Numerical prediction of a laminar boundary layer flow on a rotating sphere

Abstract

Numerical solutions to a laminar boundary layer flow past a sphere are considered. The solutions are presented using the procedure of Gosman et al. [1] with appropriate modifications. Successful numerical solution procedures have been devised for the solution of flow problems, see [5]. The SOR method is chosen as a method of solution. Although it looks like a simple method, application of such a method to nonlinear Navier-Stokes equations is highly nontrivial. The matrix method is not used because convergence was not a problem for the type of flow considered in this paper. The governing nonlinear differential equations are converted into finite difference equations by integrating the equations over a control volume and are then solved by an iterative procedure. The numerical results predict that the transverse velocity v θ is positive in the upper hemisphere, goes to zero in the equitorial plane and becomes negative in the lower hemisphere.