Nonuniqueness in Wakes and Boundary Layers,

Abstract

In streamlined flow past a flat plate aligned with a uniform stream, it is shown that (a) the Goldstein near-wake and (b) the Blasius boundary layer are nonunique solutions locally for the classical boundary layer equations, whereas (c) the Rott-Hakkinen very-near-wake appears to be unique. In each of (a), (b) an alternative solution exists which has reversed flow and which apparently cannot be discounted on immediate grounds. Thus, depending mainly on how the alternatives for (a), (b) develop downstream, the symmetric flow at high Reynolds numbers could have 2, 4 or more, simple steady forms. Concerning non-streamlined flow, e.g. past a bluff obstacle, new similarity forms are described for the pressure-free viscous symmetric closure of a predominantly slender long wake beyond a large-scale separation. Features arising include nonuniqueness, singularities and algebraic behavior, consistent with nonentraining shear layers with algebraic decay. Nonuniqueness also seems possible in reattachment onto a solid surface and for nonsymmetric or pressure-controlled flows including the wake of a symmetric cascade.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1983
Accession Number
ADA132906

Entities

People

  • F. T. Smith

Organizations

  • United Technologies Corporation

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • C4I

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Boundary Layer
  • Boundary Layer Flow
  • Differential Equations
  • Equations
  • Flow
  • Flow Fields
  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Fluid Flow
  • Integral Equations
  • Integrals
  • Layers
  • Leading Edges
  • Pressure Gradients
  • Reynolds Number
  • Three Dimensional
  • Trailing Edges
  • Turbulent Mixing

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Dynamics.
  • Linear Algebra