Boundary Layer Correction

Air enters a two-dimensional wind tunnel as shown. Because of the presence of the
boundary layer, fluid will be displaced away from the surface. In order to maintain a
constant velocity inside the tunnel, it is necessary to increase the cross-sectional size of
the tunnel.
(a) Determine the channel height, H(x), as a function of the distance measured from the
inlet of the tunnel, x. The tunnel velocity is 10 m/s and the tunnel inlet height is 5 m.
Assume the boundary layer has a profile u(y)=U

sin(ty/2o).
(b) What is the momentum thickness u(x) of the boundary layer flow.











U

=10 m/s

5 m
x
Sphere, 0.1 m
diameter
Boundary Layer Correction (cont.)
Solution: In order to maintain a constant velocity inside the tunnel, the tunnel wall
has to be displaced outward in order to accomodate the growth of the boundary layer.
The mass flow displaced by t
0 0
he presence of the boundary layer can be related to U *
by the definition of the displacement thickness. Therefore, the tunnel height has to be
H(t)=5+2 *(x).
u y 2
*= (1- ) [1-sin( )]
U 2
dy dy
o
o
o
t o
o o
o t

= = +
} }
0
3
y
cos ( )
2
2 2
(0 ) (1 ) ( ) 0.363 ( )
( ) 5 0.726 ( )
( ) ( ) 5 2 *( ) 5 1.158 10 ( )
x x
H x x
a H x x x m
o
t
o
o
o o o
t t
o
o

= + = =
= +
= + = +
Boundary Layer Correction (cont.)
2
w
w 0
0
0 0
2
0 0
( ) From the momentum thickness equation:
u u
where = (1- ) and | .
U U
y y
[sin ( )] cos ( )
2 2 2 2
y y y y
sin ( )(1- sin ( )) [sin ( )- sin ( )]
2 2 2 2
2
co
y
w y y
d
b U
dx
u
dy
y
y
dy dy
o o
u
t
u t
t t t t
t
o o o o
t t t t
u
o o o o
o
t

=

= =
=
c
=
c
c
= = =
c
= =
=
}
} }
0
0
0
2
2
y 1 1
s ( ) [ cos( )]
2 2 2
2 2 2 1
sin( ) ( )
2 2 2 2
2 1 2 1
( ) ( )
4
2 2 2
( 1)
y
dy
y
d d d
U dx d
dx dx dx
U
o
o
o
t t
o o
o o o t o o
o
t t o t t
u o t o t
o o
t o t

t

= = =
= = =

}
Boundary Layer Correction (cont.)
2 2
3
2
2
3 4
2
Integrate: , ( ) 1.595 10 ( )
4
2 (4 )
( 1)
(b) The momentum thickness
2 1 2 1
(x)=( ) ( )(1.595 10 ) 2.18 10 ( )
2 2
x x x x m
U
U
x x m
t o t
o
t

t
u o
t t

= = =

= =
Boundary Layer Correction (cont.)
(c) If a sphere has a diameter of 0.1 m is placed in the center of the wind tunnel,
what is the drag force exerted on the sphere.
air
=1.2 kg/m
3
, v=1.5x10
-5
m
2
/s.
Use the following graph for C
D
verse Re data.







C
D










C
D
=24/Re, when Re<1
Re=VD/v
0.5
400
300,000
C
D
=24/Re
0.646
,
when 1<Re<400
5
2 2
2 2
(c) For the sphere:
U (10)(0.1)
Re= 66, 667,
1.5 10
300 Re 300, 000 0.5
,
1
( )
2 4
(0.5)(1/ 2)(1.2)(10) ( / 4)(0.1)
0.235( ) drag force
D
D
D
D
D
C
F
C
U D
F
N
v
t

= =

< < =
=
=
=