BOUNDARY LAYER THEORY

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Pas

a S a t t 4b u 7

Lqid

BoUNDARY LAYER2 or Bounday LAyER

Theo
e.
Liquid T 75 lajer J Solid body outessufacetie. bounk

When rLalAuid Aows past a kalic buundary__

lajerAAuid adherA to the beundy Aurface due tnViacailya
Huidnd cmdi tim ana up ocup_ and a Amall cgiania
he vicinhy _a tha boLindarz Aurface in which develohed in
he elouty oing
uld mizeae aaduálly fm Zem at Hs houñdarp
Auface toha
Velocily main Ahcam (a feestrcam) veloity Thit Amal Kgen
knoum asboundar layain which hare exista 4Loge
velod Jadient ( normal te tha bauncla Auzfuce:
Thecmcept boundarg L4yer aa fiat intmduced
b L. Pxandtl in 1904
he theany dealingwih baundaa layez
lou a
calledboundary layer heor
Accordingto his heor ha Huid in the vicini 4
Aalidhaunda_mashe divided inta two epimA=
ome cloceto the boundary intha
Zone i Lhichduo talarger boundayLajI
velaif aadient
ppre ciahle ViscOuA fmces
in this egion tha eettaxe_pcduCecd and hehe-
YiALesly s mell-
Cnfined-
and i_Secd outaid
baundary lazer Zo Lm_Lich
 ww. ****** **

thevikcotfDAzCAAve negligibke and hence thu floo mayhe trcadcdd

a nmVidloluA

Laminar
boundary layer ransiuTurbulent
tion boundary Iayer
U
0.99 U
7er
oun
u-log yy
-U
99
uy Laminar sublayer
Parabolic

Smooth flat plate Trailing edge

Leading edge

ig 131uTcaveasplate

Boundaay Layes Thickness Ca Nominal Thickhess)9

( e Tmicness 4 Goundany Lazer @ Hominal econes boundaylae

S-7
S 16

The thicones He houndary Aayera 4rhittarily

deined a that distance amhe baunda_uaface in Which
ho velocit_af How xeaches 91 s he Velocit mainAteam.
h ohe woxdi,- tha boundar Layr thickheu
Lidardcquat lu ho diktonce( ph the. boundayd u f a c e a t
whichhe elou( aches 992d he fre dtrtn Veloila (U)
Le uLE0.94W
Taia lehnihim hoLwever givEs_an abroximate valua d-
tha boLndorp Loer thicknemand hence }ene2aly tesmed
nominal thickne tha_baundany kajer

Pr0

**

****
 Laminar rangi Turbulont boundary layer
boundary layer tion
-U
0.99 U
u log8y

-U. w
0.99 Y Laminar sublayer
Parabolic
Smooth flat plate Trailing edge
Leading edge

Vari ous thickness o Boundary Layer

S-17 Displacemenl thicsnes (¢

wIS ) Mamentum hikness(O22
Ln) Enery thicKness (o
w17 0)S Displacement, thickness ¢
The displacement thickness can be defined *** "*

follows:
' '** ***" ** ' * ***

as
"It is the distance, measured
perpendicular to the boundary, by which the main/free stream is
displaced on account offormation of boundary layer."
Or
"It is an additional "wall thickness" that
would have to be added to
inflow rate on account of boundary layerformation", compensate for the reduction
The displacement thickness is denoted
by 8'.

C Momentum thickness (9)

Momentum thickness is defined as the distance
second be equal
to if it were
passing a stationary through which the total loss of momentum per
plate. It is denoted by 0.
It may also be defined as the
distance, measured
body, by which the boundary should be
displaced to
perpendicular to the boundary of the soln
flowing fluid on account of boundary layer formation.compensate for reduction in momentum of tNE
in givtnb=
 5

( )
Themomenhum tickncssis usehul inKInci

11 (ii) Enera Thickne ()

perpendicular to the houndary of the
thickness is defined as the distance, measured of
Energy compensate the reduction in K.E.
for
which the boundary should be displaced to
solid bohby It js denoted by 8,.
the
account
iowing fuid on of boundary layerformation.
i s gien by=
de

