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Boundary layer theory

Boundary layer theory was proposed by Prandtl shortly after the completion of his doctoral
dissertation in 1904

First, nobody accept boundary layer theory, It took three or four decades of persistent
exposition by Prandtl for his theory to become the common language we speak today.

Today, boundary layer theory is a 3 unit course in mechanical engineering

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 Boundary layer theory
Different type of boundary layers:
Internal
(duct flow)
Laminar
External
Boundary
layer Internal
(duct flow)
turbulent
External

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Boundary layer theory
➢The fundamental problem in convective heat transfer : We want to now
1. What is the net force exerted by the stream on the plate?
2. What is the heat transfer from the plate to the stream, or what is thermal
resistance?
L
F =   w.dx L
0 q =  q
0
u 
 =  q = h( T0 − T )
y  y =0

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 Boundary layer theory

. (No slip condition)❖

we accept empirically that the fluid layer situated at y = 0+ is, in fact, stuck to the solid
wall.
❖In 0 < y < 0+ the f luid layer is motionless, and the mode of heat transfer
is pure conduction :

L
q =  q  T 
− Kf 
0
 T   y  y =0
q = h( T0 − T ) q = − Kf   h=
 y  y =0 T0 − T

To calculate q, we need to calculate h, to calculate h, we need to have temperature

Distribution.
To calculate F, we need to calculate t, to calculate t, we need to have velocity
Distribution. 5
 Boundary layer theory
To obtain u & T distribution, we need to solve governing equations, we derived
In the chapter 1.
For two-dimensional flow we have:

u v Need 14 boundary
+ = 0 , Four unknowns: u,v,P,T
x y Continuity conditions

u u −1 P   2u  2u  U ----------4 b.c.
u +v = +  2 + 2  Momentum, X V ----------4 b.c.
x y  x  x y  T ----------4 b.c.
P ----------2 b.c.
v v −1 P   2v  2v 
u +v = +  2 + 2  Momentum, y
x y  y  x y 
T T   2T  2T 
u +v =  2 + 2 
x y  x y  Energy

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 Boundary layer theory
fan

B.C . 1. No slip u =0 

2. Impermeability v = 0  At the solid wall. y=0
3. Wall temp. T = T0 
Uniform
4. No slip flow u = U 
5. Impermeability
Uniform flow v = 0  Very far distance from the solid wall

6. Wall temp.
Uniform Temp. T = T∞  y=δ
in both direction (x & y)
7.Pressure far field P= P 
u = U 

x = 0  v = 0
T = T
 

P = P ( y)
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Boundary layer theory

Exact solution of P.D.E.

Separation of Variables

Analytical
Similarity solution of
O.D.E or Combination
of Variable

Solution methods Scale up analysis

Integral momentum
method
Approximate

Numerical methods

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 The concept of Boundary layer
➢Scale up method to derive B.L equations

velocity change from u = 0 to u = U∞ and the temperature change from T = T0 to T = T∞ occur in a

space situated relatively close to the solid wall

Let δ be the order of magnitude of the distance in which u changes from 0 at the wall to roughly
U∞ in the free stream. Thus, in the space of height δ and length L in Fig. 2.1, we identify the
following scales for changes in x, y, and u:

u = U , v=0 , P=P , T=T

Momentum, X

Scale Up For Momentum A

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 The concept of Boundary layer
For continuity eq.

𝑈∞ 𝑣 𝛿
~ 𝑣~ 𝑈∞
𝐿 𝛿 𝐿

Next, if the boundary layer region δ × L is slender, such that δ << L

The last term in in Eq. A is very bigger than adjacent term, so it can be deleted & eq. is:

2
𝑈∞
𝐿 u u −1 P  2u
B u +v
x
=
y  x
+ 2
y
Momentum, X

𝑣 2 𝛿
𝑈∞
𝑈∞ ≈ The same argument for momentum eq. in y direction
𝐿 𝐿 𝐿
v v −1 P  2v
u +v = + 2
2 𝛿
𝑈∞
2
𝑈∞
C x y  y y
Momentum, Y

𝐿 𝐿
≪ 10
𝐿 Note: terms in y momentum Eq. is very small compared to x
 The concept of Boundary layer
C u
v
x
+v
v −1 P
y
=
 y
+
 2v
y 2

Eq. C does not have big terms, so it is not important, but we use it to show

P P P 𝑑𝑃∞
0 ,  =
y x x 𝑑𝑥

P
❖In a slender region , is the negligible when
y
P
compared with the x ?
Generally the answer is YES. But need to prove it mathematically
From differential have:
P P
dP = .dx + .dy
x y
dP P P dy
e  = +
dx x y dx
.
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The concept of Boundary layer
P P
The orders of magnitude of the two pressure gradients , can be deduced from
y x
eqs. B and C by recognizing a balance between pressure forces and either
friction or inertia. We choose balance pressure & friction

If divided to terms

So, in eq. E second term is negligible compare to first term, and we have

0
P dP
=
x dx
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 The concept of Boundary layer
This is the boundary layer equation for momentum, and keeping in mind how 2
it was derived. For temperature the same argument could be used and T
is negligible
We have 3 unknowns, u-v- T and 3 equations x 2

 u v
 x + y = 0 P∞ is known

 u u −1 P  2u
u + v = + 2
 x y  x y
 T T  2T
u +v = 2
 x y y

We have two boundary layers, 1 for u, 1 for T, but the thickness of each ones are not the same.

