1.

TITLE: FLAT PLATE BOUNDARY LAYER

2. OBJECTIVE:
1. To measure the boundary layer velocity profiles and observes the growth
of the boundary layer for flat plate with smooth and rough surfaces.
2. To measure the boundary layer properties for the measured velocity
profiles.
3. To study the effect of surface roughness on the development of boundary
layer.
INTRODUCTION:
The boundary layer phenomenon that occurs in external flow over a body
can be illustrated by a flow over a flat plate. A qualitative picture of the boundary
layer growth over a flat plate shown in Figure 1 below. The boundary layer is
laminar for a short distance downstream from the leading edge. Transition occurs
over a region of the plate and extends to the location where the boundary layer
flow becomes completely turbulent. The turbulent boundary layer grows at a
faster rate compared to laminar boundary layer.

3. THEORY:
The boundary layer thickness, , is defined as the distance from the
surface to the point where the velocity is within 1 percent of the freestream
velocity.
The displacement thickness, *, is defined by which the solid boundary
would have to be displaced in a frictionless flow to give the same mass deficit as
exists in the boundary layer.
The momentum thickness, , is defined as the thickness of a layer of fluid
of velocity, U (freestream velocity), for which the momentum flux is equal to the
deficit of momentum flux through the boundary layer.
The Blasiuss exact solution to the laminar boundary layer yields the following
equations for the above properties:
= 5.0x
Rex
* = 1.72x
Rex
= 0.664x
Rex
Due to the complexity of the flow, there is no exact solution to the turbulent
boundary layer. The velocity profile within the boundary layer is commonly
approximated using the 1/7 power law.
u= y
U

The properties of the boundary layer are approximated using the

momentum integral equation which results in the following expressions:
2

 = 0.370x
Rex1/5

* = 0.0463x
Rex1/5
= 0.036x
Rex1/5
Another measure of the boundary layer is the shape factor, H, which is the
ratio of the displacement thickness to the momentum thickness, H = */ . For
laminar flow, H increases from 2.6 to 3.5 at separation. For turbulent boundary
layer, H increases from 1.3 approximately 2.5 at separation.

4. EXPERIMENTAL APPARATUS:
1) Airflow Bench.
3

2) Test Apparatus.
3) Total and static pressure probes and multi-tube manometer.
Airflow Bench

Plenum
outlet
On-off
switch

Damper
control rod

Figure 1: Airflow bench

Test Apparatus
It consists of a rectangular duct with a flat plate which is fixed in the middle of the
duct. One side of the plane is smooth and the other is rough.
The pitot tube tip is set in the plane of the scale. By moving the central plate tip
or down, the leading edge of the plate can be set to a given distance from the
pitot tube tip. The displacement of the pitot tube from the wall is read directly
from the micrometer scale.

Velocity Measurement
The velocity is measured using total and static probes which are connected to
multi-tube manometer.

5. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES:

1. Set up the apparatus on the bench as shown on figure 1. Firstly used the
flat plate with the smooth surface of the experiment.
2. Set up the pitot tube to 15mm away from the edge of the central plate.
3. Adjusted the position of the central plate to 40mm, where it to set the
measurement plane at the required distance from the leading edge.
4. Switch on the fan and adjusted the air speed to set the free stream air
velocity at medium speed.
5. Record the readings of the pressure are measured at the pitot tube for the
range of about 10 points as the pitot tube is the traversed towards the
plate and make sure the readings should almost constant showed in the
free stream outside.
6. Repeat the experiment and set up the measurement plane at 150mm.
7. Repeat with roughness surface.

6. RESULT AND CALCULATION:

Experiment Result for Rough Plate
Distance from leading edge : 40 mm
Static pressure : 10.8 mm
Free stream velocity, U : 23.95 m/s
Reynolds number, Re :
61,365.5

Micrometer
reading, y
(mm)

Static
pressure
manometer,
h0 (m)

Total
pressure
Manometer,
h1 (m)

Differential
manometer
height, h
(m)

Velocity, u(y),
(m/s)

0
1
2
3
4
5
6

0.0108
0.0108
0.0108
0.0108
0.0108
0.0108
0.0108

0.0124
0.0132
0.0136
0.0136
0.0138
0.0138
0.0138

0.0016
0.0024
0.0028
0.0028
0.003
0.003
0.003

17.72
21.69
23.4
23.4
24.2
24.2
24.2

0.313
0.16u
10.09
U
0.09
0.06
0.06
0.06

0.215
u
u
( 0.13
)(1- )
U0.082 U
0.082
0.056
0.056
0.056

Distance from leading edge : 150mm

Static pressure : 10.8 mm
Free stream velocity, U : 23.95 m/s
Reynolds number, Re :
230121.2

Micrometer
reading, y
(mm)

Static
pressure
manometer,
h0 (m)

Total
pressure
Manometer,
h1 (m)

Differential
manometer
height, h
(m)

Velocity, u(y),
(m/s)

0
1
2
3
4
5
6

0.0108
0.0108
0.0108
0.0108
0.0108
0.0108
0.0108

0.0122
0.0128
0.0134
0.0136
0.0136
0.0138
0.0138

0.0014
0.002
0.0026
0.0028
0.0028
0.003
0.003

16.57
19.81
22.58
23.44
23.44
24.2
24.2

0.3579
0.232
u
10.124
U
0.124
0.092
0.0601
0.0601

0.229
u 0.178 u
( )(1)
U 0.109U

0.083
0.083
0.056
0.056

Experiment Result for Smooth Plate

Distance from leading
edge : 40mm
Static pressure : 10.8 mm
Free stream velocity, U : 25.56 m/s
Reynolds number :
65,473.5

