migration from Hugo --- .../know/concept/blasius-boundary-layer/index.md | 113 +++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 113 insertions(+) create mode 100644 source/know/concept/blasius-boundary-layer/index.md (limited to 'source/know/concept/blasius-boundary-layer') diff --git a/source/know/concept/blasius-boundary-layer/index.md b/source/know/concept/blasius-boundary-layer/index.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..86b0e02 --- /dev/null +++ b/source/know/concept/blasius-boundary-layer/index.md @@ -0,0 +1,113 @@ +--- +title: "Blasius boundary layer" +date: 2021-05-29 +categories: +- Physics +- Fluid mechanics +- Fluid dynamics +layout: "concept" +--- + +In fluid dynamics, the **Blasius boundary layer** is an application of +the [Prandtl equations](/know/concept/prandtl-equations/), +which govern the flow of a fluid +at large Reynolds number $\mathrm{Re} \gg 1$ +close to a surface. +Specifically, the Blasius layer is the solution +for a half-plane approached from the edge by a fluid. + +A fluid with velocity field $\va{v} = U \vu{e}_x$ flows to the plane, +which starts at $y = 0$ and exists for $x \ge 0$. +To describe this, we make an ansatz +for the *slip-flow* region's $x$-velocity $v_x(x, y)$: + +$$\begin{aligned} + v_x + = U f'(s) + \qquad \quad + s + \equiv \frac{y}{\delta(x)} +\end{aligned}$$ + +Note that $f'(s)$ is the derivative of an unknown $f(s)$, +and that it obeys the boundary conditions $f'(0) = 0$ and $f'(\infty) = 1$. +Furthermore, $\delta(x)$ is the thickness of the stationary boundary layer at the surface. +To derive the Prandtl equations, +the estimate $\delta(x) = \sqrt{\nu x / U}$ was used, +which we will stick with. +For later use, it is worth writing the derivatives of $s$: + +$$\begin{aligned} + \pdv{s}{x} + = - y \frac{\delta'}{\delta^2} + = - s \frac{\delta'}{\delta} + \qquad \quad + \pdv{s}{y} + = \frac{1}{\delta} +\end{aligned}$$ + +Inserting the ansatz for $v_x$ into the incompressibility condition then yields: + +$$\begin{aligned} + \pdv{v_y}{y} + = - \pdv{v_x}{x} + = U s f'' \frac{\delta'}{\delta} +\end{aligned}$$ + +Which we integrate to get an expression for the $y$-velocity $v_y$, namely: + +$$\begin{aligned} + v_y + = U \frac{\delta'}{\delta} \int s f'' \dd{y} + = U \delta' \: (s f' - f) +\end{aligned}$$ + +Now, consider the main Prandtl equation, +assuming that the attack velocity $U$ is constant: + +$$\begin{aligned} + v_x \pdv{v_x}{x} + v_y \pdv{v_x}{y} + = \nu \pdvn{2}{v_x}{y} +\end{aligned}$$ + +Inserting our expressions for $v_x$ and $v_y$ into this leads us to: + +$$\begin{aligned} + - U^2 \frac{\delta'}{\delta} s f'' f' + U^2 \frac{\delta'}{\delta} f'' (s f' - f) + = \nu U \frac{1}{\delta^2} f''' +\end{aligned}$$ + +After multiplying it by $\delta^2 / U$ and cancelling out some terms, +it reduces to: + +$$\begin{aligned} + \nu f''' + U \delta' \delta f'' f + = 0 +\end{aligned}$$ + +Then, substituting $\delta(x) = \sqrt{\nu x / U}$ and $\delta'(x) = (1/2) \sqrt{\nu / (U x)}$ yields: + +$$\begin{aligned} + \nu f''' + U \frac{\nu}{2 U} f'' f + = 0 +\end{aligned}$$ + +Simplifying this leads us to the **Blasius equation**, +which is a nonlinear ODE for $f(s)$: + +$$\begin{aligned} + \boxed{ + 2 f''' + f'' f = 0 + } +\end{aligned}$$ + +Unfortunately, this cannot be solved analytically, only numerically. +Nevertheless, the result shows a boundary layer $\delta(x)$ +exhibiting the expected downstream thickening. + + + +## References +1. B. Lautrup, + *Physics of continuous matter: exotic and everyday phenomena in the macroscopic world*, 2nd edition, + CRC Press. -- cgit v1.2.3