Correlation Methods for Integral Boundary Layers We will look at one particularly well-known and easy method due

to Thwaites in 1949. First, start by slightly re-writing the integral b.l. equation. We had:

w d du e = + (2 + H ) 2 u e dx e u e dx
Multiply by u e v :

w u e d 2 du e = + (2 + H ) v dx v dx u e
Then define =

2 du e
v dx

and this equation gives:

ue

d ( dx du e

dx

) = 2 w (2 + H ) u e

Thwaites then assumes a correlation exists which only depends on . Specifically:

H = H ( ) and

w = S ( ) u e
shear correlation

shape factor correlation

ue

d ( dx du e

) 2[S ( ) (2 + H ( )] dx now this is an approximation

Correlation Methods for Integral Boundary Layers

In a stroke of genius and/or luck, Thwaites looked at data from experiments and known analytic solutions and found that ue d x ( dx du e 0.45 6 !! dx

This can actually be integrated to find:

2 =

0.45v ue
6

u
o

5 e

dx

where we have assumed ( x = 0) = 0 for this.

16.100 2002