Finite amplitude stability of attachment line boundary layers

Abstract

Two-dimensional nonlinear equilibrium solutions for the swept Hiemenz flow attachment line boundary layer are directly computed by solving the full Navier-Stokes equations as a nonlinear eigenvalue problem. The equations are discretized using the two-point fourth order compact scheme and the resulting nonlinear homogeneous equations are solved using the Newton-Raphson iteration technique. It is found that for Reynolds numbers larger than the linear critical Reynolds number of 583, the nonlinear neutral surfaces form open curves. The results showed that the subcritical instability exists near the upper branch neutral curve and supercritical equilibrium solutions exist near the lower branch. These conclusions are in agreement with the weakly nonlinear theory. However, at higher amplitudes away from the linear neutral points the nonlinear neutral surfaces show subcritical instability at lower and higher wave number regions. At Reynolds numbers lower than the critical value, the nonlinear neutral surfaces form closed loops. By reducing the Reynolds number, we found that the nonlinear critical point occurs at a Reynolds number of 511.3, below which all the two-dimensional disturbances will decay. The secondary instability of these equilibrium solutions is investigated using the Floquet theory. The results showed that these two-dimensional finite amplitude neutral solutions are unstable to three-dimensional disturbances.