THE LAMINAR BOUNDARY LAYER ALONG A FLAT PLATE

The boundary layer along a flat plate at zero incidence

A. Momentum Transfer (Blasius solution)
The boundary layer equations for momentum transfer are as followings:
u
v
+
=0
x
y

u
u
2 u
+v
= 2
x
y
y

with the boundary conditions: at y = 0, u = v = 0; and at y = , u = u

Similarity Transformation: Transforming the independent variables x and y to , and
the dependent variable (stream function) to f() as the following definitions:

u
= y and f () =
xu
x
Then, the boundary layer equations become a single ordinary differential equation as:
ff ' '+2 f ' ' ' = 0 (Blasiuss equation)
with the boundary conditions as: at= 0, f = f = 0 and at= , f = 1.
The differential equation is solved numerically and the solution is

Velocity distribution in the boundary layer along a flat plate, after Blasius [2]
The function f () for the boundary layer a flat plate at zero incidence, after L. Howarth [16]

=y

U
vx

f= U

0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0

0
0.00664
0.02656
0.05974
0.10611
0.16557

0
0.6641
0.13277
0.19894
0.26471
0.32979

0.33206
0.33199
0.33147
0.33008
0.32739
0.32301

1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2.0

0.23795
0.32298
0.42032
0.52952
0.65003

0.39378
0.45627
0.51676
0.57477
0.62977

0.31659
0.30787
0.29667
0.28293
0.26675

2.2
2.4
2.6
2.8
3.0

0.78120
0.92230
1.07252
1.23099
1.39682

0.67132
0.72899
0.77246
0.81152
0.84605

0.24835
0.22809
0.20646
0.18401
0.16136

3.2
3.4
3.6
3.8
4.0

1.56911
1.74696
1.92954
2.11605
2.30576

0.87609
0.90199
0.92333
0.94112
0.95552

0.13913
0.11788
0.09809
0.08013
0.06424

4.2
4.4
4.6
4.8
5.0

2.49806
2.69238
2.88826
3.08534
3.28329

0.96696
0.97587
0.98269
0.98779
0.99155

0.05052
0.03897
0.02948
0.02187
0.01591

5.2
5.4
5.6
5.8
6.0

3.48189
3.68094
3.88031
4.07990
4.27964

0.99425
0.99616
0.99748
0.99838
0.99898

0.01134
0.00793
0.00543
0.00365
0.00240

6.2
6.4
6.6
6.8
7.0

4.47948
4.67938
4.87931
5.07928
5.27926

0.99937
0.99961
0.99977
0.99987
0.99992

0.00155
0.00098
0.00061
0.00037
0.00022

7.2
7.4
7.6
7.8
8.0

5.47925
5.67924
5.87924
6.07923
6.27923

0.99996
0.99998
0.99999
1.00000
1.0000

0.00013
0.00007
0.00004
0.00002
0.00001

8.2
8.4
8.6
8.8

6.47923
6.67923
6.87923
7.07923

1.00000
1.00000
1.00000
1.00000

0.00001
0.00000
0.00000
0.00000

Boundary layer thickness : The boundary layer thickness is defined as the distance
from surface at u/u = 0.99. From the above table, it is at= 5; thus,

=
u
u
= y = = 5 or x
x
x

5
u x

5
Re x

(1) Surface shear stress o :

o =

u
y

= u
y =0

u
u
f ' ' (0) = 0.332 u
x
x

The local coefficient of skin friction is

C fx =

0.664
o

= 0.664
or C fx =
2
Re x
xu
u / 2

B. Hear Transfer

Boundary-layer development for flow along a heated flat plate, shoeing the thermal
boundary later for < 1 . Surface of plate is at temperature T0 .

The boundary layer equation of heat transfer for steady state, incompressible, and two
dimensional flow over a flat plate is
u

T
T
2T
+v
=
x
y
y 2

with the boundary conditions as: at y = 0, T = Ts and at y = , T = T

For dimensionless independent variables H and U as H =

T Ts
u
and U =
, the
u
T Ts

boundary conditions are the same as: at y = 0, H = U = 0 and at y = , H = U = 1.

Therefore, the above Blasiuss solution can be applied to the heat transfer equation.
Thus,

T
y

y =0

0.332
= (T Ts )
x

Re

For the local heat transfer coefficient hx defined as J h

=hx (T Ts ) =k

T
y

y =0

, the

following result is obtained:

hx x
= Nu x = 0.332 Re x
k

For fluids with a Prandtl number other than unity, the above equation becomes
(Pohlhausen, 1921)
hx x
1/ 2
= Nu x = 0.332 Re x Pr 1 / 3
k

C. Mass Transfer
The boundary layer equation of mass transfer for steady state, incompressible, and two
dimensional flow over a flat plate is
u

C
C
2 C
+v
=D
x
y
y 2

with the boundary conditions as: at y = 0, C = Cs and at y = , C = C

For dimensionless independent variables C* and U as C* =

C Cs
u
and U =
, the
u
C C s

boundary conditions are the same as: at y = 0, C* = U = 0 and at y = , C* = U = 1.

Therefore, the above Blasiuss solution can be applied to the mass transfer equation.
Thus,
C
y

y =0

0.332
= (C C s )
x

Re

For the local heat transfer coefficient kx defined as J m

=k x (C C s ) =D

C
y

following result is obtained:

kx x
= Nu x orSh x = 0.332 Re x
D

For fluids with a Schmidt number other than unity, the above equation becomes
kx x
1/ 2
= Nu x orSh x = 0.332 Re x Sc 1 / 3
D

D. Analogy
1
1 / 3
=
For heat transfer, j H = Nu x Re x Pr

0.332
Re x

y =0

, the

1
1 / 3
=
For mass transfer, j D = Sh x Re x Pr

For momentum transfer, C fx =

Therefore, j H = j D =

C fx
2

0.664
Re x

0.332
Re x