δuu  δTT
δ : 0 → u δT t : T0 → T
Velocity B.L. Thermal B.L.
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 Scale up Analysis
After, simplification of the equations, we need to estimate stress using scale up method

𝜕𝑢 𝑈∞
𝜏=𝜇 ) 𝜏≈ 𝜇
𝜕𝑦 𝑦=0 𝛿

We need to estimate δ to calculate τ

For the simple case: flow over f lat plate we could calculate δ as follow:

For flat plate, pressure gradient is zero

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 L  2
 δ :~  
 U 
From δ −1
Continuity  :~ ReL 2
Found 2 terms 𝛿 L
have same scale 𝑣~ 𝑈∞ 14
𝐿
 Scale up Analysis
It states that the slenderness postulate on which the boundary layer theory is based
(δ << L) is valid provided that
the boundary layer solution will fail in the tip region of length l, short enough so that is not
considerably greater than unity.

Now, we can estimate stress

𝜕𝑢 𝑈∞
𝜏=𝜇 ) 𝜏≈ 𝜇
𝜕𝑦 𝑦=0 𝛿

−1
τ U .ReL
2

2
−1
Recall : c f =  cf : :~ ReL 2
1 1
U 2 U 2
2 2
the graph of shear stress on plate

Cf
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 Scale up Analysis
Now, discussing heat transfer between plate & f luid to find q
We need to estimate thermal boundary layer
𝜕𝑇 𝐾𝑓
∆𝑇
𝐾(
f 𝜕𝑦 )𝑦=0 𝛿𝑇 𝐾𝑓 ∆𝑇 = 𝑇0 − 𝑇∞
ℎ= ℎ≈ ∆𝑇
≈𝛿
𝑇0 − 𝑇∞ 𝑇

Scale up for energy equation

∆𝑇 ∆𝑇 ∆𝑇
𝑢 ,𝑣 ≈ 2
𝐿 𝛿𝑇 𝛿𝑇

Two cases for estimate of δT

Case one Case two

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Thick thermal Boundary layer
1. Thick thermal boundary layer : or Pr << 1
𝛿
𝑣~ 𝑈∞
𝐿

∆𝑇 ∆𝑇 𝛿 ∆𝑇 ∆𝑇
𝑈∞ 𝑣 ~ 𝑈∞ 𝛼 2
𝛿𝑇 𝐿 𝛿𝑇 𝛿𝑇
𝐿
Negligible term

second term is smaller than first term & negligible. So, two terms left after scale up:

∆𝑇 ∆𝑇 𝛿𝑇2 𝛼 𝛿𝑇 𝛼 𝜐 1/2
≈ ≈
𝑈∞ ≈ 𝛼 2 𝐿 𝜐 𝑈∞ 𝐿
𝐿 𝛿𝑇 𝐿 𝑈∞

~ ~

Pe: Peclet number

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 Thick thermal Boundary layer
✓For liquid metals and the other low prandtl number f luids.

𝐾𝑓 𝐾𝑓 −1/2 −1/2
ℎ≈ ℎ≈ 𝑃𝑟 𝑅𝑒𝐿
𝛿𝑇 𝐿

If we divide two boundary layers 1

Pr 2 = 1
𝛿 −1/2
≈ 𝑅𝑒𝐿
𝐿
𝛿𝑇 −1/2 −1/2
≈ 𝑃𝑟 𝑅𝑒𝐿
𝐿

❖ Thus, the first assumption is valid, if .

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 Thin thermal Boundary layer
2. Thin thermal Boundary layer
Note: the domain of scale up, δT is smaller
than velocity boundary layer δ

For Pr>>1 such as water, scale of u at Y=δT is not U∞ but smaller and obtain based on
Length ratio:
𝛿𝑇
𝑢 ≈ 𝑈∞
𝛿
Two terms 𝛿𝑇 ∆𝑇 ∆𝑇 3 𝛼 𝜐 3/2𝐿3/2
have same scale 𝑈∞ ≈𝛼 2 𝛿𝑇 = 3/2
𝛿 𝐿 𝛿𝑇 𝜐 𝑈∞
Scale of v
𝛿𝑇 𝛿𝑇 𝛿𝑇 𝛿𝑇 2
𝑣~ 𝑢 ≈ 𝑈∞ ≈ 𝑈∞
𝐿 𝐿 𝐿 𝐿
~
𝛿 −1/2
≈ 𝑅𝑒𝐿 The condition meet if
𝐿
Pr-1/3 << 1 or Pr>>1
𝛿𝑇 −1/3 −1/2
If divide two thickness 𝐿 ≈ 𝑃𝑟 𝑅𝑒𝐿

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Thin thermal Boundary layer
Thus, the assumption δT << δ is valid in the case of Pr-1/3 <<1 fluids.

𝑘
ℎ~
𝛿𝑇

The heat transfer coefficient and Nusselt number vary as

ℎ𝐿
𝑁𝑢 =
𝑘
The meaning of Reynolds number
the Reynolds number is as the order of magnitude of the inertia/friction ratio in a particular flow.
This interpretation is not correct because in the boundary layer region examined above, there is
always a balance between inertia and friction, whereas
ReL can reach as high as 105
1
Re 2 is a geometric parameter of the flow region - the slenderness ratio .
It is not ReL , but the square root of ReL , that means something :

L The wall length

:~
1
ReL2 ~
:
δ The boundary layer thickness 20