Micrometer
reading, y
(mm)

Static
pressure
manometer,
h0 (m)

Total
pressure
Manometer,
h1 (m)

Differential
manometer
height, h
(m)

Velocity, u(y),
(m/s)

0
1
2
3
4
5
6

0.0108
0.0108
0.0108
0.0108
0.0108
0.0108
0.0108

0.0134
0.014
0.014
0.0142
0.0142
0.0142
0.0142

0.0026
0.0032
0.0032
0.0034
0.0034
0.0034
0.0034

0.2258
0.2505
0.2505
0.2582
0.2582
0.2582
0.2582

Differential
manometer
height, h
(m)

Velocity, u(y),
(m/s)

0.18u
10.0903
U
0.0903
0.065
0.065
0.065
0.065

0.147
u
u
(0.082
)(1- )
U
U
0.082
0.0607
0.0607
0.0607
0.0607

Distance from leading edge : 150mm

Static pressure : 10.8 mm
Free stream velocity, U : 24.01 m/s
Reynolds number, Re :
230692

Micrometer
reading, y
(mm)

Static
pressure
manometer,
h0 (m)

0
1
2
3
4
5
6

0.0108
0.0108
0.0108
0.0108
0.0108
0.0108
0.0108

Total
pressure
Manometer,
h1 (m)
0.0124
0.0132
0.0136
0.0136
0.0138
0.0138
0.0138

0.016
0.0024
0.0028
0.0028
0.003
0.003
0.003

0.1771
0.2169
0.2343
0.2343
0.2426
0.2426
0.2426

0.315u
10.161
U
0.0942
0.062
0.062
0.062
0.062

u 0.215
u
( )(10.135 )
U
U
0.0852
0.0852
0.0584
0.0584
0.0584

The Value of Displacement and Momentum Thickness

Experimental value for dimensional thickness,* and momentum thickness, *

(Calculation for area under the curve, for smooth surface 150 mm)
Displacement Thickness, *
x = 0.01
y = 0.2
Block = *25*15
= 188
Area under the curve = 188*0.01*0.2
= 0.376

Momentum Thickness, *
x = 0.01
y = 0.2
Block = (*13*10)(17*2)+(3)
= 102
Area under the curve = 102*0.01*0.2
= 0.204

Calculating the area under the curve, by finding the area where the transition
started, which in this graph are between the value of y = 0 to y = 3. Then
compared this value with the value obtained using the theoretical calculation from
the equation of (2) and (3) from lab sheet.

Theoretical value for dimensional thickness,* and momentum thickness, *

(For rough surface with leading edge at 40mm)
Displacement Thickness, *
* = 1.72D/ Re
= 1.72* 40 / 61,365.5
= 0.277
Momentum Thickness, *
* = 0.66D/ Re
= 0.66 * 40 / 61,365.5
= 0.1072
Rough surface at 40 mm
Theoretical
* = 0.277
* = 0.1072

Experimental
* = 0.306
* = 0.224

* = 10.45 %
*= 108 %
Smooth surface at 40 mm
Theoretical
* = 0.2688
* = 0.1033

Experimental
* = 0.11
* = 0.084

* = -59.07%
*= -18.68 %
Rough surface at 150 mm
Theoretical
* = 0.5378
* = 0.206

Experimental
* = 0.474
* = 0.336

* = -11.86 %
*= 63.1 %
Smooth surface at 150 mm
Theoretical

Experimental

10

* = 0 .5372
* = 0.2073

* = 0.376
* = 0.204

GRAPH:
Graph for Leading Edge at 40 mm (Displacement thickness analysis)

11

Graph for Leading Edge at 150 mm (Displacement thickness analysis)

12

Graph for Leading Edge at 40 mm (Momentum thickness analysis)

13

Graph for Leading Edge at 150 mm (Momentum thickness analysis)

14

7. DISCUSSION:

15

From the result and graph that has been plotted, it shows the similarity
pattern of the graphs. From the calculation of theoretical value for dimensional
thickness,* and momentum thickness, * compare to experimental one, all
values show the differences. This might be happened because of mistake took
the reading and misalignment of the apparatus during the experiment. Even
though the result still can be accepted as long it still in ranges which below than
30%.
The plat surface condition has the effect on the development of the
boundary layer especially when the transitional flow going to turbulence flow. The
smooth surface has a smoother transition from the laminar flow to turbulence
flow compared to the rough surface. From the graph obtained, we can see that
rough surface produced larger boundary layer than smooth surface plate where
smooth surface plate will reach transition flow as it reach y value of 3 mm, while
rough surface reach transition at y value of 4 or 5 mm.

8. CONCLUSION:
From the experiment, we can conclude that the boundary layer velocities
that we obtained still can be considered even though the values of theoretically
and experimental are not same because the error of percentages lower than
30%. We used the equation as shown above to obtained the value of
dimensional thickness,* and momentum thickness, * and compared the
different with the theoretical value for the flat plate with smooth and rough
surface and the data can be seen from the table. The velocity profiles of the flat
plate have been obtained through data read and the graphs have been plotted.
The roughness of the flat plate gives the variety of the velocity profile. It can be
concluded that the surface roughness of the flat plate influence the velocity
profiles where the smooth surface will delay the transition while the rough surface
will make the transition become faster.

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8. REFFERENCES:
1. Frank M. White, Fluid Mechanics, 5th Edition, Mc Graw Hill, New York,
USA, 2003.
2. John F. Douglas, Janusz M. Gasiorek, John A. Swaffield; Fluid Mechanics;
4th Edition; Prentice Hall, 2001

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