BOUNDARY LAYER

THEORY
Dr. Sanghamitra Kundu
Civil Engineering Department
BITS Pilani

INTRODUCTION

When a real fluid past a solid boundary, a layer of fluid

which comes in contact with the boundary surface
adheres to it on account of viscosity. Since this layer of
fluid can not slip away from the boundary surface it attains
the same velocity as that of the boundary.
This is called no slip condition.
In the boundary layer region since there is a larger
variation of velocity in a relatively small distance, there
exists a fairly large velocity gradient (dv/dy) normal to the
boundary surface


Even if the fluid has small viscosity, the corresponding shear

stress is of appreciable magnitude
v
=
y
2

CE F312 Hydraulics Engineering

BOUNDARY LAYER
The idea of the boundary layer dates back at least to the time
of Prandtl (1904, see the article: Ludwig Prandtls boundary
layer, Physics Today, 2005, 58, no.12, 42-48).

BOUNDARY LAYER

As a fluid flows over a body, the no-slip condition ensures

that the fluid next to the boundary is subject to large
shear.
If the boundary is stationary, the fluid velocity at the
boundary surface will be zero. Thus at the boundary
surface the layer of the fluid undergoes retardation.
Therefore in the immediate vicinity of the boundary
surface, the velocity of the fluid increases gradually from
zero at boundary surface to the velocity of the
mainstream. This region is known as BOUNDARY LAYER.

For example, boundary layers form on the surfaces of cars, in

the water running down the gutter of the street, and in the
atmosphere as the wind blows across the surface of the earth
4
(land or water).

CE F312 Hydraulics Engineering

CAUSES OF ITS FORMATION

Large velocity gradient (Larger variation of velocity in

relatively smaller distance) leading to appreciable
shear stress.
Consists of two layers:


INSIDE THE BOUNDARY : the friction is significant and across

the width of which the velocity increases rapidly from zero
(at the surface) to the value inviscid flow theory predicts.
OUTSIDE BOUNDARY LAYER: the velocity gradients normal to
the flow are relatively small, and the fluids acts as if it were
inviscid, even though the viscosity is not zero.

BOUNDARY LAYER ON SOLID SURFACE

Consider the flow over a flat plate as shown, the boundary layer is laminar for
a short distance downstream from the leading edge; transition occurs over a
region of the plate rather than at a single line across the plate.

Distortion of a fluid particle as it flows within the boundary layer.

CE F312 Hydraulics Engineering

FACTORS AFFECTING THE THICKNESS OF

BOUNDARY LAYER

BLT increases as the distance from the leading edge increases

BLT decreases with the increase in the velocity of flow of
approaching stream fluid
Greater is the kinematic viscosity, greater is the BLT
Considerably affected by the pressure gradient in the direction of
flow


If pressure gradient is ve in the case of converging flow, boundary layer

growth is retarded because the resulting pressure force acts in the
direction of flow and it accelerates the retarded flow in the BL.

BOUNDARY LAYER CONCEPTS

Two flow regimes




Laminar boundary layer

Turbulent boundary layer


Velocity distribution



with laminar sub-layer

Parabolic (laminar region)

Logarithmic (turbulent region)

The change of boundary layer from laminar to turbulent

depends on:




Velocity of flow U of the approaching stream of fluid

Length x measured along the plate from the leading edge
The mass density of fluid and dynamic viscosity
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FLAT PLATE: PARALLEL TO FLOW

U

boundary
layer
thickness

shear
Why is shear maximum at the leading edge of
the plate? du

dy

is maximum

BOUNDARY LAYER CONCEPTS

Re x =

Vx

The value of Rex at which the boundary layer may change

from laminar to turbulent varies from 2 105 to 3 106
Unless otherwise stated, we will use Rexcr = 5 105
in our calculations

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THICKNESS OF BOUNDARY LAYER

A pipe is enclosed, so the fluid is fully bounded, but in an
open flow at what distance away from the boundary can we
begin to ignore this shear?

Velocity within the boundary layer increases from

zero at the boundary surface to the velocity of the
main stream asymptotically

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THICKNESS OF BOUNDARY LAYER

Standard Boundary Layer Thickness

Displacement Thickness

Momentum thickness

Energy thickness

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CE F312 Hydraulics Engineering