Bound ay Lay ex. .along a lon thin blate-

ri'sHcs
Gnd i s Characte

Trowth aboundary lager m aftai _blae suzzace

Boundat Lazeralefinihons anal Chaacteaisics_

Tnftue ma
JasiDLA actnz LShich4fect he bounday laye
Hhicena

Laminar Transi Turbulent boundary layer-

boundary layer Tion
U
0.99 U
u log y

+U
0.99 U u-y Laminar sublayer
Parabolic
Smooth flat plate Trailing edge
O-x
Leading edge
oma flatplate.
oFig.- 13.1, Boundary layer
 Consider the boundary layer formed on a flat plate kept parallel to flow of fluid of
U(Fig. 13.1) (Though the growth of à boundary layer depends upon the body shape, floveloo
a flat plate aligned in the direction of flow is considered, since most ofthe flow surfaceR OV
approximated to aflat plate and for simplicity). can
-The edge facing the direction of flow is called leading edge.
-The rear edge is called the trailing edge.
Near the leading edge of a flat plate, the boundary layer is wholly laminar. For a lami
boundary layer, the velocity distribution is parabolic. mina
The
more and more fluid is slowed down
increases with
thickness of the boundary layer (8) the distance from
the leading edge
viscous boundary, becomes unstable and brea
by
into turbulentboundar layerover a transition region.
For a turbulent boundary layer, if the boundary is smooth, the
**

roughness projections are coverTe

by a very thin layer which remains laminar, called laminar sublayer. The velocity distribution in
turbulent boundary layer is given by w or Prandtl's one-seventh power law.
the
Log
The characteristics of a boundary layer may be summarised as follows:
() 8 (thickness of boundary layer) increases as distance from leading edge x inçreases.
(i) 8 decreases as U increases.
iii) S increases as kinematic viscosity (v) increases.

(iv) T hence To decreases as x increases. However, when boundary layer becomes-

turbulent, it shows a sudden increase and then decreases with increasing x.
(V) When U increases in the downward direction, boundary layer growth reduced.
is
(vi) When U decreases in the downward direction, flow
the boundary is further
near
boundary layer growth is faster and is susceptible to retarded
separation.
(vii) The various characteristics of the boundary layer on flat plate (e.g
variation of 8, To or for
F are governed by inertial and viscous forces; hence they are functions of either Ux or
V

(viit) If 5x10 ...

boundary layer is laminar (velocity distribution is parabolic).

V

If > 5 x
10 ...
boundary layer is turbulent on that portion (velocity distribution follows
Log law or a power law).

(ix) Critical value of Ux at which boundary layer changes from

laminar to' turbulent depends on:
turbulence in ambient flow,
surface roughness,
pressure gradient,.
plate curvature, and
temperature difference between fluid and boundary.
() Though the velocity distribution would be
but in view of the very small thickness we a parabolic curve in the laminar sub-layer zone, 'One

is linear and so the velocity

can
reasonably assume that velocity distribution
gradient can be considered constant.

Distimguish betweem Laminar bounda L4ye

and Tusbulent
bound4 Lajed
 Laminar
boundary layer
Transi-
tion
Turbulent boundary layer-

0.99 U
u~ log y
-U
0.99
y Laminar sublayer
T.Parabolic

X
Smooth flat plate Trailing edge
Leading edge

Fig1318oundaiylayerana flatplatg

Lg mi nar Turby lent

Bounday Layer Boundart L a e r

In_alaminarbounclary In_a hobulent bounolarylayer

Layer he flow exhiblts_alltha he lata exhibitathe Chanacteziltic
chaaLtxidticA sf Lorminarflw hakulent floThe velacih detihuton
Tu veloip odisdibutimLna in_ahhulent. bounday layerpllawa
Laminarboundarg_laze a Lagaithmis la ie urLpy
haabolic whith can_aln bhe acesenkd bya
The laminar baundaxy Lep pouer Lasthe tyhe
exiats When tha Reynolds
<SXIO
-=(
numberRex E-
wher The value Ke ezfonent n_is
Uzfeesbeam velocy efhy alpmzimaey a)frmadenbe
Huid Reyneld numberXez i
L =_ditang n he deading fs£lat plake7
edge_a ths solid_ Tuhulent hounday Lazer ia
bound a usuall thiwer han Lamnar hounday
V=Kincmaic viscoai _af Leer
the flotwing Auid Thethiucnu.. habulent bounday
The thi CknM s laminaY.
-_unday_Aazr given by= O3 76 X
_d
Rex
 Separation
La yer
6 80undar;

&its
Control

Bdge of the
boundary layer

B
Separation D
point
flov
()-()o Separation
Sepration
stream line

region

dp ap
min dx

18.8. 90paremon ofooundary

In a flowing fluid when a solid body is immersed, a thin layer of fluid called the boundary laye
is formed adjacent to the solid body. The forces acting on the fluid in the boundary layer are:
() Inertia forces, (ii) Viscous forces, and (ii) Pressure forces.

