UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS, AKOKA-YABA, LAGOS, NIGERIA

(The University of First Choice & The Nations’s Pride)

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL AND PETROLEUM ENGINEERING
CHG 503: TRANSPORT PHENOMENA IV
TUTORIAL 2: BOUNDARY LAYER THEORY
1. Calculate the drag force on each side of a thin smooth plate 2 m long and 1 m wide with the
length parallel to a flow of fluid moving at 30 m/s. The density of the fluid is 800 kg/m3 and the dynamic
viscosity is 8 cP.

2. A smooth thin plate 5 m long and 1 m wide is placed in an air stream moving at 3 m/s with its
length parallel to the flow. Calculate the drag force on each side of the plate. The density of the air is
1.2 kg/m3 and the kinematic viscosity is 1.6 × 105 m2/s.

3. Water at 20oC is flowing past a flat plate at 0.914 m/s. The plate is 0.305 m wide. (a) Calculate
the Reynolds number 0.305 m from the leading edge to determine if the flow is laminar, (b) Calculate
the boundary layer thickness at x = 0.152 and x = 0.305 m from the leading edge, and (c) Calculate the
total drag on the 0.305m long plate (  = 1.005 × 10-3 kg/(m.s);  = 1000 kg/m3).

4. Air at 293.4 K and 101.3 kPa is flowing past a flat plate at 6.1 m/s. Calculate the thickness of
the boundary layer at a distance of 0.3 m from the leading edge and the total drag for a 0.3 m wide plate
(  = 1.49 × 10-5 kg/(m.s)).

5. Water at 293 K is flowing past a flat plate at 0.5 m/s. (a) Calculate the boundary layer thickness
at a point 0.1-m from the leading edge, (b) At the same point, calculate the point shear stress and the
total drag on the plate (  = 1.005 × 10-3 kg/(m.s);  = 1000 kg/m3).

6. Air at 101.3 kPa and 293 K is flowing past a smooth flat plate at 30.5 m/s. The turbulence in the
air stream is such that the transition from a laminar to a turbulent boundary layer occurs at
Re L = 5  10 5. (a) Calculate the distance from the leading edge where the transition occurs. (b)
Calculate the boundary layer thickness,  , at a distance of 0.15 m and 0.90 m from the leading edge.
(c) calculate the drag coefficient for both distances L = 0 .20 m and 0.90 m. (d) If the plate is 5 m long
and 2 m wide, calculate the total drag on the plate (  = 1.49 × 10-5 kg/(m.s))

7. Crude oil at 21OC (kinematic viscosity = 3.05 × 10-5 m2/s, specific gravity = 0.86) with a free
stream velocity of 3.5 m/s flows past a thin, flat plate that is 1.2 m wide and 2.0 m long in a direction
parallel to the flow. Determine and plot the boundary layer thickness and shear stress distribution along
the plate. Also, determine the resistance of one side of the plate.

8. Air at 293.4 K and 101.3 kPa with a free stream velocity of 12.2 m/s is flowing parallel to a
smooth flat plate held at a surface temperature of 383 K. (a) At the critical point, Re L = 5 10 5 , calculate
the critical length x = L of the plate, the thickness  of the hydrodynamic boundary layer, and the
thickness  T of the thermal boundary layer. (Note that Pr  1.0), (b) Calculate the average heat transfer
coefficient over the plate covered by the laminar boundary layer.

9. Air at 37.8oC and 1 atm abs flows at a velocity of 3.05 m/s parallel to a flat plate held at 93.3oC.
The plate is 1 m wide. Calculate the following at a position 0.61 m from the leading edge: (a) the thermal
1
boundary layer thickness,  T , and the hydrodynamic boundary layer thickness,  , (b) total heat transfer
from the plate.

10. Use the momentum-integral equation of the boundary layer:

w d  u  u 
U 02
=  
dx 0 U 0 
1 −  dy
U 0 
(10.1)

to determine the boundary layer thickness, (x), and the coefficient of mean skin friction for an assumed
u   y 
velocity profile: = sin    2  if the flow is (a) laminar, (b) turbulent. Also, show the
U0    
relationship between the displacement thickness,  D , and momentum thickness,  M .

11. Using the momentum-integral equation (10.1) of the boundary layer, show that the laminar
boundary layer thickness,  , and the mean skin friction coefficient, C fL , are respectively given by:
 4 .64 1.292
= and C fL = for a cubic velocity profile.
x Re x Re L

12. Using the momentum-integral equation (10.1) of the boundary layer, show that the turbulent
boundary layer thickness,  , and the mean skin friction coefficient, C fL , are respectively given by:
 0.376 0.072
= 1
and C fL = 1
, for the Prandtl’s one-seventh power law of velocity profile.
x Re x 5 Re L 5

13. Find the displacement and momentum thicknesses for a laminar boundary layer modelled by the
 y 
equation: u = U 0 sin  .
 2 

14. Assuming a cubic velocity distribution inside a laminar boundary layer over a flat plate, show
39 
that the momentum thickness,  M = .
280

15(i) The velocity profile in a laminar boundary layer is sometimes expressed in the form:
2 3 4
u  y  y  y  y
= a0 + a1   + a2   + a3   + a4   (15.1)
U0        
where U 0 is the velocity outside the boundary layer and  the boundary layer thickness. Evaluate the
coefficients a0 to a 4 for the case when the pressure gradient along the surface is zero.
2
 y  y
u
(ii) Assuming a velocity profile = 2  −   , obtain an expression for the mass and momentum
U0    
fluxes within the boundary layer and hence determine the displacement and momentum thickness.

16. When a fluid flows over a flat surface and the flow is laminar, the boundary layer profile may be
u
= 2( ) − ( ) , where  = y  , y is the height within the layer and
2
represented by the equation:
U0
 the thickness of the layer, u the velocity within the layer and U 0 the velocity of the main stream.
2
(a) Show that this distribution satisfies the boundary conditions for the layer; (b) show that the
thickness of the layer varies with distance, x , from the leading edge by the equation:
5.48 x d
 = . It may be assumed that  w = U 02 , where  is the momentum thickness.
Re x dx

17. A fluid is flowing in a vertical pipe and mass transfer is occurring from the pipe wall to the fluid.
Relate the convective mass transfer coefficient, kC , to the variables D, ρ, μ, u, DAB, g and   , where D
is pipe diameter, L is pipe length, and   is the density difference.

18(i) State the two types of forces responsible for the drag of a body.
(ii) Distinguish between skin-friction drag and form drag.
(iii) Discuss the drag on bluff objects including long cylinders and spheres.
(iv) What is meant by “no-slip condition”?
(v) What is a Boundary Layer? Explain the phenomenon of Boundary Layer Separation, with
illustration.
(vi) Explain the concept of momentum thickness and displacement thickness.
(vii) Sketch, in details, the flow pattern in a boundary layer.
(viii) State three deleterious effects of boundary layer separation.
(ix) Explain succinctly ways by which boundary layer can be controlled.
(x) Name five bodies that can benefit from boundary layer control.
(xi) Why can porpoises swim faster than any other animal of their sizes?
(xii) Discuss the formation of wakes.

Tutorial 2 to be submitted: Questions 2, 3, 10, 14 – 17.

COURSE INSTRUCTOR: ENGR. PROF. O. A. OLAFADEHAN