http://www.pointwise.

com/yplus/
Compute Grid Spacing for a Given Y+
Improve CFD Accuracy with Correct Mesh Resolution
It's important that your mesh near the wall is properly sized to ensure accurate simulation of the
flowfield. This calculator computes the height of the first mesh cell off the wall required to achieve a
desired Y+ using flat-plate boundary layer theory.

Input
Reset to Sea Level Conditions

U:

freestream velocity (m/s)

1.0

freestream density (kg/m3)

1.225

dynamic viscosity (kg/m s)

0.000018375

L:

reference length (m)

1.0

y+:

desired y+
1.0

Output
s:

wall spacing (m)

Rex:

Reynolds number

Note: -1 indicates an input error

Calculate Grid Spacing on iPhone and AndroidTM

Now you can compute wall spacing while at your desk or while on the road with the Y+ Calculator for
iPhone or Android. This free app is a handy tool for calculating the grid spacing at a wall to achieve a
target y+ value for viscous computational fluid dynamics (CFD) computations. Simply specify the flow
conditions, the desired y+ value, and compute your grid spacing. The Y+ Calculator converts between
SI and Imperial units.

The Math
These computations are based on flat-plate boundary layer theory from Frank M. White'sFluid
Mechanics 5th edition, page 467.

Re x = U L
C f = 0.026 Re x 1 / 7
wall = Cf U 2 2
U fric = wall
s = y + U fric
Note: The equations use MathML markup. Certain browsers (Chrome and Internet Explorer, for
example), currently do not properly render MathML.