-When the pressure gradient in the direction of flow is negative o i.e. when the pres
sure decreases in the direction of flow, the flow is accelerated. In this case, the pressure fora.
and inertia force add together and jointly tend to reduce the effect of viscous forces in th
boundary layer. This results in a decrease in the thickness of boundary layer in the directia
of flow, as a consequence of which there are low losses and high efficiencies in acceleratin
flows.
-
When the pressure increases in the direction of flow the pressure forces act o

posite to the direction of flow and further increase the retarding effect of the viscous forc
Subsequently the thickness of the boundary layer increases rapidly in the direction of flo
If these forces act over a long stretch, the boundary layer gets separated from the surface a
moves into the main stream. This phenonmenon is called separation. The point of the boayi.
which the boundary layer is on the verge of
separation".
separation from
the surface is called point

Consider a flow of fluid over a curved surface as shown in Fig. 13:8.

As the fluid flows round the surface (the area of
flow decreases) it is accelerated over the
hand section until at point B the velocity just outside the
sure is minimum (as shown by the graph below the
boundary is maximum and the pre,
surface). Thus from A and B the pressu
gradient is negative. As long as
0 , the entire boundary layer moves forward.
 - Beyond (i.e. nlong the region BCDE), the nrea of flow increases and hence velocity of flow
decreases due to decrease of velocity the pres8ure increnses (in the direction of flow) and

heneethe pressure gradientispositive i.e. >0. The value of the velocity gradient
dx
aat at the boundary is zero at the point C, this point is known as a separatlon point (the
boundary layer starts separating from the surface because further retardation of flow near the
surface is physically impossible). Large turbulent eddies are formed downstream of the point
of separation. The disturbed region in which the eddiesare formed ts called turbulent wake.
Theflow separation depends upon factors such as:
( The curvature of the surface;
()The Reymolds number of flow
(i) The roughness of the surface.
The velocity sradient, for a given velocity profile, exhibits the following characteristics for the
flow to remain attached, get detached or be on the verge of separation

1 is+ve .Attached flow (The flow will not separate)

y =0

is zero ..The flow is on the verge of separation

=0

3. IS v e
)y =o Separated flow.
Boundary layer separation is unstable, inefficient process and entails large losses due to
appreciable eddying region.
Separation occurs in the following cases:
(i) Diffusers,
(i) Open channel transitions,
(ii) Pumps,
(iv) Fans,
(v) Aerofoils,
(vi) Turbine blades etc.
Methods of preventing the separation of boundary layer:
Following are some of the methods generally adopted to rctard or arrest the flow separation:
1.
Streamlining the body shape.
2. Tripping the boundary layer from laminar to turbulent by provision ofsurface roughness.
3. Sucking the retarded flow.
4.
Injecting high velocity fluid in the boundary layer.
5.
1.
Providing slots near the leading edge.
6. Guidance of flow in a confined passage.
7.
Providing a rotating cylinder near the leading edge.
8. Energising the flow by introducing optimum amount of swirl in the incoming flow.

PT.
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Eormulae Used.

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it e Shean)

veleizgAaid
veleuil ieerage velosittmean
U.=.unifom
- - -
Relatie velei afqHaid w t hebadt

Fe F_Resultantfze lie Total hrzel.

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cllnchem sfmatin
Comhonent a Resultant fzne.Ch) in the

f bod moves verH calla downwrd hen total welgh

e

Moy
bod will be **
* *
**

I'e tohal wegkt st bod ****** a ""************* *

oatm. ***** ****

***"********** * ******* ** *******-

* *** "****

le. y.Comjonent)
FL Likbe Lit fore)
Fooc 4chrz in theolincdhon thamption_fu
Cnponent.zf.Resulttn!fme LR) in He diech
hemothan. fhuid 4Hou
t o K n o w l e d no n

Lift foxce_occus_ onllhen the aiG K bcdy a

inclined to the direcin Auid flou-
I He anus qhe bod ia pazallél te He ditim
4fluid H, t p r e s zenn at case my cng-
arte LF) actz
HafAuid atumed ideal_dnd e bodt ia Amha,
uth as4 sphce_a ezlidsr hodh FrL£ ill be Zem

-(Fo)i = shear daa FricHon da@seind

F SKin icim da
(F)p = Pressure daag Fosm dag

E = (E4 +(F)e

E= Dong izng-
Pachk dag Ttal cdae

S-19
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LCoerue FU
Ea= Co A
A chaackidsi a
h-= A: FO ö n d i m A i dHots

FR

X Lenp

Pouer= Foxe XVclociy a eruo

Fo x U_
-Leower Foxein tedinchnd fuid fnka XVelaiy