The Response of Laminar Boundary Layer to a Superposed Fluctuating Flow past a Body of Revolution

Abstract

The unsteady, axially symmetric stagnation-point flow problem for an incompressible fluid past a body of revolution, with velocity outside the boundary layer fluctuating with time as U₀(x){1+εe^iwt} is investigated. By assuming U₀(x)=u₁x+u₃x³+···, and using Howarth’s corresponding power series solution for steady flow, a power series for the fluctuating velocity component is obtained, the coefficients of which are universal functions of η=y(2u₁⁄ν)^1⁄2, with ω as a parameter. Numerical calculations performed show that the variation of skin friction from the steady-state value becomes insignificant as the point of separation is approached.